About Holy Family · Lowell, Massachusetts
Holy Family Parish (Paróquia Sagrada Família) is a Roman Catholic parish in Lowell, Massachusetts, in the Archdiocese of Boston. It is currently in a collaborative with neighboring Saint Anthony of Padua and worships at Saint Marie Church (Sainte Marie), 75 Chamberlain Street, in the South Lowell neighborhood. Originally founded in the mid-19th century as a French-Canadian community served by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the parish today is a bilingual community offering Mass in both English and Portuguese and serves as an important spiritual home for Lowell's growing Brazilian Catholic community, with a dedicated Brazilian Community phone line and bilingual parish staff.
- Established
- 1852
- Patron
- Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Rev. Luiz F. De Franca Lopes
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Holy Family is a welcoming bilingual parish with Mass in both English and Portuguese every weekend, regular weekday Portuguese Masses (Monday, Wednesday, Friday evenings), and the Sacrament of Reconciliation three times a week. A dedicated pastoral team — including a vicar, a resident Oblate priest, a deacon, faith formation catechists, a liturgy and music ministry, and a pastoral associate — supports a community that takes seriously its identity as both a historic French-rooted Lowell parish and the spiritual home of the Brazilian Catholic community. Whether you are seeking an English or Portuguese Mass, faith formation for your children, or simply a place to pray, Holy Family offers an active sacramental life and a clearly multicultural congregation.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 7:00–8:00 PM (English)
- Wednesday 7:00–8:00 PM (English)
- Friday 7:00–8:00 PM (English)
- Friday 7:30–8:30 PM (Portuguese)
- Also by request
About Holy Family Parish
Holy Family Parish (Paróquia Sagrada Família) is a Roman Catholic parish in Lowell, Massachusetts, part of the Archdiocese of Boston and currently in a collaborative with neighboring Saint Anthony of Padua. The parish worships at Saint Marie Church (Sainte Marie) at 75 Chamberlain Street, in the South Lowell neighborhood. The Parish Office is at 30 Grafton Street, Lowell, MA 01852. The parish's identity today is bilingual: alongside its historic Franco-American roots it serves as a major spiritual home for Lowell's Brazilian Catholic community, offering Mass in both English and Portuguese every weekend and several times during the week.
- Parish Office: 30 Grafton Street, Lowell, MA 01852-5006
- Church (Saint Marie): 75 Chamberlain Street, Lowell
- Rectory: 893 Central Street, Lowell, MA 01852
- Collaborative partner: Saint Anthony of Padua
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston
History and Heritage
Holy Family Parish traces its origins to the French-Canadian immigration wave that transformed 19th-century Lowell. Originally organized to serve French-speaking Catholic families, the parish was long staffed by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) and worshiped at Saint Marie Church (Sainte Marie) in South Lowell. In September 1930, the Oblates invited the Sisters of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary to open a small parish school for South Lowell children living too far from larger parochial schools. The Sisters taught there for decades until the early 1960s, when Interstate 495 construction and Urban Renewal projects demolished parish property in South Lowell and forced the closure of Sainte Marie School and convent on June 30, 1961. In recent decades the parish has welcomed a large influx of Brazilian Catholic families and now functions as a bilingual community.
- Founded ca. 1852 (per Archdiocesan directory records)
- Long served by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI)
- Sisters of the Assumption of the BVM staffed Sainte Marie School from 1930 to 1961
- Highway and Urban Renewal projects reshaped South Lowell parish property in the early 1960s
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Luiz F. De Franca Lopes and supported by a vicar, a resident Oblate priest, a permanent deacon, and a team of administrative, financial, liturgical, and faith formation staff.
- Pastor: Rev. Luiz F. De Franca Lopes
- Vicar: Rev. Eloir R. Do Nascimento Borges
- In Residence: Rev. Donald G. Lozier, OMI
- Deacon: Deacon Alvaro J. Soares
- Administrative Staff: Mr. Victor Mello, Ms. Tatiane Jeronimo
- Finance / Operations: Ms. Thiciane Coelho
- Pastoral Associate: Ms. Isaura Surun
- Liturgy & Music: Ms. Jean Cull, Mr. James Maniscalco, Ms. Suellen Feutrin
- Faith Formation: Ms. Romana Cruz, Ms. Sabrina Amaral, Ms. Regiane Sousa
Ministries and Faith Formation
The parish supports a range of lay ministries centered on liturgy, music, religious education, and pastoral care for its bilingual congregation. Catechists and staff are named for Faith Formation, Liturgy and Music, and Pastoral Associate roles; a Brazilian Community office and parish secretaries (English and Portuguese-speaking) keep daily operations running.
- Liturgy and Music Ministry
- Faith Formation / Religious Education
- Pastoral Associate ministry
- Brazilian Catholic Community outreach (Lira De Moraes, 978-934-0622)
- Parish Bulletin and communications
- Prayer list ministry for the sick
Devotions and Parish Life
Beyond weekend Masses, Holy Family hosts periodic Holy Hours in the Upper Church (e.g. an advertised Holy Hour on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at 7:00 PM, open to all). The parish publishes a weekly bulletin through the Boston Pilot, distributed in print and online.
- Holy Hours (Upper Church, evenings; all welcome)
- Weekly parish bulletin via the Boston Catholic Directory / Boston Pilot
- Prayer list published for the sick and homebound
Visiting and Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, fax, or email, and Brazilian Catholics have a dedicated community line. The office staff includes English- and Portuguese-speaking secretaries to assist with sacramental scheduling and general inquiries.
- Parish Office Phone: (978) 453-2134
- Brazilian Community line: (978) 934-0622
- Fax: (978) 453-0933
- Email: [email protected]
- Office address: 30 Grafton Street, Lowell, MA 01852-5006