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Our Lady of Sorrows Parish is the Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Boston located on Cottage Street in Sharon, Massachusetts, a town with a population of about 17,400 people.The town is a melting pot of religious and ethnic diversity. It is roughly 75% Jewish, with seven synagogues. It is also the home of the Islamic Center of New England. There are seven different houses of Christian worship as well as a Unitarian church.The Catholic population in Sharon represents about 17% of the total population. The following statistics are based on the 2000 census. 89.3% of Sharon's residents are white, 4.9% are Asian, 3.4% are black, 1.1% are Latino, and 1.2% are listed as "other." The median age for residents in Sharon is 39. Families (non-single residences) represent 83.1% of the population, giving Sharon a higher than average concentration of families. The median family income (adjusted for inflation) is $89,000. With that snapshot in mind, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish estimates that it has 1,000 "registered" households. Sharon is bordered by Norwood on the north, Canton on the northeast, Stoughton on the east, Easton on the southeast, Mansfield on the south, Foxborough on the west, and Walpole on the west and northwest. Sharon in nine miles west of Brockton and nineteen miles south of Boston. The town is almost completely residential with hardly any industry. It is unusual in our diocese for Catholics to be a religious minority in the community. The interfaith challenges, opportunities and responsibilities are an important part of our work as a parish. Our parish membership includes many ecumenical and interfaith families. Our clergy are active in the Interfaith Clergy Association and our members participate in many interfaith activities. The total number of members who participate in the Eucharist on the weekend ranges from 500-600. Since religious education for grades Pre-K through Six is held on Sunday mornings at 10:30 am, many families with children participate in the 9:30 am Family/Children's Mass. Many of these young families in the parish are active in parish life and leadership by serving on the various councils and commissions, in liturgical ministries, and teaching in our religious education program. Our church decoration is dictated by the liturgical seasons. Our goal is to keep it modest and beautiful. Our small worship space, with fine windows and good colors, does not demand a lot of decoration. During 2006-2007, we did some work on our church building including a new roof, exterior and interior painting, and new carpet. As a supplement to the clergy on our Pastoral Staff, we are blessed to have Weekend Associates as part of our parish community. Their connection to our community, talent for preaching and different perspectives are a gift to us. Father Frank Clooney, S.J. is the Parkman Professor of Divinity and a Professor of Comparative Theology at Harvard Divinity School and is an internationally recognized leader in the field of Comparative Theology. Father Kevin Spicer, C.S.C. is an Assistant Professor of History at Stonehill College. Father George Piggford, C.S.C. is an Assistant Professor of English at Stonehill College. Father Opondo, S.J., who is from Kenya, is pursuing a doctorate in Pastoral Studies at Boston College. He offers a perspective that assists us in understanding and appreciating the universal nature of Catholicism.
Our Vision Our Lady of Sorrows is the Roman Catholic parish in Sharon, Massachusetts, a town that is predominantly Jewish and includes 7 churches and an Islamic Center. A significant number of our parishioners are members of inter-religious families. We embrace the challenges, opportunities and responsibilities that the unique religious composition of Sharon presents. We proclaim the presence of the Risen Lord who gathers us as a worshipping community and sends us forth to love and to serve. We pursue open and constructive dialogue as we strive to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ through life-long learning and faith formation. We practice and promote social justice that affirms the dignity of every human being, and rejects all forms of discrimination as contrary to God’s intent. We welcome, value and support the contributions of people from all walks of life and backgrounds as we celebrate and explore our Catholic faith. |