About Holy Trinity (St. Ignatius of Loyola) · Somersworth, New Hampshire
Holy Trinity Church in Somersworth, New Hampshire, is one of the three worship sites of St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish within the Diocese of Manchester. Founded in 1857 by Irish immigrants who had come to work in the Great Falls Manufacturing Company mills, it is the oldest Catholic parish in Somersworth and served generations of Irish-American families before being merged with neighboring St. Martin Parish in 2009 to form today's larger St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish. Its current High Street edifice, dedicated in 1966, preserves artifacts such as the original bronze bell from the 1859 church and the Statue of the Sacred Heart now on the rectory lawn. The parish family, together with St. Mary Parish in Rollinsford, operates under one pastor and offers daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, confession, family faith formation, RCIA, and ministry opportunities including the Knights of Columbus, Walking with Purpose, and a young-adult ministry.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- Holy Trinity
- Rector
- Rev. Andrew Nelson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester (Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire)
Why belong here
St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish — the merged home of historic Holy Trinity Church — offers the full rhythm of Catholic life in eastern New Hampshire: weekday and weekend Masses across three worship sites, daily rosary, weekly Eucharistic adoration, Saturday confessions, a complete family faith formation program with sacramental preparation, RCIA for adult candidates, and a wide range of lay ministries (Knights of Columbus, Walking with Purpose, Young Adult Ministry, Music Ministry, Bible studies, and outreach such as the Frozen Meal / Meal Helpers apostolate). Rooted in the Eucharist and the Church's teaching, the parish describes itself as 'a joyful, faithful community where prayer, service, and fellowship flourish' — a fitting place to belong if you live in Somersworth, Rollinsford, or the Seacoast deanery.
Mass times at Holy Trinity (St. Ignatius of Loyola)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm at St. Martin Church
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:00 am – 6:00 pm at Holy Trinity Church (St. Martin Church for the summer)
- Friday 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm at St. Martin Church
Parish Identity & Worship Sites
St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish unites two historic Catholic parishes in the Seacoast Deanery of the Diocese of Manchester — its predecessor communities being Holy Trinity Church (404 High Street, Somersworth, founded 1857 as the Irish parish) and St. Martin Church (120 Maple Street, Somersworth, founded 1882 as the French-Canadian national parish). Since 2017 the same pastor has also shepherded St. Mary Parish in Rollinsford (411 Church Street), so the wider collaboration covers three worship sites under one pastoral team. The parish office sits at 27 Saint Martin Way, Somersworth, and the rectory at 122 Maple Street, Somersworth.
- Holy Trinity Church — 404 High St., Somersworth, NH 03878
- St. Martin Church — 120 Maple St., Somersworth, NH 03878
- St. Mary Parish — 411 Church St., Rollinsford, NH 03869
- Parish office — 27 Saint Martin Way, Somersworth, NH 03878
- Rectory — 122 Maple Street, Somersworth, NH 03878
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by its pastor and a permanent deacon who serve all three worship sites.
- Rev. Andrew Nelson — Pastor since 2017; previously stationed in Berlin, NH and at the Cathedral in Manchester; a former Catholic-school teacher, Vermont native, columnist for Parable Magazine (his column has been voted #1), and an avid hiker, skier, and traveler.
- Deacon David Divins — Ordained 2010 in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.; holds a PhD in Oceanography and is Associate Director of the UNH Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space; teaches Baptism classes and works with RCIA; lives in Barrington with his wife Ebbe and their three adult children.
History of Holy Trinity
Holy Trinity was the first Catholic parish in Somersworth, founded in 1857 by Irish famine-era immigrants working at the Great Falls Manufacturing Company mills. The original wood-and-brick church stood for 107 years at Main and Walnut Streets (now the Strafford Learning Center site); a Sisters-of-Mercy Catholic school opened next door in 1929 and at its peak educated roughly 70% of the town's children alongside St. Martin's school. The aging 19th-century building was demolished in the early 1960s and the parish built the present church on High Street, dedicated October 16, 1966. The bronze bell from the 1859 church was moved into the new bell tower, and the Statue of the Sacred Heart from the old rectory lawn was rededicated — at the suggestion of parishioners including Wilhemina Wiegman — to all deceased members of Holy Trinity Parish and placed on the current rectory lawn.
- 1856 — Rev. Michael Lucey appointed first full-time pastor on land donated by the Great Falls Manufacturing Company.
- 1857 — Holy Trinity Parish canonically established.
- 1929 — Parish Catholic school built; staffed by Sisters of Mercy.
- 1959 — Parish centennial celebrated.
- October 16, 1966 — Present High Street church dedicated.
- April 26, 2009 — Holy Trinity and St. Martin parishes merged by decree of Bishop John McCormack to form St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is run as two coordinated programs — Family Faith Formation on the St. Ignatius side and Religious Education on the St. Mary side — preparing children from kindergarten through high school for the sacraments and ongoing discipleship.
- St. Ignatius Family Faith Formation — coordinated by Janet Jacobson, Director of Religious Education ([email protected]); 2025-2026 schedule published online.
- St. Mary Religious Education — coordinated by Laurie Lambert; K-6 classes Sundays 9:30–10:45 am in the parish house across from the church.
- First Reconciliation preparation — 2nd grade program beginning January 4, 2026, with additional 8:30 am classes; First Reconciliation typically celebrated in February.
- First Communion & Confirmation — 3rd grade and older program beginning January 4, 2026, immediately after Mass; reception of sacraments dependent on the Bishop's availability (historically in early March).
- RCIA — adult initiation program, coordinated with Deacon Dave's teaching of incoming candidates.
- Baptism classes — taught by Deacon David Divins.
Parish Ministries & Groups
St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Mary Parishes run an active lay apostolate spanning service, formation, fellowship, and outreach. The parish invites newcomers to 'consider joining one (or more!)' and provides a contact person for each ministry.
- Knights of Columbus, Council 2078 — faithful to the Order's founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity; mutual aid, fellowship, and relief works.
- Walking with Purpose — women's Bible study and fellowship community.
- Young Adult Ministry
- Young Couples Ministry
- Natural Family Planning
- Bible Study
- Music Ministry
- Eucharistic Ministry
- Frozen Meal / Meal Helpers — parish outreach to those in need of food.
- Various parish groups — Anglican/English Walking (likely 'Spanish Walking' translation on the source page), helpers, and other service cohorts listed on the parish's 'Introduction to Our Ministries' page.
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for and celebrates every sacrament of initiation and the other rites of the Church, with age-appropriate catechesis and adult formation programs in place.
- Baptism — preparation classes taught by Deacon David Divins.
- First Reconciliation — 2nd-grade sacramental program.
- First Holy Communion — 3rd-grade and older program with dedicated sacramental classes.
- Confirmation — 3rd-grade and older program; date set by the Bishop's office (typically early March).
- Marriage — couples are asked to contact the parish office.
- RCIA — for adult candidates, with teaching support from Deacon Dave.
Diocese, Deanery & Canonical Status
St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester (New Hampshire) and sits within its Seacoast Deanery. It was established as a territorial parish on April 26, 2009 by decree of the Bishop of Manchester, who merged Holy Trinity Parish (founded 1857) with Saint Martin Parish (founded 1882), and the merged parish retains both original church buildings as active sites of worship. The parish registers of baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, marriage, and burial for both predecessor parishes were transferred, and the assets and liabilities of the former parishes were assumed by the new juridic person.
- Diocese — Diocese of Manchester (Roma)
- Deanery — Seacoast
- Decree date — April 26, 2009
- Predecessor parishes — Holy Trinity (est. 1857) and St. Martin (est. 1882)
- Worship sites retained — both original church edifices
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael Lucey1856–
First full-time pastor of Holy Trinity, appointed in 1856, who with his parishioners built the original church and parsonage on land donated by the Great Falls Manufacturing Company.