About Christ the King Parish - St. Agnes · Reading, Massachusetts
Christ the King Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Boston serving the town of Reading, Massachusetts, about 16 miles north of Boston. The parish was officially formed on March 1, 2023, through the merger of two historic Reading parishes — St. Agnes Church (186 Woburn Street) and St. Athanasius Church (300 Haverhill Street) — both of which remain open as active worship sites. The parish offers daily and Sunday Masses in English, a robust faith formation program for children and teens, OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for those becoming Catholic, and a variety of ministries and outreach efforts serving a community of roughly 25,000 residents.
- Established
- 2023
- Patron
- Christ the King
- Rector
- Rev. Robert A. LeBlanc (Fr. Bobby LeBlanc)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Christ the King Parish welcomes visitors, returning Catholics, and new residents into a united but familiar community — you can worship at either the historic St. Agnes Church on Woburn Street or the architecturally striking St. Athanasius Church on Haverhill Street, both within a single parish family. The parish offers a full sacramental life (daily and Sunday Masses, Reconciliation multiple times a week, Eucharistic Adoration, and Confirmation), along with a fresh Family Faith Formation model for K–6 children, a Confirmation program for grades 7–10, the OCIA process for adults becoming Catholic, and a wide range of ministries for men, women, and youth. With active groups like the Saturday Morning Men's Group, AA meetings, a Golf Tournament fundraiser, livestreamed Masses, and strong outreach through evangelization, it is a parish built for both spiritual growth and community involvement.
Mass times at Christ the King Parish - St. Agnes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (St. Agnes Church)
- Saturday 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM (St. Athanasius Church)
- Saturday 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM (St. Athanasius Church)
Adoration times
- Friday 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM (St. Agnes Church — Adoration follows the 9:00 AM Mass)
About Christ the King Parish
Christ the King Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Boston serving the town of Reading, Massachusetts, a community of approximately 25,000 residents located 16 miles north of Boston. The parish was formed on March 1, 2023, by the union of two historic Reading parishes, St. Agnes and St. Athanasius, both of which continue to operate as active worship sites. The parish mission emphasizes spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, rebuilding the Church by making disciples, and intentional evangelization supported by the Archdiocesan Office of Evangelization.
History and the 2023 Merger
St. Agnes and St. Athanasius parishes had been collaborating informally for about four years before formalizing their union. On December 15, 2022, Cardinal Seán O'Malley approved the merger, and on March 1, 2023, both parishes officially became Christ the King Parish. Although the new combined parish took the name Christ the King, each individual church retained its name and building. Fr. Stephen B. Rock, who had been pastor of St. Agnes since 2007, led the transition.
- December 15, 2022 — Cardinal O'Malley approves merger
- March 1, 2023 — Christ the King Parish officially established
- Both St. Agnes and St. Athanasius churches retained as worship sites
St. Athanasius Church and Its Architecture
St. Athanasius Parish was established in 1960 and its striking modernist church was completed in 1962. Designed by the architectural firm Louis A. Scibelli and Daniel F. Tully, the building is renowned for its Hyperbolic Paraboloid roof — at the time the largest such structure in the Western Hemisphere and a design later used on large sports arenas. The interior features ceiling recessed lights that evoke a starry sky, a continuous band of clear and stained glass wrapping the building, and a large mosaic of stained wood behind the altar that flows into the sanctuary.
- Parish established in 1960
- Church completed in 1962
- Architects: Louis A. Scibelli and Daniel F. Tully
- Hyperbolic Paraboloid roof, largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere at the time
Our Staff and Clergy
Christ the King Parish is led by Pastor Fr. Bobby LeBlanc and supported by Parochial Vicar Fr. Stephen 'Z' Zukas and Senior Priest in Residence Fr. Edward Malone. Two deacons — Rev. Mr. Matt Baltier and Rev. Mr. William Reidy — assist with ministry. The parish also benefits from a Music Director, Director of Family Faith Formation, Confirmation Coordinator/Youth Minister, finance and operations staff, an accounting team, a facilities manager, an office coordinator, and an administrative coordinator. The parish maintains a Finance Council and a Parish Council.
- Pastor: Rev. Robert A. LeBlanc (Fr. Bobby)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Stephen Zukas (Fr. Z)
- Senior Priest: Rev. Edward Malone
- Deacon: Rev. Mr. Matt Baltier
- Deacon: Rev. Mr. William Reidy
- Music Director: Emily Stone
- Director, Family Faith Formation: Paula Colpitts
- Confirmation Coordinator / Youth Ministry: Michelle Goldner
- Accounting: Anne Baynes
- Operations: Jim Fitzgerald
- Facilities Management: Larry Immerman
- Office Coordinator: Monica Sylva
- Administrative Coordinator: Jacqueline Steele
Family Faith Formation (K–6)
New to Christ the King Parish for 2025–2026, Family Faith Formation is a refreshed catechetical model for families with children in kindergarten through sixth grade. The program follows a three-year Flagship Series aligned with the Church's three-year liturgical cycle, with monthly Family Sessions (one Sunday morning, one Wednesday evening — each 1 hour 15 minutes) and monthly student-only Small Groups. Lessons are designed to help families balance spiritual life with family life through formation, prayer, worship, and fellowship.
- Monthly Family Sessions — Sunday morning or Wednesday evening
- Monthly student Small Groups
- Three-year Flagship Series aligned with liturgical cycle
- Includes First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion preparation
Confirmation (Grades 7–10)
Youth Confirmation is a two-year preparation program for students in grades 7 through 10, with the sacrament typically received at the end of Year 2. The program includes Year 1 and Year 2 classes, a Year 2 all-day retreat, candidate interviews, a 'Faith in Action' credit system (10 credits per year, at least 5 for service), and a Confirmation Mass. Recent Confirmation Masses have been celebrated at both church sites — for example, April 15, 2026 at St. Athanasius Church and April 26, 2026 at St. Agnes Church.
- Year 1 and Year 2 Preparation
- Year 2 all-day Retreat
- Faith in Action credit system — 10 credits/year, ≥5 in service
- Confirmation candidate interviews
- Spring 2026 Confirmation Masses at St. Athanasius and St. Agnes
Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
The parish welcomes adults and older teens who are unbaptized or baptized in another Christian tradition through the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA), as well as children aged 7 and older through a parallel OCIA process for children. An Adult Confirmation program is also offered for already-baptized Catholics seeking the sacrament, with meetings beginning in January 2026. Inquirers are encouraged to submit an Inquiry Intake Form via the parish website.
- OCIA for Adults
- OCIA for Children (ages 7+)
- Adult Confirmation Program (begins January 2026)
- Inquiry Intake Form available online
Ministries, Outreach, and Community Life
Christ the King Parish supports a broad range of ministries for parishioners of all ages and stages. Beyond the formal formation programs, the parish hosts a Saturday Morning Men's Group, AA meetings, an annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser, Music and Liturgy ministry, Media Communications, and council work through the Finance Council and Parish Council. The parish also emphasizes evangelization, working with the Archdiocesan Office of Evangelization to 'bring people back to Christ.'
- Saturday Morning Men's Group
- AA Meetings
- Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser
- Music and Liturgy Ministry
- Media Communications
- Parish Council and Finance Council
- Archdiocesan-supported evangelization initiative
Contact, Office Hours, and Livestream
The Parish Office is located at 184 Woburn Street, Reading, MA 01867, and can be reached at (781) 944-0490 or [email protected]. Office hours are Monday–Wednesday 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM, Thursday 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM, and closed on Friday. For those unable to attend in person, the parish livestreams Masses from both St. Agnes and St. Athanasius churches, with archives available on the parish website.
- Parish Office: 184 Woburn Street, Reading, MA 01867
- Phone: (781) 944-0490
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Wed 9:30 AM–3:30 PM; Thu 9:30 AM–6:30 PM; closed Friday
- Livestreamed Masses from both worship sites with online archives
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Stephen B. Rock2007 – c. 2023
Pastor of St. Agnes Church from 2007; led the parish through the collaborative years and signed the merger announcement letter creating Christ the King Parish, which became effective March 1, 2023.
- Rev. Robert A. LeBlanc (Fr. Bobby)present
Current pastor of Christ the King Parish; previously listed as parochial vicar and now leads the merged parish.