Archambault was a part-time assistant pastor at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hampden and chaplain at Baystate Medical Center.
This is an updated version of a story posted at 10:11 this morning.
Paul ArchambaultSPRINGFIELD – Police Sgt. John Delaney confirmed Monday that a 42-year-old priest who was found dead Sunday at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart rectory where he lived died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound.
Police said the Rev. Paul Archambault said the 4 p.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Hampden. He was scheduled to return Sunday morning to the Somers Road church, but did not show up, Mark E. Dupont, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, said.
Dupont said Archambault was last publicly seen early Saturday night when, in his duties as chaplain at Baystate Medical Center, he ministered to a family in the emergency department.
“Obviously, he was doing exactly what he was known to do and that is respond to these emergencies regardless of the day or the time of day,” Dupont said.
Archambault arrived at Baystate about 6 p.m. and left about 45 minutes later, Dupont said. “He seemed fine when he left,” he said.
“At this point we are referring the matter to the (state medical examiner) and Springfield police,” Dupont said.
When Archambault did not arrive to say the Sunday morning Mass in Hampden, parish members contacted priests at Sacred Heart, which is located between Rosewell Street, Boston Road and Breckwood Boulevard.
Another priest came to the Hampden church to conduct the service and a search was started, Dupont said.
“He was a very young and very gifted young priest,” Dupont said of Archarmbault, adding that Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell was “tremendously saddened” by the news. “It’s a tremendous loss to the diocese in Springfield.”
Archambault was a part-time assistant pastor at St. Mary’s, whose pastor, the Rev. Timothy J. Murphy, could not immediately be reached for comment. Archambault served regular Masses at the Hampden church, where he was known for his commanding voice and for quizzing parishioners on their knowledge of church doctrine during Mass.
Along with serving as chaplain for Baystate, Archambault, did many special projects including recently serving at an all-night vigil in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
A native of Northampton, Archambault graduated from St. John’s Seminary College in Brighton in 2000 and earned a master’s degree in divinity from Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Conn. He was ordained as a priest in 2005 and first assigned as a parochial vicar at St. Theresa Parish in South Hadley.