History
This church has a very rich history of prayer and adoration before our Eucharistic Lord. The history begins on December 8, 1935 with the dedication of the church as Saint Clement Church shortly after Cardinal O'Connell purchased the former Universalist Church. Saint Clement's was needed as an auxiliary church to assist Saint Cecilia Parish in a time of immense growth of the Back Bay and Fenway districts. On September 25, 1944, Archbishop Richard Cushing succeeded Cardinal O'Connell and within a few months, a new page in the history of Saint Clement's would begin.
Early in 1945, Archbishop Cushing paid a visit to Saint Cecilia Church. At dinner the cardinal was inquired as to what extent Saint Clement's is needed right now? When the pastor commented that the need was not as great as ten years earlier, the Archbishop suggested the church become a Eucharistic shrine, "a spiritual powerhouse," as they both phrased it, for the whole diocese. It is impossible to express adequately the role Saint Clement Shrine played in the lives of countless people in the Boston Archdiocese. The syndicated Catholic journalist, Father Daniel Lord, SAJ wrote in 1953 that the Archdiocese of Boston seems toil most center on the Eucharistic Shrine.
Cardinal Cushing asked the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary to staff the church, a congregation newly dedicated to the Eucharist. From the moment of the Sisters occupied the church, two sisters knelt daily in front of the Blessed Sacrament in silent adoration. A large grille separated the semi-cloistered Sisters from the rest of the people in the church. Saint Clement's began a Nocturnal Adoration Society. Catholics who were recruited to spend an hour a month before the Blessed Sacrament formed this society. By December 1945, there were 575 enrolled in the society. In the late sixties, the Fenway churches saw a decline of numbers as a result of construction of the Massachusetts Turnpike through the Back Bay, and the shrine was transformed into a ministerial center for college students. The Newman Center changed its name to Saint Clement Student Parish.
In 1976, the Oblates of the Virgin Mary purchased Saint Clement's and began restoration. Oblate priests that live here staff the Saint Francis Chapel at the Prudential Center, chaplains to local hospitals, and Our Lady of Grace Seminary. Today, the shrine functions as a seminary. In the past year, there has been a renewed awakening at the shrine. Cardinal Cushing expressed, "Over the years the attendance at the shrine has declined, despite its being so well located. I hope that there will be a renewal of devotion to Christ in the Eucharist and that the students and residence in the area will find at the shrine, both in the liturgy and in the direction of the priests, the strength to give a Christian witness." This has become our dream, to fulfill the late Cardinal's words. We have made numerous repairs and embellishments in the last year. The roof is fixed, the walls cleaned and painted in statues and tabernacle are being restored. All this is to help you, our guest, to have a wonderful place to meet your God.
Not long after finishing Saint Clement's restoration, we received a mystery call from a person we had never met. He told us that he heard we were looking for a pipe organ and found one that would be perfect for the shrine. A Catholic church had been closed in Hull and its pipe organ had to be sold. The Cole and Woodberry Organ originally built in 1890 was indeed historic and made by a reputable builder. Needless to say, we bought the organ for a very good price, and with the aid of many donations and pipe organ repair specialist, it was restored and made ready to sing God praises.
We thank you for reading this history of Saint Clement's. We hope that you will come inside and enjoy the prayerful atmosphere and be one of the many people who have honored the Lord with their presence at this shrine.
God Bless