About Notre Dame de Lourdes (Christ the King Parish) · Skowhegan, Maine
Notre Dame de Lourdes Church is the principal church of Christ the King Parish in Skowhegan, Maine, a tri-site Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Portland in Maine that also includes St. Sebastian Church in Madison and St. Peter Church in Bingham. The parish traces its roots to 1856, when the first Mass in Skowhegan was celebrated by Father John Bapst, SJ, and grew from a mission attached to St. Francis de Sales of Waterville into a thriving Franco-American Catholic community. Today the parish is administered by Rev. James L. Nadeau, with weekend and weekday Masses offered in English at Notre Dame de Lourdes, and Saturday confessions held before the Vigil Mass.
- Established
- 1871
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Rector
- Rev. James L. Nadeau
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in Maine
Why belong here
Christ the King Parish welcomes Catholics across the upper Kennebec Valley into a tri-site community with three historic Franco-American churches — Notre Dame de Lourdes in Skowhegan, St. Sebastian in Madison, and St. Peter in Bingham — that together offer six days of Mass, Saturday confessions, online giving and a parish-wide bulletin. Visitors can take part in a living heritage that stretches back to 1856 and to a present-day brick sanctuary dedicated in 1952, supported by a single parish office, an active Facebook page, and the pastoral care of Fr. James L. Nadeau. It is a place where a small-town congregation has kept Catholic tradition — Ursuline-school education, a renowned Austin pipe organ, French-Canadian roots — alive and accessible for over 150 years.
Mass times at Notre Dame de Lourdes (Christ the King Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM at Notre Dame de Lourdes Church, Skowhegan (or by appointment with Fr. Jim Nadeau, 207-474-2039)
About Christ the King Parish
Christ the King Parish is a tri-site Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Portland in Maine, uniting three historic Franco-American churches — Notre Dame de Lourdes in Skowhegan, St. Sebastian in Madison, and St. Peter in Bingham — under a single pastor and one parish office. The parish traces its origins to the first Mass said in Skowhegan by Father John Bapst, SJ in 1856, and takes its current name from the 2007 merger that joined the three communities.
Notre Dame de Lourdes Church, Skowhegan
The principal church of the parish stands at 283 Water Street, Skowhegan, on the same downtown site where the original Methodist meetinghouse was purchased as St. Mary's Church in 1871. The present brick church was begun in October 1950 after the 1946 fire destroyed the 65-year-old building, with the cornerstone blessed by Bishop Daniel J. Feeney on June 5, 1951 and the dedication taking place on August 17, 1952.
- Address: 283 Water Street, Skowhegan, ME 04976
- Sunday Mass: 8:30 AM
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM
- Weekday Mass: Tuesday & Wednesday, 8:00 AM
- Confessions: Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM
St. Sebastian Church, Madison
St. Sebastian Church, 175 Main Street, Madison, offers Sunday Mass at 10:30 AM (livestreamed) and weekday Masses on Monday and Friday at 8:00 AM. It shares the same parish office and phone number (207-474-2039) as Notre Dame de Lourdes.
- Address: 175 Main Street, Madison, ME 04950
- Sunday Mass: 10:30 AM (livestreamed)
- Weekday Mass: Monday & Friday, 8:00 AM
St. Peter Church, Bingham
St. Peter Church, 26 Owens Street, Bingham, completes the tri-site parish with Sunday Mass at 2:30 PM and Thursday Mass at 2:30 PM. Like the other two churches, it is administered from the parish office in Skowhegan.
- Address: 26 Owens Street, Bingham, ME 04920
- Sunday Mass: 2:30 PM
- Weekday Mass: Thursday, 2:30 PM
Parish History
Catholic life in Skowhegan began with Father John Bapst's 1856 Mass in the Dumont home and grew through a mission period attached to St. Francis de Sales, Waterville, before Father Genereux became the first resident priest in 1881 and built the original Notre Dame de Lourdes. Two devastating fires (1880 and 1946), the dedication of the current brick church in 1952, the return of the Ursuline Sisters in the early 1970s, and the 2007 merger into Christ the King Parish are the milestones that have shaped the community into what it is today. A detailed account — including the pastors from Genereux to Nadeau, the 1902 brick school, the 1928 Austin pipe organ, and the 1972/1981 jubilees — appears in the full history section above.
Clergy & Staff
Rev. James L. Nadeau serves as administrator (pastor) of Christ the King Parish. A native of Caribou, he was ordained in 1988 by Bishop Edward C. O'Leary, studied at Dartmouth and the Pontifical North American College/Gregorian University in Rome, and previously served as rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland and as pastor of St. John Vianney Parish in the St. John Valley. He is a Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
- Rev. James L. Nadeau — Administrator/Pastor
- Parish Office: 291 Water Street, Skowhegan, ME 04976
- Phone: 207-474-2039
- Email: [email protected]
Sacraments
Information about Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion and Confirmation is coordinated through the parish office. The sacrament of Penance is regularly offered before the Saturday Vigil Mass.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM at Notre Dame de Lourdes, Skowhegan
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing — by appointment via the parish office
Parish Registration & Online Giving
New parishioners are invited to register by emailing their name, address and phone number to [email protected]; the parish will mail a registration form or follow up by phone. The parish also offers secure online giving through WeShare, accessible at ctkmaine.weshareonline.org.
- Register: [email protected]
- Online Giving: https://ctkmaine.weshareonline.org
Safe Environment
Christ the King Parish participates in the Diocese of Portland's Protecting God's Children safe-environment program, ensuring that all adults working with minors are trained and background-checked.
- Diocesan program: www.portlanddiocese.org/protecting-gods-children
Stay Connected
The parish maintains a weekly bulletin (posted on the website), an active Facebook page, and links to the Diocese of Portland website for diocesan news and resources. The parish office at 291 Water Street is the central point of contact for all three churches.
- Parish Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ctkp.maine.07012007/
- Diocese of Portland: www.portlanddiocese.org
- Parish website: http://www.ctkparishonline.com/
Visiting Skowhegan
Notre Dame de Lourdes sits in downtown Skowhegan on the Kennebec River, the same Water Street location that has been Catholic since 1871. The building is the third church on the site and retains the parish's historic Austin pipe organ, while the adjacent 1913 brick rectory and the Merrill building anchor the parish campus.
- Location: Water Street, downtown Skowhegan, Somerset County, Maine
- Landmarks: Kennebec River, Skowhegan Opera House, site of the 1902 brick school on the riverbank
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Edmond Genereux1881–1888
First resident priest of the Skowhegan mission; built the original Notre Dame de Lourdes Church on Water Street.
- Rev. Adolphe O. LaCroix1889–1909
Came from Three Rivers, Canada; built galleries and vestries, opened the first Parochial School (Sept 1897), welcomed six Ursuline Sisters from Three Rivers, P.Q., and oversaw construction of the brick school on the Kennebec in 1902.
- Rev. Phillippe A. Jouvin1909–1910
Succeeded Father LaCroix; lived in the convent during his brief eight-month tenure and died in March 1910.
- Rev. Raoul Bourbeau1910 (weeks)
Carried on the work briefly between Father Jouvin's death and Father Desjardins' arrival.
- Rev. Phillippe E. Desjardins1910–1916
Arrived from Chisholm on April 1, 1910; remodeled the church throughout; first occupant of the new brick rectory built in 1913 after the 1909 fire.
- Rev. Louis A. Renaud1916–c. 1945
Music lover who organized the state-renowned St. Cecilia's Orchestra; received the 1928 Austin pipe organ gift.
- Rev. Alban Michaud1928–1932
First curate of Notre Dame de Lourdes, assisting Father Renaud.
- Rev. Gaston E. Auger1932–1945 (curate); 1966–1974 (pastor)
Served thirteen years as curate under Fathers Renaud and Ouellette, then returned as pastor in 1966; renovated the Merrill building and restored the old school to bring the Ursuline Sisters back.
- Rev. Ludger D. Ouellettec. 1945–1946
Succeeded Father Renaud; obtained permission to rebuild after the 1946 fire but died of illness in November 1946 before construction.
- Rev. Lucien H. Chabot1946–1966
Built the present brick church (begun 1950), blessed and dedicated August 17, 1952 by Bishop Daniel J. Feeney; transferred to Auburn in September 1966.
- Rev. Gilbert A. Patenaude1974–1979
Repaired chimney, waterproofed the building, and restored the front of the church, belfry and cross; later assigned to St. Francis Xavier, Winthrop.
- Rev. Armand R. Neault1979–
Succeeded Father Patenaude in 1979; led the parish into its centennial year and beyond.
- Rev. John Mazzei, SA2008–2017
Franciscan Friar of the Atonement; arrived in the diocese November 2008 as parochial vicar of Christ the King and Corpus Christi (Waterville); named pastor July 1, 2011; retired July 1, 2017.
- Rev. James L. Nadeau2017–present
Born in Caribou; Dartmouth (1983) and Pontifical North American College/Gregorian University, Rome; ordained July 9, 1988 by Bishop Edward C. O'Leary; previously rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Portland, and pastor of St. John Vianney Parish (St. John Valley); Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.