Hill Happenings

God bless Father Robert Lennon, C.Ss.R., who celebrated 60 years as a Redemptorist priest Aug. 25 after the 12:10 Mass at Mission Church. Father Lennon has been at Mission Church since 2000. To commemorate Father Lennon’s remarkable life, parishioners gathered with him at the Mission Church Parish Center. By the long arm of coincidence, Aug. 25 was also Father Lennon’s 82nd birthday.

Father Lennon graduated from Mission Grammar School, and as a youth, he was a terrific baseball player. Father Lennon was an infielder on the famous 1944 Mission Hill CYO Baseball team. That team won the state championship, playing at Braves Field and Fenway Park.

I attended a heartwarming celebration last month at the Norfolk Country Club in Westwood, commemorating the 40th wedding anniversary of former Mission Hillers Peter Scott and Dottie Hurley. Peter, a retired Brookline Police captain, is a 1967 Mission High School graduate. Peter, a fierce competitor on the sports field, was my teammate on Mission’s basketball and baseball teams.

When Peter spoke to the crowd, he thoughtfully reminisced about classmates no longer with us, including Kevin Fitzgerald, John Killion and John Moreau.

Peter’s lovely wife Dottie is a 1968 Mission High graduate, and she was reunited with classmates Virginia Simmons, Arlene Muller and my high-school prom date, Ellen Napolitano, all of whom were looking terrific.

Other notable faces in the crowd included Lt. Col. George Rollins, pretty Marion McCarthy and Bob Francis. Bob was a Mission Hill youth worker back in the ’60s, guiding us on a straight path when we needed it the most. Bob also coached the Mission Hill football and baseball teams, which competed in the Boston Park League.

Happy birthday to Mike McCarthy, who will celebrate 50 years on Sept. 9. Mike was a splendid first baseman for the Owl’s Nest in the Mission Hill Softball League.

Good luck to former Mission Hill resident Denny Harris, who recently retired to Naples, Fla. Denny was a Boston Police homicide detective.

More than 60 sun-splashed golfers teed off Aug. 4 in the Mission Hill Golf Classic at the Norwood Country Club. The event raised money for the Wounded Warriors Project. Peter Flynn and Kevin Lowre did yeomans’ work organizing the day of gold, which culminated in dinner at The Crossing. The food was donated and prepared by Crossing proprietor Sharon Driscoll.

Tony O’Brien, owner of Flann O’Brien’s, also went beyond the call of duty with his generosity to such a worthy cause. Tony also won the prize for the longest drive of the day.

Aug. 24 was also the 38th wedding anniversary for Peter’s parents, Peter and Susan Flynn. Congratulations to this nice couple.

Belated happy birthday to the “Mayor of Mission Hill,” John Todd, a lifelong Mission Hill resident who celebrated his 84th year last month. Still youthful-looking, John stays in great shape, walking and swimming. John picked up the “Mayor” moniker last month at the Mission Hill Crime Meeting.

Last month at The Crossing, the Sunday night trivia competition ended in a tie between Mission Hill’s Jonathan Sheehan and a local Northeastern student. Hence, it was decided that the winner would be decided by a drink-off won by whoever chugged down a mug of beer the fastest. Jonathan emerged as the winner, earning him the coveted gift certificate. Good guy Jonathan consoled the young guy, telling him, “Good try, kid, but I have 30 years of drinking experience on you.”

Fr. Philip Dabney (left) leads the singing of “Happy Birthday” for Fr. Robert Lennon (right) on Aug. 25 in the Mission Church Parish Center. (Photo by Patrick E. O’Connor)

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