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October 20, 2022By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press
Celebrating priesthood involves recalling ways “priests are with us in our happy moments … and our trying moments,” Msgr. Francis D. Kelly said before offering the benediction at the Celebrate Priesthood gala, held Oct. 20 at St. Paul Diocesan Junior/Senior High School in Worcester.
Each Sunday at the heart of the Mass the priests, who do so much else for us, lead us in that great prayer: “Let us lift up our hearts to the Lord,” said Msgr. Kelly, a retired priest of the Worcester Diocese, who was ordained in 1963.
“Tonight, let us turn to God in that spirit of thanksgiving,” he added, and led prayers for the diocese, bishops, priests, seminarians, laborers for God’s vineyard and those who contributed to the event.
The ninth annual Celebrate Priesthood! – Taste of the Diocese drew close to 450 people, said Michael P. Gillespie, director of the Office of Stewardship and Development, which organizes the gala with volunteers’ help.
On Oct. 21 he said that $199,000, up from last year’s $165,000 total, had been raised so far from 1,073 gifts of support from ticket recipients ($100 or more per ticket), advertisers, sponsors, other donors and raffles. Parishes fixed foods from various countries, and businesses and St. Paul’s School provided food and drinks, at no cost, for attendees to sample.
The proceeds go to the Priests’ Retirement Fund to support an average of 50 retired priests who have committed more than 2,000 years of service. For many years the cost of their care has exceeded resources by an average of $500,000, the says the diocesan website worcesterdiocese.org/celebrate-priesthood, where ongoing gifts can be made.
Ralph Berthiaume, a gala attendee from Holy Family Parish in Worcester, said he was pleased to see the fund being built back up to take care of priests and give them a retirement.
The evening also provided an opportunity to remember and visit with priests and other attendees. A video produced by the diocesan Communications Ministry, updated to feature priests who died this year, was played. It can be watched on the diocesan website.
Among those at the gala were Bishop McManus, who offered words of welcome and thanks; retired Bishop Reilly, who smilingly greeted people from his seat; other clergy and religious, seminarians and laity. The bishops, priests and seminarians sang the Salve Regina together to close the evening.
“We take this opportunity to celebrate the contributions that so many priests, both active and retired, have made to the Diocese of Worcester,” Bishop McManus said in a letter in the commemorative book. “By their actions, their words and their commitment to the vocation of the priesthood, our priests have responded to a call to bring God’s saving grace into our lives that we may strive to live the life of holiness to which we are all called.”
Father Juan Parra, ordained this year, made similar points in the invocation for the evening.
“Heavenly Father, as a sign of your love, you have blessed us with the gift of your priests,” his prayer began. “We thank you for all the bishops and priests who, after your own heart, faithfully have given their entire lives serving you and your people in the Diocese of Worcester. … Increase in our communities our love for the priesthood. …”
Attendees also expressed their appreciation for the priests and the evening that celebrated them.
“I love to be involved” with Celebrate Priesthood and other events, said AbbyGaile Kieler, helping at Atlas Distributing’s table of Sam Adams Beer & Truly Selzer. She said she loves meeting priests, hearing their stories and knowing the bishop.
James Egan, formerly from St. Mary Parish in Shrewsbury and now a member of St. Mark Parish in Sutton, said he came because he knows many of the pastors through his business, Egan Church Furnishings.
Nicholas Melanchook, state treasurer of the Knights of Columbus, came representing that organization, and brought his wife, Ashley, and their nine-week-old baby, Hannah. They are from St. Michael Parish in Lowell, but go to St. Paul Cathedral when in the Worcester area, he said.
Richard Boulette, there with his wife, Doris, said he was seeing “all familiar faces” at the gala he has attended over the years. The couple went to Mass at Holy Name of Jesus House of Studies for seminarians even before their son lived there. Father James J. Boulette was ordained this year and now serves at the Oxford and North Oxford parishes.
Encountering a laywoman at the gala excited Sister Mary Jennifer Wandia, founder of the Adorer Missionary Sisters of the Poor, who serves in Tanzania and is currently visiting local parishes. At the table of African foods she met Lydia Maina, from St. Andrew the Apostle Mission in Worcester, the cousin of a priest she once served with in Kenya.
“It was just great meeting people,” said Dana Scott, who came with his wife, Laura. Mrs. Scott said Mr. Gillespie invited them; they’re not currently involved in a parish.
“It was a wonderful selection of food and I actually really enjoyed the priests and seminarians singing the Salve Regina,” she said. “It makes me want to give my support to the Church. … We’ll come back next year.”
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