About Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Center Bethany Chapel · Braintree, Massachusetts
Bethany Chapel is the chapel of the Archdiocese of Boston's Pastoral Center, a 3,600-square-foot place of worship located on the ground floor of the archdiocese's administrative headquarters at 66 Brooks Drive in Braintree, Massachusetts. Dedicated by Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley on October 1, 2008, it takes its name from the biblical village of Bethany near Jerusalem, where Jesus visited his friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Weekday Mass is celebrated Monday through Thursday at 12:10 p.m., with Thursday also offering a Eucharistic Holy Hour and the Sacrament of Confession after Mass. The chapel is distinctive for housing 21 stained glass windows salvaged from parishes closed during the archdiocese's reorganization, as well as a Spanish-made, dove-shaped tabernacle suspended above the altar.
- Established
- 2008
- Patron
- The chapel is named for the biblical Bethany, the village near Jerusalem where Jesus visited Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Bethany Chapel offers a quiet, prayerful refuge in the heart of the Archdiocese of Boston's administrative campus, with daily midday Mass Monday through Thursday, regular confession and Eucharistic Holy Hour, and a monthly Holy Hour and Rosary praying for priests. Its salvaged stained glass from closed Catholic parishes across eastern Massachusetts gives the space a deeply historic, contemplative character, and it is lovingly served by the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master. Whether you work nearby, are passing through, or are seeking a weekday Mass or a moment of silence in front of the Blessed Sacrament, the chapel welcomes all.
Mass times at Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Center Bethany Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Every Thursday after the 12:10 p.m. Mass
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Holy Hour: every Thursday after the 12:10 p.m. Mass
- Eucharistic Holy Hour and Rosary to Pray for Priests: every 3rd Thursday of the month, 2:00–3:00 p.m.
- Note: As posted on the official site, there is currently no Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Bethany Chapel — Pastoral Center Worship Space
Bethany Chapel is the principal place of worship at the Archdiocese of Boston's Pastoral Center, a 3,600-square-foot chapel on the ground floor of the four-story administrative building at 66 Brooks Drive in Braintree, Massachusetts. Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley dedicated the chapel on October 1, 2008, calling it 'the heart of the Pastoral Center.' The chapel's name comes from the village of Bethany near Jerusalem, where Jesus visited his friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and the Latin inscription over the sanctuary — 'Magister adest vocat te' — recalls Martha's words to her sister: 'The Teacher is here, and He is calling you.'
- Named for the biblical village of Bethany
- Dedicated October 1, 2008 by Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley
- 3,600 square feet on the ground floor of the Pastoral Center
- Hosts weekday Mass Monday–Thursday at 12:10 p.m.
Stained Glass Windows and Sacred Furnishings
The chapel houses 21 stained glass windows, all salvaged from parishes that closed during the archdiocese's reorganization in eastern Massachusetts. The rose window — where the glass is arranged like petals, in a style especially prominent in French churches — came from Sacred Heart Polish Parish in Ipswich. The crucifix above the altar was preserved from the chapel of the former Brighton chancery. The most striking liturgical furnishing is a dove-shaped tabernacle from Spain, a replica of an ancient Eastern tabernacle suspended above the altar. This custom of a hanging tabernacle dates to the earliest centuries of the Church and is mentioned in the sixth-century writings of St. Gregory of Tours.
- 21 stained glass windows from closed parishes
- Rose window — Sacred Heart Polish Parish, Ipswich
- St. Peter windows (2 sets) — St. Peter Parish, Gloucester
- St. Jerome windows (2 sets) — St. Jerome Parish, Arlington
- Crucifix — from the former Brighton chancery chapel
- Dove-shaped suspended tabernacle — Spanish-made replica of an ancient Eastern design
The Pastoral Center Gift Shop
Adjacent to the chapel, the Pastoral Center Gift Shop is staffed by the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master and offers rosary beads, medals, statuary, cards, crucifixes, and vestments. It is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; the shop closes for the noon Mass and reopens until 2:00 p.m. The sisters are happy to discuss the merchandise as well as upcoming archdiocesan musical events, seminars, and retreats.
- Open Monday–Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (closed during 12:10 p.m. Mass)
- Staffed by the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master
- Sells rosaries, medals, statuary, cards, crucifixes, and vestments
The Sister Disciples of the Divine Master
The chapel is lovingly served by the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master (PDDM), a congregation founded in 1924 by Blessed James Alberione as part of the Pauline Family, which is dedicated to spreading the Gospel through every means of communication. The sisters' specific charism is eucharistic: they support priests, care for liturgical linens and vestments, and help prepare for Mass. In the Archdiocese of Boston, the sisters staff the Pastoral Center gift shop, maintain Bethany Chapel, work in the Clergy Personnel Office, and care for retired priests at Regina Cleri in Boston. Their mission in the chapel is to keep the space worthy of the Eucharist and the priests who celebrate it.
- Sister Michelle Hernandez, PDDM — golden jubilee of religious profession celebrated in 2015
- Sister Lucille Van Hoogmoed, PDDM — vicar to the Delegate Superior
- Sister Nieves Salinas, PDDM — local superior of the U.S. community
- Sister Nympha Crasta, PDDM — staff member of Bethany Chapel and the gift shop
- Sister Josephine Fallon, PDDM — Delegate Superior for the United States
The Pastoral Center Building and Campus
The Bethany Chapel sits within the Archdiocese of Boston's Pastoral Center, a four-story, 140,000-square-foot office building purchased from developer Thomas J. Flatley in 2007. In June 2008, an estimated 50 offices and 225 employees relocated from the former Brighton campus (used by the archdiocese since the late 1920s) to 66 Brooks Drive in Braintree. The move followed the May 2007 sale of the Brighton property — excluding St. John's Seminary — to Boston College for $65 million. The Pastoral Center now consolidates five previously separate archdiocesan administrative locations into a single campus and hosts regular training for priests, deacons, teachers, and parish staff, as well as programs like Arise Together In Christ, a three-year program of spiritual renewal for parish laity and clergy.
- Four-story, 140,000-square-foot office building at 66 Brooks Drive, Braintree
- Donated (sold at a deep discount) by Thomas J. Flatley; key presented by his son Daniel T. Flatley at the chapel dedication
- Opened June 30, 2008 after the June 23–27 move from Brighton
- Easy access from I-93, Route 128, Route 3, I-95, and the Logan Express (Forbes Road)
- Approximately 1.5 miles from Blue Hills Cemetery