November 13, 2022

The Missionaries of La Salette to return care of Holy Trinity Parish in Westfield to diocese

REGIONAL
Staff report

WESTFIELD – The Missionaries of La Salette, who served at Holy Trinity Parish in Westfield for more than a century, will return pastoral care to the Diocese of Springfield. The handing over of pastoral and administrative responsibilities will take place at a celebration on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023.

“It is with profound sadness but with the deepest gratitude for the privilege of serving the people of Westfield, Mass., that we, the Missionaries of La Salette, have decided to return the care of Holy Trinity parish to the Diocese of Springfield after 116 years. The Missionaries of La Salette in North America have had one of their longest historic presences in Westfield, Mass., since 1906,” said La Salette Father William Kaliyadan, provincial superior. The Missionaries of La Salette were founded in France in the mid-1800s after the Blessed Mother appeared to two children. The La Salette Province of Mary, Mother of the Americas, has a main office in Hartford, Conn.     

The La Salette National Assembly reviewed other recommendations made by their consultative body which will result in reducing the shrine ministry to one, retaining the National La Salette Shrine of Attleboro a, Mass., and closing the La Salette Shrine in Enfield N.H. The La Salette missionaries will also retain only eight of the 14 parishes they have staffed

“This hard decision was taken due to the aging demographics, the diminishing number of priests and brothers serving in these areas, the lack of vocations to religious life and priesthood, and the importance of strengthening community living as a religious community by providing firmer foundations for the future,” Father Kaliyadan said.

La Salette Father Rene Parent, has served as the pastor of Holy Trinity for the past 16 years.

The Missionaries of La Salette at one time staffed St. Mary Parish in Ware; the former St. Adalbert Parish in Bondsville; and the former Immaculate Conception Parish in Holyoke.

“I share in the sadness of the Holy Trinity Parish in Westfield regarding the decision of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette to end their pastoral care of Holy Trinity, concluding more than 116 years of ministry at the Westfield parish,” Springfield Bishop William D. Byrne wrote in a letter to parishioners. “This religious community has served our diocese with great distinction, one firmly anchored in a ministry of reconciliation which lies at the heart of their order’s charism. We send the La Salettes our prayers as they plan for their future. I am mindful that this announcement will raise concerns on the part of the Holy Trinity faithful, and I want assure them that, working with my advisors, we will soon have a plan which addresses the pastoral needs of this parish. Our Lady of La Salette, pray for us during this time of transition,” the bishop stated.