By Rick Winterson

     A week ago, on Thursday, December 15, the Paraclete Center held its annual fundraising luncheon at the Exchange Conference Center.  About a hundred were in attendance.  Each year, the money raised goes towards the Paraclete mission – “ … to enrich young lives through education.”  The age group targeted by the Paraclete is middle schoolers.

     The tastefully set tables-for-ten held tangible proof of the Paraclete’s work.  Thank you cards to the Paraclete’s sponsors were arrayed around the tables.   There were seven different cards, each of which described a key Paraclete program. 

     The subject-related programs comprise Robotics (using LEGOs), Astronomy, Cooking, Marine Biology, and BioMed.  BioMed involves sophisticated experiments such as DNA extraction and bacterial culturing. 

     The two other programs – Prep Class and Evening Study – get students ready for exam school acceptance and offer study enhancement skills.  Within the quiet and structured Paraclete environment, students can receive academic support right through high school.

     During the pre-lunch updates, Tony and Cathy O’Flaherty were given awards by Sr. Ann Fox, President and a co-founder of the Paraclete.  The O’Flahertys, among their many good works, spiritually “adopted” a Rwandan orphan, brought her here, and are seeing to her critical medical needs.  They expressed their gratitude for the award and read a poem in tribute.  The O’Flaherty daughters, Lilly and Aoife, are Paraclete alumnae who now attend Latin. 

     Dr. Barry and Jane Siegel attended the lunch, much to everyone’s pleasure.  In 2004, Siegel and his friend Michael McDonald oversaw the building of the “Paraclete boat”, which was a scratch-built replica of the famous Rangeley Lakes trout boat.  The boat was auctioned off and then high-lifted from the Paraclete Center’s third floor as a fundraising project.  Shortly after that, Siegel was struck by a car while bicycle riding.  This has left him confined to a wheelchair, perhaps permanently.  He was delighted to be out, and said, “I’m just glad to back among my friends.”

     Board Chairman Fred Pfannenstiehl and Sr. Ann updated the luncheon guests on the Paraclete endeavors.  The year of our Lord 2005 was a good one.  The best news was that the Paraclete Center (originally, the St. Augustine’s convent) will not be sold.  Fr. Kennedy, the Pastor of St. Monica Parish, will retain the building as part of his parish and lease it for a nominal sum to the Paraclete Foundation.- refer to Online’s Page One article, September 22, 2005, regarding this topic.

     Also, ground has been broken for the Rwandan Leadership School for Girls.  It will be named the “Maranyundo School for Girls”; its location is in Nyamata, Rwanda.  This project is sponsored by the Paraclete Foundation, will serve 75 Rwandan middle school girls, and is the major component in the Paraclete’s outreach mission.  Completion is planned for early 2007, at which time a delegation of South Boston residents will journey there for the formal opening.

     The steak lunch was delicious.  It concluded with a visit from one of the Paraclete’s many friends, Jimmy Tingle.  Tingle needed no introduction – he regaled the guests with non-stop, rapid-fire comedy and stories.