Holy Name (West Roxbury)

About Holy Name Parish

Holy Name Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Boston serving the West Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1927 and seated at 1689 Centre Street, the parish gathers around an imposing Romanesque Revival church complex that includes both an Upper and a Lower Church. The parish runs Holy Name Parish School, a Faith Formation program, a youth ministry, and a Filipino Apostolate, and its mission statement describes itself as 'a family of believers aware of the saving power of the Holy Name of Jesus and the protection of the Mother of God.'

History

Parishioners from Sacred Heart (Roslindale) and St. Theresa of Avila (West Roxbury) first petitioned Cardinal O'Connell for a new parish on April 5, 1924. The cardinal formally created Holy Name Parish on July 4, 1927, and appointed Reverend William P. McNamara as founding pastor. Early Masses were celebrated at the Bellevue Community Theatre in Roslindale until the Lower Church was blessed on June 1, 1930; the Upper Church was completed a decade later and dedicated in March 1939.

• April 5, 1924 — parishioner petition for a new parish
• June 27, 1927 — Cardinal O'Connell names Fr. McNamara founding pastor
• July 7, 1927 — name 'Holy Name Parish' approved
• April 12, 1929 — groundbreaking for the Lower Church
• June 1, 1930 — Cardinal O'Connell blesses the Lower Church and lays the cornerstone
• July 27, 1932 — Fr. Edward F. Ryan, DD becomes second pastor
• Fall 1937 — construction begins on the Upper Church
• March 12, 1939 — first Masses in the Upper Church
• January 31, 1945 — Msgr. Charles Alphonsus Finn named third pastor (later Bishop of Burlington, VT)
• July 26, 1953 — Cardinal Cushing lays cornerstone for the parish school and convent
• January 10, 1968 — Msgr. Peter J. McDonough becomes fourth pastor
• July 24, 1973 — Fr. Kenneth B. Murphy installed as fifth pastor
• July 4, 1977 — 50th anniversary celebrated

Architecture & Pipe Organ

Holy Name was designed by Quincy-based architect Edward T. P. Graham in the Romanesque Revival style. The dome in the main sanctuary is a replica of the dome of the Basilica di San Clemente in Rome — the titular church of Cardinal O'Connell when the church was built. Above the entrance is a frieze with niches holding statues of saints. A Colonial Revival rectory, also by Graham, sits directly behind the church.

• Architect: Edward T. P. Graham (Quincy, MA)
• Style: Romanesque Revival; dome modeled on the Basilica di San Clemente, Rome
• Lower Church blessed June 1, 1930; Upper Church completed March 1939
• Wicks Organ Company pipe organ, Opus 1691 (1938), designed by Henry Vincent Willis
• Organ featured at the 2000 Organ Historical Society convention
• Complete organ refurbishment completed 2005–2006 after 60+ years of daily use
• Twin three-manual drawknob consoles (gallery and sanctuary)
• Rectory (Colonial Revival) also designed by Graham, behind the church

Clergy & Parish Staff

Holy Name is led by its pastor with the assistance of a parochial vicar, priests in residence, a visiting Jesuit celebrant, and several permanent and transitional deacons. A pastoral associate coordinates religious education and youth ministry, while the parish school has its own principal and assistant principal. The parish office team handles scheduling, communications, finances, and facilities.

• Rev. Thomas (Tom) Macdonald — Pastor
• Rev. Joseph Ferme — Parochial Vicar
• Rev. Martin J. McNulty — In Residence
• Rev. Joseph Weiss, S.J. — Visiting Celebrant
• Rev. Oscar Pratt — Pastor of Katharine Drexel (in residence)
• Rev. Rosanno Soriano, MS — Filipino Apostolate
• Deacon Timothy Donohue — Permanent Deacon
• Deacon Guy C. St. Sauveur — Permanent Deacon
• Deacon Charles Tupta — Transitional Deacon
• Andrew Genovese — Pastoral Assistant (Religious Education & Youth Ministry)
• Maryellen McNally — Faith Formation K–6
• Rudy Flores — Youth Minister
• Christian Mucha — Music Director
• Patrick Farragher — Finance Manager
• Brian Willett — Facilities Manager
• Joan Conlin — Parish Secretary
• Janice Kerwin — Parish Secretary
• Daniel Chisholm — Principal, Holy Name Parish School
• Debra Buckley — Assistant Principal, Holy Name Parish School

Faith Formation & School

Holy Name Parish School is a Catholic elementary school serving grades K–8 at 535 West Roxbury Parkway, directly across the street from the church. The school was founded in 1953 with Cardinal Cushing laying the cornerstone on July 26, 1953, and the Colonial Revival school/convent building was designed by the noted firm of Perry, Shaw and Hepburn. For children not enrolled in the parish school, Faith Formation (Religious Education) is offered for grades K–6 under Maryellen McNally, and Youth Ministry under Rudy Flores serves older students.

• Holy Name Parish School (K–8), 535 West Roxbury Parkway, 617-325-9338
• Faith Formation / Religious Education for K–6 (Maryellen McNally)
• Youth Ministry (Rudy Flores)
• Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) — coordinated by Andrew Genovese
• Baptism Preparation Program — second Saturday of each month, 10:00–11:30 AM, convent

Filipino Apostolate

The parish hosts a Filipino Apostolate served by Rev. Rosanno Soriano, MS, including a Mass celebrated in Filipino (Tagalog) on the fourth Sunday of every month at 1:00 PM. This ministry is part of the broader Catholic Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston.

• Filipino Mass — Fourth Sunday of the month, 1:00 PM
• Celebrant: Rev. Rosanno Soriano, MS
• Parish contact for the Filipino Apostolate: 617-445-8915
• Affiliated with the Archdiocesan Filipino Apostolate (filipinoapostolate.com)

Pastoral Care & Outreach

The Pastoral Care program of Holy Name Parish extends the parish's ministry to those who cannot easily come to church. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bring the Eucharist to roughly 60 homebound parishioners on a regular basis, and the priests visit homebound parishioners bringing the Eucharist and the Sacraments of the Sick and Reconciliation. Monthly Mass is celebrated at Sophia Snow House, Springhouse, and Boston Center / Bournewood, and Eucharistic Ministers bring Communion to residents there as well. The parish's St. Vincent de Paul conference responds discreetly to neighbors in financial or other need.

• Ministers to the Homebound (≈60 parishioners served regularly)
• Priests visit the homebound with Eucharist, Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation
• Monthly Mass celebrated at Sophia Snow House and Springhouse
• Communion brought to residents at Boston Center and Bournewood
• St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVdP) — confidential assistance; call the Rectory to leave a name and number
• Bereavement Support Group being organized (parishioners invited to express interest)

Music & Liturgy

Music ministry at Holy Name is led by Music Director Christian Mucha, who directs the parish's liturgical music across the Upper and Lower Church schedules. The parish's 1938 Wicks pipe organ — Opus 1691, designed by Henry Vincent Willis — anchors the parish's musical life and was featured at the 2000 Organ Historical Society convention before its full 2005–2006 refurbishment.

• Music Director: Christian Mucha
• Wicks Organ Company Opus 1691 (1938) — Henry Vincent Willis design
• Twin three-manual drawknob consoles in gallery and sanctuary
• 16-rank sanctuary division plus gallery organ