An Unexpected Twist for St. Therese Church

The Boston Archdiocese is allowing St. Therese’s Church to remain open.

It will, according to officials, remain a sacred place, which is to say, in other communities like East Boston, the Mt. Carmel Church is being sold by the archdiocese – relegated to becoming just another piece of excess real estate.

In Everett, St. Therese’s Church will remain open but it is to become a Brazilian Church.

All the masses will be conducted in Portuguese.

This is quite a turnaround from the St. Therese’s of old which was among the most Italian churches in this city when it was at its height.

In fact, the church and everything on its sprawling property was entirely hand built by Italian people who lived here and for whom the church was near to the beginning and end of their cause in life.

Thus ends the vigil held at the church which lasted years and which took every last ounce of faith out of those who were dedicated to the task of saving what had been built so many years ago with their own donations and hands.

Even when the heat was turned off by the Archdiocese the faithful remained and kept the vigil.

But to no avail.

Now the church is to become a Brazilian Church and frankly, what is wrong with that?

The city now has a huge Brazilian population – estimated at 10,000 – with a powerful economic arm in all the Brazilian businesses that line Norwood Street.

Anyone who knows the Brazilian people who come to America understands that the church is a central part of their lives.

Brazilians, by and large, are faithful, serious, practicing Christians.

And like the Italian immigrants that came to Everett in huge numbers after the turn of the last Century, they are hard working, God fearing, church going people.

So a Brazilian Church in St. Therese’s is not completely a new development.

It is simply the continuation of what came before with new faces, from a different continent seeking the American Dream walking through the front doors to pray to God.

The Brazilians will bring life and meaning back into the church that has stood vacant and nearly abandoned for so long.

They should get whatever aid and help they need from the city to make their church a reality.

That would be doing the right thing.

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