About Mary Queen of Peace Parish - St. Francis of Assisi · Medford, Massachusetts
Mary, Queen of Peace Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Medford, Massachusetts, within the Archdiocese of Boston. It is a collaborative parish formed from two historic Medford churches: St. Joseph Church at 118 High Street and St. Francis of Assisi Church at 441 Fellsway West. The parish offers daily and weekend Masses in English across both church sites, alongside a robust schedule of Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, devotions, and parish ministries. The community also operates the St. Joseph School and a religious education program, and it participates in the Archdiocesan Catholic Appeal.
- Established
- 1921 (St. Francis of Assisi Church)
- Patron
- Mary, Queen of Peace; St. Francis of Assisi (St. Francis Church); St. Joseph (St. Joseph Church)
- Rector
- Fr. Paul Hynes
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Mary, Queen of Peace Parish combines two historic Medford church sites under warm, active pastoral leadership, offering daily and weekend Mass at both St. Joseph Church (High Street) and St. Francis of Assisi Church (Fellsway West), along with a generous Adoration schedule (including a Wednesday-through-Friday Adoration Chapel at St. Joseph and a Monday evening Prayer Group at St. Francis), Confession before every weekend Mass, and a full range of lay ministries — choirs, Legion of Mary, Holy Face Devotion, Flame of Love Rosary, Marian Prayer Cenacle for Priests, Holy Hour for Life, and RCIA. The parish also runs St. Joseph School and a religious education program, hosts a Wednesday-night Rosary for Peace, Healing and Health on Zoom, and partners with regional efforts like the Medford Collaborative and Project Rachel — making it a vibrant place for families, young adults, and anyone seeking a robust devotional and sacramental life in Medford and Greater Boston.
Mass times at Mary Queen of Peace Parish - St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday, 9:00 AM (after the 8:30 AM Mass) — St. Francis of Assisi Church
- Saturday, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM — St. Joseph Church
- Saturday, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM — St. Francis of Assisi Church
Adoration times
- Monday, 7:00 PM — St. Francis of Assisi Church (Adoration & Weekly Prayer Group)
- Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 9:00 AM – 8:30 PM — St. Joseph Church (Adoration Chapel, lower church). Note: the Adoration Chapel is closed when Medford schools are closed for inclement weather.
About Mary, Queen of Peace Parish
Mary, Queen of Peace Parish is a collaborative Roman Catholic parish within the Archdiocese of Boston serving the city of Medford, Massachusetts. It unites two historic church communities under a single pastor and ministry team: St. Joseph Church (118 High Street) and St. Francis of Assisi Church (441 Fellsway West). The parish offers six Sunday Masses between the two sites each week, multiple daily Masses, an extensive Adoration schedule, regular Confessions before every weekend Mass, and one of the deeper lay-led devotional calendars in the Boston archdiocese. The parish also operates St. Joseph School, a religious education program for parish children, and a vibrant array of adult faith, outreach, music, and prayer ministries.
Parish Devotions and Prayer Groups
The parish's devotion schedule is one of its distinguishing features, drawing lay-led prayer groups into the regular rhythm of parish life around the Adoration Chapel and lower meeting rooms at St. Joseph.
- Wednesday, 3:00 PM — Divine Mercy Chaplet (Adoration Chapel)
- Wednesday, 6:30 PM — Legion of Mary (St. Joseph lower church sacristy)
- Wednesday, 7:00 PM — Rosary for Peace, Healing & Health on Zoom
- Thursday, 10:30–11:30 AM — Holy Face Devotion led by Danni Toppi
- Thursday, 1:00 PM — Marian Prayer Cenacle for Priests led by Robert Fraser and Sandra Drier Turchi
- Thursday, 2:00–3:00 PM — Holy Hour for Life led by Marge Kirchmeyer
- Thursday, 5:00–6:00 PM — Flame of Love Rosary led by Julie Powers & Lynne Sullivan
- Thursday, 7:30 PM — Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet led by Joe and Josephine Raimondi
- Friday, 7:30 PM — Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet led by Joe and Josephine Raimondi
Music and Liturgy
Music ministry is led by Music Director Shawn Mikkelson, who welcomes new choir members to sing at the 11:30 AM Sunday Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Church. The choir is in active rehearsal and invites parishioners to join.
- Parish Choir — sings at 11:30 AM Sunday Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Church
- Music Director: Shawn Mikkelson
- New choir members and singers of all experience levels are welcome.
Religious Education and St. Joseph School
The parish oversees the Religious Education (CCD) program that prepares children for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation. It also operates St. Joseph School, the parish Catholic elementary school serving Medford families.
- Religious Education / Faith Formation for parish children
- St. Joseph School — parish Catholic school (linked from maryqopmedford.org)
- Sacramental preparation (First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation) via the Religious Education office
Sacraments
Mary, Queen of Peace Parish prepares and celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Families and individuals are invited to contact the parish office for preparation and scheduling.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage (Wedding) preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
- Reconciliation (Confession) — see Saturday schedule
- Funeral / Bereavement coordination
Parish History and Milestones
St. Francis of Assisi Church was founded in 1921 and celebrated its centennial in 2021 with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley and a parish gala. St. Joseph Church, established earlier on Medford's High Street, was joined with St. Francis into the present collaborative parish named in honor of Mary, Queen of Peace. The collaborative model allows both churches to retain their identities and physical campuses while sharing clergy, staff, and ministries.
- 1921 — founding of St. Francis of Assisi Church
- St. Joseph Church established earlier on High Street in central Medford
- Formation of Mary, Queen of Peace as a combined collaborative parish within the Archdiocese of Boston
- October 3, 2021 — 100th Anniversary Mass at St. Francis of Assisi with Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap.
- October 16, 2021 — 100th Anniversary Gala
- June 2022 — Fr. Paul Hynes introduced as incoming pastor
Parish Staff, Leadership and Stewardship
The parish is currently served by Fr. Paul Hynes as pastor. A parish bulletin and weekly email update communicate announcements, and the parish conducts an annual Catholic Appeal campaign in cooperation with the Archdiocese of Boston alongside its own local capital and stewardship campaigns.
- Fr. Paul Hynes — Pastor
- Music Director — Shawn Mikkelson
- Holy Face Devotion — Danni Toppi
- Marian Prayer Cenacle — Robert Fraser and Sandra Drier Turchi
- Holy Hour for Life — Marge Kirchmeyer
- Flame of Love Rosary — Julie Powers & Lynne Sullivan
- Rosary / Divine Mercy Chaplet — Joe and Josephine Raimondi
- Recent capital campaign reported 79% participation from 183 parishioners, raising over $42,235.
Get Involved and Outreach
Beyond the sacramental schedule, the parish has active ministries for choir, prayer groups, parish stewardship, Catholic Appeal, and outreach through the regional Medford Collaborative, plus referrals to Project Rachel for post-abortion healing.
- Parish Choir and Music Ministry
- Legion of Mary and lay prayer groups
- Adoration Chapel hours and Adoration Team
- RCIA sponsorship and hospitality
- Stewardship / Capital Campaign committees
- Medford Collaborative — ecumenical and multi-parish outreach
- Project Rachel referral — Archdiocesan post-abortion healing ministry
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Paul Hynes2022–present
Current pastor of Mary, Queen of Peace Parish (collaborative of St. Joseph and St. Francis of Assisi, Medford). Introduced himself as incoming pastor in a parish bulletin prior to June 1, 2022.