News - April 2025 RSS Feed

His Excellency Bishop James T. Ruggieri has announced three new priest assignments effective July 1, 2025.

As the body of Pope Francis lies in state at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, the Catholic faithful in Maine gathered at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland to pray for the repose of the pope's soul and to express their gratitude for his service to the Church.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters, The news of our Holy Father Francis’ sudden death has saddened me. Following the reports of his recent hospitalization and slow recovery, I saw his resilience in making the great effort to be present to the Church both in Rome and the world during Holy Week. Just yesterday, Easter Sunday, he was riding in the popemobile and blessing the crowds outside of St. Peter’s Basilica. Therefore, the news of his death on Easter Monday, affectionately known in places as "Little Easter," is startling. However, how providential that our Holy Father would go to the Lord on this second day of the great Octave of Easter, a time when our Church is still joyfully celebrating Jesus’ triumphant Resurrection.

The joyous hymn, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” reverberated through the nave of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland as hundreds of people filled the church to celebrate Mass on Easter Sunday.

Bishop James Ruggieri celebrated his first Easter Vigil at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception since his installation at the 13th bishop of the Diocese of Portland. The vibrant and hope-filled Mass commemorated the Resurrection of Jesus and also welcomed three catechumens into the Catholic faith with the sacraments of baptism, First Holy Communion and confirmation.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! As we celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death and the new life He brings, please know of my prayers for you and your loved ones.

Continuing a tradition that dates back centuries in countries such as Poland and Ukraine, parishioners gathered at Holy Trinity Church in Lisbon Falls, St. Louis Church in Portland, and St. Mary Church in Bangor on Holy Saturday for the blessing of Easter baskets, known as Święconka in Polish.

Bishop James Ruggieri celebrated the Mass of our Lord's Supper at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Thursday, April 17. This special Mass is celebrated annually on Holy Thursday, the beginning of the Sacred Triduum.

Around 200 people gathered at the Basilica of Ss. Peter & Paul in Lewiston at noon on Good Friday to pray the Stations of the Cross, a devotion that retraces the steps that Jesus took to his crucifixion and death.

Bishop James Ruggieri celebrated the Mass of the Oils at St. Louis Church in Fort Kent on Wednesday evening, April 16, distributing the oils that were blessed and consecrated during the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Tuesday to the parishes of northern Maine.

Over the past week, the diocese has hosted two sessions following Bishop Ruggieri's announcement of the difficult decision to close the high school division of St. Dominic Academy.

Hundreds of people filled the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland on the Tuesday of Holy Week for the annual Chrism Mass, celebrated by Bishop James Ruggieri.

A piece of St. John’s Catholic School in Brunswick, Maine, made history on Monday, April 14, as it launched into suborbital space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket—marking the school’s second successful spaceflight experiment in two years. This time, their work flew as part of the first-ever all-female Blue Origin crewed mission, led by Lauren Sanchez.

Blessing palm branches and praying that all who hold them will reach “the eternal Jerusalem” through Christ, Bishop James Ruggieri celebrated Palm Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland on April 13.

Students from four Catholic schools and from the Psalterium Institute in Lisbon Falls came together on March 28 for a daylong Catholic School Choir Festival held at the Basilica of Ss. Peter & Paul in Lewiston.

As part of its continued outreach to members of the Catholic immigrant community, Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston will offer the Stations of the Cross in four languages on Good Friday: English, French, Kirundi, and Portuguese. The Stations of the Cross will be prayed at noon at the Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul, 122 Ash Street in Lewiston.

Dear St. Dominic Academy Families, I am writing today to provide further clarity and details around my decision to close the high school division of St. Dominic Academy in Auburn after this academic year. I would never take such a decision lightly. But, after much prayer and analysis of past, present and future finances and enrollment, it was, unfortunately, the only choice.

“Awesome!” “So much fun!” “The workshops were the best!” Those were among the comments that teenagers and young adults shared after attending the annual REV Retreat, held Saturday, March 29, at St. Joseph Church in Brewer.