The Kennedy Church

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy attended daily mass at St. Francis Xavier Parish. When her first son, Joe Jr., brother of JFK, was killed in WWII in 1944, the service was held here. The main altar of the church is now a memorial to Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Church historians recall that President Kennedy would sit in the second row of pews in the east wing, while Secret Service agents would bracket the president in the front and third rows. Senator Ted Kennedy's youngest son Patrick was baptized here. It was here in 1986 that Eunice Kennedy Shriver's daughter Maria married Arnold Schwarzenegger. The funeral mass for Eunice Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics, was held here in 2009.

The Shriver Family

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of JFK, was known around the world for her charity work and dedication to children's causes. She founded the Special Olympics in 1968. Born July, 1921 in Brookline, Massachusetts, Eunice was educated at Stanford University. She married Robert Sargent Shriver in New York City in 1953. Shriver, a graduate of Yale University and a U.S. Navy veteran, had an active political career, and was a driving force of JFK's Peace Corp. He served as U.S. Ambassador to France from 1968 to 1970, and was presidential candidate George McGovern's running mate in 1972. Eunice and Sargent had five children. Their daughter, Maria, married Arnold Schwarzenegger at St. Francis Xavier Church in 1986. Schwarzenegger went on to serve as Governor of California. Eunice passed away August 11, 2009, and Robert Sargent Shriver died in January, 2011. They are both buried here on Cape Cod.