Cardinal Cushing School
Hanover Virtual Tour

The word Portiuncula means "little portion" in Italian.  When constructed on the Hanover campus in 1953, Cardinal Cushing made a point of making sure that every stone, every fresco, and every part of the Chapel came from Assisi where the original chapel was built by St. Francis over 700 years ago.

It was Richard Cardinal Cushing who initiated construction of the Portiuncula Chapel on the scenic Hanover Campus.  He looked for a stone mason trained in the Italian marble tradition and authentic material, and found a remarkable craftsman named Frank Tarzia in Hingham, whose search for building stone ended in the quarries of Assisi, Italy.  Every stone had to match its counterpart in the original chapel.  When the precious cargo arrived in Boston Harbor, the Cardinal was there to bless it. 

"His Eminence visited two or three times a week to check on my progress," Frank Tarzia recalls.  Tarzia often worked late at night when, undisturbed, he could concentrate on each detail.  The sisters frequently climbed the hill to encourage him after the children were in bed.  They brought flowers to the place where the altar would be.  Sisters and children came to watch and cheer Mr. Tarzia on when a crane lifted the statue of St. Francis to its place on the roof.  "I built it so firm and strong it will never come down until the end of the world," Frank Tarzia said with justifiable pride.

For many years Tarzia was the only person privy to the fact that the Cardinal had selected the Chapel as his burial place.  It was a deeply personal decision, one that merited secrecy.  When the vault was finished, Tarzia asked him if he wanted any embellishments on the simple grave.  "This is good enough," the Cardinal replied, "and I want to be placed so that I am forever looking towards the children."

The Portiuncula Chapel is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, unless the walkways are icy.

Create a lasting tribute to someone you love by having a brick installed in the Richard Cardinal Cushing Memorial Park pathway at the Portiuncula Chapel.   Buy a brick.  We also have Enrollment Cards to help support the chapel.  Order Enrollment Cards by calling 781-826-6371.