EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA

November 29, 2010

New pastor named for All Saints Parish in Haverhill

Reverend from Hull replaces the late Rev. Dennis Nason

By Bill Cantwell

bcantwell@eagletribune.com

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HAVERHILL — All Saints Parish will get a new pastor to start the new year.

At yesterday's Masses, it was announced that the Rev. Timothy Kearney will take over leadership of the Catholic church on Jan. 16.

He replaces the Rev. Dennis Nason, who died from lymphoma in October. Nason was 71.

Kearney is currently serving at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Hull, He was ordained a priest in 1996.

Church officials said Kearney is in his late 40s and has a reputation as a high-energy person and a strong leader.

He becomes only the second pastor ever at All Saints. Nason served in that position from 1998, when All Saints formed, to September, when he resigned shortly before his death.

All Saints formed through a merger of four Haverhill churches — St. Michael, St. Rita, St. George, all of which closed in 1998, and St. Joseph, which became All Saints Parish.

The death of Nason, who was very popular with parish members, left the Rev. Michael Harvey as the only full-time priest at All Saints. The Rev. Arnold Kelley is a semi-retired priest who lives at All Saints and serves there part-time.

The Rev. Robert Canole, pastor of Sacred Hearts Parish in the city's Bradford section, has been serving as temporary administrator at All Saints.

Officials at the Archdoicese of Boston have said the selection of a new pastor for All Saints took so long because they wanted to have a priest with just the right personality and skills to run the parish. When All Saints formed, many parishioners from the four churches in the merger were hurt and some expressed anger, Nason said at the time. Those feelings persisted for some members in the years that followed, Nason said, requiring the parish to have leadership that is very sensitive toward the needs and feelings of its members.

The merger of the four churches happened for financial reasons and because of declining attendance at Masses and a lack of priests.

Haverhill has four Catholic churches — All Saints, Sacred Hearts, St. James and St. John the Baptist.