Do you like to draw or enjoy making art?
Come join this open studio event!
Saturday, January 21st, 2023 5:00 - 7:00 PM in the Church Hall.
Bring your own materials and drop in to doodle, finish a project or
work in your sketchbook.
For teens to adults (ages 13+). For more information contact at: veronica@undercoverfish.com

November 11, 2022

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

Our parish finance committee exists, according to universal church law (more commonly known as canon law), to assist me or any other pastor assigned to this parish in the administration of the goods of the parish.  Most often we think of their role in terms of the parish finances where income and expenses are concerned.

However, the finance committee’s role does extend beyond this responsibility.  Three years ago I brought to the finance committee an inquiry about the unused property that the Diocese of Worcester owns in the name of St. George Parish that extends beyond our lower parking lot into an area that can be accessed by both Ararat Street and Ridgewood Road.  All of this property (zoned exclusively as residential) was acquired in the early years of our parish’s existence, primarily to provide for an adequate off-street parking lot for use with parish Masses and functions.  

The inquiry which was made originated from a developer since he had researched that much of the property was unused.  Discussions were only in the preliminary stages when the Covid-19 pandemic began, and the discussions ceased.  Now, nearly three years later, we are once again being asked if we would consider selling this unused property.  At the present time there is no party interested per se in the property but the time is right for us to see if someone might be interested in it.  There is no reason for our parish to keep this land, and nothing has been done with it for more than 60 years that would deem it usable for the parish’s religious purposes.  In the future this may cause some issues in terms of liability.  

There has been a discussion about this issue with Bishop McManus since he, as head of the Diocese of Worcester and the “owner” of the property, must be consulted before any such matters can proceed.  Bishop McManus has given his approval to see if someone might be interested in acquiring this property, and preliminary work has begun to define the parcel of land that would be sold.  It will then be put on the real estate market for sale to see if anyone might be interested in purchasing it.  When the property is sold, the proceeds from the sale will go to St. George Parish.  More information will follow when an interested party comes forth with the intention to purchase this land.