Rev. Terence T. Kilcoyne relaxes in the rectory at Holy Trinity Parish in Harvard. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

On July 1, Holy Trinity Parish, which includes St. Theresa, the Little Flower, Church in Harvard and St. Francis Xavier Church in Bolton, welcomed a new pastor, Father Terence Kilcoyne, former pastor of St. Edward the Confessor Parish in Westminster.

Born Nov. 29, 1949, in Clinton, Kilcoyne is a graduate of St. John's High School in Shrewsbury, Worcester State College, and St. John's Seminary in Brighton. He holds a doctorate in pastoral counseling from the Graduate Theological Foundation at the University of Notre Dame. He was ordained a priest on Sept. 18, 1976.

Kilcoyne's first assignment was as the associate pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Worcester. It was while serving there that he met and became friends with Father Norman Gaumond, the pastor of St. Theresa's church from 1986 until his death in 2005.

Father Kilcoyne talks with the Press

Just before heading out for his first visit to the annual Columbus Day Weekend Flea Market on Oct. 9, Father Kilcoyne spoke with the Press about his first few months on the job.

Press: You've just passed the three-month mark as the new pastor of Holy Trinity Parish—how is it going?

Fr. Kilcoyne: I'm still trying to figure out where all the lights are in the rectory! But I am very happy to be here for the towns of Bolton and Harvard. Father Norm loved Harvard and, in some ways, that's why I accepted this position—my friendship with him and his love for the community here.

Press: How did you first come to know you wanted to be a priest?

Fr. Kilcoyne: It was a gradual decision, over many years. When I was growing up in Clinton there were over 100 priests—it was the "hothouse" for religious vocations [in the Diocese]…everybody knew, or every family had, at least one priest or sister [nun]. It was part of the environment.

Press: But your undergraduate major was in English and you briefly taught high school English right out of college?

Fr. Kilcoyne: Yes. I absolutely love teaching.

Press: So, who is your favorite author?

Fr. Kilcoyne: T.S. Eliot.

Press: And your favorite work by Eliot?

Fr. Kilcoyne: Murder in the Cathedral.

Press: What are your goals for your first year at Holy Trinity?

Fr. Kilcoyne: I view the first year as a time to simply experience the parish and not change anything. It's a gradual process. Goals will come after the first year, after I have come to know the parish.

Press: How would you describe yourself as a parish priest?

Fr. Kilcoyne: My administrative style is very horizontal. I'm a delegator. I like to encourage people to become involved but I don't manage every little detail—I see myself as more overseeing and guiding.

Press: What do you most enjoy about being a parish priest?

Fr. Kilcoyne: I love interacting with people and the sense of community that comes with parish life. I also enjoy—and welcome—people with a sense of humor.

Press: What do you find most challenging in your role?

Fr. Kilcoyne: Finances! I'm not good at them!

Press: Have you found it more challenging to be a priest in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal?

Fr. Kilcoyne: It has always been challenging to be a priest and in the public eye. What is happening [now] in our profession is a plague and must be dealt with. It's a plague in society, and not just in our profession. We, as priests, have [as a group] been unfairly demonized. But I am not bowing my head when I'm in public because I know I have never done anything wrong or anything that I should feel ashamed of. I am not ashamed to be a priest.

Press: What are you most looking forward to as the new pastor of Holy Trinity?

Fr. Kilcoyne: I'm very much looking forward to discovering the people [of the parish], getting to know them. I'm also looking forward to ecumenical exchange in town, both in Harvard and in Bolton. The minister at First Parish in Bolton (Rev. Richard Jones) has already contacted me to welcome me and ask how I'm doing and I'm looking forward to more of that.

Press: Anything else that you'd like to share as people around town get to know you? Quirks? Habits? Favorite foods? Pastimes?

Fr. Kilcoyne: My favorite TV show is The Simpsons. It has been consistently well-written for 20 years.