About Holy Rosary · Taunton, Massachusetts
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is a Roman Catholic chapel located at 80 Bay Street in Taunton, Massachusetts, in the Diocese of Fall River. Originally founded by Polish immigrants in the early 20th century, the chapel has over time become the spiritual home of a vibrant Portuguese-speaking (Brazilian and Cape Verdean) community in the greater Taunton area. Today the parish community worships primarily in Portuguese and English, with a children-focused English Mass on Sunday and a Portuguese Mass that draws the faithful together every week. A children's Mass is celebrated on the last Sunday of each month, and the parish offers confession, Eucharistic adoration, faith formation for children and youth, and an RCIA process for adults preparing to enter the Church.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
- Rector
- Rev. Gerard A. Hebert (listed on diocese and directory sources as pastor of record); chaplain for the Brazilian/Cape Verdean community was Rev. Thiago M. Santos per a 2023 diocesan appointment
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fall River (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary welcomes Catholics of every background into a small, family-sized chapel where Portuguese and English are both spoken and the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Holy Rosary is honored weekly. The parish makes a point of forming young Catholics — Children's Catechism and a Youth Group meet Sunday mornings, with RCIA available for adults preparing for the sacraments — and provides regular opportunities for confession, Eucharistic adoration, and a Monday-night rosary prayer group. For Portuguese-speaking Catholics in Taunton and for anyone seeking a warm, bilingual parish home with a strong Marian identity, this chapel offers a clear and accessible place to belong.
Mass times at Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:30 AM – 10:15 AM (after the 9 AM Mass)
- Wednesday 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM (after the 7 PM Mass)
- The priest is also available after Mass on Sundays and Wednesdays
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM (after Mass)
- Thursday after the 12:00 PM Mass until Friday 3:00 PM (extended Holy Hour)
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary — Welcome
Tucked into Bay Street in Taunton, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Chapel is a small Roman Catholic worship site within the Diocese of Fall River with a deeply migrant-rooted identity. The parish was originally founded by Polish immigrants at the turn of the 20th century and has, over a century of life, become the spiritual home of a Portuguese-speaking Catholic community from Portugal, Brazil, and Cape Verde. The parish's bilingual character — Portuguese and English — is reflected in its Mass schedule, faith-formation programs, and devotional life.
- Marian dedication: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
- Diocese: Fall River
- Address: 80 Bay Street, Taunton, MA 02780
History of the Parish
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was founded in 1909 (per the Wikipedia infobox; 1927 is also cited in the same article's text and may reflect a later canonical re-establishment) by Polish immigrants in Taunton, at a time when the city's Polish community was growing enough to support its own parish. It was one of a network of Polish-American Roman Catholic parishes in New England within the Diocese of Fall River. As Taunton's demographics shifted, the chapel was gradually embraced by a new wave of Portuguese-speaking immigrants, and it now primarily serves Catholics of Brazilian and Cape Verdean origin. In June 2023 Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., formally appointed a chaplain for the Brazilian/Cape Verdean community at Holy Rosary, marking an important milestone in the parish's transition.
- Founded by Polish immigrants, 1909
- Diocese of Fall River
- Re-oriented in recent decades to the Brazilian/Cape Verdean Catholic community
- 2023: diocesan appointment of a Lusophone chaplain
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is at the heart of the parish's Sunday morning. Children's Catechism, a Youth Group, and the parish RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) all gather at 8:30 AM on Sundays, allowing parents and children to come together for Mass after class. This schedule is designed to walk with children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation, with teenagers through the Youth Group, and with unbaptized adults or Catholics seeking full initiation into the Church through RCIA.
- Children's Catechism — Sundays 8:30 AM
- Youth Group — Sundays 8:30 AM
- R.C.I.A. (adults) — Sundays 8:30 AM
Devotions and Prayer Life
In keeping with its Marian identity as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, the chapel sustains a simple devotional rhythm centered on the rosary and Eucharistic adoration. A parish rosary prayer group gathers every Monday evening at 7:00 PM, and adoration extends from the noon Mass on Thursday through Friday at 3:00 PM, giving the community an extended window of silent prayer each week.
- Monday Rosary Prayer Group — 7:00 PM
- Thursday–Friday Eucharistic Adoration — from after the noon Mass until 3:00 PM Friday
- Wednesday evening Adoration — 7:30–8:00 PM
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served within the Diocese of Fall River, with the priest of record listed as Rev. Gerard A. Hebert. In June 2023 Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha appointed Rev. Thiago M. Santos as chaplain of the Brazilian/Cape Verdean community at Holy Rosary; a December 2024 diocesan announcement placed Fr. Santos on administrative leave pending investigation. Parishioners with sacramental needs are encouraged to contact the parish office.
- Pastor (of record): Rev. Gerard A. Hebert
- Chaplain for the Brazilian/Cape Verdean community (2023): Rev. Thiago M. Santos
- Diocese: Fall River, under Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D.
Sacraments
Holy Rosary celebrates the full range of parish sacraments, with preparation pathways running through the Sunday faith-formation programs. Baptisms are arranged through the parish office; First Communion and Confirmation flow from the Children's Catechism; adults seeking initiation enter through RCIA; and Confession is regularly available on Sunday and Wednesday. Marriages and the Anointing of the Sick are arranged by contacting the parish.
- Baptism
- First Communion & Confirmation (via Children's Catechism)
- RCIA (adults)
- Confession (Sundays and Wednesdays after Mass)
- Marriage (by appointment)
- Anointing of the Sick (by request)
Visit, Contact, and Directions
The chapel sits at 80 Bay Street in Taunton, Massachusetts. Travelers coming from Route 495 take Exit 9 and follow Bay Street toward Taunton. Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone at (508) 837-5002 (with (508) 823-3046 also listed for the chapel in some directories) and by email at [email protected]. The parish livestreams Mass and posts schedule updates at http://holyrosarytaunton.org/.
- Address: 80 Bay Street, Taunton, MA 02780
- Phone: (508) 837-5002
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: holyrosarytaunton.org
- From Route 495: take Exit 9 — Bay Street toward Taunton