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February 24, 2022BY BILL DOYLE | CFP CORRESPONDENT
On Ash Wednesday, the Diocese of Worcester will conduct a special collection for retired priests during Masses.
These priests devoted their lives to their parishioners and now it’s time for parishioners to give back to them.
Msgr. John E. Doran is one of 49 retired priests in the diocese and, while he relies upon the financial support he receives, he also continues to give of himself. At age 81, Msgr. Doran fills in celebrating Masses each weekend throughout the diocese. A couple of weekends ago, he witnessed the vows at a wedding at St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge on Saturday and celebrated Masses at St. Joseph in Charlton, Notre Dame du Lac Assisted Living in Worcester and North American Martyrs in Auburn on Sunday before watching the Super Bowl on television that night.
Msgr. Doran is under no obligation to continue celebrating Masses, but he still enjoys it.
“I’m a priest, I’m healthy and I can do it so I feel I’m paying back to the Church,” he said. “I’m still active, thank God, and healthy enough to do it.”
He says Mass at Notre Dame du Lac every Wednesday and Sunday. He’s also filled in at Mass at such other parishes as St. Patrick in Whitinsville, Sacred Heart of Jesus in Hopedale, St. Patrick in Rutland, St. George in Worcester and St. Columba in Paxton. Sometimes he fills in for a priest who is ill or on vacation and other times he helps out a pastor who is alone.
He even heard confessions recently at St. Rose of Lima in Northborough.
So, all those parishioners received services from a retired priest.
Msgr. Doran also continues to provide spiritual guidance and celebrate Mass monthly at Our Lady of the Lake in Leominster as the longtime chaplain of Serra Club of Northern Worcester County, which promotes vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life.
A couple was thrilled when Msgr. Doran agreed to perform a renewal of their vows on their 70th wedding anniversary during the Serra Club’s Mass in January.
“This is just one example of Msgr. Doran’s willingness to be there for others,” said John Shannon, president of Serra Club North, “to show his support in good times and difficult times, and to help all recognize God’s call to holiness in our daily lives.”
Legacy of Hope, Partners in Charity and Celebrate Priesthood all raise funds for retired priests, but the diocese projected a deficit of more than $285,000 for fiscal year 2021 in the priest retirement fund. So last year, the diocese held a special collection on Ash Wednesday for the first time and raised $138,027, according to Paul Schasel, director of fiscal affairs. The diocese also assessed parishes an additional one percentage point on their cathedraticum payment, to be used exclusively for priests’ retirement expenses, to eliminate the deficit.
The diocese provides retired priests retirement stipends, medical and long-term insurance premiums, and assisted living facility, nursing home and independent living cost assistance.
Msgr. Doran appreciates the financial support.
“This Diocese of Worcester has one of the best plans, if not the best, for retired priests in New England,” he said.
Many retired priests reside in rectories or at Southgate at Shrewsbury for independent living, assisted living or continuing care, but Mgsr. Doran lives in Oxford with his sister, Catherine Doran, a retired Worcester Public Schools teacher.
He receives a monthly stipend from the diocese, a pension from his 25 years as chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve and Social Security benefits. He also collects a small stipend from parishes and facilities for celebrating Masses.
Msgr. Doran retired in July 2015 after serving as pastor at St. Leo Parish in Leominster for 26 years. Prior to that, he was pastor at St. Mary in Uxbridge for six years, director of Catholic Charities of North Worcester County for 13 and associate pastor at St. Paul Cathedral in Worcester for three. He also found time to earn a master’s degree in human services management from the Heller School at Brandeis University in 1978.
Msgr. Doran grew up in Worcester and attended Sacred Heart Grammar School. After graduating from St. John’s High School and the College of the Holy Cross, he was accepted into Boston College Law School, but chose to study for the priesthood at American College of the University of Louvain in Belgium instead. He was ordained in 1966.
“It’s been a wonderful experience,” he said. “I love working with people, I love community activities.”
When Msgr. Doran was director of Catholic Charities in North Worcester County, he followed the advice of a parishioner who urged him to become involved in the U.S. Army Reserve. For one day a month and two weeks in the summer, he served as chaplain for 11 years with infantry troops of all faiths and 11 years in hospitals, including Walter Reed National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He also served three years in administration before retiring with the rank of Lt. Colonel.
In 2016, the St. Paul Catholic Schools Consortium presented Msgr. Doran with the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award, the highest and most prestigious award granted by the Catholic Schools Office, for his contributions to Catholic education, which included overseeing a $3.5 million addition to St. Leo School.
After serving at St. Leo for so long, Msgr. Doran enjoys learning how different parishes operate and meeting new people.
“It’s wonderful,” he said. “You still feel you’re contributing. You’re helping out the parish and the pastor, of course, but you’re also contributing to the greater Church. If you can still do it, I would recommend it.”
Msgr. Doran is relieved that he can concentrate on administering the sacraments and that he no longer has to worry about the heat and the lights or whether the church is locked or if the parking lot is plowed.
“It’s been a good run and it still is,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed every minute.”
