Better, bigger and stronger together - St. Augustine's

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press

Three Blackstone Valley churches held final Lord’s Day Masses last weekend. They were closed as part of the consolidation of five parishes in the Blackstone Valley into two – St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge and the newly named Divine Mercy Parish in Blackstone.
The Good Shepherd Church in Linwood was locked after Sunday afternoon’s Mass. Good Shepherd Parish merged with St. Mary’s, effective today. The expanded St. Mary’s Parish will continue to use St. Mary’s Church.     
Yesterday the last Masses were to be held at St. Augustine Parish in Millville and St. Theresa Parish in Blackstone, which merged with St. Paul Parish in Blackstone to form Divine Mercy Parish, effective today. The new parish is to worship at St. Paul’s Church.

MILLVILLE  – “Seventy-five feet. ... It’s the distance from the threshold of the door to the altar. ... How many times have we gone on this 75-foot journey?”
Father Nicholas Desimone asked that question at the last weekend Mass at St. Augustine Parish, leading parishioners down memory lane and back out the church’s front door, to take what they’ve gained to their new spiritual home, Divine Mercy Parish.
Father Desimone, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge and administrator of St. Augustine’s during this transition, celebrated Saturday’s Mass. Assisting were Father Lucas M. LaRoche, associate pastor of both parishes, who’s returning to studies, and Deacon Michael J. Hafferty, who’s serving the new Divine Mercy Parish.
After Mass, people socialized over a pot luck supper, where Father John L. Larochelle, previously associate pastor at St. Augustine’s and other parishes, and now Divine Mercy’s pastor, joined them.
In his homily, Father Desimone asked parishioners to recall times they walked down the church’s aisle to receive sacraments. Those 75 feet mark the most important moments in our lives, he said.
Also important is the trip from the altar out the door, to “go and announce the Gospel,” he maintained. He said that, in the day’s Gospel, Jesus left what he’d always known, and others were invited to follow him (Luke 9:51-62).
“Jesus is the first priority,” Father Desimone said. “Jesus has great need of you” to be witnesses. Circumstances are difficult and there is pain, but “Jesus is counting on you. … Don’t take your eyes off him.”
 Parishioner Lorraine Desjardins seems to be taking that advice as she faces the closing of the church where her children and grandchildren received sacraments.
“I’m going to miss it,” she told The Catholic Free Press. “It was like my second home. … But we’ve got to start off new and make the best of it.”
Asked how, she replied, “I pray; I’m very devoted to God.”     
She took pride in arranging flowers for St. Augustine’s.
“I did it for the parish, but I did it for God,” to thank him, she said, and she’d be delighted to decorate for the new parish.
“It still hasn’t hit yet” that St. Augustine’s is closing, said her husband, Leonard Desjardins, a life-long parishioner. “It hit home a little bit tonight. I’m sure Thursday I’ll feel it” at the final Mass.
“The town of Millville will not have a Catholic church; that’s really the sad part,” he said. (Divine Mercy Parish is located at St. Paul Church in Blackstone.)
“An ending is sad, but a new beginning is something to look forward to,” commented Priscilla Laliberte, another parishioner. She said she invited a friend from St. Theresa Parish in Blackstone, which is also part of the merger, “Please come and join us.”
Her husband, Gene, added, “It’s nice to have the church full.”
Parishioner Donald J. Cornell liked the small community. He said St. Augustine’s was the best kept secret, very welcoming and “small enough you feel like you’ve been to church,” since you know the priest and people.
“It means everything, everything, everything” Mary Gauvin, 94, said, when asked about St. Augustine’s. Everything took place at the church, where her mother and grandmother were also members. She’s among life-long parishioners whom fellow parishioner Lois Salome featured in a book and posters for St. Augustine’s 125th anniversary in 2009. The book and other memorabilia were displayed at Saturday’s supper.
Among memories several parishioners shared was the fire that destroyed the original church in 1969. They rebuilt, erecting the present church. With its closing, maintenance man Ronald Perron, and retired youth minister William Legare, said they’ve been giving donor name plates back to the families.
Nadine Richer recalled visiting St. Augustine’s with her husband, Herve, and being embraced by a parishioner they didn’t know. They joined St. Augustine’s. Now they’ll be returning to their former church, St. Paul’s in Blackstone.
“It’s kind of exciting,” Mr. Richer said; there are some great people from the three parishes, and they will be better, bigger and stronger together.

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