Bishop places priest on leave

JANUARY 30, 2020, WORCESTER, MA -- Fr. Guillermo Ochoa, administrator of St. Denis Parish in Ashburnham, has been placed on administrative leave pending an independent investigation of financial management issues not involving St. Denis parish funds. Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, announced his decision today.

“While at this stage I cannot get into specifics of what may have transpired, I want to assure the parishioners of St. Denis Parish that what prompted this decision did not involve the parish’s funds or anything involving inappropriate sexual behavior. Placing Fr. Ochoa on leave allows an investigator the ability to be thorough while allowing Father Ochoa the time to cooperate in the investigation.”

Bishop McManus appointed Fr. Richard Reidy, Vicar General, to be the temporary administrator of the parish to assure that the spiritual needs of the parishioners are being met and that normal parish ministries can continue. The bishop also announced that a report to the parish will be made at the conclusion of the investigation.

Fr. Guillermo Ochoa was born in 1982 in Colombia and studied at Pontifical Bolivarian University, Medellin, Colombia. He studied at Clark University and Boston University while residing at the Holy Name of Jesus House of Studies in Worcester. He completed his seminary studies at St. John Seminary, Brighton and received his Masters in Divinity. His pastoral assignments prior to ordination as a priest included St. Mark in Sutton, St. Anthony di Padua in Fitchburg, and St. Mary in Uxbridge.

Fr. Ochoa was ordained for the Diocese of Worcester in 2011. He has served as an associate pastor at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Milford and at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and Sacred Heart Parishes in Gardner. He was on leave with the Diocese of Venice, Florida in 2016-2017 before returning to Worcester to serve as administrator in Ashburnham.
# # #