About Our Lady Immaculate · Athol, Massachusetts
Our Lady Immaculate is a Roman Catholic parish in Athol, Massachusetts, part of the North Quabbin Catholic Community cluster along with Saint Francis of Assisi in Athol and Saint Peter's in Petersham. Located at 192 School Street, the parish belongs to the Diocese of Worcester and shares its pastoral team, church office, and weekly schedule with the two sister parishes. Our Lady Immaculate serves as the main church of the cluster, hosting Saturday evening Mass, Sunday morning Mass, weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, First Saturday devotions, and the cluster's primary rectory and office.
- Established
- pre-1953
- Patron
- Our Lady Immaculate (the Blessed Virgin Mary in her Immaculate Conception)
- Rector
- Father Thien X. Nguyen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts
Why belong here
Our Lady Immaculate offers the full rhythm of Catholic parish life in a small, walkable community in Athol, with daily and weekend Masses, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and a robust calendar of devotions including the Divine Mercy Chaplet, First Saturday Mass with Rosary and Confessions, and Lenten Stations of the Cross. As the anchor church of the three-parish North Quabbin Catholic Community, it shares a welcoming cluster office and pastoral team with Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Peter's, giving parishioners opportunities to participate across three worship sites. For Catholics in the North Quabbin area looking for a parish with traditional devotions, accessible confession times, and a close-knit community feel, Our Lady Immaculate is the central hub.
Mass times at Our Lady Immaculate
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (every week)
- 1st Saturday 8:30 AM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration / Holy Hour at Our Lady Immaculate Main Church)
About the Parish
Our Lady Immaculate is a Roman Catholic parish at 192 School Street in Athol, Massachusetts, in Worcester County. It is one of three parishes in the North Quabbin Catholic Community cluster, formed in 2004 when Bishop Daniel P. Reilly of Worcester grouped parishes together so they could share resources, regional events, and substitute priests across the cluster. Our Lady Immaculate serves as the cluster's main church, with its own school-street location in central Athol, weekday Masses, Saturday Vigil Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and the cluster rectory and office.
- Address: 192 School Street, Athol, MA 01331
- Phone: 978-249-2738 (Rectory) / 978-249-7690 (Church Office)
- Diocese: Worcester
- Cluster: North Quabbin Catholic Community
History
Our Lady Immaculate has served the Athol area since at least the early 1950s — a 1953 photograph of the church is preserved in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester records at the College of the Holy Cross. The parish has been led by several priests over the decades; Father Andre M. Gariepy was appointed pastor on July 1, 1981 after serving as associate pastor in Spencer, Southbridge, Fitchburg, Webster, and Winchendon, and was transferred to Holy Spirit Parish in Gardner on June 29, 1990. Father Krzysztof Korcz later served as pastor of the cluster and was subsequently reassigned. Under Bishop Reilly's 2004 clustering initiative, the parish joined with Saint Francis of Assisi (Athol) and Saint Peter's (Petersham) to form the North Quabbin Catholic Community.
- 1953 — Parish documented in Diocese of Worcester Records (College of the Holy Cross archives)
- 1981 — Father Andre M. Gariepy appointed pastor (served until 1990)
- 2004 — Parishes reorganized into clusters by Bishop Daniel P. Reilly; NQCC formed
- Recent — Father Krzysztof Korcz served as pastor before reassignment
North Quabbin Catholic Community (Cluster)
Our Lady Immaculate is part of the North Quabbin Catholic Community, a cluster of three parishes serving the North Quabbin region of north-central Massachusetts. The two sister parishes are Saint Francis of Assisi at 101 Main Street, Athol, and Saint Peter's at 18 North Street, Petersham. All three share the same rectory phone line (978-249-2738), the same church office (978-249-7690), and the same unified Mass and devotion schedule.
- Our Lady Immaculate — 192 School Street, Athol, MA 01331
- Saint Francis of Assisi — 101 Main Street, Athol, MA 01331
- Saint Peter's — 18 North Street, Petersham, MA 01366
Clergy and Staff
The cluster is led by Father Thien X. Nguyen, who is listed as pastor of Our Lady Immaculate on the Diocese of Worcester's published parish roster. Father Nguyen was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Worcester and has served in several parishes in the diocese, including as associate pastor and administrator of St. Theresa Parish in Blackstone before being named pastor there in 2020. Deacon Scott Colley has served the cluster and has been associated with the North Quabbin Catholic Community's communications and Facebook page.
- Father Thien X. Nguyen — Pastor (Our Lady Immaculate and the NQCC cluster)
- Deacon Scott Colley — Cluster deacon
Church Office and Visiting
The shared church office for all three NQCC parishes is at 192 School Street, Athol, MA 01331, with office hours Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Visitors are directed to Our Lady Immaculate from Route 2 via exit 18, turning left onto Route 2A and then left onto School Street.
- Church Office: 192 School Street, Athol, MA 01331 (978-249-7690)
- Rectory: 978-249-2738 ext 0
- Office Hours: Mon–Wed 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
- Directions: Route 2 exit 18 → left onto Route 2A → left onto School Street
Safe Environment and Healing
The parish posts the Diocese of Worcester's Office for Healing and Prevention contact information for anyone who has been sexually abused by a priest, religious, or lay person working for the Church. A 24-hour-a-day confidential voicemail is available.
- Diocesan Office for Healing and Prevention: (508) 929-4363
- 24-hour confidential voicemail available
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Andre M. Gariepy1981–1990
Appointed pastor of Our Lady Immaculate on July 1, 1981; transferred to Holy Spirit Parish, Gardner, on June 29, 1990. Retired from active ministry July 1, 2006; died May 25, 2021.
- Father Krzysztof Korcz
Served as pastor of the North Quabbin Catholic Community and was subsequently reassigned by the bishop.