About Our Lady of Fatima · Ludlow, Massachusetts
Our Lady of Fatima Parish is a bilingual Catholic parish in Ludlow, Massachusetts, within the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts. Originally founded in 1948 to serve the post-World War II surge of Portuguese immigrants in Ludlow, the parish celebrates Mass in both English and Portuguese and remains a vibrant center of Portuguese-American faith and culture. Its Winsor Street campus includes the main church, the Chapel of the Little Shepherds (where weekday Masses are celebrated), an outdoor Shrine to Fátima, an outdoor Chapel that is a replica of the Fátima chapel in Portugal, a Fátima Museum, a parish rectory, and a parish center. The parish is pastored by Conventual Franciscan Friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province, who lead annual Festa celebrations each Labor Day weekend that draw thousands from across the Northeast.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- Our Lady of Fatima
- Rector
- Friar Pedro de Oliveira, OFM Conv. (Conventual Franciscan, Our Lady of the Angels Province)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts
Why belong here
Our Lady of Fatima is the spiritual home for English- and Portuguese-speaking Catholics in the greater Ludlow area, with every Mass and most sacraments offered bilingually so that both language communities are fully at home. The parish sustains a robust sacramental life — daily Mass, Saturday confessions, all-day Thursday Eucharistic Adoration, First Friday and First Saturday devotions, baptism, marriage, and First Communion and Confirmation preparation — and nourishes adults with weekly Bible study (in Portuguese and English), a Lenten Day of Reflection, a Missão Quaresmal, a Retiro das Senhoras, and the long-standing Portuguese Cursilho movement. Anyone can also step into the parish's wider Catholic mission through the parish Council, lector and altar server ministries, the choir, and the annual Labor Day Festa, which fills the grounds with thousands of people who come from across the Northeast to honor Our Lady of Fatima.
Mass times at Our Lady of Fatima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (or by special arrangement)
- Diocese of Springfield directory additionally lists First Saturday 2:30–3:00 PM and after weekday Masses (Mon/Wed after 8:30 AM Mass; Tue/Fri after 5:30 PM Mass)
Adoration times
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration in the main church)
- First Saturday of the Month: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Eucharistic Vigil in the Chapel of the Little Shepherds)
History of Our Lady of Fatima Parish
Founded in 1948 to serve the post–World War II surge of Portuguese immigrants in Ludlow, Our Lady of Fatima was inaugurated on Labor Day, September 5, 1949, with Fr. Manuel Rocha as its founding pastor. The parish grew out of thirty years of close cooperation with St. John the Baptist Church, whose pastor, Father Chabot, even learned Portuguese to celebrate Mass for the community. Over the decades, the campus has expanded around the original church to include a chapel, an outdoor Shrine to Fátima, a rectory, and a parish center. In 2022, the Diocese of Springfield and the Conventual Franciscan Friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province entrusted the parish to a new pastoral team under Friar Pedro de Oliveira, OFM Conv.
- 1948 — Bishop O'Leary grants the Portuguese community their own parish
- 1949 — Church inaugurated on Labor Day weekend, September 5; Fr. Manuel Rocha begins a 30+ year pastorate
- First Masses celebrated at the Grémio Lusitano Club before the church was built
- 2022 — Friar Pedro de Oliveira, OFM Conv., installed as pastor; Friar Luiz Fernando Lima Rangel, OFM Conv., joins as parochial vicar
Visitor Information
Our Lady of Fatima welcomes visitors of all backgrounds. The Ludlow campus is a single connected property laid out for worship, devotion, and gathering: a main church for weekend Masses, the Chapel of the Little Shepherds for weekday Masses, the Fátima Museum for devotional history, and the outdoor Shrine to Fátima and outdoor Chapel for open-air liturgical events. Parish staff are glad to direct newcomers and visitors, and the parish is fully accessible.
- Plenty of on-site parking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Hearing-assist devices available in the church
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM–1:00 PM and 2:00–5:00 PM (the office is closed for lunch from 1 to 2 PM)
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates all the major sacraments of Catholic initiation and life. Couples are asked to contact Fr. Pedro a full year before their intended wedding, and families seeking baptism should arrange preparation at least one month in advance. First Communion (Grade 2) and Confirmation (Grade 9) are prepared through the parish Religious Education program.
- Matrimony: contact Fr. Pedro one year in advance to begin preparation and set a date
- Baptism: celebrated on the last Sunday of the month; arrangements must be made at least one month ahead
- First Communion: prepared through CCD (Grade 2)
- Confirmation: prepared through CCD (Grade 9)
- Reconciliation: Saturdays 3:00–4:00 PM or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick and other pastoral needs: by request through the rectory
Faith Formation & Religious Education (CCD)
The parish's religious education program, regulated through the Diocese of Springfield, follows a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) model that combines classroom instruction with weekly Mass and Holy Eucharist. Parents are recognized as the primary educators of their children in faith, and the parish sees its role as supporting and assisting that vocation. Older students are invited into parish leadership through lector opportunities, altar serving, choir, and Parish Council involvement.
- Grades 1–6: Sundays 9:45–10:45 AM
- Grades 7–9: Mondays 7:00–8:00 PM
- First Communion (Grade 2) fee: $50, covers textbooks and flowers for the altar
- Confirmation (Grade 9) fee: $90, covers textbooks, retreat, flowers, Bishop/Monsignor stipend, and Confirmation stole
- Other grades (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7): $40 per child
- Religious Coordinator: Guida Rego ([email protected] / text 413-478-7056)
Adult Enrichment
Beyond the sacraments, the parish offers a vibrant program of adult faith formation. Weekly Bible study is led by the Franciscan friars in both Portuguese and English. Several times a year the parish hosts days of reflection and retreats — including a Lenten Day of Reflection, the Missão Quaresmal, and the Retiro das Senhoras — that give parishioners time apart to deepen their prayer.
- Weekly Bible study in Portuguese and in English
- Lenten Day of Reflection
- Missão Quaresmal (Portuguese Lenten retreat)
- Retiro das Senhoras (women's retreat)
- Portuguese Cursilho — Movimentos de Cursilhos de Cristandade, present in the parish for more than twenty years; English-speaking seekers are directed to Cursillo of Western Mass through the Diocese of Springfield
Festa — Annual Labor Day Celebration
Every Labor Day weekend since 1949, Our Lady of Fatima has celebrated its anniversary and dedication to Our Lady of Fatima with the Festa — a five-day festival that draws thousands of people from across the Northeast. The weekend culminates in an open-air Mass at the outdoor chapel (a replica of the Fátima chapel in Portugal), followed by a candlelight procession through the surrounding neighborhoods praying the rosary, with candles left at the outdoor Shrine to Fátima. Festa features traditional Portuguese food, live music, carnival rides, and entertainment, and serves as a major fundraiser for the parish.
- Five days of celebration each Labor Day weekend
- Sunday evening open-air Mass at the outdoor Chapel (replica of the Chapel of the Apparitions)
- Candlelight procession praying the rosary through the Winsor Street neighborhood
- Candles offered at the outdoor Shrine to Fátima
- Carnival, traditional Portuguese food, music, and entertainment
- Past guests of honor have included Springfield Bishop William D. Byrne and visiting clergy such as Auxiliary Bishop Robert Chrzaszcz of Krakow
Parish Staff
The parish is staffed and pastored by Conventual Franciscans of Our Lady of the Angels Province together with a small lay team who run the office, music program, and religious education office. The Friars bring a Franciscan spirituality to the parish's bilingual mission and connect Our Lady of Fatima to a wider network of Franciscan ministries.
- Friar Pedro de Oliveira, OFM Conv. — Pastor
- Friar Luiz Fernando Lima Rangel, OFM Conv. — Parochial Vicar
- Isabel Magalhaes — Secretary
- David Costa — Music Director
- Guida Rego — Religious Coordinator
Contact Us
Parishioners, visitors, and families seeking information about sacraments, religious education, ministries, or the Festa can reach the parish office by mail, phone, fax, or email. The office is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 2:00 to 5:00 PM (closed for the lunch hour from 1 to 2 PM).
- Address: 438 Winsor Street, Ludlow, Massachusetts 01056
- Phone: (413) 583-2312
- Fax: (413) 547-0207
- Email: [email protected]
- Religious Education: [email protected] / text 413-478-7056
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM–1:00 PM and 2:00–5:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Manuel Rocha1948–c.1979 (30+ years)
Portuguese priest who became administrator when Bishop O'Leary created the parish in 1948; led the inauguration of the church on Labor Day, September 5, 1949, and served as beloved founding pastor for more than thirty years.
- Friar Pedro de Oliveira, OFM Conv.2022–present
Conventual Franciscan of Our Lady of the Angels Province; born 1972 on São Miguel in the Azores; professed simple vows in 1994 and ordained a priest in 2000; began assignment as pastor July 1, 2022.
- Friar Luiz Fernando Lima Rangel, OFM Conv.2022–present
Conventual Franciscan from the province's Immaculate Conception Custody in Brazil; joined as parochial vicar later in 2022 alongside Friar Pedro.