About Our Lady of Lourdes (Jamaica Plain) · Boston, Massachusetts
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, and is part of the Catholic JP Roxbury Collaborative along with St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Mary of the Angels parishes. Founded in 1908 as an offshoot of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, it grew up between two former Jamaica Plain breweries (Haffenreffer and the Franklin) and was historically tied to Boston Mayor James Michael Curley, who helped fund its buildings. Today Our Lady of Lourdes is a bilingual (English and Spanish) parish with a predominantly Hispanic congregation, serving the Egleston Square / Brookside neighborhood from its campus of church, parish center, school, rectory, and former convent.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Rector
- Rev. Carlos Flor
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Our Lady of Lourdes is a warm, bilingual Catholic community in the heart of Jamaica Plain that welcomes both longtime parishioners and newcomers from across the neighborhood. Sunday Mass is offered in both English and Spanish, with active faith formation for children and adults (including RCIA, First Communion, and Confirmation preparation), a Monday-evening food pantry, a St. Vincent de Paul Society, Eucharistic home visits for the sick, and even transportation to the Sunday Spanish Mass. Whether you are looking for a place to pray in your language, raise your children in the faith, or serve neighbors in need, this parish combines deep Boston history with the living, multilingual character of today's Jamaica Plain.
Mass times at Our Lady of Lourdes (Jamaica Plain)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00–4:00 p.m. in St. Thomas Aquinas chapel
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish at a Glance
Our Lady of Lourdes is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish serving the Egleston Square / Brookside area of Jamaica Plain in Boston. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Boston and is part of the Catholic JP Roxbury Collaborative together with St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Mary of the Angels parishes. The parish campus on Montebello Road and Brookside Avenue includes the 1931 church, the original 1896 chapel (now a parish hall), the parish center at 45 Brookside Avenue, the former school, the rectory at 97 South Street, and the 1926 convent that today houses Capuchin friars.
- Founded 1908 as an offshoot of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish
- Part of the Catholic JP Roxbury Collaborative
- Pastor: Rev. Carlos Flor
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Andrea Povero
- Address: 14 Montebello Road, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
History of the Parish
The chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes was first erected in 1896 by Msgr. Thomas Magennis, founding pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas, to serve the growing Catholic population near Egleston Square. For twelve years it served as a mission of St. Thomas Aquinas. In July 1908 it became an independent parish under its first pastor, Rev. George A. Lyons, who immediately enlarged the modest chapel and added side altars, an illuminated Lourdes grotto, and a basement assembly hall — the rebuilt church was dedicated on September 13, 1909 with Archbishop O'Connell presiding.
- 1896: Chapel built on Brookside Street as a mission of St. Thomas Aquinas
- 1908: Becomes an independent parish under Rev. George A. Lyons
- 1909: Reconstructed and enlarged church dedicated by Archbishop O'Connell
- 1931: New ornate Renaissance Revival / Art Deco church built (architect Edward Graham)
- Historically the parish of Boston Mayor James Michael Curley
Parish Architecture and Campus
The 1931 church is an ornate structure blending Renaissance Revival and Art Deco details, with Connick stained glass windows and side altars dedicated to Mary E. Curley, Dorothea Curley, and James M. Curley Jr. Local tradition credits Mayor Curley with insisting on the church's notably steep roof pitch so as not to block sunlight from neighboring homes. The campus around the church preserves several generations of parish buildings: the 1896 chapel (now the parish hall on Brookside Avenue), the 1916 school (which operated as Jamaica Plain's last Catholic school until 2010), the 1920 rectory at 97 South Street, and the 1926 convent that today houses a community of Capuchin monks.
- 1931 church designed by Edward Graham
- Connick stained glass windows
- Original 1896 chapel now serves as parish hall
- School building dates to 1916
- Rectory built 1920 at 97 South Street
- Convent built 1926, now home to Capuchin friars
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs a bilingual religious education program for children in grades K–8, meeting on Sundays during the school year in the parish house. Sacramental preparation for First Communion, First Penance, and Confirmation is integrated with the weekly program and generally takes two years. Adults preparing to become Catholic are welcomed through the RCIA process, and adult faith formation includes a bilingual adult retreat and weekly evenings of reflection during Advent and Lent.
- Religious Education for Grades K–8, Sundays 10:15 a.m., Sept.–June
- Registration opens mid-September at the Lourdes school building
- Tuition: $60.00 per child
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion, First Penance, and Confirmation
- RCIA for adults seeking to become Catholic
- Adult Faith Formation: bilingual retreat and Advent/Lent Evenings of Reflection
- Neocatechumenal Way
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates all the major sacraments. Baptism and Holy Matrimony are arranged through consultation with the parish staff; First Communion, First Penance, and Confirmation are prepared over a two-year course alongside the regular religious education program. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered weekly on Saturday afternoons, and Communion is brought to the homebound and sick by trained Eucharistic Ministers.
- Baptism
- First Communion / First Penance
- Confirmation
- Holy Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick and Communion for the homebound
- Reconciliation (Saturdays)
- RCIA – Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Parish Ministries and Outreach
Outreach to neighbors in need is a major part of parish life. The food pantry distributes food every Monday evening (Tuesday if Monday is a holiday) from the basement of the Our Lady of Lourdes parish center at 45 Brookside Avenue; the parish also sends a volunteer team to the Greater Boston Food Bank each Monday morning. The St. Vincent de Paul Society carries out direct service to those in need, while Eucharistic Ministers bring Communion to the homebound and sick. The parish also arranges rides to the Sunday Spanish Mass for parishioners within Jamaica Plain.
- Food Pantry – Mondays 6:30–8:00 p.m. at 45 Brookside Avenue
- Greater Boston Food Bank pick-ups – Monday mornings 9:15–11:15 a.m.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Home Visitors / Communion for the sick and homebound
- Transportation to the 12:30 p.m. Sunday Spanish Mass within Jamaica Plain
Parish Staff and Leadership
Our Lady of Lourdes is shepherded by Pastor Rev. Carlos Flor and Parochial Vicar Fr. Andrea Povero. The collaborative staff and parish team include the Finance & Operations Manager, the Religious Education Coordinator, the Spanish Choir director, and the Finance Council.
- Rev. Carlos Flor – Pastor (ordained 1997, Archdiocese of Newark)
- Fr. Andrea Povero – Parochial Vicar (ordained May 18, 2018, Archdiocese of Boston)
- Rose Gilles – Finance & Operations Manager
- Simon Pierre – Custodian
- Ana Quintanilla – Spanish Choir
- José Gonzalez – Religious Education Coordinator
- Finance Council: Beninson Peña (Chairperson), Anne Lynch, Luis Tavares, Antonio Calderon, Lorenis Nova
The Catholic JP Roxbury Collaborative
Our Lady of Lourdes is one of three parishes that make up the Catholic JP Roxbury Collaborative, along with St. Thomas Aquinas Parish (the founding parish from which Our Lady of Lourdes split in 1908) and St. Mary of the Angels Parish in Roxbury. The collaborative's stated vision is to be 'salt, light, and leaven' in the community: 'As one large family of faith, we celebrate our diversity in unity. The joy, peace, and good works of our members invite others to join with us as disciples of Jesus Christ.' Father Carlos Flor serves as pastor of the entire collaborative.
- Three parishes: Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Mary of the Angels
- Pastored jointly by Rev. Carlos Flor and Fr. Andrea Povero
- Collaborative vision: 'salt, light, and leaven' in Jamaica Plain and Roxbury
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. George A. Lyons1908–
Founding pastor; oversaw the 1909 reconstruction and dedication of the church.