Gathered in Faith, Sent in Mission: Celebrating Vocations, Service, and the Eucharist

Ordinations Bring Hope and Blessings to our Diocese

One of the greatest blessings in the life of a diocese is the ordination of new clergy. It is a reminder that God continues to call men to serve His Church and that those called continue to respond with faith, generosity, and trust. On Saturday, June 6, we will celebrate such a moment of grace as I ordain Deacon Kaique Santos to the priesthood and seminarian Lucas daCosta to the transitional diaconate during an 11 a.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River.

For Deacon Kaique Santos, this marks the culmination of many years of discernment, formation, and missionary service. Currently serving at St. Joseph, Guardian of the Holy Family Parish in Falmouth, Deacon Santos describes himself as feeling peaceful as his ordination approaches.

Born in Teofilo Otoni in Minas Gerais, Brazil, Kaique’s path to the priesthood was shaped by profound loss and deep encounters with God’s grace. After losing a brother and his father as a teenager, he experienced a renewed relationship with Christ through youth retreats that transformed his life and awakened a call to the priesthood. His journey led him through years of missionary service with the Canção Nova Community, time spent in contemplative prayer at a Carthusian monastery, and eventually to the Diocese of Fall River. He will celebrate his First Mass on Sunday, June 7, at St. Anthony Church in East Falmouth.

At the same Mass, Lucas daCosta will be ordained a transitional deacon, taking the next important step toward the priesthood.

Lucas is the son of Daniel and Fatima daCosta and a parishioner of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet. A graduate of Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, he spent a year in Portugal before entering Our Lady of Providence Seminary and studying philosophy at Providence College. He recently completed his priestly formation at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton.

Many parishioners throughout the Diocese have already encountered Lucas through his summer assignments at Santo Christo Parish in Fall River, St. John Neumann Parish in East Freetown, St. Joseph Parish in Falmouth, and Holy Family Parish in East Taunton.

As he prepares for ordination, Lucas speaks of feeling excitement, gratitude, and hope. His words remind us of the true source of every vocation: trust in God. “My greatest hope comes not from confidence in my own abilities, but from trust in God,” he recently shared.

I invite you to join me in praying for Kaique and Lucas during these final days of preparation. May the Lord continue to strengthen them, guide them, and fill them with His grace as they dedicate their lives to His service and to the people of our Diocese.

(On Saturday, you can watch the Ordination as it is livestreamed on the Our Lady of Fall River website here.)

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage to Travel to Our Diocese

As part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration and the continuing legacy of the National Eucharistic Revival, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, themed “One Nation Under God,” will travel through the Diocese of Fall River on June 29 to 30. The pilgrimage, dedicated to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, will journey through 18 dioceses from St. Augustine, Florida, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offering opportunities for prayer, Eucharistic processions, Adoration, and Mass. I am so pleased that our Diocese is hosting part of this historic pilgrimage. I strongly encourage our faithful to take part in this Pilgrimage through special events in Easton, New Bedford, and Fall River as we pray for our Church, our Diocese, and our nation.

For a complete schedule of events, locations, and registration information, please visit the Diocesan website. 

Celebrating those Who Share Our Diocesan Mission

At the end of May, we held our annual service awards in the Diocese, recognizing employees for their tireless work. I began the program with the celebration of Mass at Our Lady of Grace Church, Westport, and lunch and the presentation of the awards followed. It is a pleasure for me to do this each year to honor our employees for their dedicated service and to thank them for their contributions. Regardless of the particulars of their job, each employee is instrumental in helping us to fulfill the mission that is ours as a Diocesan church, and I am grateful. This year, we recognized 13 employees, mostly for five years of service. Within the group, though, we honored one employee for 10 years, another for 30, and one for 55 years! That is dedicated service.

In the photo above, I am presenting Deborah LeDoux with her certificate marking five years of service. Deborah is the Director of Family and Respect Life within our Secretariat for the New Evangelization. Next to her is David Carvalho, the Secretary for the New Evangelization, who was also recognized for five years of service. Msgr. Stephen J. Avila is next to him. The Secretariat for the New Evangelization falls under Msgr. Avila in his role as Vicar for Pastoral Services.

The Gift of the Eucharist

The Feast of Corpus Christi to be celebrated this weekend reminds us of the extraordinary gift of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. As Catholics, we are called not only to adore the Lord in the Eucharist but also to carry His love into the world through lives of faith, service, and charity.

Sincerely,

+Bishop da Cunha