PHOTOS More than eighty people attended the annual Menorah Lighting on the North Andover Common Monday night as Rabbi Asher Bronstein of Chabat Merrimack Valley praised G-d that we live in a country that still respects religious freedom, “even in the public square”. Jews and others from across the Merrimack Valley sang on the common […]
By: Ana DeBernardo – November, 2013 Over the summer, I attended a Christian camp called C.A.M.P.S., an acronym that stands for Christ As My Personal Savior. This was my second consecutive year attending C.A.M.P.S., and I had also gone to SnowCamps, the weekend retreat version of C.A.M.P.S., during the winter. I can honestly say that my […]
By: Paul Murano – November, 2013 November is the month when religious traditions remember the dead. It is a fitting month to do so. The clock gets turned back an hour and the world becomes a darker place; leaves fall, grass dies, birds evacuate, and various mammals hibernate until spring. Death is in the air […]
Chanukah events with Chabad: November, 28 Menorah lighting in Middleton December, 2 Menorah lighting in North Andover December, 3 Jewish Heritage Night December, 4 Menorah lighting in Boxford. The Jewish holiday of Chanukah is right around the corner and the Chabads of North Andover and Merrimack Valley are busy preparing for it. All throughout Chanukah […]
The 20th Festival of Trees will kick off with the Emerald Anniversary Taste of the Festival on Friday, November 22, 2013 with special guest, celebrity Chef Mary Ann Esposito, of the famed cooking series Ciao Italia. This culinary celebration, officially opening the 20th Anniversary Festival of Trees, will showcase signature dishes from many local restaurants […]
By: Paul Murano – October, 2013 There are two basic ways through which we have certitude about anything: faith and reason. In short, reason trusts the mind and faith trusts the word of another. While reason is the natural ability of all human beings to understand and discern the truth, faith trusts an authority as […]
Parents of Murdered Children of the Merrimack Valley (POMC) held a candlelight vigil and remembrance last month on the steps of Lowell City Hall. This was the fifth annual remembrance held in Lowell. Former Lowell Mayor Rita Mercier, a regular attendee at the annual event, addressed the group of more than 40 people gathered to […]
Transcribed by Kathleen Laplante Lawrence Catholic Academy is located on Parker and Salem Streets in Lawrence and was once Saint Patrick’s Grammar School, run by Saint Patrick’s Church. Jorge Hernandez was hired earlier this year as the first lay person to be the principal of the School. Valley Patriot publisher, Tom Duggan, sat down with […]
By: Paul Murano – August, 2013 Last month in this column we mentioned that the distortion of adding same sex partners to the definition of marriage was not nearly as shocking to society as the separation of sex from marriage had been. When Elvis shocked the […]
By: Paul Murano – July 2013 Last week DOMA was stuck down by the Supreme Court by one vote, and it made liberals and libertarians very happy. It made them happy because both groups believe marriage is not an extension of human nature with an objective form and purpose, but rather a man-made institution that […]
By: Paul Murano – April 2013 At the moment of this writing the Supreme Court is deliberating two cases related to so-called “same-sex marriage”. If the justices have any sense they will state in a clear voice that marriage has nothing to do with equality or rights, but is an outgrowth of human nature […]
By: Marilyn McCarthy Ralph – February 2013 Ronnie Ford’s family and friends are still reeling from the suddenness of his death. Laughing and telling stories one week, then buried the next. We are happy that Ron did not suffer, but the quickness of his death has left us shattered. We have heard on the radio and in […]
By: Peter Larocque – February 2013 Usually when one reads the Title of Prophet, they immediately think of Biblical Prophets. Biblical Prophets are those called by God to speak for Him to discipline, admonish, encourage or edify His people. They may at times even warn His people of coming events that would not be […]
By: Paul Murano – February 2013 On the Paying Attention radio show with Tom Duggan last week (of which I am co-host), we welcomed a certain former Mayor of Methuen as a guest to reminiscence about a local personality who had recently passed away. He was said to be a man of character, loyal to […]
By: Tom Connors – January 2013 Forget all those New Year Resolutions. It’s the same thing every year. You are going to lose weight. You are going to eat healthy from now on. You are going to go back to school and learn new things. None of it ever happens. The bottom-line is this. You […]