About Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception · New Bedford, Massachusetts
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic parish in the North End of New Bedford, Massachusetts, founded in 1909 by the Diocese of Fall River to serve the city's growing Portuguese-speaking community. It is the third of New Bedford's three historic Portuguese parishes, after St. John the Baptist (1871) and Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1902). Today the parish is bilingual, celebrating Mass in Portuguese and English, and is staffed by the priests of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE). It also serves as the spiritual home of the annual Feast of the Blessed Sacrament (Festa da Madeira), the largest Portuguese festival in the world, held every first weekend in August on nearby Madeira Field.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Mariano Varela, IVE
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is a bilingual Portuguese-American Catholic parish where families can worship in either Portuguese or English, with daily Mass, Saturday Vigil, and three Sunday Masses. The parish offers Faith Formation (Catecismo) for children in grades K through 12, a weekly prayer group (Grupo de Oração), Eucharistic Adoration each weekday, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturdays. As the historic home of the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament and custodian of treasured Madeiran devotions like the Festa do Senhor da Pedra and the Festa do Espírito Santo, it is a living bridge between New Bedford's Portuguese-American faithful and their religious and cultural roots.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
Adoration times
- Monday through Friday, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Adoração ao Santíssimo Sacramento)
Parish History & Identity
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was founded in 1909 by the Diocese of Fall River as the third Portuguese parish in New Bedford, after St. John the Baptist (1871, the oldest Portuguese parish in North America) and Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1902). Created to serve the rapidly growing Portuguese-speaking community of the city's North End, the parish has remained an ethnic Portuguese parish where Portuguese-language Mass and devotions are central, alongside English Masses. Today the parish is staffed by the priests of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE), and continues to be a hub of Portuguese religious and cultural life in southeastern Massachusetts.
- Founded 1909 by the Diocese of Fall River
- Third Portuguese parish in New Bedford
- Serves the North End Portuguese community
- Currently staffed by the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE)
The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament (Festa da Madeira)
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is the spiritual home of the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, locally known as the Festa da Madeira. The Feast was founded in 1915 by four Madeiran immigrants — all named Manuel — who had vowed during a perilous ocean crossing to honor the Blessed Sacrament if they survived. Now held every first weekend of August at nearby Madeira Field, the four-day event has grown to become the largest Portuguese cultural festival in the world and the largest ethnic festival in New England. It begins on Thursday with the veneration of the Blessed Sacrament in an elaborate monstrance at the church, followed by Benediction at Madeira Field that opens the Feast. The event culminates on Sunday when the Festeiros and members of the Club Madeirense S.S. Sacramento march in formation to the church for a special 10:00 AM High Mass.
- Founded 1915 by four Madeiran immigrants named Manuel
- Held annually the first weekend of August at Madeira Field
- Largest Portuguese festival in the world; largest ethnic festival in New England
- Begins and ends at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Other Portuguese Devotions & Feasts
In addition to the Festa da Madeira, the parish celebrates other traditional Portuguese devotions that connect parishioners to their Madeiran and Azorean roots. These feasts are a particular point of pride for the community as the parish, like many in the region, has seen its congregation shrink in recent decades.
- Festa do Senhor da Pedra (Feast of the Lord of the Rock) — a procession rooted in the Azorean community of St. Michael's
- Festa do Espírito Santo (Holy Ghost Feast)
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is led by Father Mariano Varela, IVE, as pastor, assisted by associate pastor Father Mario Rojas, IVE, and three permanent deacons. Parish operations are supported by a parish secretary and a coordinator of Faith Formation.
- Pastor: Rev. Mariano Varela, IVE
- Associate Pastor: Rev. Mario Rojas, IVE
- Deacon Eduardo Borges
- Deacon Tino Pires
- Deacon Scott Taveira
- Parish Secretary: Jeanna Melo ([email protected])
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Mrs. Delia Silva ([email protected])
Faith Formation (Catecismo)
The parish runs a bilingual Faith Formation program (Catecismo) for children of parish families, with classes held in the parish school.
- Grades K–4: Wednesdays 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
- Grades 5 & 12: Tuesdays 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
- Coordinator: Mrs. Delia Silva
Grupo de Oração (Prayer Group)
A parish prayer group, the Grupo de Oração, gathers every Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM for communal prayer.
- Prayer Group meets every Wednesday at 7:00 PM
Sacraments
Information about the celebration of the sacraments at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is published in the parish bulletin. Couples wishing to marry must contact the parish office at least six months in advance and be registered, active parishioners attending Mass for at least one year prior to scheduling. Parents expecting a child are encouraged to contact the parish office a month before the due date to begin Baptism preparations. The Anointing of the Sick is available by contacting the parish office.
- Baptism: contact the parish office one month before due date
- Marriage: contact parish office at least six months ahead; one-year active parishioner requirement
- Anointing of the Sick: contact the parish office for an available priest
- Reconciliation: Saturdays 3:30–4:15 PM
Parish Councils
The parish is served by both a Pastoral Council (Conselho Pastoral) and a Parochial Economic Council (Conselho Parochial para os Assuntos Económicos), which include lay representatives alongside the deacons.
- Pastoral Council members: Deacon Tino Pires, Deacon Eduardo Borges, Deacon Scott Taveira, António Pacheco, Rita Campoli, Delia Silva, Miguel Arruda, Tereshinha Bettencourt, Joe Couto
- Parochial Economic Council members: Ann Borges, Deacon Eduardo Borges, Deacon Scott Taveira, Maria Couto, Nancy Cabral
Getting in Touch
The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The parish can be reached by phone, fax, or email, and weekly bulletins are published through the Diocese of Fall River.
- Parish Office: 136 Earle Street, New Bedford, MA 02746
- Phone: (508) 992-9892
- Fax: (508) 219-8595
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish Secretary email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Daniel O. Reis
Former pastor referenced in connection with the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament; expressed hopes for restoring the religious procession.