About Our Lady of Grace Parish - St. James · Groton, Massachusetts
Our Lady of Grace Parish (St. James) is a Roman Catholic community in West Groton, Massachusetts, part of the Archdiocese of Boston. Formed on July 1, 2009, by the merger of the former Sacred Heart–St. James Parish (Groton) and St. Joseph Parish (Pepperell), it now worships at St. James Church at 13 St. James Avenue. The parish is one of three worship sites in the St. J's Collaborative, alongside St. Joseph in Pepperell and St. John the Evangelist in Townsend, serving the Catholics of Ashby, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell, and Townsend. The current pastor is Rev. Seán M. Maher, assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Kwang H. Lee and Deacon Jason C. Lampron.
- Established
- 2009
- Patron
- Our Lady of Grace
- Rector
- Rev. Seán M. Maher
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Our Lady of Grace offers a warm, multi-town Catholic community that worships in the historic St. James Church in West Groton while sharing faith formation, sacramental preparation, and pastoral care with the two other churches of the St. J's Collaborative. The parish runs a full Religious Education program for K–12, an active RCIA process for adults (led by Ed Kelly), a choir and liturgical ministries, a Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Council, and a Knights of Columbus-affiliated men's group. Weekday Adoration and regular Confession times across the collaborative, plus livestreamed Masses on Twitch, make this an accessible parish for families across Ashby, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell, and Townsend.
Mass times at Our Lady of Grace Parish - St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesdays 6:00–7:00 PM at St. John's, Townsend
- Thursdays 6:00–7:00 PM at St. Joseph's, Pepperell
- Saturdays 3:15–3:55 PM at St. Joseph's, Pepperell
- Before and after Mass (at St. James, Groton) — call (978) 433-5737 or check at Mass
- By appointment — call (978) 433-5737
Adoration times
- Friday 6:00 AM–12:00 noon at St. Joseph's, Pepperell (followed by 12:05 PM Mass)
- Tuesday 6:00–7:00 PM at St. John's, Townsend
- Thursday 6:00–7:00 PM at St. Joseph's, Pepperell
Welcome to St. J's Collaborative
St. James is one of three worship sites in the St. J's Collaborative, a shared pastoral arrangement that brings together Our Lady of Grace Parish (Groton and Pepperell) with St. John the Evangelist Parish (Townsend). The collaborative's motto is 'One Mission, three towns, serving one LORD,' and the parishes together serve the Catholics of Ashby, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell, and Townsend.
- St. James Church — 13 St. James Ave., West Groton, MA 01450
- St. Joseph Church — 28 Tarbell Street, Pepperell, MA 01463
- St. John the Evangelist Church — 1 School St., Townsend, MA 01469
History of the Parish
Our Lady of Grace was canonically established July 1, 2009, by the merger of Sacred Heart–St. James Parish (Groton) and St. Joseph Parish (Pepperell), with the addition of the town of Dunstable. The first pastor was Rev. Paul Ring. The parish's Groton roots trace back to 1887, when an English Gothic Revival chapel designed by Henry Vaughan for Groton School was donated in 1899 to Groton's Catholics and rolled by horses from Farmers Row to Main Street in 1904.
- 1887 — Tudor Revival chapel built for Groton School by architect Henry Vaughan
- 1899 — Chapel donated to Groton's Catholics
- September 27, 1904 — Chapel rolled by horse-drawn rollers to 279 Main Street, Groton
- 2006 — Sacred Heart merged with West Groton's St. James to form Sacred Heart–St. James Parish
- July 1, 2009 — Sacred Heart–St. James and St. Joseph (Pepperell) merged to form Our Lady of Grace
- 2009 — Sacred Heart building closed as a Catholic church
- 2018 — Former Sacred Heart building sold
Clergy & Staff
The collaborative is led by Pastor Rev. Seán M. Maher, with Parochial Vicar Rev. Kwang H. Lee and Deacon Jason C. Lampron. Lay staff include Business Manager David LaFleur, Director of Religious Education Bill McCaffrey, Administrative Assistant Carol Zaiatz, RCIA coordinator Ed Kelly, and Cemetery Manager Jim Ferrara (Mill City Management).
- Rev. Seán M. Maher — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Kwang H. Lee — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Deacon Jason C. Lampron ([email protected])
- David LaFleur — Business Manager (978-597-2291)
- Bill McCaffrey — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Carol Zaiatz — Administrative Assistant ([email protected])
- Ed Kelly — RCIA (adult baptism)
- Jim Ferrara — Cemetery Management, Mill City Management (978-208-0266)
Religious Education & Faith Formation
The Office of Faith Formation serves both Our Lady of Grace Parish and St. John the Evangelist Parish. K–7 classes meet in St. Joseph's Hall in Pepperell on Sunday mornings, and grades 8–12 also meet in St. Joseph's Hall on Sunday mornings. Sacramental preparation for First Penance, First Communion, and Confirmation is offered each year, with rehearsal and celebration dates published in the bulletin.
- K–7 classes — Sundays, St. Joseph's Hall, Pepperell, 9:45 AM–10:50 AM
- Grades 8–12 — Sundays, St. Joseph's Hall, Pepperell, 9:30 AM–10:50 AM
- First Penance, First Communion, and Confirmation preparation each year
- Director: Bill McCaffrey — [email protected]
Ministries & Organizations
The collaborative welcomes volunteers into a wide range of liturgical, pastoral, and social ministries. Liturgical ministries are organized by sacristans and liturgical coordinators who maintain sacred vessels, linens, books, and the schedules for lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and altar servers. Pastoral and advisory bodies include the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) and the Parish Finance Council (PFC).
- RCIA (adults seeking Baptism or full initiation)
- Sacristans and Liturgical Coordinators
- Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Servers
- Music Ministry / Choir
- Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) — meets every other month, [email protected]
- Parish Finance Council (PFC) — meets quarterly
- St. J's Men's Group / Knights of Columbus
- Baptism Ministry
- Cemetery Management
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. For information on Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, or any other sacrament, parishioners are invited to visit the parish website or call the parish office. The parish also arranges for the Eucharist to be brought to those who are homebound.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Marriage — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick
- Eucharist for the homebound
- First Penance and First Communion (preparation through Religious Ed.)
- Confirmation (preparation through Religious Ed.)
- RCIA for adults
Livestreaming & Communications
Sunday and other Masses from both St. James in Groton and St. John in Townsend are livestreamed on Twitch, allowing the homebound and those traveling to remain connected to the collaborative liturgy. Bulletins are published weekly and posted on the parish website at stjs.page/bulletins.
- St. James Groton — twitch.tv/stjsgroton
- St. John Townsend — twitch.tv/stjstownsend
- Weekly bulletins — stjs.page/bulletins
- Bulletin submissions — [email protected] (Monday noon deadline)
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
The Our Lady of Grace office is reached at (978) 433-5737 and the St. John's office at (978) 597-2291. The Church Office for the collaborative is located on the bottom floor of St. John's Hall in Townsend. For a Sacramental Emergency, call the office and press 9 to reach Fr. Maher or Fr. Kwang.
- Our Lady of Grace Office — (978) 433-5737 / [email protected]
- St. John's Office — (978) 597-2291
- Office hours, Monday & Wednesday: 9 AM–4 PM, Townsend
- Office hours, Tuesday & Friday: 9 AM–4 PM, Pepperell
- Thursday: Office closed
- Sacramental emergency: (978) 433-5737, press 9
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Paul Ring2009–
Founding pastor of Our Lady of Grace; previously pastor of both Sacred Heart–St. James (Groton) and St. Joseph (Pepperell).