About Divine Mercy Parish - Sacred Heart Church · Quincy, Massachusetts
Divine Mercy Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Boston serving the North Quincy, West Quincy, Wollaston, Squantum, and Marina Bay neighborhoods. Formed in 2020, it unites three former Quincy parishes — Saint Mary (founded 1840), Sacred Heart (founded 1903), and Saint Ann (founded 1922) — that had already been collaborating since 2014 under Fr. Louis Palmieri. The combined parish worships at three church buildings on Hancock Street and Crescent Street, offers Mass in English and a monthly Kenyan Mass in Swahili, and runs a robust program of faith formation, liturgical ministries, and outreach including the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
- Established
- 2020 (parish formed 2020); Sacred Heart Church founded 1903; St. Ann founded 1922; St. Mary founded 1840
- Patron
- Divine Mercy
- Rector
- Rev. Louis R. Palmieri
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Divine Mercy Parish brings together the rich Catholic heritage of three older Quincy parishes under one roof, offering Mass at three worship sites in English and a Sunday Swahili Mass for the Kenyan Catholic community. Parishioners can join dozens of active liturgical and social-justice ministries (Eucharistic Adoration, choir, altar servers, lectors, St. Vincent de Paul Society, a men's group, a Tuesday prayer group for those affected by substance abuse, and Lenten Stations of the Cross), keep children in a strong K–8 faith-formation program with two-year Confirmation prep, and find a vibrant sacramental life — Reconciliation Saturdays, Eucharistic Adoration Thursdays, monthly Anointing of the Sick, and a Kenyan Mass each month.
Mass times at Divine Mercy Parish - Sacred Heart Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM at St. Mary & Sacred Heart
- and by appointment
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration: Thursdays 12:00 PM–2:30 PM in the chapel at Sacred Heart
- Eucharistic Adoration: Tuesdays 12:00 PM–3:00 PM
About Divine Mercy Parish
Divine Mercy Parish was formed in 2020 from the merger of the three Quincy parishes of St. Mary (founded 1840), Sacred Heart (founded 1903) and St. Ann (founded 1922), which had already been formally collaborating since 2014. The combined parish serves the West Quincy, Wollaston, North Quincy, Squantum and Marina Bay neighborhoods from three active worship sites along Hancock Street and Crescent Street. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Boston and is led by its founding pastor, Fr. Louis R. Palmieri.
- Formed in 2020 from three merging Quincy parishes
- In the Archdiocese of Boston (South Region)
- Three worship sites: Sacred Heart (386 Hancock St.), St. Ann (755 Hancock St.), St. Mary (115 Crescent St.)
- Pastor: Rev. Louis R. Palmieri
Worship Sites
The united parish keeps all three historic church buildings active as worship sites, each with its own schedule of Masses. Sacred Heart Church on Hancock Street is the parish-office site and the home of the Kenyan Catholic Community's Swahili Mass; St. Ann Church on Hancock Street is also on Hancock; St. Mary Church is on Crescent Street near North Quincy.
- Sacred Heart Church — 386 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02171
- St. Ann Church — 755 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02170
- St. Mary Church — 115 Crescent Street, Quincy, MA 02169
History of the Three Founding Parishes
The Divine Mercy community has roots in Catholic Quincy going back to 1840. St. Mary Parish is the oldest of the three (1840), followed by Sacred Heart (1903) and St. Ann (1922). Sacred Heart's church was destroyed by fire on January 20, 1948; under Monsignor Gifford it was restored and the parish school cornerstone was laid on the 50th anniversary of his ordination, June 19, 1961. The school opened September 6, 1961 with the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston staffing it. In September 2011 the parochial schools of Sacred Heart, St. Ann and St. Mary merged to form Quincy Catholic Academy; in 2014 the three parishes themselves became a collaborative, and in 2020 they were canonically merged into one parish — Divine Mercy.
- 1840 — St. Mary Parish founded in Quincy
- 1903 — Sacred Heart Parish founded; baptisms begin the same year
- 1922 — St. Ann Parish founded
- Jan. 20, 1948 — Sacred Heart Church destroyed by fire
- June 19, 1961 — Sacred Heart School cornerstone laid; school opens September 6, 1961 staffed by Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston
- 2011 — Parish schools merged into Quincy Catholic Academy
- 2014 — Three parishes form a collaborative under Fr. Louis Palmieri
- 2020 — Three parishes merged into Divine Mercy Parish
Sacraments and Devotions
Confession is heard Saturday afternoons at both St. Mary and Sacred Heart, and Eucharistic Adoration is offered Thursdays from noon to 2:30 PM in the Sacred Heart chapel, with a Tuesday adoration window as well. The Sacrament of the Sick is celebrated on the second Saturday of each month following the 4:00 PM Mass. During Lent the parish runs a Friday-evening Stations of the Cross program ("Chowder and Stations") preceded by a community chowder supper in the lower hall.
- Confession: Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM at St. Mary & Sacred Heart, and by appointment
- Eucharistic Adoration: Thursdays 12:00 PM–2:30 PM (Sacred Heart chapel)
- Eucharistic Adoration: Tuesdays 12:00 PM–3:00 PM
- Anointing of the Sick: 2nd Saturday of the month after 4:00 PM Mass
- Stations of the Cross: Fridays 6:30 PM in Lent (preceded by chowder at 5:30 PM)
Kenyan Catholic Community (Swahili Mass)
Sacred Heart is home to the parish's Kenyan Catholic Community, which celebrates a Sunday Mass in Swahili at 12:00 noon on all Sundays except the first Sunday of the month. The Kenyan gathering is one of the parish's distinctive features and is referenced in the Archdiocese of Boston's directory entry for Sacred Heart Church.
- 12:00 noon Swahili Mass — Sundays (except 1st Sunday of the month) at Sacred Heart Church
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Louis R. Palmieri (Pastor) with two parochial vicars and a senior priest in residence. Lay staff handle parish operations, faith formation, music/pastoral ministry, and administration. Fr. Louis, a Boston College graduate and St. John's Seminary alumnus (M.Div., ordained 1993), previously served as pastor of St. Michael in Avon, Holy Family in Amesbury, and Star of the Sea in Salisbury before guiding the three Quincy parishes through their 2014 collaborative and 2020 merger.
- Rev. Louis R. Palmieri — Pastor
- Rev. Gabriel O. Chukwu — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Brian T. Delaney — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Peter J. Casey — Senior Priest in Residence
- Meg Venuti — Administrative Staff
- Christine Coulsey — Operations Manager (Events Coordinator)
- Howard Lotis — Parish Music Director / Pastoral Associate / Organist
- Denise Gleason — Religious Education Director
- John DiStefano — Finance & Operations Manager
Faith Formation
Director Denise Gleason oversees a graded Religious Education program for grades 1–8, split between a lower-grade faith-formation track and a two-year Confirmation preparation program for grades 7 and 8. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is a two-year sequence covering grades 1 and 2, and the Confirmation program now meets on alternating Sunday mornings at St. Ann Church following the archdiocesan mandate. A grade 6 class is offered on Sunday mornings at Sacred Heart (8:45–9:45 AM) and at St. Ann (9:45–10:45 AM). Catechist volunteers — including parents who teach a class — receive a tuition reduction.
- Grades 1–6 Religious Education classes
- Two-year Confirmation preparation (grades 7 and 8) at St. Ann
- Two-year Sacramental prep for First Reconciliation and First Communion (grades 1–2)
- Volunteer catechists needed (tuition reduction offered)
- Contact: [email protected]
Liturgical Ministries
A full slate of liturgical ministries draws parishioners into the celebration of Mass at all three churches, with separate tracks for adult and child (grade 3+) altar servers, lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who also bring the Eucharist to the homebound, sacristans who care for altar linens and vestments, and Greeters and Ushers.
- Adult and Child Altar Servers
- Lectors (Scripture proclamation)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Mass and homebound)
- Sacristans
- Greeters and Ushers
- Art and Environment
Music Ministry
Howard Lotis serves as Parish Music Director, Pastoral Associate and Organist. The choir rehearses on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM in the choir loft and sings at the 11:30 AM Sunday Mass (per the ministries listing). Parish musicians are encouraged to join regardless of schedule.
- Tuesday 7:00 PM choir rehearsals in the Choir Loft
Parish Life and Ministries
Beyond the sanctuary, the parish offers a broad social and spiritual fabric: a Men's Group that meets Thursday evenings, a Tuesday Prayer Group that intercedes monthly for those afflicted by substance abuse and their loved ones, a Monthly Dinner Committee that cooks and serves community suppers from February through October, and a Lenten Chowder-and-Stations series on Friday evenings. Social-justice involvement runs through the St. Vincent de Paul Society, food-pantry volunteering, visiting the homebound, and supporting the poor.
- Men's Group (Thursday evenings)
- Tuesday Prayer Group for substance abuse/addiction
- Monthly Dinner Committee (Feb–Oct)
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Visiting the homebound and serving the poor
- Food pantry volunteering
- Youth Ministry
Sacraments
The parish invites Catholics to celebrate all seven sacraments of the Church. Initiation sacraments include Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation; healing sacraments include Penance/Reconciliation (Saturdays 3:00–3:30 PM and by appointment) and Anointing of the Sick (2nd Saturday after the 4:00 PM Mass); and the sacraments of vocation include Marriage and Holy Orders.
- Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation
- Penance/Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick
- Marriage and Holy Orders
Sacred Heart School and Quincy Catholic Academy
Historically, Sacred Heart School opened September 6, 1961 with twenty-five classrooms and three first-grade classes of 129 students under the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston and grew to add Kindergarten (1989), Pre-K (2004), and an Extended Day program (2000). In September 2011 the parish schools of Sacred Heart, St. Ann, and St. Mary were merged by the archdiocese into the 377-student Quincy Catholic Academy, which operates on the Sacred Heart property in North Quincy and prompted the parish's 47-space parking-lot expansion on the demolished convent site along Glover Avenue.
- Sacred Heart School opened Sept. 6, 1961 (cornerstone laid June 19, 1961)
- Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston staffed the school from 1957 planning onward
- Kindergarten added 1989; Pre-K added 2004; Extended Day program 2000
- 2011 merger into Quincy Catholic Academy (377 students)
- 47-space parking lot on Glover Avenue for the academy/church site
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at 386 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02171, by phone at (617) 328-8666 or by email at [email protected]. Sacred Heart Church is on Route 3A near the intersection with a side street and within two short blocks of the North Quincy Red Line T station, with on-site parking.
- Address: 386 Hancock St, Quincy, MA 02171
- Phone: (617) 328-8666
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.divinemercyquincy.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Louis R. Palmieri2014–present
First pastor of Divine Mercy Parish (2020); previously led the St. Mary / Sacred Heart / St. Ann collaborative from its 2014 founding. Boston College graduate, taught at St. Stanislaus School in Chelsea; St. John's Seminary (M.Div.); ordained 1993; former pastor of St. Michael Parish in Avon, Holy Family Parish in Amesbury, and Star of the Sea Parish in Salisbury.