About All Saints [Gate of Heaven Parish] · Lancaster, New Hampshire
Gate of Heaven Parish is a Roman Catholic territorial parish in the Diocese of Manchester that serves the far North Country of New Hampshire from five historic church buildings: All Saints Church in Lancaster (the parish seat), St. Matthew Church in Whitefield, St. Agnes Mission in Jefferson, St. Patrick Mission in Twin Mountain, and Our Lady of the Mountains Shrine in Bretton Woods. Formed on July 5, 2009, by the merger of the former All Saints Parish (Lancaster, est. 1856–57) and Saint Matthew Parish (Whitefield, est. 1886), the parish is led by Fr. Zevi and a lay staff and welcomes visitors and newcomers with open arms. Sunday Mass is celebrated across the four Sunday/weekend sites and weekday Masses rotate among the five churches, with confession and Eucharistic adoration held weekly at All Saints.
- Established
- 1857
- Rector
- Fr. Zevi (full surname not published on the official website)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester (Roman Catholic), White Mountain Deanery
Why belong here
Gate of Heaven Parish is a welcoming Catholic family in New Hampshire's North Country that makes it easy to encounter Christ through scripture, the sacraments, and service to neighbor. Five historic churches — All Saints in Lancaster, St. Matthew in Whitefield, St. Agnes in Jefferson, St. Patrick in Twin Mountain, and Our Lady of the Mountains in Bretton Woods — give parishioners weekly Mass in their own town, complemented by weekly Eucharistic adoration and confession at All Saints. Active ministries (Knights of Columbus Council #1624, Catholic Women's Group, the Cenacle of St. Monica prayer group, and a Visitation of Elders ministry) make it easy to find fellowship, prayer support, and ways to live out the corporal and spiritual Works of Mercy.
Mass times at All Saints [Gate of Heaven Parish]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 4:30–5:30 PM — All Saints Church, Lancaster (preceding 5:30 PM Mass)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 4:30–5:30 PM — All Saints Church, Lancaster (Eucharistic Adoration preceding 5:30 PM Mass)
Parish History & 2009 Merger
The Catholic presence in Lancaster, New Hampshire, dates to 1856, when All Saints Parish began serving the faithful of Lancaster and Jefferson; the parish was formally established in October 1857 and the All Saints Church was dedicated in 1877. Saint Matthew Parish was founded in Whitefield in 1886 (church erected 1906), with mission chapels at St. Agnes in Jefferson (1901), St. Patrick in Twin Mountain/Carroll (1915), and Our Lady of the Mountains in Bretton Woods. On June 24, 2009, the Bishop of Manchester decreed the merger of these communities into a single territorial parish named Gate of Heaven, effective July 5, 2009. The merger preserved the names of all five church buildings, transferred all sacramental registers and assets to the new parish, and was undertaken 'to strengthen the preaching of the Gospel and ensure the vitality of parish life' under canons 121, 515 and 518.
- All Saints Parish established 1856/57; church dedicated 1877
- Saint Matthew Parish established 1886; church erected 1906
- St. Agnes Mission erected 1901
- St. Patrick Mission erected 1915
- Our Lady of the Mountains Shrine (Bretton Woods)
- Merger decree issued June 24, 2009; Gate of Heaven Parish effective July 5, 2009
- Issued by the Bishop of Manchester, Diocese of Manchester, White Mountain Deanery
Parish Staff & Clergy
Gate of Heaven Parish is led by Fr. Zevi, the current pastor, together with a parish staff and lay collaborators. The parish website welcomes visitors with the line: 'Fr. Zevi, the parish staff, and our many parishioners are here to welcome you and answer any questions you might have.' Earlier parish bulletins (John Patrick Publishing covers) list Fr. Matthew J. Mason as Pastor in the period following the 2009 merger. The rectory/office is at 163 Main Street, Lancaster, and can be reached at (603) 788-2083. Named lay contacts on the site include Patty Coutermarsh and Diane Caruso, who coordinate the Cenacle of St. Monica prayer group.
- Fr. Zevi — current Pastor
- Fr. Matthew J. Mason — listed as Pastor on post-merger bulletins (c. 2009–2012)
- Patty Coutermarsh — Cenacle of St. Monica contact, (603) 837-9445
- Diane Caruso — Cenacle of St. Monica contact, (603) 991-4096
- Rectory: 163 Main Street, Lancaster, NH 03584
Parish Ministries & Groups
Gate of Heaven Parish maintains a small but active roster of lay ministries rooted in prayer, fellowship, and service. Knights of Columbus Council #1624 meets in All Saints Church's St. Joseph's Room (with Rosary before each meeting); the Catholic Women's Group gathers the women of the parish; the Cenacle of St. Monica is an intercessory prayer group that meets twice monthly in the sacristy of St. Matthew's Church; and the Visitation of Elders ministry brings the parish to those who cannot easily come to Mass. The parish also supports the NH Catholic Appeal and offers online eGive for stewardship.
- Knights of Columbus Council #1624 — meets in All Saints Church St. Joseph's Room (Rosary + business/planning meetings)
- Catholic Women's Group
- Cenacle of St. Monica — meets 2nd and last Thursday of every month, 3:00–5:00 PM, sacristy of St. Matthew's Church
- Visitation of Elders
- Parish Stewardship / eGive online giving
- Promotion of the NH Catholic Appeal
Parish Stewardship & Works of Mercy
The parish frames stewardship as 'a complete and total way of life that acknowledges our dependence on God for all we have and all we are.' On its Parish Stewardship page, Gate of Heaven lists the Corporal Works of Mercy (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, burying the dead) and the Spiritual Works of Mercy (counseling the doubtful, instructing the ignorant, admonishing sinners, comforting the afflicted, forgiving offenses, bearing wrongs patiently, praying for the living and the dead) as the framework for parish life. Online giving is available through eGive, and the parish encourages support of the diocesan NH Catholic Appeal.
- Online giving via eGive
- Corporal Works of Mercy — feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, burying the dead
- Spiritual Works of Mercy — counseling the doubtful, instructing the ignorant, admonishing sinners, comforting the afflicted, forgiving offenses, bearing wrongs patiently, praying for the living and the dead
- NH Catholic Appeal support
Sacraments & Devotions
The parish website references a 'Sacraments of Vocation' page (covering Holy Orders and Matrimony) and inherits the sacramental registers of the former All Saints and Saint Matthew parishes, which were transferred to the Gate of Heaven Parish office in 2009. Weekly Reconciliation (Confession) and Eucharistic Adoration are offered together on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 PM at All Saints Church. Past Masses are available for online viewing through the parish livestream archive.
- Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion, Marriage registers (transferred 2009)
- Confession — Wednesday 4:30–5:30 PM, All Saints Church
- Eucharistic Adoration — Wednesday 4:30–5:30 PM, All Saints Church
- Sacraments of Vocation (Holy Orders / Matrimony) page on parish site
- Sunday Mass livestream and on-demand archive
Parish Life & Events
The parish keeps an active calendar of fellowship and formation events. Recent and recurring events include the Knights of Columbus #1624 business and planning meetings (with dinner, rosary, and meeting in All Saints' St. Joseph's Room), the Cenacle of St. Monica prayer gatherings, and a Summer Picnic. The parish also publishes photo galleries and a bulletin through its website.
- KofC #1624 Business Meeting — 5:00 dinner, 5:30 Rosary, 6:00–7:00 meeting (All Saints St. Joseph's Room)
- KofC #1624 Planning Meeting — 6:00 dinner, 6:30 Rosary, 7:00–8:00 meeting
- Cenacle of St. Monica — 2nd and last Thursday, 3:00–5:00 PM, St. Matthew sacristy
- Summer Picnic (parish social)
- Weekly parish bulletin
The Five Worship Sites
Gate of Heaven Parish is, by design, a five-church family spread across Coos County. All five edifices retained their historic names after the 2009 merger, so parishioners can attend Mass in their own town while sharing one pastor, one parish council, and one set of sacramental registers.
- All Saints Church — 161 Main St., Lancaster (parish seat; Sunday 10:00 AM, Mon 9:00 AM, Wed 5:30 PM)
- Saint Matthew Church — 9 Jefferson Rd., Whitefield (est. 1886, erected 1906; Sat 4:00 PM vigil, Fri 9:00 AM)
- Saint Agnes Mission — 769 Presidential Highway, Jefferson (erected 1901; Sun 8:30 AM, Thu 9:00 AM)
- Saint Patrick Mission — 65 St. Patrick Church Rd., Twin Mountain/Carroll (erected 1915; Sun 7:00 AM)
- Our Lady of the Mountains Shrine — 2470 Rte. 302, Bretton Woods (Sat 9:00 AM)
Visit, Contact & Directions
Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed. The parish office (rectory) is at 163 Main Street, Lancaster, NH 03584, phone (603) 788-2083. All Saints Church is on Main Street (Routes 2 & 3) in the center of Lancaster, next to Rite Aid. The parish live-streams the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass from All Saints and posts an archive of past Masses on its website. Bulletin, Mass times, confession times, adoration times, and a giving portal are all available online at gateofheavennh.org.
- Parish office / rectory: 163 Main Street, Lancaster, NH 03584
- Phone: (603) 788-2083
- Website: http://www.gateofheavennh.org
- All Saints Church: 161 Main Street, Lancaster — on Main St. (Rts. 2 & 3), next to Rite Aid
- Live stream of Sunday 10:00 AM Mass
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Matthew J. Masonc. 2009–c. 2012 (post-merger)
Listed as Pastor on John Patrick Publishing parish bulletin covers for Gate of Heaven Parish shortly after the 2009 merger; listed under the Christ the King bulletin cover.