About Our Lady of Mercy · Merrimack, New Hampshire
Our Lady of Mercy is a Roman Catholic parish in Merrimack, New Hampshire, in the Diocese of Manchester. Established in 1954, it serves the southern New Hampshire community from its location on Baboosic Lake Road with weekend and daily Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and a full sacramental and faith-formation program for children, youth, and adults. The parish describes itself as a faith community committed to continuing the mission of Jesus Christ, welcoming all to worship, celebrate the sacraments, and spread the Gospel. It is pastored by Rev. Msgr. Paul Bouchard and supported by a staff that includes a deacon, a business manager, a director of music ministry, a director of faith formation, a youth minister, and parish administrative staff.
- Established
- 1954
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mercy (Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Mercy)
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Paul Bouchard
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester (Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire)
Why belong here
Our Lady of Mercy offers Merrimack Catholics a full sacramental life — weekend vigil and Sunday Masses, a daily weekday Mass Monday through Wednesday and Friday, Saturday confessions, and Eucharistic Adoration on the first Friday of each month. The parish supports families through Faith Formation for grades 1–12, sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation, and a dedicated Youth Ministry, alongside adult faith formation and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). Outreach is woven into parish life through the well-known Knitting Ministry — which donates more than 1,000 handmade items a year — and a partnership with Catholic Charities NH, making it a welcoming community for anyone looking to worship, serve, and grow in faith.
Mass times at Our Lady of Mercy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm
- By appointment — call the parish office to schedule with Fr. Paul
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month, following the 8:30 am Mass
- Saturday following the First Friday, 3:00 pm (before the 4:30 pm Vigil Mass)
- Sunday following the First Friday, following the 10:30 am Mass
Parish Staff and Clergy
Our Lady of Mercy is led by Rev. Msgr. Paul Bouchard, Pastor, and is served by Deacon John Castelot. The lay staff includes Sharon Nagy (Business Manager), Christian Copeley (Director of Music Ministry), Katie Corsetti (Director of Faith Formation), Mary-Elizabeth Hauver (Youth Minister), and administrative assistants Linda Durbin and Karen Correia. Parish council leadership includes Keith Coppinger (Pastoral Council Chair) and Paul Hebert (Finance Council Chair).
- Rev. Msgr. Paul Bouchard — Pastor — [email protected] — ext. 2001
- Deacon John Castelot — [email protected] — ext. 2007
- Sharon Nagy — Business Manager — [email protected] — ext. 2002
- Christian Copeley — Director of Music Ministry — [email protected]
- Katie Corsetti — Director of Faith Formation — [email protected] — ext. 2003
- Mary-Elizabeth Hauver — Youth Minister — [email protected]
- Linda Durbin — Admin Assistant — [email protected] — ext. 2006
- Karen Correia — Admin Assistant — [email protected]
- Keith Coppinger — Pastoral Council Chair
- Paul Hebert — Finance Council Chair
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's Faith Formation office, under Director Katie Corsetti, offers lifelong formation for parishioners of every age — children, youth, adults, and families. Children and Youth Faith Formation covers Grades 1–12, with sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation (typically 2nd grade) and Confirmation and First Holy Communion together (typically 3rd grade). Older students are welcome to be included in upcoming sacramental preparation. A Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered for younger children during Mass, and Adult Faith Formation and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) round out the program.
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Grades 1–5 Faith Formation
- Grades 6–12 Youth Ministry
- Sacramental Preparation — First Reconciliation (2nd grade); Confirmation & First Holy Communion (3rd grade)
- Adult Faith Formation
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults)
Sacramental Preparation
Baptisms are scheduled through the parish office, with required preparation. Couples seeking marriage are asked to contact the parish office in advance to begin marriage preparation. OCIA (formerly RCIA) welcomes adults who wish to learn about the Catholic faith or prepare for initiation into the Church. Funerals are arranged through the parish office or funeral home, and pre-planning a funeral Mass is available to all parishioners.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- Marriage — contact the parish office to begin preparation
- Confirmation & First Holy Communion — typically together in 3rd grade
- OCIA / RCIA — adult initiation and formation
- Funerals — contact the parish office; pre-planning available
Knitting Ministry
Our Lady of Mercy's Knitting Ministry is a long-running parish outreach that gathers a group of dedicated women each Thursday afternoon from September through June, 12:00–2:00 pm, in the Parish Meeting Room inside the Parish Office building. Members knit prayer shawls, infant hats and booties, lap blankets, sweaters, hats and mittens, which are donated to fellow parishioners, local hospitals, Veterans Homes, Hospice House, homeless shelters, and the Salvation Army. The Ministry donated more than 1,000 items in a single year, with every gift accompanied by prayer.
- Meets every Thursday, 12:00–2:00 pm, Parish Meeting Room (Sept.–June)
- Patterns and yarn provided; participants may also bring their own
- Gifts include prayer shawls, infant hats & booties, lap blankets, sweaters, hats & mittens
- Recipients include parishioners, local hospitals, Veterans Homes, Hospice House, homeless shelters, Salvation Army
Music Ministry
Christian Copeley serves as the parish's Director of Music Ministry, supporting sung worship at the parish's weekend and daily Masses. The parish website lists the music ministry as a key part of parish life, and the live-streamed Saturday Vigil Mass carries the parish's music ministry to a wider online audience.
- Director of Music Ministry — Christian Copeley ([email protected])
Parish Outreach and Catholic Charities
Beyond the Knitting Ministry, Our Lady of Mercy partners with Catholic Charities NH (cc-nh.org, 603-669-3030) to support community services and outreach. The parish also participates in the NH Catholic Appeal (NHCA), a diocesan initiative supporting retired and elderly priests, seminarian education and vocations, Catholic education, evangelization through Parable magazine, and Catholic Charities NH community services.
- Catholic Charities NH — community-services partner
- NH Catholic Appeal (NHCA) — annual diocesan appeal
- Recent parish NHCA goal: $54,138
Parish Finances and Stewardship
The parish publishes weekly collection results on its website and bulletin. For Fiscal Year 2025, the budgeted weekly collection is $10,340. Online giving is available through the parish's OSV Hub (osvhub.com/olmnh), and contributions may also be mailed to the parish office or dropped in the Sunday collection basket.
- Weekly collection budget (FY2025): $10,340
- Online giving: osvhub.com/olmnh
- Mail-in and in-pew envelope giving supported
Visiting, Hours, and Live Streaming
Parish office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The church itself is locked for safety during the day, but visitors are welcome to come to the parish office during those hours and staff will be happy to let them into the church for prayer time. For those unable to attend in person, the 4:30 pm Saturday Vigil Mass is live-streamed at olmnh.org, with archives available on the website.
- Parish office hours — Monday–Thursday, 9:00 am–3:00 pm
- Church open for prayer during office hours — ask at the office
- Live-streamed Saturday Vigil Mass at olmnh.org
Sanctuary Candle and Memorials
Parishioners may contact the parish office to have the sanctuary candle lit in memory of, or for the intentions of, a loved one — a longstanding devotional tradition at the parish.
- Sanctuary candle requests — contact the parish office