In 1959 and in the fourth grade at Saint Agnes School, I became an altar boy.  As I recall there were many of us that studied for this important and holy role.  By study I mean that I had to learn the responses to the Latin Mass.  Before Vatican ll the Priest had his back to the congregation and the Mass was said in Latin.  At our first meeting with Fr. John Carroll, we were given a card that had the Latin responses on both sides of this card.  We had to memorize these prayers and responses.  This was no easy task for a nine year old.  My parents would drill me each night, and as time went on I mastered this.  After weeks of preparation, I along with many others, was ready to serve my first Mass.  

The first time I served Mass was on the side altar of the lower church with a newly ordained priest, Fr. William Helmick, who grew up on Belton Street.  Eventually, I began serving on the main altar on weekdays and on Sundays.  Sometimes we were late for school because they needed altar boys to serve at the 8:00 weekday Mass.  Of course, this was a good excuse for being late to school.  If altar servers were needed for a funeral, then we would be asked to serve and we were excused from school.

Holy Week was an exciting time to be an altar boy.  There had to be over fifty of us that would fill up the first few pews on each side of the aisle during the Triduum.  On Holy Thursday following the prayer after Communion, all would kneel as the priest would incense the Blessed Sacrament on the altar.  The Blessed Sacrament was then carried through the church to the place of reposition. That was the side altar in the upper church where the Baptismal Font is now located.  Throughout the night different organizations such as the Holy Name Society as well as the altar servers would sign up for an hour to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament.  This was done throughout the night as the church was open for adoration all night.

In 1978 while I was teaching at Saint Agnes School, I became friends with John and Ginny Schwamb whose son and daughter I taught.  In 1990 I was invited to their 25th Wedding Anniversary.  Shortly after that celebration, they found a picture of their wedding which took place at Saint Agnes Church.  There I was on the altar serving at their wedding.  Neither John, Ginny nor I knew that I was the altar boy at their wedding in 1966.

I thoroughly enjoyed my many years serving Mass at Saint Agnes Church.

-David Lambert 

During this year’s celebration of the 150th Anniversary of St. Agnes Parish, I can’t help but think of my parents and my mother’s family. Mary Cullinane Lambert grew up with her nine siblings on both Franklin Street and Medford Street. They all attended Saint Agnes School and received their sacraments at Saint Agnes Church. Before my parents married on July 25, 1944 at St. Agnes Church, my father, Herb Lambert, converted to Catholicism. Together they raised five children who also attended Saint Agnes School and Arlington Catholic High School. 

Herb was one of the first men in the archdiocese to become an Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Eucharist for Saint Agnes Parish. He was so proud of that honor. Herb was a member of the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus and the Holy Name Society. During the 1960’s he was the manager of St. Agnes Senior Band.

Mary was also very active in the parish. She worked for a time at Arlington Catholic cafeteria, was a member of Sodality, Arlington Catholic High School Women’s Club as well as a member of the Arlington Catholic Women’s Club which involved all of the Catholic parishes in Arlington. She was also involved in many other parish endeavors. When the Parish needed volunteers to help organize the first Mass of Anointing, Mary was there. It was originally called The Shut In Mass because it brought many people who were confined to their own homes or nursing homes to be able to receive the Anointing of the Sick. When St. Agnes Band had their winter concerts during the 1960’s, Mary, along with many other women, would get local businesses to take out ads for the program. She was very involved in the life of the band. In 1981 she began working at the Rectory retiring in 1990. As you can see Saint Agnes Parish has meant so much to our family.

-David Lambert

On a May Sunday afternoon in 1928, Dad took his two older daughters, Mary and Catherine (5 ½ and 3 ½ year old) on a Lechmere-Arlington bus ride so Mom could rest at home in Somerville apartment with baby Thomas Jr. (1 yr). Their bus detoured to Franklin Street for the St. Agnes School May Procession on upper Medford Street. Bill Sullivan, from Center block of Franklin Street, was building two-family houses in higher-numbered blocks of Franklin Street. Dad bought 139-141 Franklin Street, a 5-minute walk to St. Agnes church and a block from the Hamlet St. Bus Stop, that would take him daily via the Boston transit system to his Boston Letter Carrier post. Mary started Grade 1 at St. Agnes School in September ’28, Catherine following her in September ’29.

Fourth child, born in January ’29 was baptized Agnes Cecilia at St. Agnes Church and followed by two more children also finishing St. Agnes school with Grade 9 in 1949. Mount St. Joseph Academy added two sisters of St. Joseph in the ‘40’s, with Catherine serving as Principal of St. Agnes School and Agnes as Principal of St. Raphael’s School in the ‘70’s. Child #6 with 19 years in St. Agnes parish, 13 years in St. James parish, and 40+ years in St. Camillus parish is now back with St. Agnes parish in the Arlington Collaborative.

-- Anne Melly Doherty