New Grafton community worships together at St. Mary Church

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

GRAFTON – Members of Our Lady of Hope Parish celebrated their new community with their priests and bishop Oct. 23 at the St. Mary campus.
Since St. Mary Parish merged July 1 with St. James and St. Philip parishes to form Our Lady of Hope, people from the three churches have been invited to come together for special occasions. All three churches are still being used.
Special elements of the Oct. 23 Mass included Deacon Timothy G. Cross reading one of the May 26 decrees in which Bishop McManus announced the merger, Bishop McManus formally installing Father Anthony J. Mpagi as pastor, and the newly formed children’s choir singing a Marian litany with the plea, “Our Lady of Hope, pray for us.” After Mass young people, including Patrick Dewar and Charlotte Mahoney, distributed prayer cards featuring Our Lady of Pontmain, Mother of Hope, the parish’s patroness.
Bishop McManus celebrated the Mass and preached about a pastor’s role.
“Pray for Father Mpagi and love him as you would love Christ himself,” he urged parishioners. He asked Father Mpagi to do the same and to show his people the way to heaven.
Among those at the Mass were Father Derek A. Mobilio, associate pastor; and priests who once served at one or more of the former parishes: Msgr. Michael F. Rose, and Fathers Leo-Paul J. LeBlanc, Kenneth R. Cardinale and Edward J. Hanlon.
Father George A. Dunkley, who lives in California, sent a message, recalling his years as co-pastor of St. James (1975-1984) with Father Maurice L. Gilbert, now deceased. Father Dunkley wrote that they believed a vision for parish ministry and priestly service was set forth in Acts 2:42:  “The believers devoted themselves to the Apostles’ instruction and the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers.” Upon arriving, they found those elements strongly present at St. James, he said.
“I suspect, and fervently pray, that these are the very elements that the people of St. James will bring to the larger Grafton Catholic community and the Diocese of Worcester in the years ahead,” he concluded.
At the reception after Mass, people expressed appreciation for their priests, parish and the bishop’s presence.
“We’ve always had good priests,” said Albert Lapan.
“I think we all agree that the Mass was gorgeous,” Letty Atamian said, speaking for her family. “I met with the bishop; that made it even better.”
She rejoiced at seeing priests formerly stationed there, and said, “We love them.” If Father David M. Engo, another priest who served there, had come, “that would have been icing on the cake,” she said.
“And now Father Mobilio is our priest; he’s my little Father David,” she enthused. Of Father Mpagi she said, “I love him like he’s my brother.”
Lynda Caya rejoiced that Father Mobilio was assigned there, since her son Steven, an altar server, knows him from priestly discernment retreats and attended his ordination.
During the reception, Bishop McManus gathered young people around him for a photo, then they shared thoughts with The Catholic Free Press.
“It was just a very good Mass,” said James Puopolo, 15. “It was good to see the bishop and the past priests.”
“It was just very cool because I’ve never seen one of those types of Masses,” said Ava Walker, 15. “I’ve never been at a Mass with the bishop before. It was a good experience to hear him.” She said it was “also cool” to see the priests; she remembered Father LeBlanc and Father Cardinale from St. Mary’s.
Alma Mwangi, 16, said she feels the merger was good; “it allows the community to connect in a different way” as people meet others who once belonged to different parishes.
“I think it’s pretty cool that we’re all combined as one,” said Andrew Roseen, 15. “It brings more activities,” as different parishes’ traditions are incorporated into the new parish.
Another parishioner, Kim Lipinski, said she grew up in St. Mary’s and was married there, and more recently started going to St. James.
“They’re all beautiful,” she said.
“I’m glad that we’re having these gatherings so we meet one another … have a commonality with all of us,” said Janet Krause, a lector at St. Philip’s Church. Such gatherings could bring more people back to church, she said.
“I was so happy to see people from all three churches coming together as one family,” commented Father LeBlanc, who was pastor of St. Mary’s and St. Philip’s before the merger and is now retired. “I love the fact that the bishop emphasized that (Father Mpagi, formerly St. James’ pastor) is the shepherd.”
Father Mpagi said the parish today is the fruit of the ministry and sacrifice of priests and others who once served at the three churches. He said several families told him they saw their history upon seeing their former pastors again. And, he said, that helps parishioners see even more clearly, “This is my family.”