PARISH PLANNING UPDATES

One Mission ~ One Community ~ One in Christ

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

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​A key aspect of forming a single Catholic community is honoring the legacy of the two Canton parishes that have joined together to form St. Oscar Romero Parish. As we prepare for the imminent sale of the St. Gerard Majella property to the Town of Canton we are working to preserve sacred goods. Other sacred goods will be relocated over time. 

•  St. Gerard’s distinctive globe-shaped tabernacle has been relocated to the St. John site. 
•  The steel Cross that stood atop St. Gerard Majella Church has been relocated to St. Mary’s Cemetery. 
• The statue of Our Blessed Mother that graced the front lawn is a prominent addition to St. Mary’s Cemetery.

March, 2022 New Sound System -

Stage One complete! Our new tower speakers have arrived and were installed this week.. 

Due to the pandemic and supply chain delays, many pieces of the equipment are still on the way, including a new system for assisted hearing. As these arrive, the sound system will continue to be adjusted and new updaes will be posted.

March, 2022 Church Interior Painting Project -

The ceiling and walls have been painted, and the old light bulbs have been replaced with long-lasting, energy-efficient LED bulbs in the light fixtures. The light fittings have been cleaned and polished, and the interiors of the two turrets in the Baptistry and the "cry room" have been painted.

Dear Friends,

As previously reported, a formal request was submitted to Cardinal Sean requesting permission to consolidate our parish to a single worship site. As part of the process of requesting what is called relegation in canon law I was required to submit detailed financial and demographic data. I presented our case to Cardinal Sean and to the Presbyteral Council. The latter is composed of priests elected by their peers from each of the twenty vicariates (regions) in our Archdiocese. The process requires that the Cardinal seek their recommendation. The Chancellor of the Archdiocese also prepares a submission to the Cardinal.

We have been informed that Cardinal Sean has approved our petition for relegation. This means that we can begin the process of marketing St. Gerard’s. As emotionally challenging as each step of this journey has been, I suspect this step, at least initially, will be no less difficult.

As we become better acquainted with the process and next steps we will keep the parish community advised. We do know that Real Estate is marketed by a broker in a process designed to keep the pastor, the Finance Council and the Parish Council and the parish staff at arm’s length. This is obviously intended to remove any fears about favoritism. Once the broker is named all inquiries should be directed to them.

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Over the course of its proud history St. Gerard Majella parishioners sacrificed mightily to build and maintain the parish. Undoubtedly, if given the choice, they would prefer to see it remain in active use. Given however, the reality of current attendance and revenue, we trust that they find some measure of satisfaction in knowing that their legacy will help fund an endowment intended to preserve a vibrant and sustainable Catholic Community in Canton for future generations.

Once again, as we move forward we will strive to keep the parish informed.

Father Tom

A Letter from Deacon Dan

​August, 2021

​Dear Friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I write you this short letter. Like you, I too am grieving the closing of St. Gerard Majella Church. Like you, I have many fond and pleasant memories of that holy place of worship. Over the past 8 years while at St. Gerard’s, I have found that I have grown closer to Our Lord essentially because of the many blessed opportunities that have been extended to me liturgically, sacramentally, and relationally.

Liturgically and sacramentally, I have been blessed to preach at Mass on most Sundays and a couple of times each week at daily Mass. I have been blessed to preside at hundreds of wake services and preach at funeral Masses. I have been blessed to baptize hundreds of infants and been blessed to preside over dozens of marriage ceremonies. Further, I have been blessed to minister to the homebound on a weekly basis.

And while I am eternally grateful to Our Lord for allowing me to serve Him as a deacon in various roles, the one area in particular that will forever be burned into my heart with memories of love, are the many precious relationships that I have developed with the people that I have ministered to at St. Gerard Majella parish. I simply cannot effectively put into words the love and affection that I have for you because you have so generously allowed me to be part of your life and faith journey. All that I can say is “Thank you” and know that your reward will be great in heaven. 

As you know, the grieving process is unique to each one of us. We all have our own ways to express our grief, and we all have our own particular timeline of grieving. Yet, I have discovered over the years as a trained bereavement facilitator, that very often people find a way to exit from the grieving process with a new outlook on life. The grieving person realizes that life will now be different and he or she must adopt new ways of navigating their way through life. Sometimes it could mean meeting new friends, new social opportunities, or finding new ways that bring meaning and purpose to life. For many people, it means taking a fresh look at their own health and well-being physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

For you and me, this time of change at our new parish, St. Oscar Romero could mean something very special. Together, we can be part of something new and exciting that has the capacity to breathe life into the town of Canton, our new parish, and most importantly, into each other. You see, it is important to remind ourselves every once in a while, that being made in the “image and likeness of God” we were created to BE ONE with God and with each other! We, therefore, acknowledge that we are all in this together. We were not created to live solitarily or in isolation from one another. In fact, God’s will is quite the contrary! We are to live as one people with one God!

Our faith informs us that during our journey from this life to the next, God has promised to journey with us. Through our baptism, we have been graced with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Through the sacrament of the Eucharist, Christ comes to us in a real and life-giving way. And one way that has particular relevance during this time of transition, is the presence of our parish pastor, who has been blessed with the title “Persona Christi” – the chosen representative of Christ, ordained to serve and lead God’s people.

Over the years, St. Gerard Majella parish has been blessed with many good and holy men chosen to pastor God’s people in Canton. During my time here, I have been blessed to work alongside Fr. Copp, whom I greatly respect and admire. Currently, both you and I have been blessed to have Fr. Rafferty as our pastor. Again, I must acknowledge that I have great respect and admiration for Fr. Rafferty - but in a way that sets him apart from his predecessors. As you know, Fr. Rafferty inherited a situation in the town of Canton that presented him with the unenviable task of collaborating two former separate parishes into one new one. However, along the way and as extensive research indicated, it became apparent that the town of Canton could not afford the luxury of having two parishes. Research indicated that for the past ten years, there has been an alarming decline in Sunday Mass attendance with the accompanying decline in revenue. After much work and deliberation, it became painfully obvious that the financial condition of St. Gerard’s was such that closing was the only alternative. 

Since Fr. Rafferty invited me to work closely with him during the evaluation process, I met with him on a daily basis. During this time, I learned a great deal about Fr. Rafferty, the pastor, the priest, and the man. I witnessed first-hand that our pastor is a man of great faith, integrity, and sincerity, and one who lamented greatly with the decision that had to be made. 

So here we are. We now have an opportunity to become an active part of the solution. We must pray and act together that we can “weather the storm” and emerge from this time in the history of Canton and embrace it as a time of opportunity to grow in awareness and participation in our Catholic faith. We have an opportunity that we must embrace with all of our heart, mind, and soul: we must embrace the opportunity to become ONE and move forward together as a unified parish with a new sense of mission and joy in our hearts!

Respectfully and sincerely,

Deacon Dan Nelson

August, 2021

Dear Friends,

As I reflect upon how emotionally draining and disheartening it was for me to announce that our parish will consolidate from two worship sites to one I cannot help but think how much more difficult it is for long term parishioners who lived through the days when both of Canton’s Catholic churches were filled every Sunday. For the parishioners of St. Gerard’s, whose sustained generosity built and supported the parish since its founding, I understand that it is heart-wrenching. We naturally associate some of the most important events of our lives with where they occurred. St. Gerard’s has a rich history of sixty years of Baptisms and First Communions, weddings, funerals, and memories.

The circumstances that have forced us to make this difficult decision cannot be assigned to any single event, economic condition, group, or individual in the parish. This challenge has been developing for over a decade. As a parish, we will avoid assigning blame and direct all of our efforts toward building a vibrant and welcoming faith community. Declining participation is not unique to our parish or town. The wider culture gives evidence of a trend toward secularization. Most houses of worship are experiencing declining attendance and participation. One parishioner recently remarked that it is more common to see families heading to sports fields on Sunday mornings than heading to church.

We must all remember that we comprise the Church and that no one owns the Church. As such, each generation is called to be stewards of that which was left to us by our predecessors. Stewardship requires us to take responsibility for the generations that will follow us. The future, as always, shall be different. The duty of stewardship is to acknowledge our present reality and discern a viable path to sustainability. As a faith community, we have come together to bear this responsibility and in so doing, will create a lasting and vibrant Catholic Community for the generations that follow.

We are members of the Church at both the local and universal levels. Common interests bind us to our community and The Gospel of Jesus Christ binds us to one another. We now have the exciting opportunity to fashion a new parish. At the outset, it asks St. Gerard parishioners to adjust to a new location. As importantly, it asks St. John parishioners to see themselves as part of Saint Oscar Romero Parish. Together as a single Faith Community, we must remove the lines of distinction that may divide us and foster a sense of unity and family.

For over a year, dedicated groups of St. Oscar Romero parishioners have generously shared their time and expertise to help us come to this point. As you are aware from our website and newsletters, teams are dealing with communications, finance, real estate, and construction. The Disciples in Mission Committee is working to bring our two communities together and build a strong and enduring Catholic community that will serve us and Canton for generations.

Invoking the intercession of our new patron saint let us pray for the courage and grace to begin the next chapter in Canton’s Catholic experience.

In Christ,

Rev. Thomas S. Rafferty

Letter sent to parishioners

​via Constant Contact (Not the same as talk)

July 19, 2021

Talk given at all weekend Masses

at both St. Gerard & St. John

July 17-18, 2021

Dear Friends,

One of the first Bible stories I remember learning is 1st Kings 3:16 – 28. I was in First Grade and still recall the illustrated Children’s Bible we used. In the story, two women approach King Solomon asking him to resolve their dispute. One young mother’s child died. Each claims the surviving baby is hers. Solomon asks for a sword and suggests he will divide the baby in two so each can have half. One agrees with the idea and the other pleads, “Please don’t kill my son… I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don’t kill him.” Solomon said, “Don’t kill the baby.” Then he pointed to the first woman, “She is his real mother. Give the baby to her.” The story is intended to portray Solomon’s wisdom. 

During the past year I have been working with many talented people in a number of settings including Parish Council, Finance Council and our Disciples in Mission Committee discerning a 

viable path forward for St. Oscar Romero Parish. While we make no pretense to have attained Solomon’s level of wisdom, we have set high goals. Previous generations bequeathed our town with two parishes. Multiple cultural and demographic factors have resulted in dramatically reduced attendance and offertory revenue at each worship site. As previously announced, we concluded that we do not have the worshippers or the resources to maintain two Catholic churches. In fact, the obligation we owe to succeeding generations is to be responsible stewards of the legacy bequeathed to us and to hand on to them a vibrant and sustainable Catholic parish. By consolidating at a single place of worship we can direct resources expended on the maintenance of excess capacity to the type of programs and activities found in vibrant parishes.

We have undertaken an extensive and comprehensive process to achieve a decision. We have held focus groups, virtual town hall meetings, and posted question and answer formats on social media. We have released a series of E-newsletters to over 1500 subscribers. Additionally, the above mentioned committees, along with a series of task forces dealing with finance, construction, real estate and analytics have met extensively through the winter, spring and present. We commissioned an architectural review to determine the structural integrity of both churches. 

All of these steps were taken to enable us to make a very difficult decision. We have concluded that the St. John facility is the better option for us to go forward as a single worship site parish. There is sadness in closing a church. It is natural to mourn the closing of a house of worship that holds the memories of our life’s most significant events. To ease the transition the consolidation will not occur until October 1, 2021.

It is important to note that we begin this new chapter in our faith community’s journey as St. Oscar Romero Parish. The memories of St. John the Evangelist and St. Gerard Majella parishes will endure. But we turn a new chapter with a new name. In the very near future we will unfold a series of new initiatives that will help define our new identity.

​Very soon, working with the experienced staff of the Archdiocesan Real Estate office, we will begin the process of marketing the St. Gerard Majella property. In an effort to honor the sacrifice and generosity of our benefactors it is our hope to use the sale proceeds to establish an endowment that helps maintain an enduring Catholic presence in Canton. Additionally, we will undertake a capital campaign to ensure that the St. Oscar Romero facility incorporates as many cherished components of St. Gerard’s as we can. 

We have strived to be inclusive and forthcoming during this process and will continue to do so. Updates about all the steps mentioned above will be forthcoming in the days and months ahead.

Please pray that our parish navigates this difficult phase in our history. Our goal is an enduring, vibrant and welcoming parish that serves Canton for generations to come. May the Holy Spirit grant us the wisdom to attain that goal.

Yours in Christ,

Father Tom 

May 13, 2021

​March 3rd, 2021

Dear Friends,

Thanks to all who participated in our February 18th Parish Town Hall forum on Zoom. In the days ahead we wish to respond to the questions raised. During the meeting the moderator chose questions that were raised by two or more participants. In this message we will address two of the other twelve remaining questions which essentially cover six topics.

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St. John the Evangelist School

There were several questions raised about the status of the St. John the Evangelist School (SJS), its name, and its relationship with the parish.

As mentioned during the forum, St. Oscar Romero Parish consists of four canonical entities: St. Gerard Majella Church; St. John the Evangelist Church, St. John the Evangelist School and St. Mary’s Cemetery. We are pleased to report that St. John’s School is strong and vibrant by all measures. It is fully enrolled. It is financially strong. It enjoys the highest of academic ratings as affirmed by student test scores, the NCEA (National Catholic Education Association) Accreditation. SJS alumni thrive at the various Public, Catholic and Private High Schools that its graduates attend. They follow Jesus and strive for excellence!

In other parts of the country and increasingly in this area, it not uncommon for Catholic schools to have a different name than the sponsoring parish. However, if the school community wishes to consider a name change they are not precluded from doing so. Unlike churches which are consecrated with a particular name, it is something that can be considered.

Parish Planning Teams

There were also questions related to the number and scope of the various standing committees that will deal with particular aspects of the merger. Please email stromero@cantoncatholic.org to join a team or with any questions you may have for a team. 

Thanks for your interest, your participation and your assistance as we undertake the task of building a vibrant, welcoming and sustainable Catholic parish.

In Christ,

Father Tom

January 20th, 2021

Dear Parishioners,

The response to the new name of our parish, St. Oscar Romero, has been primarily positive. There has been surprise, some measure of resistance to change, and some confusion regarding the name of the parish and the names of the churches.

As parishes in our Archdiocese merge, the merged entities receive a new name. Sacramental records will reflect the new parish name. For example, whether one receives First Communion at St. Gerard’s or St. John’s, the record will reflect St. Oscar Romero Parish. The churches retain the name they received when they were consecrated. We soon expect to see a list of newly merged and named area parishes. Two that I am aware of are: St. Ann Church and St. Brendan Church in Dorchester that have merged and will now constitute St. Martin de Porres Parish; and St. Martha and Mary in Lakeville and Sacred Heart in Middleboro which will be St. Isidore Parish.

When our parishes first entered into collaboration in June of 2018, merger seemed a possible but distant proposition. At that time, we placed a portrait of Oscar Romero in the vestibule of each church and a framed copy of A Step Along the Way, which has come to be known as the Oscar Romero Prayer. Saint Oscar Romero’s writings call for peace and reconciliation. We entrusted our effort to collaborate to his intercession.

When we began the merger process last October, I did not realize that we had to have a new name before the decree could be issued effective February 1. I had mistakenly assumed that we could be called

St. Gerard- St. John’s, at least for a period of time. Just before Christmas we were informed that we would have to have a new name to be included in the February 1 decree. As reported earlier, our dire fiscal circumstances precluded postponing the merger lest we be forced to hastily close one worship site. I wish I had realized the urgency of submitting a new name sooner, and I regret not engaging in a wider consultation process. To those disappointed in the pace or result, I apologize.

While change is never easy and parish attachments are strong, a merger of Canton’s Catholic Community represents our most realistic path to vitality and sustainability. Occasional bumps along the way should not deter us from our goal of building a vibrant and welcoming Catholic parish that will proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ for generations.

In Christ,

Father Tom

January 18, 2021

Dear Friends,

Happy Martin Luther King Day! As we did at all Masses over the weekend, we prayed at this morning’s Mass for a renewed commitment to bringing about Dr. King’s vision of a society rooted in liberty and justice for all.

In the next few days we will release and post additional information about our parish’s new name. However, it is timely to correct inaccurate information that has apparently circulated in conversation and social media. The name(s) of our churches, Saint Gerard Majella and Saint John the Evangelist are not changing. When a church is consecrated it receives a name. It retains that name if made part of another parish. For example, St. Ann’s and St. Brendan’s in nearby Dorchester will now compose Saint Martin de Porres Parish.

This is the last sentence of my letter in this weekend’s (February 17, 2020) bulletin, “We will be one parish, St. Oscar Romero, composed of two churches, St. Gerard Majella and St. John the Evangelist.” As the Canton Catholic Community website banner indicates:

Saint Oscar Romero Parish welcomes you!

Home of St. Gerard Majella and St. John the Evangelist Churches

St. John the Evangelist School

​St. Mary Cemetery.

Father Tom

​January 12th, 2021

​Dear Parishioners,

In October we announced that Canton’s two Catholic parishes, St. Gerard Majella and St. John the Evangelist, were requesting permission to merge into a single parish. Cardinal Sean has granted our request. In fact, he has approved over a dozen such requests in our Archdiocese. A full list will soon be published in The Pilot and we will include a link on our website.

We have also entered into an agreement with an architectural firm, Habeeb and Associates, to conduct an assessment of our facilities. At some future point we envision consolidating into a single worship site. We are confident that either facility is sufficient to accommodate worshippers.

I am pleased to announce that the name of Canton’s new parish will be St. Oscar Romero! St

Oscar Romero is a saint of our times. Oscar Romero was the Archbishop of San Salvador, the capitol of El Salvador in the 1970’s. He was an outspoken proponent of the rights of the poor and marginalized. He was a pacifist who opposed violence on all sides of the political divide. He was assassinated by a military hit squad while saying Mass in 1980. It was widely believed that it was in reaction to his support for human rights. He was canonized in 2018. We can and will learn more about our new patron saint in the months and years ahead. There are lots of good websites with information about him, his life and martyrdom.

If we were not confronted with the COVID crisis we would probably have delayed the choice of a name and engaged in some form of parish consultation. However, the inability to gather made meetings impossible. Importantly, we did not have the financial capacity to delay the merger

until after the virus is behind us. We will be the first Saint Oscar Romero in the Archdiocese and perhaps one of only three in the country.

To learn more about him, his life and his ministry, I recommend the 1989 film, Romero, starring Raul Julia. We have ordered several DVDs which we can circulate and it is available on popular streaming services. Additionally, Cardinal Sean was personally acquainted with him. At some

future point, when we reach our long awaited return to normal, I will invite Cardinal Sean to

Canton to share his perspective and experiences of the saint with us.

In the days and months ahead information and updates will be shared through our bulletin,

e-newsletters, website and social media. I realize it may seem a bit confusing but for now, we will be one parish St. Oscar Romero, composed of two churches, St. Gerard Majella and St. John the Evangelist.

Yours in Christ,

Father Tom

October 13, 2020
Dear Parishioner:
In the 1960’s Canton’s rapidly growing Catholic community erected two new churches. St John’s original 1860 church was replaced with a new edifice and a new parish, St. Gerard Majella, was established. Masses were crowded and each busy parish was served by a team of priests. Today, the scenario is different. Families are smaller, there are fewer priests and Mass attendance has declined. This is not a Canton-only phenomenon but part of a larger cultural shift.
Nothing is gained from bemoaning the ever-changing environment of human experience. The early Church was initially persecuted in Rome but ultimately persevered and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ across the globe. In the United States, Catholics who once faced religious discrimination and anti-immigrant bigotry, eventually established the thriving parishes, schools, colleges, hospitals and charitable entities that we know today. Each generation confronts its own challenges. We are called to adapt to them, calling upon the Holy Spirit, which has guided the Church for two millennia, to help us discern the paths that will guide us to assuring a vibrant and sustainable Catholic presence in our community.
Presently, Canton has two Catholic churches, each of which can accommodate 800 worshippers. On a typical weekend (pre-Covid) a total of 900 people attend Mass at each parish, approximately 225 per Mass. As the number of worshippers decline, and offertory remains flat or drops, the burden of maintaining two houses of worship becomes increasingly difficult. (See Exhibit 1)  
In 2012 Cardinal Sean and the Archdiocese of Boston promulgated a new roadmap for pastoral planning called Disciples in Mission. A key component was having parishes share clergy, staff and resources to maintain viability. Each year one tenth of the Archdiocese’s almost 300 parishes entered into partnerships called “collaboratives”. In 2018, Phase 6 of the plan, St. Gerard Majella and St. John the Evangelist parishes began collaborating. Our two parishes share clergy, administrative offices and staff. At the start of the second year of collaboration the plan requires parishes to establish a Disciples in Mission Committee whose task is to draft a Pastoral Plan. (See Exhibit 2) This effort has been underway since last fall. 
In late March, during the height of the coronavirus outbreak, all houses of worship were closed. Fortunately, many parishioners are generously supporting St. Gerard’s and St. John’s through online giving, direct transfers, or mailing contributions. However, the overall effect of the shutdown has had devastating effects on our financial plight. It has been said by many parishes that the virus cannot be solely blamed for the precipitous revenue drop, but that it exacerbated a trend of declining participation and revenue.
Our Disciples in Mission Committee continued to meet remotely. In late spring, we put the draft on hold to address the urgent matter of revenue, facilities and expenses. The members, in consultation with our Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Councils, concluded, and I concur, that the Catholic Community of Canton can be served by a single parish. Toward that end I am formally asking Cardinal Sean to authorize a merger between St. Gerard Majella and St. John the Evangelist parishes. 
As a united parish community, we shall undertake the task of determining the best use of facilities. It is too soon to decide whether to consolidate at one of the present churches or to seek another site. It will take months if not longer to explore options and weigh ideas. Many other parishes in our Archdiocese have or are embarking on similar paths. (See Exhibit 3)
​As a first step, some are conducting comprehensive engineering and structural analysis of existing facilities. Most likely we will do the same. This challenge can be more easily undertaken if we commit to keeping our hearts and minds open to new ideas and to listening to one another. It is a process that calls for bringing many matters to prayer.
Over the last several years each of our parishes has expended tremendous effort to maintain what might be called survival mode. Pastors, staff, committed volunteers and parishioners have labored mightily to maintain facilities and carry out essential ministries. While change is seldom easy, the reality is that circumstances have presented us with an opportunity to come together as an invigorated faith community. Such a model will better enable us to direct our energy toward life-giving educational, devotional and pastoral initiatives. 
When we use the noun church with a lower case “c” we refer to a particular house of worship. When we use the upper case “C” we mean the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. Our salvation and our interconnectedness are ultimately rooted in our common Baptism and Profession of Faith. The big C and the small c converge at the parish level. Experience shows that the widest array of spiritual, pastoral and community service ministries succeed in the strongest parishes. 
As I said at the outset, each generation of Catholics confronts unique challenges. The Church endures and thrives when challenges are addressed with pure hearts disposed to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Working together, each of us can do our part to ensure that our legacy is a sustainable and vibrant Catholic presence in Canton. May future generations look back on this moment and commend our effort.
Yours in Chris,
Reverend Thomas S. Rafferty
​Pastor

October 22, 2020

Please remember, as Father Rafferty said in his homily this weekend, while we are merging now, neither church is being closed at this time!

To read the online version click: Canton Citizen Article



Fr. Rafferty's Homily of October 24/25 (Addressing Merger)