In 2016, our Parish Mission theme was "The Joy of Mercy". Our Lady of the Lake hosted four wonderful speakers, who delivered inspirational presentations based on this theme.
To view the 2015 Parish Mission presentations, click here.
Sr. Catherine Hannigan is a member of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary here in Leominster. She has previously been a guest speaker at Our Lady of the Lake and we welcome her back again.
She taught for many years in the Leominster and Fitchburg parochial schools; namely, the elementary schools at St. Bernard’s and St Leo’s and Holy Family High School. Sister Catherine was Superior General of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary from 1976 through 1985.
Sr. Catherine recently completed 25 years of ministry work in Boston for the Society of Jesus both at the Weston Jesuit School for Theology and at the Center for Religious Development.
Presently, she is involved in retreat ministry and spiritual direction.
Sister Yvette Bellerose professed vows with the Sisters of St. Anne in 1963. She holds a Bachelor`s Degree in Education from Anna Maria College, and a Master`s Degree in Theology with a concentration in the Spirituality of Formation from Duquesne University.
Her ministerial involvement began in the field of education. She taught at the elementary and high school levels, as well as at the college level at Anna Maria College. She also was an elementary school principal.
Sister Yvette is the past Congregational Councilor and Leader of the Sisters of St. Anne, as well as Province Co-Leader of the St. Marie Province. During these leadership years, she also served on the Boards of the Canadian Conference for Religious in Canada and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the USA. In 2011, she completed nine years as the Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees at Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA, a foundation of the Sisters of Saint Anne.
Sister Yvette has been facilitating workshops, meetings, and General or Regional Chapters for Communities of Women Religious since the early 1980’s. Three years ago, Sr. Yvette founded a ministry with a lay woman: Gatherings for Women of Faith. Participants describe the gatherings as a place to be with other women seeking for “the more” in prayer and in life.
Dr. Nicki Verploegen is Co-founder of TATENDA International, a non-profit which provides retreats and motivational instruction for caregivers and pastoral agents worldwide. Originally from Montana, she has traveled on private pilgrimage throughout the US, Japan, Indonesia, Tanzania, and Liberia, exploring creative cultural approaches to contemplative spiritual living.
She has served as Director of Spiritual and Ministerial Development and as a visiting professor at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, MA., and as a visiting professor to several graduate schools of theology.
Presently, she teaches in the Diaconate Formation program and the Master’s for Ministry program for the Archdiocese of Boston. Her academic degrees include a Ph.D in Formative Spirituality from Duquesne University as well as degrees in Spiritual Theology, Elementary Education, Religious Education and Political Science.
Dr. Verploegen has conducted retreats in Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Bangladesh, and Jamaica with TATENDA International. She has been conducting retreats for over 25 years and doing spiritual direction since 1983. Among her publications is a book entitled Planning and Implementing Retreats: A Parish Handbook.
Father James S. Mazzone is a native of Spencer. He earned degrees in Theology at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire and St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland. He was ordained to the priesthood at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Worcester by Bishop Daniel P. Reilly on June 5, 1999.
Following ordination, he served as associate pastor at Christ the King Parish in Worcester, as a Chaplain to the Worcester Fire Department, and as an adjunct faculty member of Anna Maria College. Fr. Mazzone has served on the faculty of St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He was named Recruiter of Vocations in the Diocese of Worcester in 2004 while serving as associate pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Worcester, and the following year, Director of Vocations while in residence at Our Lady of Loreto Parish in Worcester.
In August of 2007 he was named Administrator of Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Worcester and Director of the Holy Name of Jesus House of Studies. Fr. Mazzone was named Chaplain to the Boys Scouts of the Diocese of Worcester in 2008.