News
Bishop Announces Penance Initiative
January 29, 2010, WORCESTER, MA -- Faced with a continuing decline in the number of Roman Catholics who go to confession regularly, Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, 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.
In order to make the Sacrament of Penance, also known as Confession, more readily available, the bishop has asked all parishes to participate in a Lenten initiative called Come Home to God’s Mercy. This will include offering the sacrament throughout the diocese in every parish on Tuesday evenings from 7 pm to 8:30 pm in addition to their current schedules, frequent preaching on the sacrament, as well as focused education in Catholic schools, religious education programs, and adult faith formation settings. Special flyers for bulletins, articles in The Catholic Free Press, and other forms of media will be used to develop greater awareness and a deeper understanding of the sacrament. CLICK FOR RELEASE AND PASTORAL LETTER
Diocese Releases Annual Report for FY09
JANUARY 15, 2010, WORCESTER, MA -- Following a complete audit of its financial accounting, the Diocese of Worcester has issued an online and printed edition of the annual report detailing activities for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2009.
Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, S.T.D., Bishop of Worcester, noted in his letter that despite the significant economic challenges, the report demonstrated many strengths. “The Annual Partners in Charity Appeal raised $4,822,180, the second highest amount ever.” He also noted that “for the most part, our Diocesan departments and agencies were able to operate with balanced budgets last year.”
CLICK FOR RELEASE AND REPORTSPartners in Charity Announce Chair and Goal
January 7, 2010, WORCESTER, MA – The Office of the Bishop of the Diocese of Worcester has announced that this year’s
Annual Partners in Charity Appeal will be chaired by the Burke Family, including parents Richard and Mary Beth and their nine children, Catherine, Elizabeth, Patrick, Thomas, Michael, Theresa, Richard, Robert, and Bridget. The office also announced that the patron saint for this year’s appeal will be St. John Vianney and the goal will be $4.8 million, as it has been for the last two years. In each of those years, the goal was surpassed.
CLICK for Full ReleaseNew Parish for Clinton Announced
December 6, 2009, WORCESTER, MA – In a letter read at parishes in the Clinton area this weekend, Bishop Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, announced that as of July 1, 2010 there will be one new parish serving the needs of Catholics in the town of Clinton. The three current parishes of St. John the Evangelist, Our Lady of Jasna Gora, and Our Lady of the Rosary will be merged into one parish to be located at St. John Church. The new parish will assume all assets and liabilities of the current three parishes.
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