By Elizabeth Roman
The Republican
April 26, 2010
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/knights_of_columbus_celebrate.html
Close to 300 people gathered at the Castle of Knights on Memorial Drive Sunday to say "thank you" to current and retired priests who serve local parishes.
"We just want them to know that we appreciate them and that their work does not go unnoticed," said Grand Knight and organizer of the event Gerry Lacasse, who sported a pin that read "In solidarity with our priests." The event was hosted by area Knights of Columbus.
Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell said the event was part of a declaration made by Pope Benedict XVI to honor priests this year.
"He declared in June of 2009 that this would be the year of the priest and many local parishes have held events for their priests to show them appreciation. This is the largest event in the area and we are thankful to the Knights of Columbus for doing this," he said.
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| The honor guard for the Knight of Columbus at the Castle of Knights gather before the appreciation dinner for priests at the venue on Sunday evening. From left are Richard F. Beaudry if Chicopee, Edward Beliveau of Holyoke and Richard F. Fulton of South Hadley Photo by Dave Roback |
He said the event is "a reminder that the vast majority of priests are dedicated to their faith and to their work" although there has been a focus on a small number who have done wrong.
While the Catholic church has been under scrutiny for sexual abuse scandals across the world, Sunday's event was meant to be uplifting.
About 70 of the 90 priests in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield attended the event including the Rev. Gary Dailey, vocations director for the diocese.
"It's a nice boost for the priests to have people showing appreciation for the work that we do," he said.
Dailey works with seminarians aspiring to be priests. He said there are currently 27 men in seminary, including three Polish deacons who will be ordained in June.
"Five years ago we only had seven recruits, now we have 27. There has been a definite interest in becoming a priest again and that is due to people's prayers and the positive response we get from the community at events like this," he said.
Seminarian Michael J. Wood, of Pittsfield, will be ordained in 2011. He said the appreciation event meant a lot to him and all of the other seminarians.
"It's encouraging to see people reacting positively to priests and acknowledging the work they do and the dedication they have," he said.
Wood said that while the past few years have been troubling for the Catholic Church he still has a desire to serve his community and continue in the path to becoming a priest.
"While there are some priests that have not lived up to the promises they made I think there are many who do want to keep those promises and live a holy life," he said.
Wood said the event represents the sentiments of many people he has worked with in Springfield and Holyoke parishes.
"They encourage us to move forward and have faith and I think we do the same for them," he said.
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