Politicians]]> Portuguese American women]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Kennedy, John F.]]> English]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Azorean Americans]]> Brazilian Americans]]> Bullying in schools]]> Bullfights]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Catholic Church--Societies, etc.]]> Children of immigrants]]> Code switching (Linguistics)]]> Conflict of generations]]> Earthquakes]]> Ethnic neighborhoods]]> Evening and continuation schools]]> Factories]]> Immigrants--Cultural Assimilation--United States]]> Portuguese American women]]> Priests]]> Volcanos]]>
Biographical Note:
Maria Rosa was born on the Azorean Island of Faial in 1945. She was one of four children (two brothers and a sister) and grew up in the village of Flamengos, a short distance from Horta, in a four-room house constructed of stone. Her father operated a small farm. She attended the public school in the village completing her education through grade 4. In 1957, when Maria was 12 years old, the Capelhinos volcano on Faial erupted, an event that altered the lives of many Azoreans. In the United States, Congress passed special legislation liberalizing immigration for all Azoreans.
Aided by a Portuguese family in Lowell, which sponsored Maria and her family, the Rosas departed Faial in 1960, arriving in Boston and then traveling to Lowell, where she, her parents, and her siblings settled in the city’s “Back Central” neighborhood. Maria entered the Lowell public schools, attending the Colburn School in her neighborhood. Despite the difficulties with having to learn English without any formal support by the public schools, Maria completed her studies at the Colburn and then at the Butler Junior High School. At the age of 16 she received a work permit and obtained a job at the Hathaway Shirt Company that operated a clothing manufacturing firm in the old Hamilton Mill. She met her husband, Joseph Mendonça, in Lowell and married him in 1966. Maria subsequently worked at the Raytheon Corporation and had a son and daughter.

Born in 1942 in Ponta Garça on the island of São Miguel, Joseph Mendonça moved to the United States at the age of 15, settling in Lowell with his family. His father had been born in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1905 and therefore had U.S. citizenship, despite returning to São Miguel when he was quite young. Joseph attended a public school in Ponta Garça before entering high school in Ponta Delgada. Upon moving to Lowell, he was placed in the Butler Junior High School, but when he turned 16 he received a work permit and entered the employ of Grace Shoe Company, one a several shoe manufacturers in the city. For a number of years, Joseph worked in the shoe industry, while marrying Maria and beginning a family. He eventually attained a high school degree and began work at BASF Industries. Joseph and Maria were active parishioners at St. Anthony’s Church in Lowell as well as in the Holy Ghost Society. Joseph served as president of the Holy Ghost Society in the 1970s. They lived for a number of years in Lowell’s Back Central neighborhood before purchasing a house in South Lowell.]]>
Fitzsimons, Gray]]> English]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Faial (Azores)]]> São Miguel (Azores)]]>
Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Graduation (school)]]> Portuguese American women]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Portuguese American women]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Priests]]> Portuguese American women]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Catholic Church--Societies, etc.]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Immigrant families]]> Immigrants]]> Azorean Americans]]> Mills and mill-work]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Catholic Church--Societies, etc.]]> Priests]]> Cultural assimilation]]> Code switching (Linguistics)]]> Soccer]]> Instrumentation and orchestration (Band)]]> Ethnic neighborhoods]]> Fitzsimons, Gray]]> English]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Lawrence (Mass.)]]> Mills and mill-work]]> Portuguese American women]]> Instrumentation and orchestration (Band)]]> Musicians]]> Music teachers]]> Veterans]]> Bars (Drinking establishments)]]> Desegregation]]> Military bands]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Azorean Americans]]> Priests]]> Fitzsimons, Gray]]> 1999 Oral History Interview with John Leite
2016 Oral History Interview with John Leite]]>
English]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]>
Portuguese American women]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Catholic Church--Societies, etc.]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Ambassadors]]> Priests]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Military religious orders]]> Consuls]]> English]]> Boston (Mass.)]]> Priests]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> English]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Priests]]> Azorean Americans]]> Baseball teams]]> Soccer]]>
Park proposal for the intersection of Central and Chapel streets.]]>
English]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Hudson (Mass.)]]>
Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Mother's Day]]> First Confession and Communion]]> English]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Priests]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]>
Program includes a documentary film about Peter Francisco.]]>
English]]> Boston (Mass.)]]>
Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Portuguese American women]]> English]]> Portuguese]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Priests]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]>
The letter is informing Silva that he is being appointed administrator at St. Anthony's Church in Cambridge and will be leaving St. Anthony's Church in Lowell. The Cambridge church had an opening due to the resignation of Reverend Jose S. Ferreira.]]>
Law, Bernard Francis]]> English]]> Lowell (Mass.)]]> Cambridge (Mass.)]]>
Processions, Religious--Catholic Church]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Fasts and Feasts]]> Portuguese American women]]> To learn more about this item, click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]> Fasts and Feasts]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Portuguese American women]]> To learn more about this item, click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]> Fasts and Feasts]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Processions, Religious--Catholic Church]]> Portuguese American women]]> To learn more about this item, click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> English]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]> Statues]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> To learn more about this item, click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> English]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Curtis, Alice M.]]> To learn more about this item, click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Curtis, Alice M.]]> To learn more about this item, click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Statues]]> Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint]]> To learn more about this item, click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Grocer]]> To learn more about this item, click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]> Portuguese American women]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Fasts and Feasts]]> Ship captains]]> Azorean Americans]]> click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Priests]]> To learn more about this item, click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> To learn more about this item, click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]> Catholic Church--Dioceses]]> Spooner, Herman W.]]> To learn more about this item, click here to view this item on the Cape Ann Museum's digital collections page.]]> Gloucester (Mass.)]]>