At the Boston Parks and Recreation Commission hearing, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn testified in support of the City of Boston acquiring and preserving Sister Mary Veronica Park through the use of Community Preservation funding and the Open Space Acquisition Fund of the Parks and Recreation Department. This pocket park in South Boston – nestled between F Street, West 8th Street, and Grimes Street – has been a topic of contention for several years with significant concerns over a potential sale and loss of open space and five mature trees within the neighborhood. In 2023, there was a petition signed by over 1,700 South Boston residents to save the park for the community.
The park was named after Sister Mary Veronica, a South Boston girl who was raised near the park and became a nun in the Sisters of Notre Dame Order in 1939, until her death in 1960. The park was created due to months of community-driven efforts to transform a vacant lot and was subsequently dedicated on November 23, 1968. It was reported to be “the first vest pocket park in a non urban renewal area in the City of Boston.”
At the outset of this process in 2023, Councilor Flynn released a joint statement with former Councilor At-Large Michael Flaherty and Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy stating that they would not support development on this land and pocket park. Subsequently, Councilor Flynn joined residents for a gathering on-site shortly thereafter and met several times with both the neighbors, the South Boston elected officials – Congressman Stephen Lynch, Senator Nick Collins, Representative David Biele – and previous Parks Commissioner Ryan Woods and other city officials on this issue.
“I would like to thank my fellow South Boston elected officials, the City of Boston Parks Department, and especially my neighbors and the Committee to Save Sister Mary Veronica Park – including Vicky Shen, Pattie McCormack, Kevin Conroy, Karan Dimartino, Langdon White, Luanne O’Connor, Sonia Tan, and Margaret Itri – for their years of strong advocacy,” said Councilor Flynn. “It is critical that we continue to work together as a community to preserve our outdoor spaces, mature trees, and also these pocket parks that have played a key role in the lives of South Boston residents and our history.”
For more information, please contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617-635-3203 or Ed.Flynn@Boston.gov.
