Bishop announces assignments and appointments

Bishop McManus has announced assignments and appointments for priests in the diocese, to go into effect on July 1.
Three priests are starting or returning to retirement. One will cease temporary administrator duties and remain a senior priest. Several priests are being named pastors of one or more parishes, in some cases where they’ve already been serving. Some will become administrators or associate pastors. A pastor is a canonical appointment which carries with it certain responsibilities and protections beyond that of an administrator.
Among associate pastors will be the seven men to be ordained priests June 18. Other announcements pertain to special ministries or assignments and/or place of residence.
Father Leo-Paul J. LeBlanc is retiring from his position as pastor of St. Philip Parish, Grafton, and St. Mary Parish, North Grafton. Those parishes are being merged with St. James Parish, South Grafton, to form Our Lady of Hope Parish in Grafton. St. James’ pastor, Father Anthony J. Mpagi, will be the pastor of the new parish. Newly ordained Father Derek A. Mobilio is to be the new parish’s associate pastor.
Father James M. Steuterman, pastor of St. Richard of Chichester Parish, Sterling, is retiring. Father J. Sebastian Sanchez will be administrator at St. Richard’s. To succeed him as associate pastor of St. John, Guardian of Our Lady Parish, Clinton, is newly ordained Father Julio Granados.
Father William F. Sanders is returning to retirement after providing sacramental ministry at St. Anne Parish, Shrewsbury. Father Walter J. Riley will be pastor at St. Anne’s. Succeeding him as pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish, Westborough, is Father Diego A. Buritica, who will also continue as episcopal liaison to diocesan Charismatic Renewal communities. Succeeding him as associate pastor at St. Paul Cathedral Parish, Worcester, will be newly ordained Father Juan Parra.
Father Enoch K. Kyeremateng will continue as director of African Ministry, with residence at St. Anne Parish, Shrewsbury.
Father Joseph A. Marcotte will remain senior priest in residence at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Worcester. He has been temporary administrator of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Worcester.
Father Mark S. Rainville will be the pastor of Our Lady of the Angels. He has been the pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Fitchburg.
Father Dario Acevedo will become St. Joseph’s administrator, while continuing as chaplain to the Brazilian Catholic Community at St. Anna Parish, Leominster.
Blessed Sacrament will also see other changes, as its pastor, Father Richard F. Trainor, is being succeeded by Father Thomas G. Landry. Father Trainor will continue as Minister to Priests, with residence at St. Ann Parish, North Oxford.
St. Ann’s pastor, Father Michael N. Lavallee, is succeeding Father Landry as pastor of St. Peter Parish, Northbridge.
Father Michael J. Roy will become St. Ann’s pastor, while remaining pastor of St. Roch Parish, Oxford. Newly ordained Father James J. Boulette is to be associate pastor of St. Ann’s and St. Roch’s.
Father Andres A. Araque, who is being assigned as chaplain at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, will also reside at Blessed Sacrament.
Other changes are coming to the Blackstone Valley area. Father Nicholas Desimone will remain pastor of St. Mary Parish, Uxbridge, in its new configuration. Good Shepherd Parish, Linwood, is to be merged with St. Mary’s on July 1. Newly ordained Father Michael D. Hoye will be temporary associate pastor of St. Mary’s.
Father Desimone has been administrator of Good Shepherd, and of St. Paul Parish, Blackstone, and St. Augustine Parish, Millville. St. Paul’s, St. Augustine’s and St. Theresa Parish in Blackstone are being merged July 1 to form the new Divine Mercy Parish.
Father John L. Larochelle is becoming Divine Mercy’s pastor. He has been associate pastor of St. Mary’s, Good Shepherd, St. Paul’s and St. Augustine’s.
The other associate pastor of those four parishes, Father Lucas M. LaRoche, has been assigned to graduate studies in Rome, Italy. The pastor of St. Theresa’s, Father Thien X. Nguyen, is being assigned to sabbatical studies from September to November 2022.
Three priests are becoming pastors of parishes where they are now administrators. The priests and their parishes are: Father David Cotter, St. Columba, Paxton; Father Javier Julio, St. Louis, Webster; and Father Mateus Souza, Our Lady Immaculate and St. Francis of Assisi, Athol, and St. Peter, Petersham.
Changing parishes is Father Miguel Pagan. He will be associate pastor of St. George Parish, Worcester. Succeeding him as associate pastor of Annunciation Parish, Gardner, will be newly ordained Father Thiago Ibiapina.
Newly ordained Father Cleber de Paula is to be associate pastor of Holy Family Parish, Worcester.
Father Edward J. Hanlon, associate pastor of St. Leo Parish, Leominster, is going on medical leave.

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