News

Click on title for a Q&A document regarding the contract negotiations with DELTA, the association representing Central Catholic School teachers

The Diocese of Worcester will open the Fortnight for Freedom on Thursday, June 22 (the Feast of Ss. Thomas More and John Fisher) with Mass celebrated by Bishop McManus at 7:00 p.m. at Cathedral of St. Paul, Chatham and High Streets, Worcester. Handicapped accessible parking is located in the lower Chatham Street courtyard. A light reception and a presentation by Bishop McManus on this year’s theme, “In Service to Freedom for Mission,” will follow in the Cenacle located in the lower level of the Cathedral. All are welcome.      This marks the sixth annual Fortnight for Freedom to take place in dioceses nationwide and it will run from June 21 through July 4, 2017. This 14-day period of prayer, education and action gives Catholics an opportunity to reflect on the gift of our religious freedom and to address the many current, grave challenges to religious liberty which we face in our nation.

WORCESTER, MA -- Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, announced the following 23 priest assignments which will take effect July 1, 2017 unless otherwise noted. (Click title for release)

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, On June 3, 2017, the day before the Solemnity of Pentecost, I shall consecrate the Diocese of Worcester to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the Ordination Liturgy to be held at the Cathedral of Saint Paul at 10:00 a.m. At the very moment of his conception in the virginal womb of Mary, Jesus entrusted his whole being to her. Similarly, by this Act of Consecration, we will confide the Diocese and all of its good works to Our Lady in order to fulfill more readily the will of her Divine Son for his Church. (CLICK TITLE for complete letter)

The Office for Vocations has announced that on Saturday, June 3 at 10:00 am Most Rev. Robert J. McManus will ordain one priest, one transitional deacon and two permanent deacons for the Diocese of Worcester. The men to be ordained include Deacon Henry Ramirez to the priesthood, Mr. Javier DeJesus Julio to the transitional diaconate and Mr. Paul F.X. Covino and Mr. Stephen T. Kohut to the permanent diaconate. The Liturgy will take place at the Cathedral of St. Paul, corner of Chatham and High Streets, Worcester to which the public is invited. The Church is handicapped accessible from the Chatham Street courtyard. The Ordination Liturgy will be streamed LIVE on the internet and a link is available on the homepage of worcesterdiocese.org. (click headline for complete story)

May 12, 2017, WORCESTER, MA – Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, announced today that he has granted faculties for pastoral ministry to Rev. Stephen M. Gemme, effective immediately. He will celebrate Mass and other sacraments in parishes in need of emergency assistance due to the unavailability of a priest. These situations arise due to sudden illness, retreats, vacations, and personal emergencies involving the pastor or associate in a parish. Fr. Gemme will not have any access to or involvement in any administrative duties while assisting in a parish. Bishop McManus removed Father Gemme from ministry in July 2013 after he admitted to a gambling addiction. He pleaded guilty in 2015 to stealing nearly $240,000 from St. Bernadette Parish and School in Northborough. The parish and school were made whole in their loss through Diocesan insurance. Fr. Gemme entered into a restitution agreement with the Diocese and its insurers and has participated in a mental health evaluation and continuing treatment for his gambling addiction. In March, 2016 he was granted limited faculties to return to pastoral ministry in non-parochial settings in accordance with the terms of his probation and his treatment program. He has not functioned in any fiduciary capacity.

The public is invited to join Bishop Robert J. McManus and students from Worcester Diocesan Catholic Schools at the annual Mass for Life on Thursday, March 30 at 10:00 a.m. at Cathedral of St. Paul, 19 Chatham St., Worcester. The diocesan pro-life awards, honoring individuals who have shown extraordinary witness to the sacredness of human life, will also be presented at the Mass. CLICK TITLE FOR RELEASE

The Office of Development of the Diocese of Worcester has announced that it has concluded the advanced gifts phase of this year’s appeal prior to the diocesan-wide In-pew Sunday. The appeal has received 2,147 gifts and pledges totaling $1,192,175 to jump-start this year’s Annual Partners in Charity Appeal. This weekend, March 19, is the official In-pew Sunday in 97 parishes and 3 missions which comprise the Diocese of Worcester. The total raised to date is nearly 24 percent of the $5 million goal. CLICK headline to read complete release.

Statement from Bishop McManus: This year the Liturgical Memorial of St. Patrick, March 17, falls on a Friday of the Second Week of Lent, a day of abstinence. In light of the number of inquiries about my granting a dispensation from the requirement to refrain from eating meat on the Fridays of Lent, I am granting a diocesan-wide dispensation from the law of abstinence on Friday, March 17, 2017. I would ask the Catholic faithful who take advantage of this general dispensation to perform another act of penance on either the day before or after March 17, 2017.

The Cathedral of St. Paul in Worcester was at near capacity on Sunday, March 6 at 3:00 p.m. when 215 catechumens and candidates along with their sponsors and families participated in various rites leading to completing their initiation into the Catholic Church. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult (RCIA) is the sacramental process used worldwide in the Roman Catholic Church through which people prepare for initiation, or come into full communion, or complete their initiation into the Roman Catholic Church. CLICK TITLE TO READ FULL RELEASE

... In urging us on to conversion, the Holy Father challenges us not to settle for mediocrity but to use the Lenten practices of prayer, penance and almsgiving to draw closer to Christ, detach ourselves from the false idols of this world and to accompany more closely those in our midst who are suffering, needy and vulnerable... (CLICK HEADLINE to read letter.)

Statement from Bishop McManus on Executive Order on immigration: It is hard to imagine an American alive today who does not include immigrants to this country in his or her family tree, ancestors who were in search of a better life, or escaping political or religious persecution, or fleeing the ravages of war. . . . (CLICK TITLE FOR FULL STATEMENT)

About 150 local Catholics will be leaving the Cathedral of St. Paul in downtown Worcester and joining other groups from parishes and local colleges around the Diocese of Worcester for the annual March for Life on Friday, January 27 in Washington, D.C. Three buses will be leaving following the annual Respect Life Mass on Thursday, January 26 at 7:30 p.m. to which all are invited. Bishop Robert J. McManus will be the principal celebrant and homilist. CLICK TITLE FOR COMPLETE RELEASE

Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, officially announced today that there would be a single personal parish to “serve the care of souls and spiritual and sacramental needs of the Italian community of Worcester.” It will be established from the merger of the current Our Lady of Mt. Carmel-St. Ann and Our Lady of Loreto Parishes. The new parish will be called Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and the church will retain the name Our Lady of Loreto Church in accord with canon 1218. The announcement is being made to parishioners of both parishes who attend Masses this weekend at Our Lady of Loreto, where both communities have gathered since the closure of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on May 1, 2016 due to safety concerns from structural issues. CLICK TITLE FOR COMPLETE RELEASE

January 19, 2017, WORCESTER, MA -- Following a complete audit of its financial accounting, the Diocese of Worcester has issued online Financial Statements and online and printed editions of the Annual Report on Financial Activities for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2016. That report also highlights many of the accomplishments of the diocesan agencies and ministries during that timeframe. In his letter, Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, S.T.D., Bishop of Worcester, wrote that he was pleased to report a surplus of 0.8% or $210,373 “including realized and unrealized gains on investments” after total expenses of $26,002,905. By comparison, there was an operating deficit of $1,192,704 in the previous fiscal year. The Bishop attributed this in great part to “the fiscally conservative operations of our agencies and ministries, most notably Central Administration” as well as a surplus of $791,737 in the Diocesan Expansion Fund. CLICK TITLE FOR COMPLETE RELEASE

January 19, 2017, WORCESTER, MA -- Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester announced today that Delma L. Josephson, Ph.D. will retire as Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Worcester at the end of August, 2017. Bishop McManus also announced that he will establish a search committee under the direction of David Surprenant, Esq., former chair of the Catholic Schools Board. CLICK TITLE FOR COMPLETE RELEASE

This weekend is the collection in support of @CatholicUniv – learn more at: collection.cua.edu and give generously! #SupportCatholicU

Mr. Derek P. Sylvester, a part-time music and theater arts teacher at St. Mary Elementary School in Shrewsbury and St. Joseph Elementary School in Webster, has been terminated from his positions due to allegations of sexual abuse reported to have occurred in the early 1990’s, prior to his employment at the schools. Mr. Sylvester has denied that any sexual abuse had occurred. No information has come to the attention of either school of any untoward behavior by Mr. Sylvester while employed at any parish or diocesan school, nor as to any student of any of such school. CLICK TITLE FOR COMPLETE RELEASE

Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, has appointed Paul G. Schasel of North Attleboro, MA to be the next director of fiscal affairs for the Diocese of Worcester which is canonically called the Finance Officer. He will begin working with the diocese on Monday, November 14 and assume the responsibilities as director on December 30. The current director, Carol Adams, is retiring at the end of December and will work with Mr. Schasel during the transition period. (CLICK TITLE)

As our society battles the devastating opioid crisis which each day claims the lives of those who have been snared in the trap of addiction, it is troubling that we would legalize a gateway drug that, in addition to its own damaging effects, has led far too many users to be destroyed by the use of opioids. It is notable that Governor Baker, District Attorney Joseph Early and the School Committee of the City of Worcester all strongly oppose the legalization of marijuana, with particular recognition of the harm such an action would bring to children and young people. CLICK TITLE FOR COMPLETE LETTER AND LINKS