St. Lucy’s School for the Blind -351 Powder Mill St
Established in 1877 as St. Lucy’s Asylum for the Blind, in the decades since its founding the institution has become more about education and social integration of its wards rather than the simple warehousing and caretaking for which it was originally intended. Renamed and rededicated in 1911, the facility is clean and well-run, offering a curriculum similar to the Perkins School in Watertown. Unlike that institution, however, St. Lucy’s lacks a secure financial endowment and depends greatly on charitable donations to keep up operations. The staff, including several former students, are dedicated but quietly recognize they are too few and that, unless a substantial donation or bequest is received, the school will continue to struggle.
While the school is officially operated by the Catholic Church — St. Michael’s Church, which is close by, St. Stanislaus, and Sacred Heart recently pooled together to help fund the ongoing construction of a badly needed new addition. The school is, however, open to blind and seriously visually impaired children of all faiths. Currently about 2/3 of the students are Catholic, and most come from New Jerusalem’s immigrant Polish and Irish communities. The director is Father Anthony Scarpetti, though he prefers to be in the classroom and leaves much of the day-to-day operations to the staff. The school also has a full-time physician, Dr. James Herrington, who spearheads the school’s work in looking for a medical solution to mitigate or perhaps even some day heal their students’ lost vision.
St. Lucy’s students, aged 7 to 21, are, in addition to the traditional curriculum, taught how to read Braille, how to navigate with a cane, certain trade-skills not requiring eyesight, and other life-skills needed to live independently after graduation. There are usually between 20 and 30 students there at any time. The school operates a small stand at the Boston and Maine Train Station, selling newspapers, magazines, and candy. It is independently run by the oldest students at the school, who spend most of their day here. Because of the school’s ties to New Jerusalem’s Catholic community, Danny O’Bannion, head of the New Jerusalem mob, has made it clear that the stand and its students are not to be harassed or robbed. He imagines this charitable deed partially makes up for his protection racket, prostitution, gambling, and liquor sales. Joe Potrello has made no such proclamation; if he hears of anyone messing with the school, its teachers, students, or their endeavors, he just makes sure that the offending party is not heard from again, by anyone, ever.
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School
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