Hidden Gem: The Memorial Park and Shrine Across From St. John's Church

One of the most relaxing places in town to look out over the ocean is the shrine and memorial park at .

The area is in the parking lot across the street from the rectory and church, next to the Hawthorne By The Sea parking lot.

One of the benches at the park is named in honor of Swampscott’s Arthur O’Neil, and was put in place in 1997. His daughter Maureen (O’Neil) Bolognese, was a teacher in Swampscott and Manchester-By-The-Sea for many years.

“My dad and I often went across the street from the church and prayed near the statue of the Blessed Mother, and dad used to say, “Why isn’t there a bench here?” dad would always ask about that,” Bolognese said.

In addition to the O’Neil bench, there is a granite bench dedicated to the memory of Lucia and Robert Scott and a flagpole flying Old Glory that was dedicated by Monsignor Carroll in 1990.

“It’s just a lovely spot, our parishioners as well as people from around town stop by to pray, relax or have lunch,” St. John’s Deacon Andrew Acampora said. “People on break from the Hawthorne come by to sit, people from the community use the park, there aren’t too many days that go buy without someone stopping to sit for awhile at the park.”

Acampora, known to St. John’s parishioners as “Deacon Andy,” has been living in town on Fuller Avenue, and at St. John’s since 1989.

“Dad loved his church and he loved the sea, he worked in the Navy Yard, and we would often go to the park, and dad would ask why there wasn’t a bench to sit on, “ Bolognese said. “He would say “Go tell the priest we need a bench over here,” dad loved the sea, he loved looking at he sea."

When Maureen retired from teaching, her co-workers got together and raised the money to put the bench in place, in honor of her father, Arthur O'Neil.

 "Dad loved the sea because you could never tell what the ocean was going to be like, it could be angry, it could be calm, it could be sad, but it was always beautiful to look out on the ocean,” Bolognese said.

Maureen lives on Middlesex Avenue with her husband Pepi, they have two grown children, Nicole and David. Pepi and Maureen moved to Swampscott in 1972.

“Pepi actually did some work on the park over the years, there was always some damage to the area after a harsh winter, so now everything is secured in cement, and people tend to the flowers to keep it looking beautiful,” Maureen said.

Many couples that get married at St. John’s make a visit across the street to have their first photos as husband and wife taken in front of the Blessed Mother statue, with the ocean in the background.

The Blessed Mother statue was dedicated in 1979, by the family of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Murphy, lifelong parishioners at St. John's.

“Dad was a quiet man, always thinking, he loved sports in Swampscott and all the youth teams in town, it’s such an honor to have such a beautiful place dedicated to him,” Maureen said. “Dad’s life is being perpetuated by the park, the bench and the opportunity to sit and reflect looking out over the ocean.”

“I hope that when people come to the park and sit on the benches, they get the serenity that dad got when he came here and looked out over the ocean,” Bolognese said.

The Blessed Mother statue is part of the Our Lady of the Knoll Shrine and memorial park. The statue was dedicated to the memory of the Murphy family on May 28, 1979.

The flag and flagpole at the park were dedicated on Memorial Day in 1990, by retired Monsignor John P. Carroll, as a tribute to “Our Land and Our Lady.”

The bench facing the ocean was dedicated to Arthur F. O’Neil, Sr., in 1997 with the admiration of his friends and family.

The granite bench facing Humphrey Street is dedicated to the memory of Lucia and Robert S. Scott.

The urns filled with flowers and surrounding area around the park and shrine are maintained by the Planting Committee of St. John’s Church. If you would like to become involved with the upkeep of the park and shrine as a member of the planting committee, please inquire at St. John’s Rectory.