As 2009 came to a close, another era of sorts also reached its conclusion. After more than 30 years of service, Joan McKinnon said goodbye and retired as the secretary of the St. Mary’s/St. Catherine’s parish. Joan, who started as a housekeeper in the 1970’s, recently recalled her years at the church and talked openly about the good times and the bad times and some of the people who came and went during her very memorable tenure.
Joan was hired in the mid 1970’s by then pastor, Fr. Robert Boyle, as the housekeeper and food shopper for the rectory at St. Mary’s. “Fr. Boyle was a man of great compassion and embraced the parish and the town like it was his own”, Joan said, “and he will return some day to be buried here.”
After working part time at the rectory for a few months, Fr. Boyle asked Joan if she would be interested in working full time and becoming the weekend cook. Joan accepted the position and fondly recalled her first day. “The assignment was lunch for 20 and it was a Friday, and remember there was no meat on Friday in those days”, Joan said. After a brief moment of panic Joan improvised, called her mother for a recipe and pulled off a successful seafood chowder and sandwich spread.
Joan also nostalgically talked about time spent in the rectory with long time St. Mary’s priest, Fr. Paul Donelin. “Fr. Donelin and I were great coworkers and great friends”, Joan recalled. She also spoke fondly about the conversations the two would have about life, family and faith while they shared a cigarette in the rectory kitchen. Joan also remembered what a caring man he was and how he had a particular soft spot for the down and out, in addition to those battling alcoholism.
Joan briefly left the church for a year in the 1980’s for work in the private sector. She was still doing part time housework for St. Mary’s when new pastor, Fr. James Canniff, called and offered her old position as housekeeper and cook. Joan, who already missed being at the church, accepted the job and began an 18 year relationship with Fr. Canniff.
Joan recalls Fr. Canniff as an excellent leader, boss, pastor and friend. “Fr. Canniff was a very caring and compassionate man who realized and even insisted that family come first”, Joan said. She shared a story about an incident when Joan’s mother, Peg White, a lifelong parishioner, had fainted in church because she refused to eat before morning mass. Joan said Fr. Canniff called Peg at home and explained to her that Vatican II changed the rules and it was now okay to eat before communion if you were over 70 years old. “My mother never passed out again”, Joan said.
A smile came over Joan’s face when she spoke of another coworker from those years. Mary Wilkins was the parish secretary and for most purposes Joan’s partner in the rectory. When the archdiocese decided to install computers in the 80’s, Fr. Canniff sent Joan and Mary back to school together for computer training in order to keep up with the times. Through her years working with Mary, Joan said the two women shared a relationship that included a great work environment and extended to the Wilkins and McKinnon families.
When Mary decided to retire in the 90’s Joan lost a great coworker but at the same time started a new chapter in her life. With the opening for a parish secretary, Fr. Canniff asked Joan if she would be interested and Fr. Canniff was more than happy to give her the opportunity, with one exception, Joan would still help out with the rectory meals.
Not long after Joan took over as secretary, the Catholic Church was rocked by sexual abuse charges and St. Mary’s was not immune. After blatant arrogance and dishonesty was brought to Fr. Canniff’s attention, he would leave St. Mary’s and Joan was left behind to hold down the fort and break in a new pastor. Fr. Canniff would be missed but his successor was welcomed and would fit in well at St. Mary’s.
Fr. Paul Coughlin took over as pastor of St. Mary’s and inherited a parish, cash strapped and struggling to leave an abuse scandal in the past. Moving forward was St. Mary’s objective and Joan said Fr. Coughlin was more than up to the task. Joan recalled his first sermon as pastor of St. Mary’s. He introduced himself as Fr. Paul Coughlin and exclaimed that he had never molested anyone. Joan said it was shocking but courageous and was just a glimpse of the charismatic and caring man that she would work with for the next five years.
During Fr. Coughlin’s tenure Joan got to know and admire a young, energetic priest who loved to sing and laugh, both very loudly. During this period Fr. Coughlin was put out of the rectory, which was being sold, and with the assistance of parishioners put together a makeshift living quarters in the parish hall. Joan said Fr. Coughlin was a great fit for Charlestown and St. Mary’s but was moved out as more changes approached.
The last chapter of Joan’s career at St. Mary’s included a new pastor, new challenges and ultimately the merging of two parishes.
Fr. James Ronan arrived at St. Mary’s after successfully merging two parishes in Lawrence, Mass. After years of budget and cluster meetings attended by Joan, it was clear that Fr. Ronan was here to oversee the fate of two Charlestown churches. The end result was St. Catherine’s of Siena church closed and the parish was merged with St. Mary’s. Joan said that it was a very sad outcome that ultimately had to be done. Fr. Ronan became the pastor of the new St. Mary/St. Catherine of Siena parish. Joan said, “Fr. Ronan is a natural leader and I believe was the right man for a difficult job. I look forward to seeing him and Daisy on Sundays.”
Joan’s last months have been bittersweet. She has made some new friends, like Oscar the maintenance man, Sr. Nancy the pastoral associate and Beth Tanner, the director of the brand new Good Shepherd School, a full time Catholic pre-school operating in the old lower church at St. Mary’s. Unfortunately, Joan’s longtime coworker and friend, James Santosuosso is currently battling serious health issues and hasn’t been around for Joan’s final days at St. Mary’s. Joan said she has a soft spot in her heart for James, whom she called her right hand man, and is sure that when his health returns the parish will be in good hands.
Joan’s mother and father were baptized and married at St. Mary’s. Both Joan and her husband, Ed, were baptized and married at St. Mary’s. Joan’s three children and four grandchildren were all baptized at St. Mary’s. Starting next month, Joan will be spending her winters in Florida but will always be a resident of Charlestown and a member of St. Mary’s parish.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB) announced the appointment of Gregory (Greg) Jackson as Executive Director of the Charlestown Boys & Girls Club, succeeding Jenny Atkinson. Jackson, who grew up in Charlestown and was a Club member for much of his youth, has nearly six years of professional experience with the Boys & Girls Club movement. His start date was Monday, Jan. 11.
“Greg shares BGCB’s deep commitment to meeting the needs of the community’s youth and families, and understands the important role the Club has played in Charlestown since it opened in 1893,” said Josh Kraft, Nicholas President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston. “He has the skills to ensure the continued high level of programming and stability of Club operations and to implement the long-term strategic direction set by the organization.”
In his most recent position as Executive Director/Chief Professional Officer at the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield (MA), Jackson applied his business experience, creativity and interpersonal skills to establish a Club that was recognized for excellence by Boys & Girls Clubs of America. During his tenure, he increased Club membership from 120 to more than 1,300 members, expanded and improved programming, raised over $3.5 million in operating dollars and $2 million for a Capital Campaign, and built effective relationships with community and business leaders.
Jackson began his career in the private sector, spending 12 years in management at Filene’s Department Store. He attended Stonehill College, where he studied Business Administration and Computer Science.
“I am deeply honored to have been selected for this leadership role at the Club that was so instrumental in my own development,” Jackson said. “I look forward to working closely with the staff, Advisory Board members, and families to ensure that the Charlestown Boys & Girls Club continues to be the gold standard of quality programming in the community.”
The search committee − which included several Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB) senior managers and Club Executive Directors, as well as a representative from the Charlestown Club’s Advisory Board − evaluated each candidate on a number of criteria including experience in youth development, staff management, budget management, facilities management, strategic vision, and understanding of the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

About the Role of Club Executive Director
The Executive Director is a member of the senior leadership team at Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, and is responsible for informing and implementing the organization’s strategic objectives. The Executive Director also is responsible for developing and maintaining the Club’s focus on six core program areas: education, technology, the arts, leadership, life skills, and sports, fitness and recreation. The Executive Director manages Club operations, including staff, facilities and budgeting. The Charlestown Club currently serves more than 1,000 children and teens and is considered a valued and trusted resource for the children in the community.

While last week was time to celebrate for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, it was also a time to weigh in on some very serious matters of national security.
Menino continued his fight to keep a Yemeni LNG (liquified natural gas) tanker from entering Boston Harbor next month and passing only a couple of hundred yards from Charlestown's shore.
“We’re in extraordinary times that call for extraordinary measures to ensure the safety of our city,’’ Menino told the Boston Globe . “They cannot be coming into a harbor like Boston, where there is less than 50 feet between the tankers and residential areas.’’
Menino's decision to try and halt the delivery of LNG from Yemen stemmed from the failed Christmas Day bombing of an airline traveling from Amsterdam to Detroit. The Nigerian man responsible allegedly trained in Yemen with a terror group with ties to Al Qaida.
Menino wants the Yemeni LNG tanker, headed for one of several LNG offloading terminals in Everett, to unload its potentially volatile cargo away from the city.
Following the September 11, terrorist attacks, Menino successfully stopped LNG tankers from entering Boston Harbor. Menino sued in federal court to keep the tankers from resuming their weekly voyages into the harbor, but the request was denied in 2001.
A study that was done in 2004 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cited research performed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor emeritus James Fay and contradicted two earlier reports used by the coast guard to justify the resumption of LNG ships through Boston Harbor in the aftermath of September 11.
Fay's report titled, "Comparison of Hypothetical LNG and Fuel Fires on Water," suggested that a terrorist strike against one of the LNG ships could spark a fireball in the immediate vicinity, as well as shoot off electromagnetic radiation that could burn people and ignite secondary fires within a half-mile radius of the explosion -- this would include Charlestown.
Julie Vitek, at that time spokeswoman for Distrigas, which owns several LNG storage facilities in Everett, defended the safety record of the ships while criticizing Fay's report. "These ships are built extremely well," Vitek said. "LNG tankers are more robust than regular fuel tankers; their safety record is impeccable."
According to Vitek, Distrigas supplies the natural gas needs of over 20 percent of New England through the Everett LNG tanks.
Vitek noted that there has never been an instance of an explosion or a hull breach on an LNG tanker, and believes Fay's study was based on faulty data.
"This report was based on the hypothetical assumption of all of the tanker's gas being released at once," Vitek said. "But we live in the real world, and that just wouldn't happen."
Vitek also noted that the author of the report is not an expert on the ship's design or construction, while Lloyd's Register of Shipping--whose report outlined a far less devastating scenario--is one of the pre-eminent shipping experts in the world.
"The Lloyds and Quest studies used reality-based scenarios to conduct their research, while Fay's study was based on conjecture and hypothetical scenarios," Vitek said.

CNC meeting
The next monthly meeting of the Charlestown Neighborhood Council takes place at the Knights of Columbus Lower Hall, 75 West School St., on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m.

‘Charlestown Live’
“Charlestown Live,” the television program devoted exclusively to the neighborhood, this week will feature Kathy Giordano the subject will be the Elderly Commission and Kathy's retirement, tonight, Jan. 14. The program airs every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on the Boston Neighborhood Network (Comcast Channel 9). Reruns air on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Monday at 10:30 a.m. in the week following the initial broadcast.

Art from the Heart
The Artists’ Group of Charlestown will sponsor its annual Valentine Jewelry and HeART Show on Thursday, Feb. 11, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the StoveFactory Gallery, 523 Medford St. Any artists, artisans or jewelers interested in selling or displaying their work to please contact the AGC at 617-241-0130 for more information.

Winter Festival/Family Fun Day
The Friends of the Charlestown Branch Library are sponsoring a Winter Festival / Family Fun Day on Saturday, Feb. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a silent auction from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Charlestown Branch of the Boston Public Library, 179 Main St. The event will include a storyteller and face painting for our young friends, a silent auction for our adult friends featuring: Red Sox tickets, baseball signed by Manny Delcarmen, dinners, day spas, duck tours, and many more great surprises. There will also be hot cider, coffee and lots of snacks.

31sth Annual USS Constitution Model Shipwright Guild Exhibit
 Members of the USS Constitution Model Shipwright Guild will display their finest work in hopes of capturing the spotlight during the 31st annual show at the USS Constitution Museum. Models in the Spotlight opens to the public on Saturday, Jan. 30 and will run through Saturday, March 20. Admission to the Museum and the exhibit are free with donations welcome. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A total of 75 different ships created by modelers from across New England will be on display. Ranging from World War II vessels to fishing dories, ships-in-bottles to sailing vessels, these modelers have masterfully captured the richness of our maritime history in miniature. A panel of Guild members will judge qualifying entries, with awards being given to the top honorees.
  Volunteers from the USS Constitution Model Shipwright Guild will be on hand so visitors can watch them in action, ask questions, and perhaps receive some tips on modeling techniques! A free Family Guide will be available, encouraging guests of all ages to explore the Museum’s exhibits with a new eye towards models as both an art and a tool.  During February school vacation week the Museum will offer drop-in activities for all. Please call 617-426-1812 or log onto www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org for more information and visiting tips.
  The USS Constitution Model shipwright Guild encourages the art of constructing model ships and supports research in nautical history through its workshops, educational activities, and exhibits. It is among the largest ship model associations on the East Coast with more than 100 members. The Guild meets on the first Tuesday of every month and encourages those who are interested to attend their meeting at the USS Constitution Museum or to visit the Guild’s website at www.constitution-modelshipwrights.org.

2010 Charlestown Then and Now Calendars
The Friends of the Charlestown Library announce that the 2010 Charlestown Then and Now calendars are available for sale at the library and also at the Joy of Old at 85 Warren St. This calendar features photos of historic Main Street that were taken in 1900 by the Boston Elevated Company to document the street’s appearance prior to the building of the elevated transit line. The elevated line was located high above Main Street from Sullivan Square to City Square on its route to downtown Boston.
Erik Anderson, a Charlestown historian and photographer, provided photos of the same sites in the year 2000 and there is a great deal of contrast between the two photos because of urban renewal and extensive demolition of buildings.
The calendars, priced at $5, make wonderful gifts for your family and friends, former residents of Charlestown, college students and others who like to learn of the changes to America’s oldest Main Street. Proceeds from the sale of calendars are used for programs for children and adults at the library throughout the year.

Charlestown Waterfront Coalition
The Charlestown Waterfront Coalition meets at Building 114 at 7 p.m. the first Monday of every month.