[wagglebee]

I heard from someone who knew him that Cardinal Cushing was fairly typical of the South Boston stereotype.

[OLD REGGIE]

I heard from someone who knew him that Cardinal Cushing was fairly typical of the South Boston stereotype.

He certainly was. His English was barely understandable and his Latin was from another world. No matter. He always rushed through the Latin like the words were fired from a machine gun.

He was a very human and likeable man. Also, very ecumenical in his thoughts and actions.

WHAT WOULD CARDINAL CUSHING DO

That began to change around 1950, O’Connor said. Archbishop Richard Cushing had a Jewish brother-in-law he adored; Cushing, who was elevated to cardinal in 1958, appeared regularly at events with Jewish leaders and worked steadily to improve interfaith relations. He invited Boston philanthropist Ray Tye, who was Jewish and died in March, to head Catholic Charities more than a half-century ago.

Cardinal Cushing-Ecumenical