At this weekend’s Masses at St. Joseph Parish, Barre and St. Thomas-A-Becket Parish, South Barre, a decree will be read which officially establishes St. Francis of Assisi Parish, a merged territorial parish serving Catholics in Barre and South Barre.

Two pastors to retire and three to be ordained priests receive first parochial assignments First lay person to be chancellor of the Diocese of Worcester

3 permanent deacons and 1 transitional deacon to be ordained by Bishop McManus

Following the Catholic Church’s commitment to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, has announced that David Blizard, Thomas Kane, and Robert Shauris are no longer in the clerical state.

Pope Benedict XVI has named Monsignor Michael W. Banach, a Vatican diplomat, to be an apostolic nuncio, with the title of archbishop

Dr Ira Byock of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical School to present keynote address