31 Priests Receive New Assignment for July; two pastors to retire and six priests receive first parochial assignments

On Saturday, June 26 at 10 am at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Worcester, two men will be ordained to the presbyterate or priesthood by Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester. They are Rev. Mr. Lowe Bretaña Dongor and Rev. Mr. Nicholas Desimone.

On June 5 at 10 am at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Worcester, four men will be ordained by Most Rev. Robert McManus, Bishop of Worcester, to the transitional diaconate, the final journey of preparation towards priesthood. Being ordained transitional deacons for the Diocese of Worcester are Juan Herrera, Guillermo José Ochoa-Vélez and Marcin Wodzimiez Nowicki along with Brother Dinh G. Vo Tran, an Augustinian of the Assumption. A public reception will follow in the Cenacle at the Cathedral. On June 12 at 10 am at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Worcester, three men will be ordained by Bishop Robert McManus to the permanent diaconate. They are Frederick Alan Coggins, Anthony Keith Gagliani, and Paul John Lesieur.

In summary, the bishop stated that the charters of all eight parishes, some of which had geographic territories while others were established to serve specific immigrant communities in the past, will cease on July 1, 2010. New charters as territorial parishes will commence for four parishes in various parts of the city.

In a letter read to parishioners of St. Charles Borromeo and Blessed Sacrament Parishes this weekend, Bishop Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, announced that as of July 1, 2010 there will be one merged parish serving the needs of Catholics in that neighborhood of Worcester.

Bishop of Worcester, issued today a Pastoral Letter on the Sacrament of Penance. In it he provided a brief summary of the church’s teaching on the need for the sacrament and called for Catholics in the Diocese of Worcester to partake in the sacrament, particularly during the upcoming season of Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17.

Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, S.T.D., Bishop of Worcester, is asking pastors to take up an additional collection this weekend to assist in the disaster relief efforts in Haiti in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake which hit the country on January 12.