About Carmelite Chapel in the Northshore Mall · Peabody, Massachusetts
Carmelite Chapel in the Northshore Mall (formally St. Therese Carmelite Chapel) is a Roman Catholic chapel located on the lower level of the Northshore Mall in Peabody, Massachusetts, and is recognized as the first Catholic chapel ever built inside a shopping mall in the United States. It was dedicated by Cardinal Richard Cushing of the Archdiocese of Boston on January 28, 1960, as part of his initiative to 'bring God into the marketplace' by making the sacraments available where people work, shop, and travel. Originally staffed by the Order of Carmelites (O.Carm.), the chapel was transferred on February 1, 2016 to the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI), a Syro-Malabar congregation founded in 1831 in India by Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara. For more than sixty years the chapel has offered daily Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration, Anointing of the Sick, and spiritual direction to mallgoers and pilgrims seeking a quiet place of prayer amid busy commercial life.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux
- Rector
- Rev. Jilson George, CMI (Director)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston (Roman Rite)
Why belong here
The Carmelite Chapel in the Northshore Mall is a unique Catholic oasis offering daily Mass twice a day Monday through Friday (12 noon and 3 PM) and three times on Saturday, along with exceptionally generous daily confession times and three hours of Eucharistic adoration. It exists to bring sacramental and spiritual life into the heart of a busy commercial space, and a strong community has grown around it — many of whom make a special trip to the mall simply to attend Mass or sit in prayer. Whether you are a shopper, a commuter, a daily communicant without easy access to a parish church, or someone seeking spiritual direction and quiet, the chapel offers a warm Carmelite welcome and a remarkable rhythm of daily sacraments.
Mass times at Carmelite Chapel in the Northshore Mall
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
- Monday 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
- Tuesday 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
- Tuesday 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
- Wednesday 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
- Wednesday 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
- Thursday 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
- Thursday 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
- Friday 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
- Friday 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
- Saturday 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
- Saturday 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM
Adoration times
- Friday 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament)
About the Carmelite Chapel in the Northshore Mall
Carmelite Chapel in the Northshore Mall — formally the St. Therese Carmelite Chapel — is a Roman Catholic chapel on the lower level of the Northshore Mall in Peabody, Massachusetts, and the first Catholic chapel ever built inside a U.S. shopping mall. It was dedicated by Cardinal Richard Cushing of the Archdiocese of Boston on January 28, 1960, as part of his 'workers' chapels' initiative to bring the sacraments to where people live and work. Today the chapel is staffed by the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI), a Syro-Malabar congregation from India founded in 1831 by Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who took over sacramental care from the Order of Carmelites on February 1, 2016.
- Type: Roman Catholic chapel
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston
- Founded: January 28, 1960
- Patron: St. Thérèse of Lisieux
- Current staff community: Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI)
- Mall location: Lower Level, near Not Your Average Joe's
History
Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston dedicated the chapel on January 28, 1960, as the first Catholic chapel ever built inside a shopping mall in the United States. It was one of several 'workers' chapels' Cushing established to make the sacraments accessible in places where people worked and shopped. The Order of Carmelites staffed the chapel for over five decades, until February 1, 2016, when the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) — founded in India in 1831 by St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara — assumed responsibility.
- 1960: Chapel dedicated by Cardinal Cushing; first Catholic chapel in a U.S. mall
- 1960–2016: Staffed by the Order of Carmelites (O.Carm.)
- 1993: Survived a mall redevelopment; a petition drive preserved the chapel's lease
- 2016 (Feb. 1): Care transferred to the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI)
- 2020 (Jan. 3): Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley celebrated the 60th anniversary Mass on the feast of St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara
Clergy & Staff
The chapel is currently directed by Rev. Jilson George, CMI, and is served by a small community of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate. The CMI fathers are members of a Syro-Malabar religious congregation who serve this Roman-Rite chapel under the Archdiocese of Boston.
- Rev. Jilson George, CMI — Director
- Rev. Sebastian Varghese (Thekkedath), CMI
- Rev. Sebastian Augustine, CMI
- Rev. Bijo Thomas, CMI
Sacraments & Spiritual Services
Beyond Mass and confession, the chapel offers the Anointing of the Sick and spiritual direction, continuing Cardinal Cushing's vision of a 'workers' chapel' where the full sacramental and spiritual life of the Church is close at hand.
- Anointing of the Sick (on request)
- Spiritual Direction (on request)
- Mass Intentions (can be requested at the gift shop)
Catholic Gift Shop
Adjacent to the chapel on the mall's lower level is a Catholic Gift Shop that sells religious items, books, and devotional goods. Visitors can also request Mass intentions for their loved ones there. Proceeds from the gift shop help the chapel meet its rent to the Northshore Mall.
- Location: Lower Level, next to the chapel entrance
- Stocks religious gifts and books
- Accepts Mass intention requests
- Sales help fund the chapel's rent
Visit & Location
The chapel is unusually easy to find once you know where to look: from the main level of the Northshore Mall, take the escalator or stairs down to the lower level and head toward Not Your Average Joe's restaurant — the chapel is right there. Because it sits inside a working mall, the chapel is essentially a 'shrine in the marketplace' accessible to anyone who happens to be in the area.
- Address: 210 Andover St, Peabody, MA 01960 (Northshore Mall, Lower Level)
- Phone: 978-531-8340
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: carmelitepeabody.com
- Landmark: entrance next to Not Your Average Joe's restaurant
- Parking: ample Northshore Mall parking
The Carmelite Tradition
The chapel's name reflects two distinct Carmelite heritages. From 1960 to 2016 it was served by the historic Order of Carmelites (O.Carm.), whose spirituality centers on contemplative prayer, the Virgin Mary, and the prophet Elijah. In 2016, ministry was entrusted to the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI), a Syro-Malabar religious congregation founded in 1831 in Kerala, India, by Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara. While the CMI fathers are Eastern-Rite by origin, they serve this Roman-Rite chapel under the Archdiocese of Boston — a fitting expression of the 'catholicity' Cardinal O'Malley spoke of at the chapel's 60th anniversary Mass.
- 1960–2016: Order of Carmelites (O.Carm.)
- From Feb. 1, 2016: Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI)
- CMI founder: St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara (feast day Jan. 3)
- CMI now active in 32 countries