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.
March 21, 2019, WORCESTER, MA – The Office of Development of the Diocese of Worcester has announced that it has raised 40% of the $5 million goal for this year’s Annual Partners in Charity Appeal and that four parishes are over goal. The office has received 4,713 gifts and pledges totaling $2,011,879. The weekends in mid-March are the official “in-pew Sundays” in many of the 96 parishes and 3 missions which comprise the Diocese of Worcester. MORE
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Wednesday, March 1. Bishop McManus was the principal celebrant.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!”