LYNN — St. Mary’s Church held its closing Mass for students and faculty, marking the end of the school year. St. Mary’s High School alumnus and Lynn resident Ed Calnan spoke at the service, discussing the importance of the school and church to him, and the dedication of the campus’ St. Patrick’s Gate in his honor.
Calnan, a member of the Class of 1957, has lived in Lynn his entire life, and spends many hours volunteering for the school and church.
“I am one who believes that talents and skills are God-given gifts that should be shared, when possible, to help others,” Calnan said.
He said that he has worked for many years in real-estate development, government management, and design, financing, and management of various private-sector construction projects.
Calnan’s family joined forces with St. Mary’s staff to fund and build a ceremonial gate between the school and church, dedicated in Calnan’s honor. The gate was erected in 2021.
Calnan said that he was completely surprised when he found out that the gate would be dedicated to him, and even more shocked that his wife, Susan, hadn’t spilled the beans.
“The gate was designed, in part, to be a visual link to heighten the importance of rituals between the school and the church,” Calnan said. “The arches and gates design were patterned after the wrought-iron arches and gates you would find in Ireland and other European countries.”
He also spoke of the 6-foot bronze statue of St. Patrick that can be seen at St. Mary’s. The statue shows St. Patrick with a bible in one hand and a shamrock in the other. He said that most St. Patrick statues can be seen with snakes at the feet.
“Not our statue. The Calnan women’s response was, ‘Lose the snakes from the design,’ and that was done,” Calnan said.
He said that at one point, the school was known as “hot top high” due to the large amount of asphalt and lack of greenery on campus.
Calnan’s niece Mary Ann Calnan told The Item that in the past six years, her uncle and others have been working hard to bring foliage and nature onto the formerly concrete-clad school.
“I think (Ed Calnan’s) really proud of the transformation from ‘hard top high’ to this beautiful oasis in the back of the school and between the school and the church,” Mary Ann Calnan said.
Now, freshmen at St. Mary’s start their year walking through the gate, signifying the start of their high-school careers. The gate is locked up until the students reach their senior year, when they leave through the gate, signifying the end of their educational experience at St. Mary’s.
“Finally, as you go through the gate, you will see an inscription in the granite paver that says, ‘The purpose of life is a life of purpose,’” Ed Calnan said to the seniors in attendance. “It’s a good thing to keep in mind.”
