About Incarnation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus · Melrose, Massachusetts
Incarnation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Melrose, Massachusetts, part of the Archdiocese of Boston. Founded in 1958 by Richard Cardinal Cushing, the parish is celebrated for its distinctive New England Congregational-style church building and its Generations of Faith religious-education program that brings adults and children together for shared learning. It shares a pastoral staff with neighboring Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Wakefield, forming a collaborative that serves Catholics across the northern suburbs including Melrose, Saugus, Wakefield, Stoneham, Lynn and beyond. Under the leadership of Father Michael S. Rora, Deacon Bob Breen, and a small lay staff, the parish emphasizes lifelong faith formation, music ministry, and active outreach to those in need.
- Established
- 1958
- Patron
- The Incarnation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the mystery of God becoming flesh in Christ, celebrated liturgically at the Annunciation)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael S. Rora
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Incarnation Parish welcomes Catholics of every age and life stage — from young families and teenagers to empty-nesters, widows, and widowers — into a community that takes lifelong learning seriously. The Generations of Faith program gathers the whole parish four times a year around a shared topic, complemented by grade-level faith formation for children and adult formation like Friday-morning Scripture study via Zoom. Members are encouraged to put their faith into action through liturgical ministry (lector, choir, Eucharistic minister, altar server), the music ministry, and outreach to My Brother's Table, Bread of Life, Housing Families, and Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School, as well as joint community dinners with sister parish Most Blessed Sacrament in Wakefield.
Mass times at Incarnation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:30–4:15 PM (before the 4:30 PM Mass)
- By appointment any time — contact the parish office
About Incarnation Parish
Incarnation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Melrose, Massachusetts, part of the Archdiocese of Boston. The parish was established in 1958 by Richard Cardinal Cushing on land near the Saugus border that had once been a dairy farm. Members come from Melrose, Saugus, Wakefield, Stoneham, Lynn, Georgetown, Beverly, South Boston, Framingham, and beyond — married couples, singles, families with young children, teenagers, empty-nesters, and seniors. The parish is led by Father Michael S. Rora with Deacon Bob Breen and a small collaborative staff, and it is in formal collaborative ministry with Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Wakefield.
- Founded 1958 by Richard Cardinal Cushing
- Part of the Archdiocese of Boston
- Collaborative with Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, Wakefield (since 2019)
- Pastor: Rev. Michael S. Rora
Parish Staff
The pastoral staff includes a pastor, a senior priest in residence, a deacon, a parochial associate who also directs faith formation, a director of music ministries, and a business manager shared with Most Blessed Sacrament. Contacts are published on the parish website and bulletin for ministry sign-ups.
- Rev. Michael S. Rora — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Richard A. Uftring — Senior Priest in Residence
- Deacon Bob (Robert F.) Breen — Deacon ([email protected])
- Ann Lahiff — Parochial Associate & Director of Faith Formation ([email protected])
- Shawn Gelzleichter — Director of Music Ministries ([email protected])
- Susan Galvin — Business Manager ([email protected] for Incarnation, [email protected] for MBS)
Faith Formation: Generations of Faith
Generations of Faith (GOF) is the parish's signature approach to religious education. It incorporates all learning in the parish — from adult formation such as Friday-morning Scripture study (held via Zoom after the 8:00 AM Liturgy, with coffee and conversation) to sacrament preparation and grade-level classes for children. The GOF Design Team picks a yearly theme; the most recent was 'We are Called to Love.' Four all-ages learning events are held each year, typically in October, December, February, and April, where parishioners gather, share a meal, and learn together.
- 23rd year of GOF (in 2025–2026)
- Four annual all-ages learning events (Oct, Dec, Feb, Apr)
- Grade-level classes for Grades 1–10
- Yearly theme selected by the GOF Design Team
- Contact: Ann Lahiff at [email protected]
Sacrament Preparation
Within GOF, preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion is offered at Grade 2, with a First Reconciliation Retreat and weekend First Communion celebrations each spring. Older children in Grades 7–9 follow a separate track with Masses and classes scheduled throughout the year. Adults preparing for initiation or reception into full communion work with the RCIA coordinator.
- Grade 2 — First Reconciliation and First Communion
- Grades 7–9 — ongoing faith formation and preparation for Confirmation
- RCIA / Adult Initiation — contact Deacon Bob Breen
- Adult Confirmation preparation available
Liturgical & Music Ministry
The parish describes its liturgies as truly 'lifegiving celebrations' that draw on parishioners' gifts. Volunteers serve as Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Altar Servers, and the Music Ministry — under Director of Music Ministries Shawn Gelzleichter — includes an Adult Choir and a Children's Choir, the source of a regular series of 'Musical Musings' articles and a joint Lessons and Carols service each Advent.
- Liturgical Ministers: Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers
- Adult Choir and Children's Choir
- Contact for choir: [email protected]
- Contact for lectors/EMs: [email protected]
Sacraments at Incarnation
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish welcomes new members through Baptism, prepares couples for Marriage, brings the Sacraments to the sick and homebound, and accompanies adults seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church through the RCIA.
- Baptism for Infants — held privately; contact Deacon Bob Breen
- Marriage — contact parish office at least six months in advance (one year preferred)
- Anointing of the Sick, Communion for the homebound, Viaticum for the Dying — contact parish office
- Adult Initiation / RCIA — contact Deacon Bob Breen
Outreach & Service
Incarnation parishioners are encouraged to 'listen and act when God calls us to ministry.' Volunteers regularly support My Brother's Table in Lynn, Bread of Life, Housing Families, Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School, and Hallmark Health through collections, food drives, and direct service. The parish also organizes Backpack Drives for homeless families and has sent groups on medical missions to the Dominican Republic. In 2018, parishioners even organized a spaghetti supper to benefit the First Baptist Church of Wakefield after a devastating fire — an act of interfaith solidarity that, according to outside observers, 'speaks volumes about the character of the parishioners.'
- My Brother's Table (Lynn) — regular volunteering
- Bread of Life
- Housing Families
- Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School
- Hallmark Health collections and food drives
- Backpack Drives for homeless families
- Medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic
- Interfaith support (e.g., spaghetti supper for First Baptist Church of Wakefield relief fund)
Stewardship: Time, Talent, and Treasure
The parish frames its call to discipleship around the classic stewardship triad. Parishioners can give of their time through parish ministries, bereavement ministry, outreach to the homebound, and refreshments after the 9:30 Mass; of their talent as liturgical ministers or choir members; and of their treasure through online giving, special donations, and regular scheduled contributions that sustain the parish's work even when members travel.
- Give of Time — parish ministries, bereavement, outreach, hospitality
- Give of Talent — liturgical ministers, choir, music ministry
- Give of Treasure — online giving and scheduled donations
- Contact: Ann Lahiff ([email protected]) for time/talent; website for online giving
The Church Building
Incarnation's sanctuary is built in the New England Congregational style — a design choice that mirrors the surrounding region rather than typical Catholic forms. The interior is finished with off-white wainscoting and trim, light-blue accents, and whitewashed pews, producing a worship space that feels both historic and distinctly local.
- New England Congregational architectural style
- Off-white wainscoting and trim with light-blue accents
- Whitewashed pews
- Built on the site of a former dairy farm near the Saugus border
Contact & Location
The parish office and rectory are at 429 Upham Street, Melrose, MA 02176, with the church itself across the street at 425 Upham Street. Phone, email, and online giving are all listed on the parish website.
- Address: 429 Upham Street, Melrose, MA 02176 (rectory/office); 425 Upham Street (church)
- Phone: (781) 662-8844
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: incarnationmelrose.org