Penobscot County | featured news

BANGOR  – Dirigo Reads, a program that aims to put a book in the hands of every Maine first grader each month during the school year by 2025, is announcing the addition of 36 schools that will participate in the program during the next school year. This brings the total number of participating schools to 87 for the 2022-23 school year, and increases the number of estimated first graders in Maine to receive new books every month through the program by about 77 percent, or approximately 1,200 additional students.

NEWTON, Massachusetts — Daphne Wallace-Murphy is a member of the Lasell University Class of 2022.

Undergraduate degree recipients were honored at an on-campus ceremony on Saturday, May 14. Wallace-Murphy, a resident of Orono, graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor of arts in fashion design and production.

LIMERICK — In an effort to help veterans in need of assistance, St. Matthew Parish in Limerick will be collecting items for gift baskets on the weekends of June 11-12 and June 18-19. Items needed are snacks, candies, toiletries, and clothing items like socks and gloves. Anyone able to donate is asked to bring the items to the church (19 Dora Lane) before, during, or after Masses on those weekends. Weekend Masses at St. Matthew are celebrated on Saturdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 8 a.m.

WATERVILLE — Those engaged in or simply interested in all aspects of ministries to the incarcerated are invited to attend a special Prison Ministry program on Friday, June 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Notre Dame Church (112 Silver Street in Waterville). The program will be livestreamed for remote participation as well. Joe Cotton of the Archdiocese of Seattle and the Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition will serve as the main presenter and topics will include prayer in prison and the ongoing formation of those who minister to those impacted by incarceration.