About Our Lady of the Assumption · New Bedford, Massachusetts
Our Lady of the Assumption (Paróquia de Nossa Senhora da Assunção), known locally as OLOA, is a Roman Catholic parish in New Bedford, Massachusetts and the first Cape Verdean Catholic church in the Americas, established on August 15, 1905. Tucked into the South Sixth Street neighborhood, the parish has served as the spiritual home of the Cape Verdean Catholic community for 120 years, drawing worshippers from across the South Coast including New Bedford, Fall River, Fairhaven, Freetown and Wareham. The parish is served by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.), with weekly Masses offered in English, Portuguese and Cape Verdean Crioulo.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Assumption (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. David Lupo, SS.CC.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Assumption is the historic heart of Cape Verdean Catholic life in New Bedford and across the South Coast, drawing worshippers from Fall River, Fairhaven, Freetown and Wareham. Masses are celebrated in English, Portuguese and Cape Verdean Crioulo, and the parish hosts a rich array of ministries — Eucharistic Ministry, lectors, Assumption Choir, adult and funeral altar servers, ushers, and a Faith Formation / Catechism Program for youth. The parish is also active in justice and community life, including peace walks and support for refugees, and is sustained by a deep bench of lay committees (Parish Council, Liturgical Committee, Social Committee, Refugee Committee) and organizations like the Legion of Mary and Knights of Columbus.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confession listed on the parish website as a regular offering (specific times published in the parish bulletin — see oloanb.org)
History of Our Lady of the Assumption
Founded on August 15, 1905 as the first Cape Verdean Catholic church in the Americas, OLOA began when Bishop William Stang of the Diocese of Fall River entrusted Father Stanislaus Bernard with 'the spiritual care of all Catholics known as Cape Verdeans living in New Bedford' on April 6, 1905. An old chapel on South Water Street was purchased in the bishop's name and became the community's spiritual home for nearly fifty years. The current church on South Sixth Street was dedicated on September 1, 1957 after Hurricane Carol devastated the original site in 1954. Parishioners raised roughly $150,000 through bake sales, dances, an annual ball, a harvest festival bazaar and door-to-door canvassing, and received help from the Catholic Diocese, the City of New Bedford, and a local resident who donated land and a house that still serves as the Parish Center.
- Founded: August 15, 1905 (Feast of the Assumption)
- First pastor: Fr. Stanislaus Bernard, appointed by Bishop William Stang
- Original location: South Water Street, New Bedford
- Current church dedicated: September 1, 1957
- 75th anniversary commemorated in 1980 with the book 'Seventy Five Years'
- 120th anniversary celebrated in 2025
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, which the parish describes as 'signs of God's grace in our lives.' Schedules and registration for Baptism, Confirmation, Matrimony and Anointing of the Sick are coordinated through the parish office.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Penance and Reconciliation (Confession)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Matrimony
- Holy Orders
Faith Formation & Religious Education
OLOA runs a Catechism Program and a broader Faith Formation Program for the parish's young people, covering confirmation preparation and ongoing religious education. The parish's youth ministry is staffed by longtime parishioners and confirmation teachers who grew up in the parish.
- Catechism Program
- Faith Formation Program (youth & confirmation)
- Confirmation preparation
- Youth ministry coordinated by parish staff and volunteers
Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical lay ministries are central to OLOA's life, with the Assumption Choir — long a source of parish pride — and a dedicated corps of lectors, servers and ushers supporting every Mass.
- Assumption Choir
- Eucharistic Ministry
- Lectors
- Adult Altar Servers
- Funeral Servers
- Church Ushers
Parish Committees
Lay leadership at OLOA is organized through a robust set of parish committees that handle everything from finances to liturgy to outreach.
- Parish Council
- Finance Committee
- Liturgical Committee
- Property Management Committee
- Responsibility Ministry
- Refugee Committee
- Social Committee
- Assumption Center Committee
Parish Organizations
Two long-established Catholic organizations maintain an active presence at OLOA.
- Legion of Mary
- Knights of Columbus
The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.)
Our Lady of the Assumption is served by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a religious order of Brothers and Priests founded on Christmas Eve 1800 by Pierre Coudrin and Henriette Aymer de Chevalerie. The congregation grew out of their shared experiences during the French Revolution and their vision of a community proclaiming God's unconditional love. The SS.CC. also maintains a formation community in nearby Fairhaven, and the parish website highlights vocations, leaders, seminarians and novices. Anyone discerning a call to share God's love through the Hearts of Jesus and Mary is invited to contact Fr. David Lupo, SS.CC. at 508-994-0106.
- Religious order: Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.)
- Founded: Christmas Eve, 1800 (Pierre Coudrin & Henriette Aymer de Chevalerie)
- Companion community: Fairhaven (seminarians, novices, formation)
- Vocations contact: Fr. David Lupo, SS.CC. — 508-994-0106
Cape Verdean Heritage & Community Life
Beyond its liturgical life, OLOA is a cultural anchor for the Cape Verdean community on the South Coast. Parishioners say the church 'connects Catholic Cabo Verdeans to each other, and to the rest of New Bedford,' with people coming from Fall River, Fairhaven, Freetown and Wareham to worship. The parish hosts peace walks and other justice events, supports a Refugee Committee, and collaborates on cultural initiatives such as the Whaling Museum's 'Claridade: Cape Verdean Identity in Contemporary Art' exhibit.
- Tri-lingual worship: English, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Crioulo
- Reach across the South Coast (New Bedford, Fall River, Fairhaven, Freetown, Wareham)
- Community events: peace walks, festa, harvest festival bazaar heritage
- Cultural partnerships (e.g., New Bedford Whaling Museum's Claridade exhibit)
- Refugee Committee ministry
Visit & Contact
Our Lady of the Assumption is located on South Sixth Street in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The parish office can be reached at 508-994-7602. The parish maintains an active presence on Facebook, Instagram and Flocknote, and the official website (oloanb.org) carries the weekly bulletin, current Mass schedule, parish news, and contact information for ministry leaders.
- Address: 47 S. 6th Street (parish site) / 54 South Sixth Street (Diocese directory), New Bedford, MA 02740
- Phone: 508-994-7602
- Website: oloanb.org
- Social: Facebook, Instagram, Flocknote
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Stanislaus Bernard1905–
First pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption; entrusted by Bishop William Stang of Fall River on April 6, 1905 with 'the spiritual care of all Catholics known as Cape Verdeans living in New Bedford.'
- Martin Gomes
First Cape Verdean-born pastor of OLOA; one of the young swimmers who recovered the chalice from the flooded Water Street church after Hurricane Carol in 1954.
- Fr. David Lupo, SS.CC.current
Current pastor; member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.