About Our Lady of Good Help · Mapleville, Rhode Island
Our Lady of Good Help (Notre Dame de Bonsecours) is a Roman Catholic parish in Mapleville, Rhode Island, within the Diocese of Providence. Founded on August 24, 1905 to serve the French-Canadian Catholic families of Mapleville and Oakland, the parish was originally separated from the predominantly Irish St. Patrick's parish in nearby Harrisville. Today it is part of the Burrillville Catholic Collaborative, sharing pastoral and administrative resources with St. Theresa's Church and Shrine in Nasonville and St. Patrick's in Harrisville. The parish continues to welcome Catholics in northern Rhode Island for Sunday and weekday Masses, sacraments, adoration, faith formation, and community life.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- Our Lady of Good Help (Notre Dame de Bonsecours)
- Rector
- Rev. Jose Parathanal, CMI, JCL, LLB
- Diocese
- Diocese of Providence
Why belong here
Our Lady of Good Help has served the Catholics of Mapleville, Oakland, and the wider Burrillville area for more than a century, with roots in the French-Canadian heritage of northern Rhode Island. Today the parish is part of the Burrillville Catholic Collaborative, offering weekend and weekday Masses, the Sacrament of Penance on Saturdays, Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays, faith formation for children and families, a music ministry, and prayer groups such as the Our Ladies Prayer Group. Parishioners are encouraged to register so the office can stay in touch, and the community welcomes new lectors and ushers who want to serve at Mass.
Mass times at Our Lady of Good Help
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00–3:45 PM — June 1 through September 30 at St. Theresa Shrine, 35 Dion Drive
- Saturdays 3:00–3:45 PM — October 1 through May 31 at Our Lady of Good Help, 1063 Victory Highway
- Fridays following the 8:30 AM Mass at St. Theresa Shrine (ask the priest)
- By appointment — call the parish office at 401-568-8280
Adoration times
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM on Fridays at St. Theresa Church
About Our Lady of Good Help
Our Lady of Good Help (Notre Dame de Bonsecours) is the Catholic parish of Mapleville, Rhode Island, and a member of the Diocese of Providence. Founded in 1905 for the French-Canadian Catholics of Mapleville and Oakland, it now functions as one of three churches in the Burrillville Catholic Collaborative, alongside St. Theresa Church and Shrine in Nasonville and St. Patrick Church in Harrisville. The collaborative shares one pastor, one pastoral team, and one inter-parish office, while each church retains its own identity, schedule, and worship space.
Parish History
The history page on the parish website traces Our Lady of Good Help from its founding in 1905 through more than a century of continuous ministry. The community was originally a mission of St. Patrick's in Harrisville before Bishop Matthew Harkins formally established it as a parish on August 24, 1905 and appointed Rev. Hormisdas Mailloux as its first pastor. The first High Mass was celebrated in a recreation hall in Oakland, and the parish was incorporated on September 8 — the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary — under the French title 'L'Eglise de Notre Dame de Bonsecours.'
The Burrillville Catholic Collaborative
Since 2021, Our Lady of Good Help has been yoked with St. Patrick's in Harrisville, building on its 2015 yoking with St. Theresa's in Nasonville and the 2019 formal merger with St. Theresa Shrine. The three churches share one pastor, Rev. Jose Parathanal, CMI, and one associate pastor, Rev. Cyriac Kalampatt, CMI, while the inter-parish office serves all three communities. The collaborative is summarized by its motto: 'Three churches, one faith community.'
- Our Lady of Good Help — 1063 Victory Highway, Mapleville
- St. Theresa Church and Shrine — 35 Dion Drive, Nasonville/Harrisville
- St. Patrick Church — 45 Harrisville Main Street, Harrisville
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Faith formation for children and families across the collaborative is coordinated through the Religious Education office, currently under Interim Director Mrs. Pat Ducharme ([email protected]). The parish also hosts SPRED (Special Religious Development) for parishioners with developmental disabilities, coordinated by Sister Grace Coffey.
- Director of Religious Education — Mrs. Pat Ducharme (Interim)
- SPRED Coordinator — Sister Grace Coffey
- Contact: 401-568-8280 / [email protected]
Music Ministry
Liturgical music is supported by organists and musicians who serve the weekend and daily Masses across the three collaborative churches.
- Mrs. Cindy Manning
- Mr. Phong Nguyen
- Mr. Mark Auger
Parish Staff and Trustees
The day-to-day operations of the Burrillville Catholic Collaborative are run from the inter-parish office at 35 Dion Drive, Harrisville, with office hours Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (closed Fridays).
- Pastor — Rev. Jose Parathanal, CMI, JCL, LLB (also Judge, Marriage Tribunal)
- Associate Pastor — Rev. Cyriac Kalampatt, CMI
- Deacon Assistant — Rev. Mr. Richard J. Lapierre
- Office Manager — Mr. N. Peter Lamoria
- Religious Education (Interim) — Mrs. Pat Ducharme
- Bookkeeping — Mr. Dennis Auger (A/P, A/R, Payroll)
- Web & Publications — Irma Rodriguez
- Convent / St. Theresa Shrine Museum — Sister Grace Coffey
- Groundskeeper — Mr. Joseph Franco
- Trustees (OLGH) — Mark Auger & Phong Nguyen
- Trustees (St. Patrick) — Roger Johnson & George Lough
Parish Registration, Giving, and Bulletin
New parishioners are encouraged to register with the parish so the office can stay in touch and so families can track their donations. Registration forms can be returned in the collection basket or dropped off at the office; existing parishioners are asked to re-register every 1–3 years. Online giving is available through the parish website, and a weekly printed bulletin (published by John Patrick Publishing) carries announcements, schedules, and the parish calendar.
- Parish registration form (PDF) available on the website
- Online giving link on burrillvillecatholic.org
- Weekly bulletin archive at church-bulletin.org
Contact and Visit
The inter-parish office serves all three collaborative churches and is the hub for Mass intentions, sacramental requests, and general inquiries. Visitors can call during office hours or email the parish for information, appointments, or to plan a personal retreat or pilgrimage with the pastor.
- Our Lady of Good Help Church — 1063 Victory Highway, Mapleville, RI 02839
- Inter-Parish Office — 35 Dion Drive, Harrisville, RI 02830
- Phone — (401) 568-8280
- Email — [email protected]
- Pastor's email — [email protected]
- Office hours — Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (closed Fridays)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Hormisdas Mailloux1905–1911
First pastor; founded the parish and organized the first High Mass in Oakland's Recreation Hall.
- Rev. Hormisdas-Zenon Sylvestre1909–1911
- Rev. Mathias Hebert1911–1923
- Rev. Hormisdas Sylvestre1923–1929
- Rev. Donat Lussier1929–1934
- Rev. A. E. Olivier1934–1937
- Rev. Ovide Plasse1937–1952
- Rev. George McCra1950–1952
- Rev. Ernest Martineau1952–1955
- Rev. Henry J. Laliberte1955–1958
- Rev. Francois X. Bouchard1958–1969
- Rev. Rene Guertin1969–1980
- Rev. Armand V. Ventre1980–1985
- Rev. John Allard1985–1996
- Rev. Timothy Lemlin1996–2004
- Rev. Joseph Pescatello2004–2010
- Rev. Robert Marciano2010–2012
- Rev. Roman Manchester2012–2014
- Rev. Michael J. McMahon2014–2022
- Rev. Jose Parathanal, CMIJuly 2022–present
Current pastor; also serves as a judge on the Diocese of Providence Marriage Tribunal.