About a dozen area priests will gather in song for “New Wine in Old Wineskins,” a Chicopee concert dedicated to the 93-year-old retired bishop.
Retired Bishop Joseph F. Maguire prays over a newly ordained priest.CHICOPEE—Priests of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in a musical way will honor Springfield Bishop Emeritus Joseph F. Maguire at a concert Friday, Oct. 26.
About a dozen area priests will gather in song for “New Wine in Old Wineskins,” a concert dedicated to the 93-year-old retired bishop.
Maguire, ordained to the priesthood in 1945 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, served as the fifth bishop of Springfield from 1977 until his retirement in 1992. He lives in Springfield.
The concert group, coordinated by the Rev. Vernon P. Decoteau, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Belchertown, includes three newly ordained priests.
“These are very talented men,” Decoteau said.
They will perform nearly 40 songs in two segments separated by an intermission. The first segment will feature religious music including such favorites as “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” “Ave Maria,” “How Great Thou Art” and “Prayer of St. Francis.”
The second half of the concert will mix contemporary, Irish and Broadway tunes like “Oh Danny Boy,” “Moon River,” “Sentimental Journey” and “New York New York.”
“There will be a good variety,” Decoteau said.
"I am delighted and honored to be associated with this significant apostolic event,” Maguire commented. “The direction and talents of the immensely gifted Rev. Vernon Decoteau promises an enjoyable and heart-warming performance. I look forward to joining all in attendance."
The Rev. Vernon P. Decoteau, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Belchertown, will be among the priests performing in "New Wine in Old Wineskins," a concert dedicated Retired Bishop Joseph F. Maguire.The concert, part of the diocese’s celebration of the worldwide Year of Faith, will begin at 7 p.m. at Bellamy School, 314 Pendleton Ave, Chicopee.
The concert is a reprisal of the “Priests for Life” concerts that took place in the 1980s—during Maguire’s tenure as bishop--when concerts drew 1,200 attendees.
This year’s concert will honor the retired bishop for his “longevity and presence among us,” Decoteau said. “He’s an incredible pastoral priest and man. This is a way to honor and thank him.”
The Rev. Matthew J. Alcombright, parochial vicar of Mary Mother of Hope Church in Springfield, will serve as the group’s pianist. He has a bachelor’s degree in music education and piano performance from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Ordained in June, Alcombright, 29, grew up in North Adams. He said he has always known who Maguire is but has had the opportunity to get to know him since studying for the priesthood. “I’m amazed by his kindness, his genuineness and certainly by his absolute sense of joy in his priesthood and his compassion,” he said of the bishop. “You can tell he cares for you the second he sets his eyes on you.”
Alcombright, a former church organist and choir director, said “it is an honor to be able to share this gift of music” while honoring “a pillar of Western Mass. and this diocese.”
In addition to honoring Maguire, the concert is part of the Year of Faith celebration of the worldwide Catholic Church with proceeds going to the Diocese of Springfield’s Seminarian Education Fund and Catholic Communications Ministry.
“The tie-in with the communications ministry is significant because Bishop Maguire helped us to expand our communications outreach during his tenure, which is a significant tool to use during this upcoming Year of Faith which this event will help to launch,” said Mark E. Dupont, communications director for the Diocese of Springfield.
Decoteau said concertgoers in the past have appreciated seeing priests having a good time “in a different light” than in their pastoral roles. “It will be a good evening. As in the past, people who attend the show will leave happy.”
Tickets are $20 and are available through Catholic Communications by calling (413) 452-0645 or writing to Catholic Communications, 65 Elliot St., Springfield, MA 01102-1730, Attention: New Wine in Old Wineskins. They can then be picked up or mailed via a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Checks should be made out to Catholic Communications.