About Our Lady of Perpetual Help · Quaker Hill, Connecticut
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Roman Catholic church located at 63 Old Norwich Road in Quaker Hill, Connecticut, within the Diocese of Norwich. Founded in 1904 to serve Polish immigrants in New London, it is one of the Polish-American Catholic parishes of New England and is now part of the multi-site Divine Mercy Parish alongside St. John the Evangelist in Uncasville and Our Lady of the Lakes in Oakdale. Today the parish community celebrates Mass in English in a building it has occupied since 1973, when it relocated from its original Gothic Revival church on Huntington Street in New London. Reverend Robert F. Buongirno serves as pastor, with Reverend Brian Maxwell as parochial vicar and Deacon William Herrmann assisting.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Rector
- Rev. Robert F. Buongirno
- Diocese
- Diocese of Norwich
Why belong here
Our Lady of Perpetual Help welcomes Catholics and seekers into a tight-knit Polish-rooted community that has worshipped in southeastern Connecticut for more than a century. As one of three worship sites of Divine Mercy Parish, the church offers multiple weekend Masses, regular weekday Masses on Tuesday and Friday mornings, and a faithful Reconciliation schedule — all under the steady care of a pastor, parochial vicar, and deacon. Parishioners can also get involved through the Ladies Guild, Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, Eucharistic Adoration, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Food Bank, Religious Education, RCIA, and many other lay ministries that keep the parish active across the week.
Mass times at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 8:15–8:45 AM
- Saturday 2:30–3:00 PM
- By appointment (call the parish office)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is coordinated across Divine Mercy Parish (contact Maureen O'Hara at 860-859-2065 for the schedule at the parish)
Our Lady of Perpetual Help at a Glance
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is one of three Catholic worship sites that together make up Divine Mercy Parish in the Diocese of Norwich. Located at 63 Old Norwich Road in the Quaker Hill section of Waterford, Connecticut, the church is rooted in the Polish immigrant community that first organized Polish-language Masses in New London in 1902 and incorporated the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Corporation in 1904. Sunday Masses are celebrated at 8:00 AM and 9:30 AM, with weekday Masses on Tuesday and Friday at 7:30 AM.
- Address: 63 Old Norwich Road, Quaker Hill, CT 06375
- Parish office phone: 860-848-1257
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese: Norwich — Bishop Most Rev. Michael Richard Cote
- Part of Divine Mercy Parish (with St. John the Evangelist, Uncasville, and Our Lady of the Lakes, Oakdale)
History of the Parish
The parish traces its origins to a 1902 petition by about 600 Polish Catholics in New London and was formally incorporated as a mutual-aid society in 1904. It was canonically erected as an independent parish in April 1915 under Bishop John J. Nilan, and its first Huntington Street church was designed by architect James Sweeney in the Gothic Revival style. After the planned expansion of Interstate 95 forced a move in the 1970s, the congregation re-established itself in its present Quaker Hill home in 1973.
- 1902 — Polish Masses begin in the lower church of St. Mary's, New London, celebrated by Rev. John Ambot
- 1904 — Our Lady of Perpetual Help Corporation incorporated under Adam Zglejc
- April 1915 — Bishop John J. Nilan erects the parish; Rev. Leon Wierzynski named first pastor
- May 1915 — Original Gothic Revival church commissioned at 327 Huntington Street, New London
- 1920 — Schism under Rev. Theophil Czarkowski; faction founds Saints Peter and Paul Polish National Catholic Church
- 1951 — Ladies Guild Society founded
- 1973 — Parish relocates to 63 Old Norwich Road, Quaker Hill
Clergy and Staff
Divine Mercy Parish is served by two priests and a deacon, with the parish office open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Rev. Robert F. Buongirno is pastor, supported by parochial vicars Rev. Brian Maxwell and Rev. Francis J. Gilbert, who also coordinates the parish's RCIA program.
- Rev. Robert F. Buongirno — Pastor (joined as administrator 2011; pastor since April 2014)
- Rev. Brian Maxwell — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Francis J. Gilbert — Parochial Vicar; RCIA Coordinator
- Deacon William Herrmann — assists across all three worship sites, including sick and homebound visits
- Joyce Sinay — Religious Education Director / Safe Environments Coordinator (860-859-9733)
- Laura Cochran — Divine Mercy Parish Music Director
- Barbara Johnson — Divine Mercy Parish Webmaster
Divine Mercy Parish
Our Lady of Perpetual Help shares pastoral coverage with two neighboring churches under the umbrella of Divine Mercy Parish: St. John the Evangelist in Uncasville (which also houses the parish office) and Our Lady of the Lakes in Oakdale. Father Buongirno and Father Gilbert rotate weekend assignments among the three sites, and parishioners are encouraged to participate in activities at any of the three locations.
- St. John the Evangelist Church — 22 Maple Avenue, Uncasville, CT (parish office here)
- Our Lady of the Lakes Church — 752 Norwich Salem Turnpike, Oakdale, CT
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church — 63 Old Norwich Road, Quaker Hill, CT
- Shared parish office phone: 860-848-1257; email: [email protected]
Parish Ministries and Organizations
A wide range of lay ministries serve the parish community across its three worship sites, with opportunities for worship, service, formation, and fellowship for all ages.
- Ladies Guild — co-presidents Ann Marie Rios and Janet Bucko (founded 1951)
- Knights of Columbus Council 8903 — Grand Knight George Horan
- Legion of Mary — President Carolyn Besade
- Eucharistic Adoration — Coordinator Maureen O'Hara (860-859-2065)
- Eucharistic Ministers — Coordinators Maritza O'Connell and Deacon William Herrmann
- Lectors — Coordinators Maritza O'Connell and Deacon William Herrmann
- Altar Servers — Coordinators Dawn Kelley and Deacon William Herrmann
- Prayer Shawl Ministry — Michelle Cavarnos (860-859-1228)
- Parish Prayer Line — Jean Farr (860-859-1189)
- Parish Folk Group — Director Susan Hollo
- Food Bank — Coordinator Ed Farr (859-1189)
- Gardening Angels — Chair Ann Daniewicz
- Cub and Boy Scout Troop 60 — Charter Rep Joseph DiLuzio
- Usher Society — Greg Kolashuk (860-848-3526)
- Parish Council — Chair Eileen Baukus (860-859-1331)
- Sick and Homebound Visits — Deacon William Herrmann
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
Religious Education and adult initiation are coordinated at the parish level. The Religious Education office, under Director Joyce Sinay, prepares children for First Communion and Confirmation, while the RCIA process welcomes adults seeking to become Catholic or to complete their initiation at the Easter Vigil.
- Religious Education Director: Joyce Sinay — 860-859-9733
- Safe Environments Coordinator: Joyce Sinay
- RCIA: Coordinator Rev. Francis J. Gilbert — 860-848-1257
- Children baptized at OLPH should contact the parish office for preparation
Community Life and Fundraising
Beyond Mass and ministries, the parish sustains a lively community life through fundraisers and social events. The long-running Monday-night Bingo at St. John's Community Center is a parish tradition, and the Ladies Guild — founded in 1951 — continues its work of fundraising for the parish.
- Monday Bingo at St. John's Community Center — doors open 4:30 PM, games begin 6:30 PM
- Volunteers welcome for Bingo — call 860-984-9652 or speak with Sandy
- Ladies Guild Society (since 1951) — fundraising and parish support
- Knights of Columbus Council 8903 — fellowship and service projects
Visiting and Contacting the Parish
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is open for worship at its scheduled Mass times, and the parish office — while physically located at St. John the Evangelist in Uncasville — serves all three worship sites of Divine Mercy Parish.
- Parish office phone: 860-848-1257
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (at St. John the Evangelist)
- Website: http://www.divinemercyfaithcommunity.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Ambot1902–
First priest to celebrate Polish Masses for the New London Polish community in the lower church of St. Mary's.
- Rev. Leon Wierzynski1915–
First pastor when Bishop John J. Nilan canonically erected Our Lady of Perpetual Help as an independent parish in April 1915.
- Rev. Theophil Czarkowski
Second pastor; his tenure saw a 1920 schism that led a faction to found the nearby Saints Peter and Paul Polish National Catholic Church.
- Rev. Robert F. Buongirno2014–present
Joined the parish as administrator in 2011 and became pastor in April 2014; previously known pastor of the parish in its Divine Mercy Parish configuration.