In recen
t weeks Newton has lost two beloved pillars of the community – Linda Plaut and Rev Howard Haywood. Much love and wonderful tributes were shared here for them in the comments in recent days.
This morning a different kind of pillar of Newton also passed away – Jackie Gauvereau Sequeira. Jackie was many many things.
She was a crank – she was that woman at the back of the meeting yelling something and disrupting the proceedings, the woman who couldn’t be shushed, the woman everyone rolled their eyes at.
She was extraordinarily brave – in 1981, more than 20 years before the Boston Globe Spotlight team broke the story about the Catholic priest pedophiles, Jackie blew the whistle to a deaf church. She uncovered compelling evidence that a local Newton priest, Father Paul Shanley had abused an eleven year old boy. She went to the head of the local parish and he dismissed her accusation and turned the parish against her. She went to Cardinal Law, the head of the Catholic Church in Boston and he did the same. She refused to let it drop and hounded Cardinal Law in the way that only Jackie could until he wouldn’t take her calls. When the story eventually came out 20 years later, the trail of Jackie’s relentless hounding of the Cardinal was important evidence that showed that the church had known about this for years and had actively and knowingly covered it up. For all of this Jackie paid an enormous personal price. Her community, her friends, her church turned against her, discredited her, and shunned her. To the day she died, the sting of that never faded.
She was outrageous – when my daughter was about 11 years old she came running into the kitchen one day saying “daddy that woman’s out front screaming again”. Jackie was parked out in front of the house in her big boat of an Oldsmobile with the window rolled down screaming at the top of her lungs “JEHHHHHHHHRRRRRYYYY!”. She didn’t like to use the doorbell.
She was relentless – One year at the Upper Falls Village Day, Mayor Warren came with his family. He and his family went to the microphone to kick off the festivities and suddenly there was a woman coming at him and yelling at the top of her lungs. The mayor’s wife pulled back in fear and Setti re-assured his wife “oh that’s Jackie, she yells at me all the time.”
She was full of surprises – She walked into a public gathering and announced “I’m going to run for mayor”. I’ll run for the Cougar Party. I’m a cougar!!” Everybody laughed and the next day we learned that she had pulled papers, gathered the required signatures, and was indeed running for mayor. I thought to myself, this is going to be a trainwreck , but no. She didn’t come close to winning but she handled herself well, took part in the mayoral debate, and raised significant issues worth raising.
She was funny. She was kind. She was tough. She was difficult. She was a one-of-a-kind. She was my friend.
Rest in peace Jackie and I’d love to hear what they make of you wherever you are now.
I’m incredibly sad to read this – Thank you Jerry for letting us all know. At the same time, I’m smiling because of the conversations I had with Jackie over the years.
I only met Jackie for the first time in 2013 when I ran for (then) Alderman (she was not a fan). But then got to know her a little better as were both in the same neighborhood for a while. My office was at the corner of Washington St and Concord St in Lower Falls. Jackie’s apartment was up the street, and our paths would cross while I’d be taking the rail trail over to Wellesley to get lunch or just clear my head a little. She always had something to say that left me rethinking things a bit, and over time I heard a lot of the church history from her (as related by Jerry above) and was amazed.
One of my favorite memories of her was one day as I was walking up the steps to where my office was, I heard behind me
“HEY CHRIS!!!!” in a voice that I’m sure could be heard in three states. Jackie drove up Concord in said Oldsmobile shouted hi out her window and started to tell me about something that was going on at City Hall that she did not approve of. The driver of the car behind her gave her a few seconds and then honked loud – intending to signal to Jackie that our conversation should not result in stopping traffic. Without a startle or a beat, she kept looking at me and said “You know, I think that fellow behind me wants to talk too. Let me see what he wants. Watch this.” So she put the car in park, got out and went to speak with him about proper roadway conversation manners.
I’ll miss her.
Jerry, thank you for the apt comments about Jackie. I would add one more quality of hers to the many you so beautifully described. She was loyal. She was a loyal supporter and friend. I will miss her, as well.
sorry , she tormented me and many more , never found it funny
Ruth is right, Jackie was loyal and quite a character. I will miss seeing her at the Supermarket with former Councilor Brian Yates who looked after her for so many, many years. I also remember my daughter telling me that there was someone outside in a car screaming my name. I knew instantly who it was. I’ll miss you Jackie. Rest in peace.
One of a kind that’s for sure.
And truly, a local hero. Her courage taking on the church before at a time when no one wanted to listen deserves our highest respect and appreciation.
Thank you, Jerry and Chris, for a kinder, more well-rounded view of Jackie. Do you think she’s watching the Vatican news now, or is she absorbed in the Cohen hearings?
Jerry. Thanks for this wonderful write up. I think it would bring a smile and nod of approval from Jackie if she could read your testimonial.
I was, by turn, treasurer, press hound, propagandist and pamphleteer for Brian Yates during most of his reelection campaigns. We are close personal friends. Jackie was by his side at just about every campaign event. I don’t know how many times I was approached by people who thought this association was going to torpedo this or that reelection bid. They often implored me to lean on Brian and persuade him to keep Jackie away from his campaign appearances or any association with his public life.
I never raised the issue with him because I knew it would be fruitless to do so. Brian is a progressive Catholic who’s in tune with Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker rather than the church hierarchy or well healed conservative and traditional factions that have exercised increasing dominance in recent decades. That’s the central reason he devoted his professional career to anti poverty work in urban areas. He was deeply hurt and angry as the lurid scandals within the Church surfaced and admired Jackie’s courage in trying to expose it early on. Both Jackie and Brian share deep loyalty to friends and to valued institutions. It was certain that Brian would be there to assist her right to the end. I know he will be there for me if I ever need his help and I know Jackie would have been, too. That’s just the way they were and are.
Here’s a column she wrote when running for mayor.
Jerry, this is a beautifully written tribute. Thank you.
Jerry, this is a great tribute. We would sometimes see Jackie at Saturday evening mass at St. John’s across the border in Wellesley. She always came over to say hello to my kids after the service, and she would tell me about her efforts to expose Paul Shanley all those years ago. Brave indeed.
Thank you Jerry for the announcement and moving story of Jackie’s community presence! Jackie was one of the 1st people to arrive at my backyard barbecue, when in 2013, I put in my papers to run for Alderman at Large. My wife Albie and I greatly appreciated running into Jackie that campaign season and in later years with her no nonsense commentary on the Newton topic of the day. May she rest in peace, and my condolences to Brian in losing a close friend.
Can anyone tell me what happened?
@mary gauvreau – please contact me directly ([email protected]) and I’d be happy to tell you what I know.
For years Jackie would attack me in public. She would scream at me in front of packed rooms at City Hall, at the supermarket, basically anywhere. She would scream that my father and I took away her Jitney Bus!! Same thing every time. It was unnerving and even brought my kids to tears when they were young . So one day I finally told her to stop and talk about something else that we could agree on…. She told me about her involvement in the Shanely history and how hard she fought to protect the child and expose the abuse. We talked about local issues and I saw a sense of humor that I had never seen before. That was last year and the few time I had seen her since then, there was a wall that evaporated and a connection that was real. I saw her in a whole different light. I looked forward to seeing her each time to find out what was next on that mind of hers. I’m sorry their wont be a next time. Jackie was one of a kind and will be missed.
There wont be. Not their…..I should review before sending!
My first meeting with Jackie was on a live tv show. She called in and proceeded to ream out jack Morrisey. I was horrified. Once I got to know her I realized in many ways she was a hero. Her voice condemning the secret of the Catholic Church was priceless. She was also rather harsh and loud. I made sure I never got on her bad side. I hope in her death she is born to eternal life and surrounded with peace and love.
The arrangements for Jackie’s repose are listed on the Magni Funeral Home website.
Visitation Monday, March 11 from 9am-10:30am in the funeral home. Funeral Mass to follow at 11am in Our Lady Help of Christians Church, 573 Washington St, Newton.
Burial Newton Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Jacqueline’s name may be made to: Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave, Boston, 02215.
I’m sad to see this. Jackie RIP.
Jackie was a true local legend and a force to be reckoned with. My condolences to her dear friend Brian Yates.
This is Jackie’s youngest sister, Michelle. In response to this article, I’ve created a FB page in order to dispel the myth that Jackie was any kind of hero. I wrote a post every day last week so read through if you like. The Jackie we knew behind closed doors, was not the Jackie you knew at the Supermarket.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/429900234247661/about/