On May 26th Bishop Robert McManus ordered the publication of (4) official decrees regarding the restructuring and renewal of the parishes in the Lower Blackstone Valley. The decrees, which will become effective on July 1, 2022, announce the merger of Good Shepherd Parish in Linwood MA with St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge MA, worshiping at St. Mary Church in Uxbridge; as well as the mergers of Saint Theresa Parish, Blackstone Ma, Saint Augustine Parish, Millville MA, and St. Paul Parish, Blackstone MA, into one newly created parish named Divine Mercy Parish, whose parish church will be located at 48 St. Paul St. in Blackstone.
On Saturday, March 26, Fr. Nick Desimone announced Bishop McManus' decision regarding the renewal of the Roman Catholic parishes in the Lower Blackstone Valley. The announcement was made personally to all parish renewal teams from the 5 parishes, as well as the parish staff members, who were able to attend a gathering at St. Mary parish. At the same time a recording of Fr. Nick's announcement was made available at www.renewmyparish.org along with a PDF of the announcement and a list of frequently asked questions regarding some specifics of the plan.
On Saturday, August 28, 2021, the parish representatives from each of the five parishes in the lower Blackstone Valley region met at Saint Mary Parish in Uxbridge to begin the renewal process. In addition to Mass and prayer, the representatives viewed selections from an interview featuring Father James Mallon, the founder of Divine Renovation Ministry, and engaged in discussion on some of the key principals of parish renewal.
In a letter to the Roman Catholic parishes of the Lower Blackstone Valley Bishop McManus announces a plan for parish renewal to be lead by Fr. Nick Desimone. Click the headline to read the letter.