Our Staff

Father John Unni grew up in North Reading, Massachusetts. Before entering the seminary, Father John taught English at Christopher Columbus High School in Boston’s North End and ran his own landscaping business. He attended St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, where he earned a master of divinity degree and was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Boston in June of 1992. For the past 20 years, he has been pastor of Saint Cecilia Parish where he has focused his ministry on education, health, and spiritual growth—especially for those who are marginalized and impoverished. When he is not presiding at Mass, Father John keeps busy serving on the board of directors for Saint Cecilia House, a residence for seniors of limited income in the Fenway, and Health Equity International/St. Boniface Hospital, an organization dedicated to providing essential health services to the people of southern Haiti, especially the most vulnerable. Father John is also the Chaplain of the Boston Fire Department.

Nicole Pascarelli O’Brien joined the parish staff in June 2023 as Pastoral Director of Operations. In this role, Nicole works with Father John and the parish staff to further the mission and vision of the parish and its ministries. Nicole holds a master’s degree in education administration and Catholic school leadership from Boston College and was the recipient of a National Association of Independent Schools’ Fellowship for Aspiring School Heads. For more than two decades, she has held leadership positions at both Catholic and private schools, which includes serving as the interim head of school at her Newton alma mater, Mount Alvernia High School. Prior to her time in education, Nicole worked as a reporter for The Pilot. Nicole’s family has generational roots at Gate of Heaven Parish in South Boston where she has been involved in many parish activities. Nicole enjoys yoga, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two teenage children.

Scott MacDonald was raised in Wakefield, Massachusetts. He had been part of the Saint Cecilia community for many years but began officially working for Saint Cecilia in 1997 as Director of Faith Formation. Scott’s position is composed of three parts: faith formation, parish visibility, and development of lay ministerial leadership. While there are multiple facets to his career at Saint Cecilia, he most prefers his role as the director of faith formation because he enjoys accompanying individuals on their journey to developing a deeper faith in Jesus Christ. In an earlier life, Scott was the manager and caterer for the Hasty Pudding Club at Harvard and he also catered private events. In his free time, he enjoys reading, cooking, theater, and listening to music.

Lisa Pickering started at Saint Cecilia in February of 2016 and feels truly blessed to part of this thriving community. Her responsibilities include facility management and coordinating and executing the large parish events. Before joining our parish, Lisa worked for Catholic Charities in a family shelter for three and a half years where she managed the office and facilities and also direct care. While busy raising her family, she managed to take on a variety of jobs as a working mom including cleaning disabled adult homes, restaurant manager, and pharmacy technician. Lisa and her husband Ralph have been an active part of the Marriage Ministry at Saint Cecilia and have been married for almost 30 years. They have four children and one grandchild. Lisa has a personal connection with people struggling with addiction and is excited to start 12-Step meetings in our new community room space. Lisa enjoys cooking for family and friends and spending long days on the beach.  

Rob oversees the music program at Saint Cecilia and also serves on the faculty at Brandeis University as associate professor of the practice of choral music. At Brandeis University Rob oversees the vocal program, conducts the Brandeis choral ensembles, teaches conducting and choral methods, and serves as the performance track adviser for vocalists. Rob has served on the faculties of Dartmouth College, Pomona College, Claremont Graduate University and Mount St. Mary’s College. He holds degrees in conducting, piano, and voice from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Temple University and the University of Southern California. Additionally, he served as director of music for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. An active commissioner of new music, Rob has given several world premieres of works for both orchestral and choral forces. He served as counsel to the New Hampshire Council on the Arts and is the past president of the Eastern Region of the American Choral Directors Association.

Fr. Jim Shaughnessy, SJ joins the parish staff on a part-time basis to assist with pastoral support, the celebration of Mass, and the sacrament of reconciliation. Fr. Jim joins the cadre of staff who graduated from the College of the Holy Cross. Born and raised in Dedham, Fr. Jim entered the Jesuits in 1971. He started working at Tufts Medical Center in 1986, a committment he’s maintained, volunteering at Tufts Medical Center in the palliative care department. Fr. Jim looks forward to seeing new and old faces as all continue to venture out!

As our Digital and Print Media Coordinator, Christine is responsible for keeping our parishioners (and the world) up to date on all things Saint Cecilia Parish via our bulletin, weekly e-blasts, and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube). She most recently worked in communications at her hometown art museum, the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM). Christine received an undergraduate degree in Art History and Spanish from Wellesley College. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, crafting, and eating sweets.

A native of Dublin, Ireland, Carly-Anne has a bachelors degree in Religions and Theology and a masters degree in ecumenics, both from Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin. She earned a masters of education from the University of Notre Dame with the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE). She taught middle school religion and high school theology in Corpus Christi, Texas before moving to full-time ministry in higher education as the Catholic chaplain at Stony Brook University. She also earned a masters of arts (religious education) at Fordham University while serving as Director of Religious Education at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, NYC. Carly-Anne is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Theology and Education at Boston College. In her free time, she loves to run, visit art galleries, try new cuisine, and spend time with her niece and nephew.