About Our Lady of Perpetual Help · Bradford, Vermont
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Roman Catholic parish in Bradford, Vermont, part of the Upper Valley cluster of four parishes in the Diocese of Burlington. The parish church sits at 113 Upper Plain in the village of Bradford and is staffed by Fr. Andrew Bednarowicz, the parish administrator who also serves St. Francis of Assisi in Norwich, St. Eugene in Wells River, and Our Lady of Light in South Strafford. Founded in the mid-1940s, the parish carries a strong ecumenical heritage in an area that traces Catholic roots back to early Jesuit missions among the Indigenous peoples of the Connecticut River valley.
- Established
- 1945
- Patron
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Rector
- Rev. Andrew Bednarowicz
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
Why belong here
Our Lady of Perpetual Help offers the classic small-parish Catholic life: a welcoming sanctuary where visitors, longtime parishioners, and those inquiring about the faith are equally embraced. Worship is offered several times a week in English, with First Friday Mass, monthly Eucharistic Adoration, and regular opportunities for Reconciliation. Active ministries include OCIA (the adult initiation process), altar serving, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, an altar guild, music ministry, ushers and greeters, and the Presentation of Gifts, with Religious Education for children and youth coordinated by Virginia Flynn.
Mass times at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 9:30 am - 10:00 am
- Saturday: 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm
- Also available by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month: 9:00 am - 10:00 am
About Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) is a Catholic parish in the village of Bradford, Vermont, in Orange County. It is one of four parishes in the Upper Valley cluster of the Diocese of Burlington and shares a single pastor with its sister churches. The parish welcomes visitors, longtime parishioners, newcomers to the area, and inquirers into the Catholic faith.
Parish History
OLPH was built in 1945–1946 to serve the Catholics of the Bradford area, who up until then had to travel to older parishes in Wells River and Woodsville. The parish was founded as a multi-ethnic community — distinct from earlier Franco-American or Irish-American parishes in the region. Today a plaque inside the church commemorates the earlier Jesuit mission at Coasuk, a Native American settlement at the oxbow of the Ammonoosuc and Connecticut Rivers, recalling that Catholic evangelization in the Connecticut River valley reaches back to the 17th century.
- Founded 1945–1946 in Bradford, Orange County, Vermont
- Built to serve a mixed-heritage Catholic community
- Commemorates the historic Jesuit mission at Coasuk
- Part of the Upper Valley Parishes cluster since the early 21st century
Parish Staff & Leadership
OLPH is led by a small, dedicated team of parish staff and lay leaders. Fr. Andrew Bednarowicz serves as Parish Administrator for the four Upper Valley parishes. Lay leaders direct religious education, music, and parish finances.
- Rev. Andrew Bednarowicz — Parish Administrator
- Virginia Flynn — Chairperson, Pastoral Council & Director of Religious Education
- Brenda Blair — Finance Chairperson
- Irene Drew — Music Director
Religious Education & OCIA
Children's faith formation (CCD) and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) are central to parish life. OCIA is offered for adults wishing to join the Catholic Church or complete their sacraments; it can begin at any time of year and is adapted to each individual's circumstances. CCD classes for children are coordinated by Virginia Flynn.
- OCIA / RCIA for adults — contact Fr. Andrew Bednarowicz
- CCD Religious Education — Director Virginia Flynn
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation
- Inquiry welcome at any time of year
Liturgical Ministries
OLPH invites parishioners to serve during Mass through a variety of liturgical ministries. Training is provided, and most roles require only once- or twice-a-month commitment.
- Altar Servers (typically youth who have made First Communion)
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist (3–4 day training)
- Lectors (readers of Scripture at Mass)
- Altar Guild
- Church Decorations
- Presentation of the Gifts
- Music Ministry
- Ushers and Greeters
Upper Valley Parishes Cluster
Our Lady of Perpetual Help shares a pastor with three nearby parishes in the Diocese of Burlington. This cluster — known collectively as the Upper Valley Parishes — allows one priest to celebrate Sunday Mass at multiple locations while sustaining a Catholic presence across a wide, rural stretch of the Connecticut River valley.
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Bradford) — this parish
- St. Francis of Assisi (Norwich)
- St. Eugene (Wells River)
- Our Lady of Light (South Strafford)
Visit & Contact
Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed. The parish office is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. An emergency phone line is available at (802) 431-5571.
- Address: 113 Upper Plain, Bradford, VT 05033
- Phone: (802) 222-5268
- Email: [email protected]
- Alternate email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday & Tuesday, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Emergency line: (802) 431-5571
- Facebook: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Bradford, VT