News - March 2019 RSS Feed

WORCESTER – Tears of surprise and gratitude marked the 12th Annual Adopt-A-Student Recognition Dinner, held March 21 at Mechanics Hall. At the dinner, Adopt-A-Student scholars received awards and two received four-year scholarships to Anna Maria and Assumption colleges.

Seminarian Peter Bui shares part of his vocation story in this year’s Partners in Charity video, and Bishop McManus added his piece of the story at recent Partners kickoffs.

Teens at St. Patrick Parish in Whitinsville are serving fish and chips dinners on Fridays in Lent to subsidize a week-long mission trip to San Diego as Young Neighbors in Action.

Bishop McManus will be celebrant and five people will receive awards at 10 a.m. Monday, March 25, in St. Paul Cathedral at the annual diocesan Mass for Life. The liturgy celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation.

Eric Mahl, a football standout in college who was signed by the Cleveland Browns but walked away from the NFL, will speak at the 19th Annual Worcester Diocesan Catholic Men’s Conference, scheduled for April 6 at Assumption College.

St. Patrick, evangelizer of a whole nation, is still bringing people to God – or at least to church. Irish dinners in his name are drawing crowds to local parishes, bringing folks together, raising money and playing a part in a type of evangelization too.

Local Catholics are being encouraged to lobby legislators about current bills aimed at expanding access to abortion and legalizing physician-assisted suicide, as well as bills about sex education.

A Hispanic woman “changed” her birthday because of her devotion – and was protected. An African woman lived through horror – and gave life. Local religious sisters told these stories of women they met at the U.S.-Mexico border when volunteering there last month.

WORCESTER - Father Henry A. Donoghue, 83, passed away peacefully on March 7 at the Rose Monahan Hospice Home. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated March 13. Bishop McManus will be the principal celebrant.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Lent comes late this year. Late though it may be, most of us are not immediately eager for the austerities of Lent.

Partners in Charity turns to St. Pope Paul VI to be the inspiration for the 2019 appeal. With the theme, “Generate Joy,” the annual campaign, which raises $5 million, begins in many parishes this weekend with in-pew collections.

WESTBOROUGH – Aaron Linn loves going to Mass; the fact that he is autistic has not gotten in the way. His mother, Ellen, is thankful to the SPRED program for helping her son to know the love of Jesus and to share it within the parish community.

BARRE – On the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows in 2015, Deacon Brian Gadbois – who serves St. Francis of Assisi Parish – and his wife, Nissa Gadbois, adopted two children from an orphanage in Bulgaria. But the couple didn’t want their connection to Nicholas and Olivia’s native country to end with the adoption.

WORCESTER – God is doing something new. That message emerged as Catholics met to seek God’s will for the charismatic renewal locally. Father Diego A. Buritica, who was appointed episcopal liaison to diocesan charismatic renewal communities last October, hosted “Lord, Light the Fire Again!”

Lenten Commentary on Forgiveness: I would like to dwell on three realities of the meaning of mercy: God’s mercy on us; our mercy on those who trespass against us; and our mercy on all who need us.

Francesco Cesareo, the president of Assumption College, will speak at the 19th Annual Worcester Diocesan Catholic Men’s Conference, scheduled for April 6 at the college. The title of his talk is “A Wounded Church.” He will speak in his capacity as the chairman of the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People.