St. Francis de Sales Cemetery

Today St. Francis sponsored the first in a series of historical lectures in conjunction with the Charlestown Historical Society. It began with a walk through of the cemetary behind the rectory. I had never been in there. Monsignor Quirbach had fenced in the cemetery before I was born. Ed Callahan gave the talk and the proceeds collected at the door will be used to renovate the Bishop Lawton Hall underneath the church.

Ed also told us about the premeire of "The Green Square Mile". It was shown in the Irish Film Festival over at Harvard and did really well.
The Boston Herald said: "Premiering Saturday afternoon is “The Green Square Mile: The Charlestown Irish,” directed by Maureen McNamara of Kendall Productions. Residents of the neighborhood helped fund the documentary.
“It was really a project that was embraced by the community,” McNamara said of the hourlong piece.
McNamara’s other directing credits include films and documentaries for Britain’s Channel Four, MTV, PBS and the Ecology Channel.
“Southie has made this claim of Celtic preeminence. Our claim is that we are the most Irish enclave. We have still 30 to 40 percent of Charlestown (residents) who are Irish or of Irish descent,” said Dan Casey, a Charlestown resident and originator of the project.
“The essence of the film is, it’s not that we are trying to put a really positive spin on the history - history is history - we tried to mollify some of the perceptions of Charlestown,” Casey said.
Footage includes interviews with locals and a visit to Ireland. Narrator and lifelong townie Ed Callahan traces Charlestown’s roots in Donegal, Derry and County Down.
The film and an accompanying booklet by Casey will be sold at the Bunker Hill Museum. Proceeds from DVD sales will help fund a local memorial to honor Irish immigrants in the 19th century."
Next weekend there will be two showings. A private showing for donors on Saturday and on Sunday it will be open to the public. I can't wait. It will cap off our plans for next weekend. I loved the presentation today and look forward to the next two. Once again I am struck.....how have I not joined The Charlestown Historical Society before now? I saw the trailer a while agoa nd I am looking forward to seeing the movie.

Then it was back down the hill for Jen's "family" birthday party. Jen will have birthday week this year because we will have a "friends" party next weekend. Frankie, Frankie, and Dan (my brother, son and nephew) did not make the party. They are in the dog house.