About Holy Trinity · Hartford, Connecticut
Holy Trinity Lithuanian Roman Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish at 53 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, Connecticut, founded by Lithuanian immigrants in 1900 and still celebrating the faith and traditions of its founders more than 120 years later. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Hartford and continues to offer a Sunday Mass in Lithuanian alongside its English liturgies, making it one of the few remaining Lithuanian-heritage Catholic communities in the region. The parish's current pastoral leadership is provided by Very Rev. John Melnick, with Rev. Daniel Valente, MSA assisting and Anton Miranda serving as parish administrator. The congregation, once overwhelmingly Lithuanian, is today a diverse Capitol-area community known for its warm, pet-friendly Masses.
- Established
- 1900
- Patron
- Holy Trinity
- Rector
- Very Rev. John Melnick
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Hartford
Why belong here
Holy Trinity is a small, historically Lithuanian parish in Hartford's Capitol area that still celebrates a Sunday Mass in Lithuanian alongside its English liturgies — a rare living link to the immigrant Catholic heritage of Connecticut. Its current pastor, Very Rev. John Melnick, and assistant Rev. Daniel Valente, MSA, lead a diverse, multicultural congregation that the parish proudly welcomes to the Eucharist. The church is known for warm, pet-friendly Masses, an easy weekday Mass schedule at 12:05pm, and a deep sense of continuity with more than a century of Catholic worship on Capitol Avenue.
Mass times at Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (before the 4:00 PM Vigil Mass)
Parish History
Holy Trinity was founded by Lithuanian immigrants in the 1890s and has served the Hartford community for more than 120 years. The parish's first Mass was celebrated on July 17, 1898, in a rented room on the corner of Main and Sheldon Streets, made possible by a July 4 bazaar organized by the local Sons of Lithuania Society. By 1900 the mission reported to the diocese, a date observed as the parish's founding year; a Capitol Avenue property was acquired in 1903 to serve as its first church. Under Father John Ambot, who became pastor in 1912, the parish built its current church (dedicated March 1927), opened a school that became the first coeducational Catholic secondary school in the Diocese of Hartford, and saw Fr. Ambot elevated to Monsignor in 1939. The school closed in 1964, but the parish has continued as a multicultural Catholic presence on Capitol Avenue, now ministered to by a diverse congregation.
- 1894 — Fr. Joseph Zebris begins ministering to Hartford's Lithuanian families
- 1896 — Sons of Lithuania Society organized in Hartford under the patronage of St. John the Baptist
- July 17, 1898 — First Lithuanian Mass in Hartford at Main and Sheldon Streets
- 1900 — Mission reports to the diocese (observed founding year)
- 1903 — Capitol Avenue property purchased and converted into a church
- 1912 — Fr. John Ambot becomes pastor; plans a new church
- March 1927 — New church combining Lithuanian, Byzantine, and Romanesque features dedicated
- 1939 — Fr. Ambot elevated to Monsignor
- 1964 — Holy Trinity School closes; building later sold
Parish Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by Very Rev. John Melnick as pastor and Rev. Daniel Valente, MSA, as assistant, with Anton Miranda serving as parish administrator and the person responsible for the website and live-streaming of Masses. The parish contact form lists Very Rev. John Melnick, Rev. Daniel Valente, MSA, and Anton Miranda as the points of contact for parishioners and visitors. Rev. Charles E. Jacobs, who had served as parish administrator and was known for embracing the changing cultures of the neighborhood, was placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of Hartford in January 2025 amid allegations of financial improprieties.
- Very Rev. John Melnick — Pastor
- Rev. Daniel Valente, MSA — Assistant Priest
- Anton Miranda — Administrator / Web Admin / Live-streaming
- Rev. Charles E. Jacobs — former parish administrator (on leave since January 2025)
Lithuanian Heritage
Holy Trinity is one of the few surviving Lithuanian Roman Catholic parishes in Connecticut, founded at the height of Lithuanian immigration to the Eastern United States. The parish's Sunday morning Mass is still celebrated bilingually in Lithuanian and English, and the parish continues to share Lithuanian Catholic liturgy and traditions alongside its English-language Masses. The parish's identity is rooted in the work of Fr. Joseph Zebris and the local Sons of Lithuania Society, who organized the original mission that became Holy Trinity in 1900.
- Founded by Lithuanian immigrants in 1900
- Sunday 9:00 AM Mass celebrated in Lithuanian and English
- Heritage traced to the Sons of Lithuania Society, Hartford chapter, 1896
- Late-1940s/early-1950s influx of about 300 new Lithuanian immigrants revitalized the parish
Architecture & Church Building
The present Holy Trinity church is a brick Romanesque Revival building whose design deliberately combines Lithuanian, Byzantine, and Romanesque architectural features — a visual statement of the parish's immigrant Catholic identity. Construction was initiated by Fr. John Ambot in 1912, and the completed church was dedicated in March 1927. The 1927 church replaced the earlier 1903 brick building that had served the parish on the same Capitol Avenue site. The building stands on Capitol Avenue in Hartford's Capitol-area neighborhood, near the state Capitol.
- Style: Romanesque Revival, with Lithuanian and Byzantine features
- Material: Brick
- Construction initiated: 1912
- Completed and dedicated: March 1927
- Replaces the 1903 Capitol Avenue chapel
Holy Trinity School (Historical)
Under Fr. John Ambot, Holy Trinity built a parish school that became the first coeducational Catholic secondary school in the Diocese of Hartford. The school, which served grades K through 12, at its peak educated approximately 5,300 children. Like many urban Catholic schools of the era, it was closed in 1964 amid low enrollment, suburban growth, and the opening of three new Catholic schools by the diocese; the Capitol Avenue school building was subsequently sold.
- First coeducational Catholic secondary school in the Diocese of Hartford
- Grades K–12
- Peak enrollment: approximately 5,300 children
- Closed in 1964; building on Capitol Avenue later sold
Community Life & Pastoral Approach
The parish is known for a warm, welcoming approach to its changing Capitol-area neighborhood. Holy Trinity has embraced its growing cultural diversity, moving from a once almost-entirely Lithuanian congregation to a multicultural faith community. Father Charles Jacobs, before being placed on leave, was particularly noted for encouraging families and even pets at Mass, and the parish's reputation for pet-friendly services has been widely reported in the local press. The parish mission statement — rooted in the Gospel and the celebration of the Eucharist, seeking to make known God's love through serving one another, sharing faith, and welcoming all — reflects this outward-looking character.
- Pet-friendly Masses
- Diverse, multicultural Capitol-area congregation
- Mission: rooted in Gospel and Eucharist; serving, sharing faith, welcoming all
- Live-streaming of Masses (overseen by parish administrator Anton Miranda)
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors are welcomed at 53 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106, between the downtown and the state Capitol. The parish office is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The main parish phone line is 860-246-4162, and the general email is holytrinity@aohct.org. The parish website, holytrinityhartford.org, carries the current Mass schedule, the parish history, a contact form, and a live-stream of Masses for those unable to attend in person.
- Address: 53 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
- Phone: 860-246-4162
- Email: holytrinity@aohct.org
- Office hours: Tuesday / Thursday / Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Website: http://www.holytrinityhartford.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Zebris1894–1898
Organized the Lithuanian mission in Hartford in 1894 and founded the Sons of Lithuania Society in Hartford in 1896 under the patronage of St. John the Baptist. Celebrated the first Mass in Hartford on July 17, 1898. Appointed pastor of a New Britain church in June 1898.
- Rev. John Ambot1912–
Pastor of Norwich when named pastor of Holy Trinity in 1912. Initiated plans for a new church, which was dedicated in March 1927. Built the Holy Trinity School, the first coeducational Catholic secondary school in the diocese, serving 5,300 children. Elevated to Monsignor in 1939.
- Rev. Charles E. Jacobs
Parish administrator who embraced the changing cultures of the neighborhood and parishioners. Placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of Hartford in January 2025 amid allegations of financial improprieties.