About Our Lady of Peace · Turners Falls, Massachusetts
Our Lady of Peace is a Catholic parish in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, in the Diocese of Springfield, that worships in the former St. Mary of the Assumption Church on Seventh Street. Established in 2006 through the thoughtful merger of five historic parishes that once served the Irish, French-Canadian, and Polish Catholic communities of the upper Connecticut River valley, OLP continues to live out a mission to 'follow the mission of Jesus Christ by keeping our faith alive and growing.' The parish is pastorally served by Rev. Stan Aksamit and a small staff, and is known regionally for its Monday curbside Community Meal (running for more than 30 years), its Religious Education program, and its role as co-founder of what is now the Heartwing Center social-services agency.
- Established
- 2006
- Patron
- Our Lady of Peace
- Rector
- Rev. Stan Aksamit
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts
Why belong here
Our Lady of Peace is a small, warmly welcoming Catholic parish where everyone is invited to the table and the gifts of every member are embraced. Worship takes place in a striking 19th-century church whose stained glass and sacred statues carry the faith memory of generations of Irish, French-Canadian, and Polish Catholic families. The parish keeps faith alive in very practical ways: a Monday curbside community meal that has fed neighbors for over 30 years, a co-founding role in what is now the Heartwing Center, a robust Religious Education program (K–Confirmation) using the Pflaum Gospel-based curriculum, weekly contemplative prayer, and an active women's group that raises scholarship funds. It is a place where belonging, hospitality, and service go hand in hand.
Mass times at Our Lady of Peace
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00–3:50 PM (before the Vigil Mass)
- By appointment
Our Story & History
Our Lady of Peace is rooted in 150 years of Catholic life in the upper Connecticut River valley. The parish was canonically established in 2006 through the merger of five predecessor parishes that once served the Irish, French-Canadian, and Polish Catholic communities drawn to the Turners Falls mills. The parish has worshiped and served its community continuously since 1872.
The Five Predecessor Parishes
Each of the five parishes merged into OLP carried the faith of a distinct immigrant community. Their legacies are preserved today in the OLP sanctuary, where the principal statues of St. Mary, St. Anne (with the young Mary), and Sacred Heart surround the altar, and carved wooden Mary and Joseph from St. John's stand on the first columns.
- St. Mary of the Assumption, Turners Falls (1872–2005) — the 'Irish Church'; cathedral-like building with 1930s stained-glass windows from Prague
- St. Anne, Turners Falls (1884–2005) — French-Canadian parish; elegant Gothic building; St. Anne's School (1895–1960s) staffed by Sisters of St. Anne, taught in English and French
- St. John the Baptist, Millers Falls (1898–2009) — known for its annual chicken barbecue and hospitality
- St. Blanche Mission, Erving (1948–2009)
- Sacred Heart, Greenfield (1914–2005) — Polish parish on Deerfield Street; 'the little church with a big heart'; its 5:00 PM Sunday Mass drew regional visitors
Architecture & Sacred Art
OLP worships in the former St. Mary of the Assumption, a cathedral-like 19th-century building whose stained-glass windows were crafted in Prague and installed in the 1930s. The sanctuary was carefully re-composed after the 2006 merger so that the sacred art of the merged parishes could be venerated together. A memorial statue of Mary surrounded by the children of the world, dedicated in memory of Margaret Pfersich, expresses the parish's new identity as a community of God's children from various backgrounds, now one.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
OLP runs a parish-based Religious Education program for children in grades K through high school, held on Sundays following the 9:00 AM Mass. The program uses the Pflaum Gospel-based faith-formation curriculum, which draws children into the rhythm of the liturgical year through Sunday Gospel lessons, a Catechism handbook ('What the Church Believes and Teaches'), and 32 weekly lessons covering doctrine, sacraments, commandments, and prayer. Preparation is offered for First Penance, First Communion, and Confirmation, and students take major roles in monthly Youth Masses and the Christmas Pageant.
- Catechetical Sunday commissioning of catechists (annually in September)
- Enrollment Ceremony pairing Confirmation and First Communion candidates
- Pflaum Gospel-based lessons + 'What the Church Believes and Teaches' handbook
- Monthly Youth Mass — each grade leads a liturgy
- Christmas Pageant during the Children's Christmas Mass
- Confirmation retreat and ongoing youth retreats with the Franklin County Youth group (Wizard of Oz Retreat, Mt. Sugarloaf walking retreat)
- Service projects: Adopt-a-Family at Christmas, 1/4 Mile of Quarters, Brown Bag Brigade, sock drives, holiday cards for homebound and nursing homes
Parish Staff & Pastoral Contacts
Our Lady of Peace is pastorally served by a small team led by Fr. Stan Aksamit. Parish office staff and ministry coordinators are listed on the parish website with direct phone and email contacts. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM, and is closed on Fridays.
- Rev. Stan Aksamit — Pastor
- Carol Holubecki — Director of Religious Education ([email protected], 413-863-2585)
- Marcia Caloon — Parish office / calendar & events ([email protected], 413-863-2585)
- Marguerite Noga — Pastoral Minister (413-863-5397, [email protected])
- Amy Connelly — Monday Community Meal coordinator ([email protected])
- Cathy Marcum — President, OLP Women's Group (via parish office)
- Joe Toritto — Leader, 'Give Us This Day' contemplative prayer group
Worship & Sacraments
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish celebrates Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, Weddings, and Funeral liturgies, and ministers to the homebound and those in nursing homes. The parish office keeps complete sacramental archives dating back to the founding of each predecessor parish, and certificates or other sacramental information can be requested through the rectory.
- Baptism
- First Penance and First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick and pastoral visits
- Funeral liturgy
- Sacramental records (Baptismal, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Death) for OLP, St. Mary of the Assumption, St. Anne, Sacred Heart, and St. John
Community Meal Program
The Monday Community Meal Program has been a hallmark of OLP's outreach for more than 30 years. Each Monday from 4:00 to 5:30 PM, a hot meal is served curbside on Seventh Street, in front of the church, to anyone in the community who comes. The program is supported by OLP volunteers and partners with other parishes, schools, and community organizations throughout the year. The parish is always looking for volunteers to cook, bake, serve, set up, and clean up.
- Mondays 4:00–5:30 PM, curbside on Seventh Street in front of the church
- Open to all — no cost, no requirements
- 30+ years of continuous service
- Featured by the Springfield Diocese Real-to-Reel team
- Coordinator: Amy Connelly ([email protected], 413-863-2585)
OLP Women's Group
Founded in 2006 with the establishment of the new parish, the OLP Women's Group gathers several times a year in Father Casey Hall. All women of the parish are cordially invited to attend. The group's fundraisers and events — most notably the annual Dove of Peace Christmas Bazaar and the annual Stash Bash — are major parish traditions and support college scholarships for OLP high-school seniors as well as parish and community needs.
- Dove of Peace Christmas Bazaar (annual)
- Stash Bash (annual)
- Bake sales, raffles, and tag sales
- College scholarships for OLP high-school seniors
- Parish and community support projects
- President: Cathy Marcum (via parish office, 413-863-2585)
"Give Us This Day" Prayer Group
A weekly contemplative prayer group, founded as a founding-member ministry of the parish and led by Joe Toritto — a longtime Catholic high-school and college theology teacher who also directs the Eventide Singers hospice choir in Greenfield and leads Taizé prayer services across the Pioneer Valley. The group meets Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:45 PM and uses the 'Give Us This Day' daily lectionary from St. John's Abbey. Following the liturgical cycle of morning and evening prayer, daily Mass with commentary, and reflections on a 'Saint of the Day,' participants sing, meditate, and share their sense of God's presence in their lives.
- Wednesdays 6:30–7:45 PM
- Uses 'Give Us This Day' daily lectionary (St. John's Abbey)
- Chanting, meditating, and sharing
- Contact: Marguerite, 413-863-5397
Heartwing Center (Formerly Montague Catholic Social Ministries)
Our Lady of Peace was a co-founding parish of Montague Catholic Social Ministries (MCSM), originally founded by the sister parishes of St. Mary and St. Anne in Turners Falls and Sacred Heart in Greenfield and first staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph. In October 2024, at its 30th-anniversary celebration, MCSM rebranded as the Heartwing Center to better reflect its regional, non-denominational mission. Fr. Stan Aksamit, the founder, continues to be involved. The Heartwing Center provides wrap-around support — housing resources, family support, a women's center, homework help, and more — to individuals and families in Franklin County and beyond.
- Co-founded by St. Mary, St. Anne, and Sacred Heart parishes; first staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph
- 30th anniversary celebrated October 23, 2024, at Terrazza Restaurant in Greenfield
- Rebranded as Heartwing Center in 2024 to signal its non-denominational, county-wide reach
- Services: housing resources, family support, women's center, homework help, referrals
- Founder: Fr. Stan Aksamit