dorchester

Officials from the Archdiocese of Boston held a ceremony Monday to break ground on the new Pope John Paul II Academy. The church is re-inventing its present parochial school system. The Academy-- with five campuses in Dorchester and Mattapan--will open under the new name in September. The first phase of construction work is now going on along Columbia Road in the old St. Margaret’s school building. Last month, the church razed the old St. Margaret rectory to make room for a new gymnasium and cafeteria for what will be known as the Columbia Campus. The Archdiocese has made other progress in the school plan: Mary Russo, the longtime principal at the Richard J. Murphy School in Neponset, has been named regional director of Pope John Paul II Academy. And, Jack Connors – who chairs the 2010 Schools Initiative – said this week that his fundraising team has raised roughly $25 million for the Dorchester effort so far. The goal is $68 million, of which Connors said he expected to raise $50 million by Labor Day. Three principals have also been chosen. Claire Sheridan from the Blessed Mother Teresa School will lead the Columbia Campus, Sr. Paula Kelly from the soon-to-close St. Kevin School will lead the Lower Mills Campus. And Catherine Cameron from the St. Mary School in Quincy will lead the Neponset Campus. The school system is nearing the archdiocese's goal of 1500 students, with 1370 already enrolled. When finished, the school system will have a capacity closer to 1700 students.

New Pastor Appointed to Succeed Rev. Paul Ryan at St. Gregory's

The Archdiocese has announced the name of the man who will replace Monsignor Paul Ryan as the new pastor for St. Gregory's Church in Lower Mills. Father Vincent Daley, who currently serves at two parishes in Somerville, will take over for Ryan when he retires in June.

Agreement Signed for New Congregation at old St. William's

A former Catholic church on Dorchester Avenue is one step closer to being converted into the new home of a local Seventh Day Adventist congregation. The congregation signed a purchase and sale agreement last week with the present owners of the former St. William's, Viet-AID. It is the last step before the actual $2.5 million sale will take place. If the deal goes through, it would be the second time in three years that a former Dorchester Catholic church has become home to a different faith. The former St. Leo’s parish campus along Harvard Street is now owned and used by a Penetcostal congregation.

Ashmont Station to Close for Weekend Service May 16

The MBTA says it will need to shut down train service on the Dorchester leg of the Red Line next weekend as it continues construction work at the new Ashmont station (photo, right). Bus service will replace the trains from 9 p.m. on Friday May 16. Regular service is due to resume on the morning on May 19. Also next week, the T says that the entrance to Ashmont will be relocated to the south side of the station on Dorchester Ave. The move is described a as a “major milestone” as the T begins the next phase of the Ashmont work: the construction of the north lobby and platforms.

Dorchester Community Calendar. . .

Longtime civic leader John O’Toole will be honored for his many years of service at next week’s Cedar Grove Civic Association meeting. O’Toole led the group for nearly a decade before stepping down late last year. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Fr. Lane Hall in St. Brendan’s Church. This Sunday is Mother’s Day, of course, and in Dorchester the day begins with a huge march for peace in our streets. Led by Tina Chéry and her fellow moms from the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, the Mothers Walk for Peace is now in its 12th year. The pledge walk begins at 8:30 from Town Field in Fields Corner. This year’s march will take a slightly longer route through Codman Square, Four Corners and Bowdoin-Geneva before returning to Fields Corner. You can register right at Town Field on Sunday morning starting around 7 a.m. Or go online to Mothers Walk for Peace. The three candidates for this year’s Mayor of Dorchester are calling it Super Saturday. Gloria Ann Viera, Ryan Woods and PJ Trapani all have fundraisers this Saturday afternoon- and they want Dorchester residents to turn out for all of them. Or at least one. All proceeds from the mayor’s contest go to pay for the June 1st Dorchester Day Parade. Viera starts the day at noon with a bowling event at Boston Bowl, followed by Trapani’s Texas Hold-Em party at his home around 3 p.m. Woods ends the day with a dance at Blessed Mother Teresa school on Savin Hill Ave. That starts at 7 p.m.

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