Bishop announces priests' new assignments

Staffing changes are coming this summer for several parishes – due to priests retiring, becoming a senior priest, going to a different parish, taking on specialized ministry, or taking a leave of absence.

Bishop McManus announced the following, all effective July 1.

Father Laurence V . Brault, pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Upton, is retiring. Succeeding him as pastor there is Father Steven M. LaBaire, pastor of Our Lady of Good Council Parish in West Boylston.  

Father Stephen J. Mullaney is becoming administrator in West Boylston. He has been associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in Shrewsbury, a position that Deacon Zachary T. Sullivan is to fill after his ordination to the priesthood tomorrow.

This summer’s other retiree is Father Richard A. Lembo, pastor of St. Aloysius Parish in Hardwick/Gilbertville and St. Augustine Mission in Wheelwright. Father James B. Callahan is becoming pastor of that parish and mission, while remaining pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Barre.

Father Donald C. Ouellette is becoming associate pastor in Hardwick and Wheelwright. He is currently associate pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in East Brookfield, St. Joseph Parish in North Brookfield and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in West Brookfield. The administrator of the Brookfield parishes, Father Joseph D. Rice, is taking a medical leave of absence.

Father Mark S. Rainville has been appointed pastor of St. Joseph and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parishes. The church buildings of St. John the Baptist (and St. Mary Oratory in Brookfield, which is part of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) are closing.

Succeeding Father Rainville as pastor of Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Worcester is Father Derek A. Mobilio, associate pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Grafton. There was no announcement about a new associate pastor in Grafton.

Another set of changes is being set in motion by Father Michael A. DiGeronimo, pastor of St. Mark Parish in Sutton, becoming a senior priest. He is going to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Our Lady of Loreto Parish in Worcester. Its pastor, Msgr. F. Stephen Pedone, is also the diocese’s judicial vicar/vicar for canonical affairs.  

Father Nicholas Desimone is becoming temporary administrator of St. Mark’s, while remaining pastor of St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge and temporary administrator of St. Denis Parish in Douglas. Father Michael D. Hoye is remaining St. Mary’s associate pastor and also taking on that role at St. Mark’s.

Deacon Jonathan E. Amidon, being ordained a priest tomorrow, is becoming St. Denis’ associate pastor, with residence at St. Mary’s.

The other new senior priest is not triggering changes at other parishes. Father C. Michael Broderick, who is in residence at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Northborough, is becoming senior priest there.

A specialized ministry is leading to a couple of changes. Father Grzegorz Chodkowski, pastor of St. Joseph Basilica Parish in Webster, is leaving to be a chaplain for the Archdiocese for the Military Services.  

Succeeding him is Father Richard W. Polek, pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in Worcester. Its associate pastor, Father Tomasz Góra, is becoming administrator there.  

Yet another set of changes includes a kind of switching. Father Kevin F. Hartford, administrator of Holy Trinity Parish in Harvard/Bolton, is becoming pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Winchendon. Father Daniel E. Moreno, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Dudley, is becoming Holy Trinity’s pastor. Father Henry Ramirez, Immaculate Heart’s administrator, is becoming St. Anthony’s pastor.  

In another change, Father Victor A. Sierra, who has been on temporary personal leave of absence, is returning to being pastor of Annunciation Parish in Gardner.

Two administrators are becoming pastors at their parishes: Father Lucas M. LaRoche at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Webster, and Father Thien X. Nguyen at Our Lady Immaculate and St. Francis of Assisi parishes in Athol and St. Peter Parish in Petersham.  

VIEW THE OFFICIALS, PRIEST BIOGRAPHIES AND MAP HERE.

Officials:

    His Excellency, The Most Reverend Robert J.
McManus, announced the following:

EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2025

PASTORS

REV. JAMES B. CALLAHAN, to pastor, St. Aloysius Parish, Hardwick/Gilbertville, and St. Augustine Mission, Wheelwright, while remaining pastor, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Barre;

REV.  KEVIN F. HARTFORD, from administrator, Holy Trinity Parish, Harvard/Bolton, to pastor, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Winchendon;

REV. STEVEN M. LABAIRE, from pastor, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, West Boylston, to pastor, St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, Upton;

REV. LUCAS M. LAROCHE, from administrator to pastor at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Webster;

REV. DEREK A. MOBILIO, from associate pastor, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Grafton, to pastor, Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Worcester;

REV. DANIEL E. MORENO, from pastor, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Dudley, to pastor, Holy Trinity Parish, Harvard/Bolton;

REV. THIEN X. NGUYEN, from administrator to pastor, Our Lady Immaculate Parish, Athol, St. Francis of Asssi Parish, Athol, and St. Peter Parish, Petersham;

REV. RICHARD W. POLEK, from pastor, Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, Worcester, to pastor, St. Joseph Parish, Webster;

REV. MARK S. RAINVILLE, from pastor, Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Worcester, to pastor, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish, West Brookfield, and St. Joseph Parish, North Brookfield;

REV. HENRY RAMIREZ, from administrator, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Winchendon, to pastor, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Dudley;

REV. VICTOR A. SIERRA, from temporary personal leave of absence to pastor, Annunciation Parish, Gardner;

ADMINISTRATORS

REV. NICHOLAS DESIMONE, to temporary administrator, St. Mark Parish, Sutton, while remaining pastor, St. Mary Parish, Uxbridge, and temporary administrator, St. Denis Parish, Douglas;

REV. TOMASZ GORA, from associate pastor to administrator, Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, Worcester;

REV. STEPHEN J. MULLANEY, from associate pastor, St. Mary Parish, Shrewsbury, to administrator, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, West Boylston;

ASSOCIATE PASTORS

REV. MICHAEL D. HOYE, to associate pastor, St. Mark Parish, Sutton, while remaining associate pastor, St. Mary Parish, Uxbridge;

REV. DONALD C. OUELLETTE, from associate pastor, St. John the Baptist Parish, East Brookfield,     St. Joseph Parish, North Brookfield, and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish, West Brookfield, to associate pastor, St. Aloysius Parish, Hardwick/Gilbertville, and St. Augustine Mission, Wheelwright;

NEWLY ORDAINED

REV. JONATHAN E. AMIDON, to associate pastor, St. Denis Parish, Douglas, with residence at St. Mary Parish, Uxbridge;

REV. ZACHARY T. SULLIVAN, to associate pastor, St. Mary Parish, Shrewsbury;

SPECIALIZED MINISTRY

REV. GRZEGORZ CHODKOWSKI, from pastor, St. Joseph Parish, Webster, to chaplain, Archdiocese for the Military Services;

RETIREMENT

REV. LAURENCE V. BRAULT, from pastor, St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, Upton, to retirement;

REV. RICHARD A. LEMBO, from pastor, St. Aloysius Parish, Hardwick/Gilbertville, and St. Augustine Mission, Wheelwright, to retirement;

SENIOR PRIESTS

REV. MICHAEL A. DIGERONIMO, from pastor, St. Mark Parish, Sutton, to senior priest, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Our Lady of Loreto Parish, Worcester;

REV. C. MICHAEL BRODERICK, to senior priest, St. Rose of Lima Parish, Northborough;

MEDICAL LEAVE

REV. JOSEPH D. RICE, from administrator, St. John the Baptist Parish, East Brookfield, St. Joseph Parish, North Brookfield, and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, West Brookfield, to medical leave of absence.