Legacy of Hope

Click here to read the latest news on the Legacy of Hope Capital Campaign. 

In March 1950, Pope Pius XII entrusted the people of Central Massachusetts with their own diocese when he established the Diocese of Worcester separate from the Diocese of Springfield.  From the time Bishop John J. Wright was installed in the newly established Cathedral at St. Paul’s Church in Worcester until today, Catholics in our diocese have been dedicated witnesses to the Faith.  During my fourteen years as Bishop of Worcester, I have seen the hard work and perseverance of many people in our parishes and diocesan institutions to build strong Catholic foundations in service to the Church’s mission.

Today we are blessed as one family of God to be a multicultural community of believers who mission is to “accept the Gospel challenge, which calls us to bring others to a deeper knowledge and love of God.”  Enriched by our diversity, we all share in the responsibility of building up the Church of God in our Diocese, ensuring its ongoing vitality for future generations.

Building on the legacy of faith with which we have been entrusted, it is our privilege to provide hope for the future of the Catholic Church in Central Mass.  With this in mind, I invite you to be a part of the “Legacy of Hope” Capital Campaign, a landmark financial endeavor to strengthen our local parish communities and our diocesan Church.

The success of this campaign will depend upon your joining us in a commitment to prayer, active involvement in support of the capital campaign and financial participation.  I invite you to embrace the vision of this campaign as described in the enclosed materials.  This campaign gives us an opportunity to go beyond our comfort zones to sacrifice in the name of Jesus Christ so as to provide a firm foundation of hope for our local Church.  With your enthusiastic support, I am confident that we will achieve our goal.

It is my fervent prayer that as you look back to the foundation of our diocese and also look forward to its future, you will be most grateful to God for his many blessings on our diocesan Church.  I am grateful to God not only for the blessings bestowed on me, but also for you, the faithful people of the Diocese of Worcester, as together we seek to fulfill our common Christian vocation to be witnesses of Christ’s love in the world.  I ask for God’s blessing on each of you as we work together for the future success of our parishes, schools and our entire diocesan Church.

As you prayerfully consider your participation in this campaign, I pray that the Holy Spirit will fill you with the gift of wonder which, as Pope Francis has written is “a joyful awareness of God’s grandeur and a grateful realization that only in him do our hearts find true peace.”

With every prayerful best wish, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Robert J. McManus
Bishop of Worcester
 

God our Father, you are the source of all goodness and of every blessing. We give you thanks and praise for the gift of our Catholic faith that is deeply rooted in your abundant love for us.

We ask your blessing upon our efforts to help secure the future of the Church in the Diocese of Worcester. May your people respond with faith and generosity to our Legacy of Hope Capital Campaign and may the sacrifices we make together today bear fruit in lives of faith, hope and love for  generations to come.

We ask all this through Christ our Lord.

Amen!