Boston College celebrates 150th Anniversary with Mass at Fenway Park - VIDEO

Jesuit college began originally as a school to help poor Famine Irish emigrants

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Boston College celebrates its 150th anniversary

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Boston College will commence its 150th anniversary celebrations this weekend with a Saturday Mass at Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.

The college began originally as a school to educate poor Irish emigrants.

At the height of the Famine, as hundreds of thousands of destitute Irish poured into the city, the Reverend John McElroy braved massive anti-Irish sentiment and a vicious anti Catholic backlash and made plans to  open the school for children of the Famine immigrants. He finally succeeded in 1863
Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the mass, which will honor BC, which has some 750 staff members and over 14.5 thousand students.

The college's senior vice president, Jim McIntyre, paid tribute to the Jesuits who laid the foundation for the school's success.

"I look back at the number of Jesuits for example who sacrificed their lives and gave everything to BC," he said in an interview with the Boston Herald.

"They didn't take any salaries and they worked night and day. We stand on their shoulders and we stand tall."

McIntyre went on to say that institution has produced graduates that have excelled in all walks of life and can compete with any other college in the country.

The SVP plans to continue to expand facilities, not to grow, but to make sure that all students coming to BC can expect the best possible conditions to excel.

Check out the full interview with the Herald's Jessica Heslam below:

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