Editors of South Boston Online

     I am responding to correct two errors in Rick Winterson’s article on December 22, 2005, “Neighborhood House Plans Relocation”. You reported that “An agreement has been worked out, so that the CYO basketball program can use the new gymnasium planned by the Neighborhood House over the next ten years.”  No such agreement has been made and Kevin Lally, Athletic Director of the Gate of Heaven CYO, made it clear at that meeting. 

     You also indicated that without the agreement with the Neighborhood House, there would be no gym for the Gate of Heaven CYO and the School.  This is also incorrect.  When the Archdiocese announced that the Gate of Heaven Church would close, the Gate of Heaven CYO organized the campaign to save the Church.  During all of those meetings, Kevin Lally made it very clear that we had a short term goal of saving the church and a longer term goal of building a new Parish Center.  Immediately after the announcement that the CYO Hall and Rectory would be sold, Fr. Casey, Touchie McDonough and Kevin Lally identified two possible locations on Church property where our new Parish Center would be built.  We all understood that this Parish Center is critical to the long term future of the Gate of Heaven Church.  The plan included a fundraising campaign for the Parish Center after the Church Restoration Campaign was complete.  There has been no change to that plan.

     The Neighborhood House did make an offer recently to the Gate of Heaven CYO.  They asked that we help them with their $3 million fundraising campaign and they’ve asked for six parking spots in the school lot, in turn for temporary use of the gym.  This of course would preclude us from raising the funds necessary to build our permanent Parish Center, so that offer was not accepted by the CYO.

We wish the Neighborhood House success on their campaign, as I’m sure they wish us the same.

Sincerely,

Sean J. Monahan

Commissioner, Gate of Heaven Goys