Prayer for Vocations

04-26-2026Pastor's CornerFr. Bob Deehan

As I shared with our parish community on the weekend of April 12 in my Pastor’s Corner in the bulletin and Mass announcements, I have made the difficult decision to discontinue our Wednesday morning 8:15 Mass beginning May 6. This is because Fr. Mark Storey, who has made it possible for me to take needed time off by celebrating that Mass, will no longer be able to continue because of declining health; and, there are no other senior priests available to celebrate that Mass.

A question has been raised about the possibility of having a Communion Service with the celebration of the Word to take the place of Mass, which would not require a priest. However, the Church does not allow this on a regular basis in order to avoid any confusion between this celebration and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is very different – theologically and spiritually. It recommends providing parishioners with Mass schedules of local parishes to allow them to participate in Mass. Consequently, I have provided in another section of this bulletin a list of parishes nearby that provide a Wednesday morning Mass.

This highlights a reality we are facing as an Archdiocese and as a wider Church. Here in Boston, the number of men ordained to the priesthood in any given year is not able to replenish the number of active priests either retiring or dying in that same year. This net loss of active priests has been going on for many years. On May 16, there will be only five men ordained for service in the Archdiocese of Boston, which currently has 249 parishes. Interestingly, we have a former parishioner who will be ordained among them, soon-to-be Father Steve Baruffi at age 75. He has a fascinating background, which is described in an article in the April 17th edition of the Archdiocesan newspaper, the Pilot. You can read it online or on the bulletin boards at the doors of the church. On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, I invite you to pray for an increase in vocations, especially to the priesthood, but also to the permanent diaconate and religious life, that through our surfacing the possibility of a vocation to the young people in our lives, many more will consider offering themselves in service to God and His people.

God bless you!