News - February 2025 RSS Feed

Father Edward M. Ryan retired early for health reasons. But now he’s back in a parish – as sacramental minister for St. Stanislaus in Warren.

Before each field hockey and lacrosse game, Brigid and her teammates pray the “Hail Mary.” “I’m not praying to win,” she said. “Praying to me is calming and it grounds me and makes me realize win or lose, it doesn’t matter to the rest of my life. The bigger picture will always be my religion and the end goal is to go to heaven and be with God.”

On Saturday, Bishop McManus called for prayers. “I ask all Catholics and people of good will to join with me in prayer this weekend for the recovery of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who is reported to be in critical condition,” he said. “May Jesus Christ the source of all healing restore him to health and the continued guidance of our Church as the Vicar of Christ.”

Father Michael J. Roy, 77, of Worcester, passed away peacefully with family by his side on Friday, Feb. 21 at the Notre Dame Long Term Care and Rehabilitation Center.

Feeling lonely one day, a Fitchburg girl built a “chapel” of pillows and blankets – and called out to God.

St. John’s announced Saturday the hiring of Mr. Senecal, 39, to replace John Vassar, who parted ways with the school after coaching the Pioneers to records of 5-6 and 3-8, including 1-9 in the Catholic Conference, over the past two seasons.

Catholic Charities Worcester County programs continue, basically unaffected by Trump administration policies, according to Timothy J. McMahon, the agency’s executive director. The administration has apparently scared some immigrants – whether or not they are here legally – away from seeking emergency services, even though Catholic Charities will not report them to the U.S. government, he said.

Sarah Collins Rudolph’s Black History Month talk at Anna Maria College Monday also provided an occasion for critiquing today’s society in light of history, and considering future action.

One parishioner details why she and her husband chose to convalidate their 12-year civil marriage.

Msgr. Richard F. Reidy, vicar general and moderator of the curia, has been appointed by Pope Francis as the next bishop of the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut.

St. John’s High School announced February 5 the hiring of Lauren Hill as the next principal.

For Catholic Schools Week, priests visited classrooms at Trinity Catholic Academy. Among them were Assumptionist Fathers Luc Martel and John Franck, temporary administrator and associate pastor, respectively, of St. Anne and St. Patrick Parish in Sturbridge.

On a frigid January morning, Father John Madden spoke to a homeless woman at the St. John’s Food for the Poor Program. While the temperature outside plummeted near zero, the woman had spent the night in a small tent and her propane had run out.

St. Andrew Bobola Parish in Dudley will be dedicated as a shrine May 11, Bishop McManus said in a letter sent to parish priests and lay faithful of the diocese last month.

"You young people, I’m sure, are very computer savvy,” he told students, as he made a distinction between knowledge and wisdom.

For, in the end, people will only come to believe the Gospel of Life by love, that is, love of the young woman who is contemplating abortion and the doctor who advocates for euthanasia. People must believe that the woman and the doctor share in the same dignity as the unborn child or sick person whose life will be threatened by their decisions.