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October 27, 2023By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press
WORCESTER – Over 400 attendees at the 10th annual “Celebrate Priesthood – Taste of the Diocese” gala showed great jubilation and appreciation for the priests in the Diocese of Worcester.
Kate Strum was celebrating – her pastor in particular. At the gala, she proudly turned in the program book to the full-page recognition ad she and others purchased in honor of Father Javier Julio, pastor of St. Louis Parish in Webster.
“We love him that much,” she told The Catholic Free Press. “He’s just what the doctor ordered. He always says, ‘Pray for me.’” So, she said, she and Connie Galli, Lori Smith and Rita Berry, all members of St. Louis’ 7 a.m. Sunday Mass community, used the wording, “We love you and pray for you always.” She said she had asked the other women if they wanted to chip in for the recognition and they did.
“He didn’t see it until he showed up tonight” at the gala at St. Paul Diocesan Jr./Sr. High School, Ms. Strum said. And he got her to attend this fundraiser for the care of retired priests.
“I always send money because I believe in the priests who are retired, and we support them,” she said.
Ms. Strum’s dedication was a taste of the appreciation many people expressed for priests, in the program book and in person.
The gala brings people from around the diocese together to socialize, enter raffles and sample food and drink provided by parishes and businesses.
This year Father Peter P. Bui, associate pastor of St. John Paul II Parish in Southbridge, opened with prayer and Msgr. John E. Doran, a retired priest, offered the closing prayer. As usual, all the priests sang the Salve Regina together.
During the gala, a slideshow of the past nine years was shown. There is also a video of reflections by Bishop McManus and some priests, which can be seen online at https://worcesterdiocese.org/featured-program“This is our 10th anniversary of celebrating ‘Celebrate Priesthood,’” Bishop McManus said in closing remarks, in which he thanked supporters. He praised Sister Mary Ann Bartell, a Carmelite Sister of the Eucharist, from the Ministry to Retired Priests, and asked prayers for Bishop Emeritus Daniel P. Reilly, who couldn’t come.
The diocese has been blessed with extraordinary priests, Bishop McManus said. Attendees applauded after he said that next spring will mark 20 years that he has been in the diocese.
In a letter in the gala program book Bishop McManus noted, “Ten years ago, our dream was to recognize the gift of the priesthood in our lives and the priests who have served us over the years. We also needed to find a way for people to show their appreciation through financial support of the Priests’ Retirement Fund so that we could continue to care for elderly, retired and frail priests with dignity.”
As of Monday, Oct. 30, $231,478 was raised for the 2023 gala. Nearly $1.5 million has been raised through the gala over the past nine years, Raymond L. Delisle, director of the diocesan Office of Communications and emcee of the event, said. Also contributing to the Priests’ Retirement Fund are the Ash Wednesday collection, bequests and gifts.
The gala was first held 10 years ago at Mechanics Hall, then moved to the atrium at St. Vincent Hospital. It was virtual in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, and in 2021 moved to St. Paul Diocesan Jr./Sr. High School, where it has been held since.
This year Tammy Staal, of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Leominster, recalled with special fondness the ambience in the atrium, with a waterfall and music in the background.
Loretta Steele, who used to volunteer at St. Vincent Hospital and attends Mass there, said she has attended the gala most years, and that it was always great to see Bishop Reilly.
“It’s so nice to see all the priests together,” she said. “They need this. They’re under stress.” Giving an example of stress, she said Father Stephen M. Gemme, a St. Vincent’s chaplain, sees death often.
“Father Gemme doesn’t only say the Mass; he teaches it,” she said. “And he puts fire into people.”
At the gala one sees people faithful to their parishes; if they weren’t faithful, they wouldn’t come, she reasoned. And retired priests deserve this celebration, she said: “They worked for many years for us. … This is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to them.”
Thomas F. Keegan, of St. Mary Parish in Shrewsbury, recognized some of the priests at the gala. After all, he started voluntarily photographing the diocese’s ordinations 68 years ago.
“Probably one of the finest privileges of my life has been covering the ordinations … recording the memories of these men,” he said.
“It’s great socialization with the people from different parishes, and seeing priests that I’ve known years ago,” Patricia Berthiaume, of St. Joseph and St. Stephen Parish, said in reference to the gala. Some of them she hasn’t seen – except at the gala other years. She said Msgr. Robert K. Johnson, their pastor, got her and her husband, Ralph Berthiaume, to come.
“I think it’s a fun event for a great cause,” said Judith Audette, victim assistance coordinator for the diocesan Office for Healing and Prevention. “You get to talk to people. … I meet new people every year. … People are really dedicated to this event. Michael Gillespie [director of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development], Ray Delisle, everybody works so hard.”
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