Father Augustine F. Burns
In the 50‘s and 60’s, parish priests held powerful sway. And none was more powerful than St. Mary’s Pastor—Father Augustine F. Burns. Rotund and rubicund, with a bulbous nose, Father took to the pulpit, each Sunday, to pound the lectern, enjoining parishioners to ‘give more’ to the church, suggesting their souls might be at risk….
The Sewers (Garment Makers)
“Ouch!” I’d hear as the needle hit their finger. It was the only human sound I heard from that section of the Oresman Bros. Christmas Factory, muffled as it was by the whirr of sewing machines. The sewer stopped, bandaged up, and went on. There was no more focused individuals in the mill than the…
West Warwick-ites—Please, Get Me Names….
Hello West Warwick-ites! I am excited to take part in PBS’s “Our Town” segment, about our hometown—West Warwick. As a writer, I intend to shine a spotlight on exceptional people, sort of like CNN Heroes–those who have achieved in high profile careers, like judges?…movie stars?…entrepreneurs?..or people who’ve met incredible challenges in life. Or they’re just…
Dance Night at West Warwick Jr. High
With Brylcream-slicked hair and Mom-pressed shirts, the boys stood against the auditorium wall, as if they were about to be shot by a firing squad. In a metaphorical way, they were. Soldiers each, they were about to embark on the most damnable mission of their young lives…crossing the wide oak floor, to ask one of…
“In Honor of Mill-Working Girls” by Colleen Kelly Mellor
I’m product of the mill As they are of me— We’re interwoven, Like cotton, wool, and lace Spun by young women Standing at looms Long hours, Regardless of their time of the month …migraines… Or unrelenting pregnancies…. They’re ancestral sisters Who believed themselves ‘ lucky’ To tend machines That produced such fine material For…
I Walked Back into My Childhood Today
I walked back in time, today, to confront my childhood. Specifically, I went to St Mary’s church, on the hill, overlooking the valley (or at least parts of Crompton.) I was there at the invite of Fr. Doug (priests don’t use their last names anymore, in a presumed move to be more approachable.) Or they’re…
