July 1, 2024

New assignments for four priests this summer

REGIONAL
Staff report

 

SPRINGFIELD- July 1 is ushering in some significant pastorate changes across the Diocese of Springfield.

After 16 years as rector of St. Michael’s Cathedral, the longest tenure for any Cathedral rector, Msgr. Christopher Connelly will be assuming the new role as co-pastor with Msgr. George Farland at Sacred Heart Parish, also in Springfield.

“I consider myself very fortunate to have served as rector for 16 years, and I look forward to beginning again at the parish where I was baptized,” he wrote in a May announcement to the cathedral parish.

During his tenure, the Cathedral parish experienced considerable growth in its Latino membership.

“While I was the longest serving rector in the history of the cathedral, the number I am most pleased with is 474, the number of baptisms I have celebrated here since 2008,” he told iObserve.

Father Gary Dailey, the new cathedral rector, will be a familiar face to many at St. Michael’s Cathedral. Father Dailey was in-residence at the cathedral for six years prior to being named the director of the Newman Catholic Center at the University of Massachusetts.

“I have been blessed beyond words to have ministered to the Catholic community at the University of Massachusetts for 14 years,” Father Dailey told iObserve.

Father Dailey’s legacy at Newman will be marked by an increase in student engagements, including the addition of FOCUS ministers and the construction and opening last year of the brand-new Newman Catholic Center and Seat of Wisdom Chapel.   

Commenting on his tenure he noted that, “any accomplishments I have made pale in comparison to what I have learned as a priest from the young women and men I have come in contact with through these years.  They have taught me so much and I am a better priest because of it. I have had and will continue to have as my sole desire as a priest to save souls and get as many of God’s people to heaven as I possibly can, including me.”

In addition to serving as Newman director, since last summer he has also been pastor of nearby St. Brigid Parish in downtown Amherst. 

These two Catholic communities will continue to be yoked under one priest.  Father Valentine Nworah, who had been assisting Father Dailey in Amherst, has been named Newman Catholic Center director and the administrator of St. Brigid Parish. Father Nworah was ordained in 2020.

“I’m truly humbled by this double appointment,” Father Nworah commented. “I am grateful to God that by his grace, the bishop has chosen me to be the shepherd of the Lord’s flock in Amherst.”

Father Nworah went on to praise his predecessor, Father Dailey, with whom he ministered for the last 18 months. “I am filled with praise for Father Gary and admiration of the tremendous work he has done in Amherst, especially in combining our ministries and building a united Catholic community in Amherst.”

He went on to say, “The Lord has given me this mandate not to preach myself nor to glorify myself but to humbly, faithfully, and passionately transmit his message of love, joy, holiness and salvation to my brothers and sisters in Amherst.”

These were not the only recent parish leadership changes. Earlier in June, Father Matthew Barone was named administrator of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Pittsfield. Another member of the ordination class of 2020, Father Barone has previously served as parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Pittsfield.

“I am very happy to serve as the administrator of St. Charles Parish. This is something that I have been working toward since the day of my ordination almost 4 years ago,” he told iObserve.

“It is great to be serving the people of our diocese here in the Berkshires at St. Charles. The people of the parish have been very kind and welcoming as I have begun this new ministry, and I look forward to serving them and bringing Christ to them,” he said.