St. Mary's and Good Shepherd strengthen ties.

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press

UXBRIDGE  - The newly installed tabernacle gleamed.
The congregation applauded.
People spoke of feeling at home – again.
The tabernacle from the former Good Shepherd Parish had just been blessed at St. Mary Parish.
“Today we celebrate this great feast – Good Shepherd Sunday,” Father Nicholas Desimone, St. Mary’s pastor, said at the 9 a.m. Mass Sunday. It was their first time celebrating this patronal feast of the combined parishes.
Good Shepherd Parish was united with St. Mary Parish last summer. St. Mary’s name and campus were kept.
From now on, Good Shepherd Sunday (the Fourth Sunday of Easter) will be observed as one of the parish’s two patronal feasts, the other being the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, explained Diane Moriarty, pastoral associate.
Last summer the statue of the Good Shepherd which was behind the altar at Good Shepherd Church was placed in the entrance to St. Mary’s parish hall, which was named the Good Shepherd Center, she said.
She said Good Shepherd’s tabernacle was restored by Egan Church Furnishing & Restoration in Shrewsbury, in honor of St. Mary’s parishioner Peter Lunch by his wife, Judy.
The tabernacle was installed at St. Mary’s last week. Father Desimone blessed it at all Masses last weekend as it stood empty, and reposed the Blessed Sacrament in it after Communion, Mrs. Moriarty said.
After Deacon Gary Porter closed the tabernacle, Father Desimone remarked about its beauty and brightness, quipping that the people should have been told to bring sunglasses, and eliciting applause.
“What a beautiful tribute” to Good Shepherd people, the pastor said, adding that he hoped having their tabernacle there would make them feel even more at home.
“Church is home to everyone but, with this (tabernacle) being brought from Good Shepherd, I really feel like it’s home to me in a way it’s never been,” said Margaret “Margie” Joanis, who was active at Good Shepherd. “God bless everybody that made it possible.”
“We have our Good Shepherd statue here and now the tabernacle,” said Laurie Petty, whose husband, Jack, was custodian there. “It closed the circle and we’re home. That’s how a lot of us feel.” From the beginning, Good Shepherd people felt love and acceptance at St. Mary’s, she said, adding, “the Shepherd is for all of us.”
“My oldest has (intellectual) disabilities and the parish has been very helpful and welcoming for him, and he feels like this is his home now,” said Donna Wilson, formerly Good Shepherd’s religious education coordinator. She said Zachary, 27, “noticed the tabernacle today” and said, “It’s shiny.” He always notices the Good Shepherd statue.
In his homily, Father Desimone had spoken about Jesus being the gate that swings both ways: he leads his sheep into the fold for nourishment and back out to lead others in. That is a “great image for us as a parish,” he said.
Carol Zabinski, formerly Good Shepherd’s music director, played a song for Mass Sunday.
“I came to rehearsal on Friday and broke down in tears” at seeing Good Shepherd’s tabernacle in St. Mary’s, she said. “It’s so beautiful and always has been.”
Beverly Rykosky of St. Mary’s said she did not mind that this tabernacle, which she called a wonderful addition, replaced the one from her church. (Mrs. Moriarty said St. Mary’s tabernacle will be stored.)
Charleen Miller of St. Mary’s said she was glad the tabernacle was brought in to include the Good Shepherd parishioners. She said the transition is going well and that people mingle over coffee.
“Early on … there were people you didn’t recognize,” St. Mary’s parishioner Arthur Leary said. “You could tell it was their first time in here. … Now … everybody feels comfortable, because of what Father Nick did – he integrated the ministries. They had ministries. We had ministries. All that was planned ahead of time,” so the merger worked well.
“I had a lot of memories there, but the memories here are almost the same,” said Dennis Guertin, who was at Good Shepherd almost 50 years, and continues serving at St. Mary’s with his wife, Mary Beth.
“Having the tabernacle from Good Shepherd installed and blessed at St. Mary’s brings to full circle the joining of our two parishes,” said Joyce Paquette, secretary at Good Shepherd for 21 years, who serves as a eucharistic minister at St. Mary’s. “It’s a special way to remember our past and present members of Good Shepherd Parish as we worship God in our new home. It was especially moving to celebrate this on Good Shepherd Sunday.”