2020 Virtual Gala
7th ANNUAL
worcesterdiocese.org/celebrate-priesthood-2020
SAVE THE DATE Monday, October 26
6:00 PM
interviews reflections tributes
All proceeds benefit the Priests' Retirement Fund
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WORLD NEWS 2 NATIONAL NEWS 3 POPE AUDIENCE 4 EDITORIAL 4 FUNDAMENTALS 5 CATHOLIC QUIZ 5 OBITUARY 6 AROUND DIOCESE 8
'You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.' - John 8:32
VOL. 69, NO. 42 OCTOBER 16, 2020 WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS HOME DELIVERY $39/YEAR
FREE IN PARISHES & ON NEWSSTANDS
Our Lady of the Valley honors faithful alumna through new center. 7
Holy Cross grad named Bishop of Springfield
STAFF REPORT
A new bishop has been ap- pointed for Springfield, where Bishop McManus has been serving as apostolic administra- tor while remaining Bishop of Worcester. Pope Francis appointed Father William Draper Byrne, a Holy Cross graduate and a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, as the 10th Bishop of Springfield. The announcement was made Wednesday in Washington, D.C., by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, U.S. papal nuncio. Bishop-elect Byrne was introduced that morn- ing at a press conference at the Bishop John Marshall Center and preached at Mass at St. Michael Cathedral in Springfield. Both events were livestreamed via a link at www.diospringfield.org. Bishop-elect Byrne assumes the position left vacant when Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski was named as the Archbishop of St. Louis on June 10 and was installed on Aug. 25. Since then, Bishop McManus has been apostolic adminis- trator. That assignment will end on Dec. 14 when Bishop-elect Byrne is ordained and installed as Bishop of Spring- field at St. Michael Cathedral. He will shepherd a diocese of 79 parishes and seven missions located in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hamp- shire counties, with a Catholic population of 164,799. "I extend my prayers and best wishes to Bishop-elect William Byrne upon his appointment by the Holy Father to the Diocese of Springfield," Bishop McManus said. "I am confident that he will bring the same pastoral zeal to this wonderful diocese that he has demonstrated for the faithful in his assignments in the Arch- diocese of Washington." Bishop-elect Byrne was born Sept. 26, 1964. A native of Wash- ington, D.C., he is the youngest of eight children of Mary (Largent) Byrne and the late Dr. William Byrne, a thoracic and cardiovas- cular surgeon who passed away in 2011. As a youth, the bishop-elect attended Mater Dei School in Bethesda, Maryland, went on to Georgetown Preparatory School in Rockville, Maryland, and received a bachelor's degree in English from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. He then
BY TANYA CONNOR THE CATHOLIC FREE PRESS
WORCESTER - Catholic Charities Worcester County received the first of several planned carloads of clothing for its clients on Oct. 6 - and the delivery led to discussion about a long-term part- nership. Bringing the clothes to Catholic Charities' office on Hammond Street was K&B's Krayons and Beyond, a nonprofit organization in Westborough. "We got some corporate donations" of new clothes last year and this year from J. CREW, Torrid and Ugg "and we've been accumulating" donations of new and gently used clothes from individu- als, Brandi Shaw, K&B's president and a member of St. Patrick Parish in Whitins- ville, told The Catholic Free Press. "We just knew that we needed to help out the local community and we reached out to Catholic Charities, letting them know - we had these items. - We worked with them last year" offering free clothes directly to those in need at the Bishop's Christmas Dinner, which Catholic Chari-
Clothes donated for needy
Sharing the Love of Christ in pandemic times
Befriend others with the love of Jesus
Sixth in a series
BY JOHN AND THERESE BOUCHER SPECIAL TO THE CFP
The second step in missionary evangelizing involves the way we are "caring" or not caring for people. It is the most common step Christians can take to connect others with Jesus - caring shows them God's love in a concrete way. It involves befriending people in need, listening, and being truly present, encouraging them, serv- ing them, and performing the acts of mercy and justice that are the fabric of daily life. It is in this are- na of caring relationships that we can become transparent witnesses to the loving presence of God. Consider the many times when Jesus stopped what he was doing because someone's needs touched his heart and triggered prayerful compassion: the widow of Nain, whose only son and means of sup- port had died (Luke 7:11-17); the woman with an incurable hemor- rhage (8:43-48); and Nicodemus, who came to him with doubts and questions (John 3:1-21). This is how God wants us to see the needs of the people in our lives - especially those of our family and others, who need a special kind of caring. Jesus lived this love for others by listening, accompanying,
Father Lamothe dies at 99
SEE BYRNE , 7 SEE CHARITIES , 6
"I was a cook in the rectory (when Msgr. John P. Martin, now deceased, was pastor of St. Mary Parish in Jefferson). Ray and I both became very good friends of his. - It's really something to be in a rectory around priests. You get to know - that they're real people." - Jane Raboin "I've grown up with Monsignor. - He's a good man to have around. He's taught me a lot." - Andrew Thomas, about Msgr. Thomas J. Sullivan, pastor, Christ the King Parish, Worcester "I would say Father Reidy. - All the times we went down to St. Paul Cathedral when he was saying Mass. - He went the extra steps - he was doing trips and making memories for the kids." - Philip Bernard, about Father Richard F. Reidy, diocesan vicar general "When I came here, I came to see him. I think he's good. So I want to come more and more." - Ba Nguyen, about Father Charles F. Monroe, pastor, Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Worcester "Father Boland was available during the pandemic - he had drive-by confessions no matter what the weather. - He had daily livestreamed Masses. - He carried us through that 10-week period. We'll always be grateful for Father Boland for that." - Alice Bernard, about Father James M. Boland, pastor, St. Patrick Parish, Rutland
As we prepare to 'Celebrate Priesthood!' again, we asked some local Catholics:
"One of the things Father Polek is awesome about is the reverence - he has toward the Mass. It could be snowing, hail- ing - he never cancels. He's truly living 'in persona Christi Capitis' - which is truly what we as lay- people are looking for - a shep- herd who embodies Christ, to show us the correct path to holiness." - Caroline Then, about Father Richard W. Polek, pastor, Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, Worcester "Father Monroe is tops in the clergy. - The whole parish - if they have a problem, he'll never turn his back on them. I had two major surgeries in 19 days and he was right at my bedside." - Barbara Burdzel, about Father Charles F. Monroe, pastor, Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Worcester "Father Lamothe - was our basketball coach - eighth grade at St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School in Fitchburg. He said, 'More important than winning is to win honestly.' To this day, these kids, who are now in their 80s, have never forgotten that." - Raymond Raboin, about Father C. Romeo Lamothe, retired priest, who died Oct. 13 "I've always respected the stamina and dedica- tion (of priests). When- ever we show up for Mass, there's someone there behind the altar. And also a lot of what we don't see - attend- ing to the sacramental life of the Church. - - Dr. James Bolger at Mass, St. John Parish, Worcester
People in the pew
Priesthood! Celebrate
Tell us about a priest who has had a positive influence on your life.
Visit worcesterdiocese.org/celebrate- priesthood-1 for direct links regarding this year's Celebrate Priesthood! virtual gala.
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TANYA CONNOR CFP
Madalyn Sirois and Brandi Shaw go through some of the clothes K&B's Krayons and Beyond donated to Catholic Charities as Dee Wilson and Maydee Morales look on.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett confirmation hearing. 3
"I "I' p "W
SEE CARING , 6 Father C. Romeo Lamothe, 99, of Shrewsbury, entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, October 13, at the Rose Mo- nahan Hospice in Worcester. He was born in Springfield on September 3, 1921, the son of Joseph Alcide Lamothe and Desniege C. (Touchette) Lamothe. Father Lamothe graduated from Cathedral High School, Springfield, in 1939. He began his study for the priesthood at the Seminary of Philosophy in Montreal from 1941 to 1942, continued his studies at Assumption College and re- ceived his bach- elor's degree in philosophy in 1944. He went on to study at the Grand Seminary in Montreal from 1945 to 1948. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Thomas M. O'Leary on Fr. Lamothe f 1 h A C c e p 1 Fr Lamothe Father Byrne M a t w B a B Father Byrne SEE LAMOTHE , 6
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