St. Anthony Shrine hosts gathering for Navy veteran Thomas Kelley

Dinnerware set photo (Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash)

Veterans from the surrounding areas of Boston get together at St. Anthony Shrine on the last Monday of the month to provide service and eat lunch at the church. 

This program was made possible partly by the continuous courtesy of Navy veteran Thomas Kelley.

Lunch for Medal of Honor recipient

The Boston Herald reported that the celebration meal on Monday, Jan. 30, is the first to take place following the news that Kelley, a native of Boston, will be honored by the United States Navy by having a destroyer named in his honor.

The meals are reportedly served by volunteers who are also veterans; frequent attendees include Ed Flynn, who served in the Navy and is now the President of the City Council.

After Kelley had shown extraordinary bravery during combat in the Mekong River Delta during the Vietnam War, which resulted in the loss of one eye and the damage of a portion of his skull, President Richard Nixon presented Kelley with the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Before becoming the Secretary of Veterans Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Kelley spent more than 20 years in the Navy.

Even at 83, Kelley is still actively helping the veteran community somehow, even if it's just by handing out potatoes.

Around the tables in the basement of the shrine, the participants in the program develop a sense of community. 

As stated, veterans responded to shout-outs for the various branches of the armed forces as the groups sat down to eat, with a big chorus repeating the call for the army and smaller hollers for the other departments.

Sherman Jones, born and raised in Roxbury and served as an infantryman for the United States Army for six years, attended the meal on Monday for the first time.

John McMann, a veteran of the United States Coast Guard and one of the program's founding volunteers who has been involved with it since its inception in July 2016, stated, "Tom wanted to get something established for the veterans here."

According to Mary Ann Ponti, who is in charge of outreach, the lunches hosted at St. Anthony Shrine are organized in conjunction with the New England Center and Home for Veterans. 

Each serves a hot dinner to approximately 40–50 veterans around the surrounding area.

Volunteers also directed clients to resources available via the Veterans Ministry, including the Father Mychal Judge Recovery Center, the Franciscan Food Center, and counseling services.

St. Anthony Shrine

The arrival of Franciscan Friars in Boston in the 19th century marked the beginning of the St. Anthony Shrine.

On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 19, 1947, the shrine opened its doors to the general public for the first time.

The original friar staff included five priests, including Michael Barry, OFM, Gabriel McDonald, OFM, Cosmas Girard, OFM, and Harold Blake, OFM. They were assisted by three brothers, including Andrew Carberry, OFM, Julian Reister, OFM, and Clement McGee, OFM.

The mission of the shrine has expanded in new ways since the turn of the millennium, and it has done so. In contrast, it has maintained its significant involvement in the ongoing activities of the city of Boston. 

The shrine has always made an effort to provide for the ever-evolving requirements of its customers, even as the urban workplace continues to be confronted with a growing number of new difficulties.

More from Crossmap: Holy Sacrament Episcopal Church issues applicant call for rector position

 

More Local News