Former Needham Resident Meets Cardinal O'Malley

MARLBOROUGH — Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley visited New Horizons at Marlborough on Friday, January 30 to say Mass for and meet with residents of the independent and assisted living community. Former Needham resident Margaret Keeler was among the more than 150 congregants who gathered at the on-site Cardinal Cushing Chapel for this special service.

“The Cardinal’s visit meant a great deal to us,” said Keeler. “He was very uplifting and we were pleased to have him visit.”

Although the senior community has no religious affiliation, it offers daily Catholic Mass, as well as weekly Jewish and Protestant services.

“We were so delighted to welcome his Eminence to our community,” said Robert O’Connor, New Horizons’ executive director since before its opening 21 years ago. “His planned visit created much excitement over the past few weeks among both residents and staff members.”

During his visit to the not-for-profit senior living community, the leader of the Archdiocese of Boston also spent private time with the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, who recently marked their 50th anniversary in Marlborough. This order previously ran Madonna Hall School for Girls on the same site, before closing the residential school and selling the property in 1993 to New Horizons’ parent organization, Cummings Foundation, Inc. In 2012, the Foundation constructed a brand new 12,000-square-foot convent adjacent to the chapel, exclusively for the sisters.

“It was truly an honor for our Sisters to have Cardinal O’Malley visit their home and say Mass where they worship every day,” said Kathy Chinappi, R.N., lay administrator for the convent for the last 12 years.

Following the service, Cardinal O’Malley spent another hour greeting a large assembly of New Horizons residents, including Keeler, in the central atrium of the sprawling Hemenway Street community.

“The Cardinal was incredibly gracious,” said O’Connor. “Our residents and guests will long remember the time and attention he shared with them.”

About New Horizons

Established in 1994, New Horizons at Marlborough is a private not-for-profit retirement community on a scenic 40-acre country campus at 400 Hemenway Street, off Wilson Street. An affiliate of Cummings Foundation, Inc., New Horizons accommodates up to 500 seniors in independent and assisted living settings and employs a staff of more than 125 Metro West residents. A great deal of additional information is available at www.CountryCommunities.com.

PHOTOS:

Former Needham resident Margaret Keeler (left) and fellow New Horizons resident Margaret McGuire (right) with Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley.

PHOTO: Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley said Mass at New Horizons at Marlborough’s Cardinal Cushing Chapel.