MILFORD -- Despite a delay due to COVID-19, this month, St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Milford was finally able to reinstall several of their historic stained-glass windows restored to their original colorful beauty.
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BRAINTREE -- With the arrival of fall and the scheduled resumption of faith-formation programs, parishes are working hard to adapt their instruction methods to conform to state and archdiocesan requirements.
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BRAINTREE -- In lieu of its annual fundraising banquet, on Sept. 17, Massachusetts Citizens for Life held a virtual fundraiser that featured messages from two prominent pro-life speakers and several testimonies about the importance of the organization's work, especially its efforts to fight legislation promoting abortion and physician-assisted suicide.
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As students return to campuses this fall, colleges around the country are dealing with the potential for COVID-19 outbreaks, including Catholic colleges in the Boston area. This week, Merrimack College announced that the school was temporarily closing one of its residence halls after a number of students residing there tested positive for COVID-19.
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Another year of Charity-Unity-Fraternity-Patriotism began in earnest for the Massachusetts State Council of the Knights of Columbus with the installation of the new state officers. The Mass with the Ceremony of Installation was celebrated by the recently appointed State Chaplain, Father Matthew Westcott, pastor of St. Mary Parish, Foxborough. Following a long-established custom, the Mass was celebrated at the home parish of the new State Deputy. Mr. Michael Lesperance and his wife Ann hail from the central Massachusetts town of Millville and so the Mass was celebrated at St. Augustine Church there.
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On Sunday, I went to Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Parish in Waltham to celebrate a Mass with the parish. This was certainly the largest group I've celebrated Mass for since the start of the pandemic.
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BOSTON -- Less than 24 hours after a federal appeals court handed down a long-awaited decision regarding legal immigration status, recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and their families, friends, and allies organized a press conference on Sept. 15 outside of Boston City Hall to call for legislation that would give TPS holders a pathway to permanent residency.
Read moreBRAINTREE -- On Sept. 10 the archdiocese announced that Father James Gaudreau, the former pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Lynn, has been found guilty of abuse of a minor and has been sentenced to live a life of prayer and penance.
Read moreBRAINTREE -- On Sept. 11, the archdiocese announced that the Holy See has dismissed John P. Lyons from the clerical state. This means that he may no longer function in any capacity as a priest. Born in 1928, Lyons was ordained in February 1955. His first assignment was at Immaculate Conception Parish in Weymouth, where he served until 1964. After that, he served at Our Lady of Presentation in Brighton until 1982, followed by a year at St. Anselm Parish in Sudbury. After a leave of health, he served as associate pastor of St. Nicholas Parish in West Abington from 1984 to 1986. He served as the pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Rochester from 1986-2002.
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Last Friday, I celebrated the Mass of the Holy Spirit to begin the academic year at our Redemptoris Mater Seminary. We also took advantage of the occasion to have the institution of lectors and acolytes. Javier Padilla was instituted as a lector, and Francis Trewin, and Diego Alejandro Pena were instituted as acolytes.
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BRAINTREE -- The first day of a new school year can be an exciting and nerve-wracking event in the best of circumstances, but even more so when implementing new protocols to prevent the spread of a virus during a pandemic.
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BOSTON -- On Aug. 29, the feast of the Passion of John the Baptist, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley marked the 50th anniversary of his priesthood the same way he began it, by celebrating Mass with a community of Poor Clare Sisters.
Read moreBRAINTREE -- On Sept. 10 the archdiocese announced that Father James Gaudreau, the former pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Lynn, has been found guilty of abuse of a minor and has been sentenced to live a life of prayer and penance.
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BRAINTREE -- At a time when school and community activities have been disrupted and families are considering remote learning, the Secretariat for Evangelization and Discipleship is offering a free catechetical resource, "Project Nazareth: Faith Begins at Home," to families with children in preschool through fifth grade. This program is meant to enable parents to have a more active role in their children's faith formation, and also to give parents the opportunity to continue their own formation.
Read moreBRAINTREE -- The merger of several parishes were completed during July and August, with several more expected in the coming months. While some had been in process for months, many were spurred by the financial pressures resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
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CHELSEA -- After serving the local Polish community for 115 years, St. Stanislaus Parish has been suppressed by the archdiocese and closed its doors after a final Mass on Sunday, Aug. 30. At the end of the Mass, parishioner Jerzy Markiewicz offered a reflection and spoke about the "long and glorious history" of the parish, which was founded by Chelsea's Polish residents in 1905.
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On Sunday, I celebrated the Spanish Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. The numbers of people at Mass continue to increase, and I would say that we are getting close to our Spanish Mass attendance before the pandemic. It is very encouraging to see how many people feel confident about returning to church -- and we are so grateful to our teams of volunteers who work so hard to make that possible.
Read moreWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 28, 2020 CNA.- A Boston priest has apologized for a social media post in which he described himself as “pro-choice” and endorsed former vice president Joe Biden. The post, made Sunday, received widespread media attention and prompted a statement from Cardinal Sean O’Malley.
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BRAINTREE -- For the first time in the history of the event, the 2020 Celebration of the Priesthood will be held in a virtual format on Sept. 29. The annual Celebration of the Priesthood honors the work of diocesan priests and serves as a fundraiser for the Clergy Health and Retirement Trust (CHRT). This majority lay-led trust supports the health and well-being of the archdiocese's active and senior priests in good standing.
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BRAINTREE -- Since the Order of Malta's annual weeklong camp for young adults with disabilities and their helpers was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the camp's United States team held a virtual camp for American participants Aug. 2-9.
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BOSTON -- While most Catholic schools throughout the archdiocese plan to reopen for live instruction this fall, some are having to scale back their plans due to high local rates of COVID-19. Among those stepping back from full in-person instruction are Lawrence Catholic Academy and East Boston Central Catholic School. Both communities have among the highest coronavirus infection rates in the state.
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Saturday was the feast of the Assumption, and on that day, I was very happy to go to the house of the Daughters of St. Paul in Jamaica Plain to celebrate the perpetual profession of Sister Khristina Galema.
Read moreBRAINTREE — Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley issued a statement Aug. 27 regarding political statements made by those who represent the archdiocese following controversial social media post by a local priest.
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