October 26, 2022

Local priests join with Bishop Byrne for Celebration of Priesthood

REGIONAL
By David Martin

(iObserve photo/Fred LeBlanc)

SPRINGFIELD – Priests from throughout the Springfield Diocese gathered to spend the day praying and sharing dialogue with each other and their bishop at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Springfield on Oct. 25.

Springfield Bishop William D. Byrne offered a Celebration of Priesthood Mass at 4 p.m. with his fellow clergy members. Bishop Byrne paid tribute to the priests who have passed away this last year. They were Fathers Daniel Brunton, James K. Joyce, Merle Lee Lavoie, and Msgr. David J. Joyce.

Bishop Byrne said another important part of the celebration was to recognize those priests marking important anniversaries and to consider all the lives they have changed, the souls that they have saved, and the hearts that they have healed. He said together all priests as brothers, co-workers, and friends have formed something bigger than what they could do alone, which is the community of church where the faithful gather with those around them at the altar. Bishop Byrne thanked the priests for their years of service in ministry for the diocese.

“As we gather, I celebrate above all the great high priest Jesus Christ and I pray that each one of us who has been privileged enough to be called by him as a priest will experience and celebrate his love each day, especially when we celebrate the Eucharist so that we can bring that love to those we are called to serve,” said Bishop Byrne.

Father David Darcy, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Belchertown, said the day began when they gathered for daytime prayer. He said it was an excellent opportunity to reflect and discuss all the great work they have done as priests helping people in the diocese and beyond.

Father Darcy, who is the co-vocations director for the diocese, said it was great to have Bishop Byrne present because he really is the shepherd of everyone in the diocese and to them as priests. The priests look to their bishop for advice and guidance because, as a great leader, he has a powerful direction to pull them all together as priests, and also to guide the people of the church.

(iObserve photo/Fred LeBlanc)

“I think it is exciting that we gather together to celebrate priesthood. It joins us together in fraternal time, we get to share our common mission and ministry as priests,” said Father Darcy.

“Because we are ministering to different communities, we do not have that opportunity to share time with each other, and experiences and stories, and just support each other in our ministries.”

During the Mass, there were several joyful hymns sung by the priests as they worshipped.

Father David Aufiero, pastor of Holy Family Parish in South Deerfield, said he enjoys everything about being a priest, whether celebrating the sacraments with parishioners, preaching and offering the liturgy, and doing everything else, including community outreach to youth members and visiting the elderly. He said he felt spiritually enriched by the Celebration of Priests because he said it is always wonderful to celebrate and pray together with the priests at St. Michael’s Cathedral where they were ordained. He specifically enjoyed a talk offered on the synodality of the church by a visiting priest.

“He had a lot of great insights about the spirituality and the approach of the synod, which is very pertinent and in line with our experiences these days, so it was good to get that perspective and to really kind of have that approach to all the different aspects of the ministry that we do,” said Father Aufiero.

After the Mass, a banquet was held for the priests to honor those celebrating anniversaries of their ordination at the St. Anne Parish Hall in Chicopee.

A video version of this story will be on an upcoming edition of “Real to Reel” which airs Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22 NEWS.