BOSTON - Father Wayne Belchner, former of a curate at St. Charles in Woburn for nearly a decade, has raised the consciousness of his new Parish, Sacred Heart Church in East Boston, as well as Boston Archdiocese by comments in the parish bulletin this week.

Belchner has spoke out on church critics in the Daily Times Chronicle in an interview but received some more wide-spread coverage in the Boston Herald on Thursday morning.

In his bulletin, Father "Wayne", who is the pastor of the Sacred Heart Church, wrote, "I have done my best to hold my tongue, however, I can no longer be silent in the face of the attacks."

Among his targets was Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who, he said, had made some comments against the Catholic Church during the recent controversy in the closing of Our Lady of the Presentation School in Brighton.

Others who had criticized the church like City Councilor Jerry McDermott, and State Representation Michael Moran, D. Brighton, were also critical of the church's handling of the situation. "I guess that the city of Boston and the state of Massachusetts is in such great shape that our elected officials have nothing other to do than criticize others," Belchner said in his bulletin.

Belchner, who still maintains a close association to Woburn and is a member of two social clubs in Woburn, is still highly visible in this area after leaving in September 2003 for the new assignment.

Belchner was also outspoken on major issues in Woburn. In an interview with Rick Friedman in February 2002, he talked about bad priests, good priests "and why Woburn remains unique in both heaven and here on Earth."

A native to Revere, Belchner had his first exposure in this area in Winchester as a deacon. St. Charles in Woburn was his first parish.