About Espirito Santo · Fall River, Massachusetts
Espirito Santo is a Roman Catholic parish at 311 Alden Street in Fall River, Massachusetts, belonging to the Diocese of Fall River. The name means "Holy Spirit" in Portuguese, and the parish has served the city's large Portuguese-American community since the early 1900s. Mass is regularly celebrated in both English and Portuguese, and the parish is closely tied to Espirito Santo School (originally the first Portuguese Catholic grammar school in America) and to the annual Mordomia, the Holy Spirit feast held around Pentecost.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- Espírito Santo (Holy Spirit)
- Rector
- Rev. Maurice O. Gauvin
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
Espirito Santo is one of the principal Portuguese-American Catholic parishes in southeastern Massachusetts and a living center of Lusophone faith and culture. Daily Mass and adoration are celebrated in Portuguese, Sunday Masses are offered in both languages, and the parish sustains the country's oldest Portuguese Catholic school as well as devotion to the Holy Spirit through the annual Mordomia. New parishioners and visitors find a community rooted in catechesis, charity (through its St. Vincent de Paul conference), and deep Azorean and Portuguese traditions.
Mass times at Espirito Santo
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Adoration times
- Monday 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (Portuguese)
Parish Identity & History
Espirito Santo ("Holy Spirit") is a Roman Catholic parish at 311 Alden Street in Fall River, Massachusetts, in the Diocese of Fall River. Founded in the early 1900s by Father Joao Baptista de Valles to serve the city's growing Portuguese immigrant community, the parish opened its school — later known as Espirito Santo School — on September 19, 1910 as the first Portuguese Catholic grammar school in America. A kindergarten was added in 1925, and in 1963 a new church-and-school complex replaced the original building to accommodate the post-war wave of Portuguese families.
- Founded early 1900s; founding pastor: Rev. Joao Baptista de Valles
- Original building: church on second floor, school on first
- New church and school constructed together in 1963
- Patron: Espírito Santo / Holy Spirit
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently led by a pastor with the assistance of a permanent deacon. Names and roles below are drawn from the parish's most recent diocesan financial filings (fiscal year ending June 30, 2025) and from the parish's listing in the Diocese of Fall River directory.
- Pastor: Rev. Maurice O. Gauvin
- Parish Deacon: Rev. Deacon Americo Miranda
- Financial Council Chair: Russell Abgrab
- Financial Council Secretary: Carlos Machado
- Council members: Mary Lou Furtado, Eric Mauricio
Espirito Santo School
Espirito Santo School is the parish school and the oldest Portuguese Catholic school in the United States. It has educated generations of Fall River's Portuguese-American community in faith, language, and culture, and now serves students from the parish and surrounding neighborhoods through Pre-K, kindergarten, and elementary grades.
- Opened September 19, 1910 as the first Portuguese Catholic grammar school in America
- Full-day kindergarten added in 1925
- Pre-K (age 4) added in 2001; preschool (age 3) added in 2002
- Faith-based, bilingual (English/Portuguese) education rooted in Catholic tradition
Masses & Worship Schedule
Espirito Santo offers daily Mass in Portuguese, Saturday Vigil Masses in English and Portuguese, and three Sunday Masses alternating between the two languages. Schedules below are taken from listings published on the Diocese of Fall River site and on MassTimes/Discover Mass.
- Weekday Masses: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m. (Portuguese)
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 p.m. (English), 5:30 p.m. (Portuguese)
- Sunday: 7:30 a.m. (Portuguese), 9:30 a.m. (English), 11:30 a.m. (Portuguese)
Mordomia & Festas do Divino Espírito Santo
The Holy Spirit feast — the Mordomia — is at the heart of Espirito Santo's identity. The parish's Mordomia was founded in 1976 and is observed each Pentecost Sunday, with members of the Azorean and broader Portuguese diaspora taking turns serving as mordomos. Each August the parish also joins other New England Portuguese parishes in the Festas do Divino Espírito Santo da Nova Inglaterra, a multi-day regional celebration with a procession from the Cathedral of Saint Mary and a solemn coronation Mass.
- Mordomia da Igreja do Espírito Santo established in 1976
- Traditionally held on Pentecost Sunday
- Participates in the Festas do Divino Espírito Santo da Nova Inglaterra each August
- Includes procession, coronation Mass, and large community festival
Parish Life & Outreach
Beyond liturgy and school, Espirito Santo sustains a busy community life: religious education, liturgical music, devotional societies, and charitable outreach through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Parishioners serve on the Financial Council and on committees that organize the Mordomia and other feast-day events.
- Religious Education / Faith Formation for parish children
- Liturgical music ministry
- St. Vincent de Paul charitable outreach
- Parish Financial Council (chair, secretary, and members listed on diocesan filings)
Visit & Contact
Espirito Santo welcomes visiting Catholics and those exploring the faith. The parish office can be reached by phone or email, and the parish's listing is kept current on the Diocese of Fall River website.
- Address: 311 Alden Street, Fall River, MA 02723
- Phone: (508) 672-3352
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese listing: fallriverdiocese.org/parish/espirito-santo/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joao Baptista de Valles
Founding pastor of Espirito Santo Parish and founder of Espirito Santo School (1910).