About Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception Mission · Mill River, Massachusetts
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Mission is a historic Catholic mission church located on Main Road in Mill River, a small village in the town of New Marlborough, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The mission is served by Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Sheffield, within the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts, and was the founding 'Mother Church' of that parish family. Built in 1866 to serve Irish paper-mill workers — many recruited from Dublin — it stood for 152 years before its regular worship life was concluded in October 2018, with parishioners directed to the main parish church in Sheffield. The Diocese of Springfield has kept the building available for funerals and weddings, and descendants of the original founding families remain part of the parish community.
- Established
- 1866
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Father Robert Miskell (Pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Parish, which serves the Mill River mission)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception Mission is the historic 'Mother Church' of the Our Lady of the Valley Parish family, and visitors with roots in Mill River — including descendants of the original Irish mill-worker families like the Wrinkles — will find a community that still traces itself back to 1841. The parish centers its worship on the Holy Eucharist and seeks to deepen the faith of children, adults and seniors alike while reaching out to those in need, offering the sacraments, Eucharistic Adoration, and a personal welcome through a small, multigenerational Catholic community in the southern Berkshires.
Mass times at Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM (during Holy Hour)
- Monday–Wednesday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Saturday 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM and by appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
About Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Mission
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Mission is the historic 'Mother Church' of the Our Lady of the Valley Parish family in southern Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The brick-and-wood church sits on Main Road in the village of Mill River, one of five villages in the town of New Marlborough, and belongs to the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts. After 152 years of continuous worship life, regular public Masses at the mission ended in October 2018, with active parishioners directed to the main parish church — Our Lady of the Valley — in Sheffield.
History and Founding
Catholic life in Mill River dates back to 1841, when the first Mass was said in the home of Timothy Wrinkle, an Irish immigrant from Dublin. Twenty-five years later, the village's Irish paper-mill workers finally got a church of their own: Father Peter Menietti — an Italian priest who had vowed, while ill back home, to 'cross the seas to a new country and build a church in honor of the Blessed Virgin' — contributed the first $100 toward a $5,500 building campaign, and on August 5, 1866, Immaculate Conception Church was completed. The mission became part of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in 1901 and saw 28 priests serve as pastors across its history.
- 1841 — First Catholic Mass in Mill River at the home of Timothy Wrinkle, celebrated by Father John Brady.
- 1854 — Pope Pius IX proclaims the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, ten years before Father Menietti arrives.
- 1866 (Aug. 5) — Immaculate Conception Church completed at a cost of $5,500; Father Menietti gives the first $100.
- 1901 — Immaculate Conception becomes a mission of Our Lady of the Valley Parish.
- 2016 (Aug. 7) — 150th-anniversary Mass concelebrated by Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski; blessing from Pope Francis unveiled.
- 2018 (Oct. 27) — Closing Mass marks the end of regular worship; Bishop Rozanski presides.
The Founder: Father Peter Menietti
Father Peter Menietti was a young Italian priest whose life story is woven into the founding of Immaculate Conception. While gravely ill in his native land, he vowed that if God restored his health he would travel to a new country and build a church in honor of the Blessed Virgin. He recovered, sailed across the Atlantic, and in 1864 was appointed the first parish priest of St. Peter's in Great Barrington. From there he turned to Mill River, contributed the first $100 to the building fund, and saw the church finished in 1866. About two years later his health failed again and he returned to Italy, but the congregation he founded endured.
Clergy and Pastoral Care
Immaculate Conception Mission is today served by the pastoral team of its parent parish, Our Lady of the Valley in Sheffield. The current pastor listed on the parish website is Father Robert Miskell. Past clergy tied to the mission's recent history include Father Bruce Teague, administrator at the 150th anniversary in 2016; Father John Lis, pastor from 2001 to 2008; Father Geoffrey Deeker, a Stigmatine priest who concelebrated the anniversary Mass; and Deacon Sean Mulholland, who served as parish administrator at the time of the 2018 closing.
- Father Robert Miskell — Pastor, Our Lady of the Valley Parish
- Father Bruce Teague — Administrator, 2016
- Father John Lis — Pastor, 2001–2008; Pastor Emeritus
- Father Geoffrey Deeker — Stigmatine priest, concelebrant
- Deacon Sean Mulholland — Parish Administrator, 2018
- Father Peter Menietti — Founding priest, 1866
Mass and Sacrament Schedule (served through Our Lady of the Valley, Sheffield)
Following the 2018 closing of regular worship at the Mill River mission, parishioners are served liturgically by the parent parish at Our Lady of the Valley, 99 Maple Ave., Sheffield. The published weekly schedule includes a Sunday Vigil and two Sunday Masses, a Friday evening Mass, and Monday–Wednesday morning Masses. Eucharistic Adoration is held Friday evenings, with the Sacrament of Reconciliation available during the Holy Hour and at additional times through the week and on Saturdays, plus by appointment.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:00 PM
- Sunday Mass — 7:30 AM and 9:00 AM
- Friday Mass — 5:00 PM
- Weekday Mass — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at 10:30 AM
- Eucharistic Adoration — Friday 6:00–7:00 PM
- Confessions — Friday 6:15–6:45 PM (during Holy Hour); Mon–Wed 9:00–10:00 AM; Sat 2:30–3:30 PM and by appointment
Closing of the Mission Church (2018)
On October 27, 2018, parishioners gathered with Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski for a final Mass marking the closing of Immaculate Conception Mission Church. Parish administrator Deacon Sean Mulholland explained that winter attendance had dropped to as few as seven people at Mass, and that demographics no longer supported keeping the mission open. The Diocese of Springfield committed to keeping the Mill River building on hand for funerals and weddings of connected families, while the parish offered transportation assistance to any remaining members to attend Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Valley in Sheffield.
- Closing Mass: October 27, 2018, celebrated by Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski.
- Last winter attendances as low as seven people reported by Deacon Mulholland.
- Diocese retained the building for funerals and weddings.
- Parish arranged transportation to Our Lady of the Valley in Sheffield for remaining parishioners.
The 150th Anniversary (2016)
The 150th anniversary of the church building was celebrated on August 7, 2016. Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski was the principal celebrant, concelebrated by Father Bruce Teague (parish administrator), Father John Lis (pastor 2001–2008), and Father Geoffrey Deeker. The Mass featured the unveiling of a personal blessing from Pope Francis and an oil painting of Immaculate Conception Church by local artist Margaret Buchte, followed by a luncheon at the American Legion Hall in Sheffield.
Contact and Parish Office
Mail and pastoral care for Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Mission are handled through Our Lady of the Valley Parish. The mailing address is PO Box 515, Sheffield, MA 01257-0515; the rectory phone line is (413) 229-3028; and email is [email protected]. The parish's website at www.ourolv.org carries the bulletin and schedule for the entire parish family, including the Mill River mission and Our Lady of the Hills in Monterey.
- Mailing address: PO Box 515, Sheffield, MA 01257-0515
- Rectory: 99 Maple Ave., Sheffield, MA 01257
- Phone: (413) 229-3028
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.ourolv.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Peter Menietti1866–c.1868
Italian priest who fulfilled his vow to build a church in honor of the Blessed Virgin by founding Immaculate Conception; contributed the first $100 and saw the church completed Aug. 5, 1866; returned to Italy after about two years when his health failed again.
- Father Bruce Teague2016
Administrator of Immaculate Conception Mission, Our Lady of the Hills in Monterey, and Our Lady of the Valley in Sheffield at the 150th-anniversary Mass.
- Father John Lis2001–2008
Pastor Emeritus of Immaculate Conception; concelebrated the 150th anniversary Mass.
- Deacon Sean Mulholland2018
Parish administrator at the time of the Oct. 27, 2018 closing Mass; oversaw the transition of remaining parishioners to Our Lady of the Valley in Sheffield.