Before each field hockey and lacrosse game, Brigid and her teammates pray the “Hail Mary.” “I’m not praying to win,” she said. “Praying to me is calming and it grounds me and makes me realize win or lose, it doesn’t matter to the rest of my life. The bigger picture will always be my religion and the end goal is to go to heaven and be with God.”

On Saturday, Bishop McManus called for prayers. “I ask all Catholics and people of good will to join with me in prayer this weekend for the recovery of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who is reported to be in critical condition,” he said. “May Jesus Christ the source of all healing restore him to health and the continued guidance of our Church as the Vicar of Christ.”

Father Michael J. Roy, 77, of Worcester, passed away peacefully with family by his side on Friday, Feb. 21 at the Notre Dame Long Term Care and Rehabilitation Center.

Bishop McManus has issued the following today to all parishes: "I ask all Catholics and people of good will to join with me in prayer this weekend for the recovery of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who is reported to be in critical condition. May Jesus Christ the source of all healing restore him to health and the continued guidance of our Church as the Vicar of Christ."

Feeling lonely one day, a Fitchburg girl built a “chapel” of pillows and blankets – and called out to God.

St. John’s announced Saturday the hiring of Mr. Senecal, 39, to replace John Vassar, who parted ways with the school after coaching the Pioneers to records of 5-6 and 3-8, including 1-9 in the Catholic Conference, over the past two seasons.

Catholic Charities Worcester County programs continue, basically unaffected by Trump administration policies, according to Timothy J. McMahon, the agency’s executive director. The administration has apparently scared some immigrants – whether or not they are here legally – away from seeking emergency services, even though Catholic Charities will not report them to the U.S. government, he said.

Sarah Collins Rudolph’s Black History Month talk at Anna Maria College Monday also provided an occasion for critiquing today’s society in light of history, and considering future action.

One parishioner details why she and her husband chose to convalidate their 12-year civil marriage.

His Holiness, Pope Francis, has appointed Monsignor Richard F. Reidy, JCL, presently Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Worcester, to become the sixth Bishop of Norwich, Connecticut

For, in the end, people will only come to believe the Gospel of Life by love, that is, love of the young woman who is contemplating abortion and the doctor who advocates for euthanasia. People must believe that the woman and the doctor share in the same dignity as the unborn child or sick person whose life will be threatened by their decisions.

Since parish changes, Divine Mercy has grown, bringing with it new hope for the Church
 and a glimpse into the history of St. Paul Church that straddles the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border.

Personal experiences made the Jan. 24 March for Life in Washington, D.C., more meaningful for some people who went on the Worcester diocese’s trip.

Bishop McManus and superintendent of diocesan Catholic schools, David Perda, issued statements Friday in response to recent changes in federal immigration policies regarding churches and schools.

David Perda, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Worcester, has asked Catholic school principals to share the following letter with parents regarding Immigration enforcement.

As Catholics we can never abandon a fundamental tenet of our faith: every person from conception to natural death is made in the image and likeness of God and is loved by God and, as such, deserves to be treated with dignity. This applies not only to the child in the womb, whom we remember in a special way this week at rallies in Washington DC and around the country, but also migrants, refugees, the homeless and all who are facing physical and emotional distress. We are all God’s children.

The billboard shows a woman cuddling a baby. It says, “Pro-Life: The Way of Love,” and “Care you can trust!” It gives a hotline number and a website about abortion, along with the school’s website.

Father Ralph Anthony DiOrio Jr., 94, referred to as the “healing priest” and founder and director of the Apostolate of Divine Mercy and Healing, passed away on Monday, Jan. 20 at Life Care Center of Auburn.

Mr. Lapointe said, theirs opens when the “real feel temperature” (which includes the wind chill factor) is 24 degrees Fahrenheit or below, or if the forecast is for three or more inches of snow.