About Our Lady of the Rosary (Prince of Peace Parish) · Sabattus, Maine
Our Lady of the Rosary Church is a small rural Roman Catholic church at 131 High Street in Sabattus, Maine, and is one of five worship sites that make up Prince of Peace Parish in the Diocese of Portland in Maine. The parish was established in 1975 when Dominican Fathers, who had cared for the Sabattus mission since 1905, formally transferred it to the diocese. Today the church serves its local community with a single Sunday morning Mass at 8:30 AM in English, while parishioners also draw on a much wider range of Masses, confession times, ministries and sacramental programs offered across the broader Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston, Lisbon Falls and Sabattus. The combined parish is led by Very Rev. Daniel P. Greenleaf and serves a richly multicultural Catholic community, with Masses celebrated in English, Spanish, Latin, Portuguese, Kirundi, French, Kirundi-speaking communities and other languages.
- Established
- 1910 (church built under Dominican direction); parish formally established 1975; merged into Prince of Peace Parish in 2020; final Mass celebrated June 29, 2025
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Rosary (the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Rosary)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Daniel P. Greenleaf
- Diocese
- Diocese of Portland in Maine
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Rosary has long been a small, close-knit Catholic community in the heart of Sabattus, where generations of parishioners gathered weekly for an 8:30 AM Sunday Mass in the simple, historic church on High Street. Even after the church's regular Mass schedule ended in June 2025, the Sabattus community remains part of Prince of Peace Parish — one of the most culturally diverse Catholic parishes in Maine, offering Mass in English, Spanish, Latin, Portuguese, Kirundi and French across multiple worship sites. Newcomers are warmly invited to register, sign up for Flocknote parish updates, and join ministries ranging from OCIA (Christian initiation) and faith formation to Totus Tuus summer youth programs, the parish music ministry, outreach to immigrants, and weekly small faith-sharing groups.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Rosary (Prince of Peace Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM at Holy Family Church, 607 Sabattus Street, Lewiston
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM at Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, 122 Ash Street, Lewiston
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM at Holy Family Church, 607 Sabattus Street, Lewiston
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM at Holy Trinity Church, 67 Frost Hill Avenue, Lisbon Falls
Adoration times
- Refer to parish website (princeofpeace.me) for current adoration schedule across Holy Family, Holy Trinity and the Basilica
About Our Lady of the Rosary (Prince of Peace Parish)
Our Lady of the Rosary Church, at 131 High Street in Sabattus, Maine, was part of Prince of Peace Parish in the Diocese of Portland in Maine. The church was one of five worship sites in the parish, alongside the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul, Holy Family and Holy Cross in Lewiston and Holy Trinity in Lisbon Falls. It hosted a single weekly Sunday Mass at 8:30 AM in English, in a small rural setting serving the Sabattus community. The parish is led by Very Rev. Daniel P. Greenleaf as pastor, with a team that includes parochial vicars, hospital chaplains, an in-residence Capuchin friar and a Dominican priest, plus deacon Denis W. Mailhot.
- Worship site: 131 High Street, Sabattus, ME 04280
- Parish: Prince of Peace Parish (established 2009, expanded 2020)
- Diocese: Portland in Maine
- Pastor: Very Rev. Daniel P. Greenleaf
History of the Sabattus Mission and Parish
Catholic life in Sabattus began as a Dominican mission in 1905, when the Dominican Fathers of Lewiston began ministering to local families. According to the Town of Sabattus's official history, parish Masses were held at Martin's Point on Sabattus Lake during the summer of 1910 and at the Greene Street schoolhouse, with the present church at 131 High Street constructed soon after under Father Thomas Gill, OP. The Dominicans continued to staff the mission for seventy years, formally handing it to the Diocese of Portland in 1975, when Our Lady of the Rosary was established as a diocesan parish.
- 1905: Dominican Fathers of Lewiston begin mission in Sabattus
- 1910: Masses at Martin's Point and Greene Street schoolhouse
- c. 1910: Church building constructed under Father Thomas Gill, OP
- 1975: Transferred to Diocese of Portland; parish formally established
- 2020: Merged into Prince of Peace Parish under Bishop Robert Deeley
- June 29, 2025: Final Sunday Mass celebrated at Our Lady of the Rosary
Merger into Prince of Peace Parish (2020)
In July 2020, Bishop Robert Deeley approved the merger of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish (Sabattus) and Holy Trinity Parish (Lisbon Falls) into Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston, which had earlier united the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul, Holy Cross, and Holy Family. Father Daniel Greenleaf, already pastor of Prince of Peace, was named pastor of the expanded parish, after consultations with the Presbyteral Council and consent of the College of Consultors and the Diocesan Finance Council. Parishioners described the union as 'exciting' and 'a way to flourish as one body' with more ministries and services. The parish is now identified on diocesan records as 'Prince of Peace (Lewiston) — Cluster 17,' with all five church sites under a single pastor and pastoral team.
- Announced summer 2020
- Bishop Robert Deeley approved canonical merger
- Father Daniel Greenleaf named pastor of expanded Prince of Peace Parish
- Combined parish covers Lewiston, Lisbon Falls and Sabattus
Closure of Our Lady of the Rosary (2025)
In October 2024, Father Daniel Greenleaf announced that Our Lady of the Rosary in Sabattus and Holy Cross in Lewiston would cease regular worship by the following summer, citing the high cost of maintaining aging buildings (including unreliable boilers), a shrinking Catholic population, and the poor stewardship of spreading limited resources across too many properties. A parish property task force, formed the prior winter, had recommended the closures after months of consultation. Final Masses at both churches were celebrated on Sunday, June 29, 2025. After the closure, Prince of Peace Parish continues to operate three churches: the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul and Holy Family Church in Lewiston, and Holy Trinity Church in Lisbon Falls.
- October 2024: Closure announced by Father Daniel Greenleaf
- Reason cited: aging buildings, declining Catholic population, unreliable boilers
- Property Task Force recommended closure
- Final Masses: Sunday, June 29, 2025
- Prince of Peace Parish continues with three churches
Parish Clergy and Staff
Prince of Peace Parish is led by Very Rev. Daniel P. Greenleaf as pastor, with a sizable pastoral staff supporting the multi-site parish from the parish office at 607 Sabattus Street, Lewiston. The team includes parochial vicars, hospital chaplains, in-residence friars, a permanent deacon, a business manager, communications director, director of evangelization and catechesis, music director, faith formation staff and a Catholic chaplain at Bates College.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Daniel P. Greenleaf
- Parochial Vicars: Rev. Elaiyaraja Thaniyel, HGN; Rev. Divine Fossoh
- Hospital Chaplains: Rev. Arockiasamy Santhiyagu, HGN; Rev. Joseph A. Jum (CMMC)
- In Residence: Rev. Michael Sevigny, OFM Cap.; Rev. Gabriel Odin, OP
- Deacon: Denis W. Mailhot
- Business Manager: Joline Laliberte
- Director of Communications: Jennifer Bussiere
- Director of Evangelization & Catechesis: Tyler Nadeau
- Director of Music: Scott Vaillancourt
- Faith Formation with Immigrant Population: Dancile Nshimirimana
- Administrative Assistant: Samantha Ouellette; Debra Charest (Evangelization & Catechesis)
- Catholic Chaplain at Bates College: Sr. Jacinta Coscia
Becoming Catholic (OCIA / Christian Initiation)
The parish runs an OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program for adults curious about Catholicism or discerning entry into the Church. Those interested are encouraged to call (207) 777-1200 or email [email protected] to begin a conversation about faith and next steps. The 'Each One Catch One' initiative uses orange invitation cards in the pews to help parishioners extend personal invitations to friends and neighbors who may be considering the Catholic faith.
- OCIA / Becoming Catholic
- Inquiry contact: (207) 777-1200, [email protected]
- Each One Catch One evangelization outreach
Faith Formation, Youth and Small Groups
Faith formation across the parish is coordinated by Tyler Nadeau, Director of Evangelization & Catechesis, supported by Janet Viere as small group coordinator and staff assistant Debra Charest. The Totus Tuus Catholic summer youth program returns each June (most recently June 16–21 at Holy Family and Holy Trinity) with catechesis, evangelization and Eucharistic worship for young people. Adults gather in Small Faith Sharing Groups meeting in homes and on the parish grounds throughout the year.
- Director of Evangelization & Catechesis: Tyler Nadeau
- Small Faith Sharing Groups — Coordinator Janet Viere ([email protected]; 207-705-3745)
- Totus Tuus summer youth program (Holy Family & Holy Trinity)
- Faith Formation with Immigrant Population — Dancile Nshimirimana
Multicultural and Immigrant Community Life
Prince of Peace Parish is widely recognized as one of the most linguistically diverse Catholic parishes in Maine. Weekly Masses are celebrated in English, Spanish and Latin, plus a Portuguese Mass on the first Sunday and a Kirundi Mass on the third Sunday at the Basilica Lower Church. The African Catholic Community gathers for a French-language Mass led by Father Felix with the choir Notre Dame de la Paix, and specialized ministries serve immigrant Catholics through faith formation, hospital chaplaincy, and outreach coordinated from the parish pastoral center.
- Spanish Mass: Saturday 6:00 PM at Holy Family
- Latin Mass: Sunday 8:30 AM at the Basilica
- Portuguese Mass: 1st Sunday at 1:00 PM at the Basilica
- Kirundi Mass: 3rd Sunday at 1:00 PM at the Basilica Lower Church
- African Catholic Community: French Mass with choir Notre Dame de la Paix
- Faith Formation with Immigrant Population: Dancile Nshimirimana
Sacraments and Funeral Planning
Prince of Peace Parish prepares parishioners for all seven sacraments — Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony — across its worship sites. The parish also maintains a Funeral Planning ministry to walk families through Catholic funeral rites; a dedicated page on the parish website offers guidance, and the pastoral staff can be reached through the parish office.
- Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion
- Penance / Reconciliation (see confession schedule)
- Anointing of the Sick and hospital visitation
- Marriage preparation
- Holy Orders discernment (seminarian Vinh Nguyen on pastoral year)
- Funeral Planning ministry
School, Communications and How to Connect
While Prince of Peace Parish does not operate its own elementary school, parishioners are served by St. Dominic Academy (Pre-K through Grade 12) in Lewiston, led by Principal Dawn Theriault. The parish shares news through a weekly bulletin, the parish website, social media, and Flocknote (princeofpeaceparish.flocknote.com). Online giving, the safe environment program, a parish calendar, the weekend priest rotation schedule, the Staff Resource Site and a Volunteer Resource Page are all linked from the homepage.
- St. Dominic Academy (Pre-K–12), 17 Baird Ave, Lewiston — Principal Dawn Theriault, 207-783-9323
- Weekly bulletin on parish website
- Flocknote: princeofpeaceparish.flocknote.com
- Online giving, Volunteer Resource Page, Safe Environment program
- Parish Calendar and Priest Rotation Schedule
- Livestream of English, Latin and Spanish Masses at the Basilica