St. Francis of Assisi Parish

On November 1, 2019, the St. Francis of Assisi Parish community was pleased to welcome Fr. David Darcy as its 14th pastor. 

Fr. David’s arrival was not only a new chapter in the life of our parish, but it also marked  a personal homecoming, as he and his family were active parishioners here throughout his childhood. A graduate of Belchertown High School, he considered pursuing a degree in music before discerning his call to the priesthood. He entered St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, MA, and spent time training in the Army chaplain program, before being called in another direction. On June 4, 1994, he was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Springfield. 

Fr. David has been a pastor to several communities throughout the diocese. He serves as the Director of Seminarians in the diocesan vocations office and teaches homiletics to the men studying in the diocesan diaconate program.

If there is one word that best describes Fr. David and his priesthood, it would be joy! 

On June 26, 2021, the St. Francis of Assisi Parish community welcomed the then newly ordained Deacon John Murray along with his wife Sandy.

A western Massachusetts native, Dcn. John met Sandy through his grandfather, just months before he entered the Air Force. Following months of daily correspondence, they married and began raising a family, while continuing his service.

After leaving the military, he worked 20 plus years in the insurance and financial services industry. In 2013, he was unexpectedly laid off during a corporate reorganization. 

While this was a challenging and disruptive time in his life, he will be the first to tell you what a blessing it became. It was during this time that he began to reassess his spiritual life and work on developing a regular prayer routine, which enabled him to start asking the right question – “God, what is your will for me?”

A cradle Catholic, with sporadic church attendance for many years, he credits a Cursillo retreat in 2014 for re-igniting his faith and enabling him to be open to discerning the Lord calling him to the diaconate. 

Dcn. John joyfully assists Fr. David wherever he is needed. He has been instrumental in introducing many ongoing educational programs to the parish. He also prepares parents for the responsibilities that come with baptizing their children and meets with couples seeking marriage in the church. 

When not serving at the parish or assisting the bishop, Dcn. John works part-time for Beers and Story Funeral Homes as a licensed funeral home assistant.