About Our Lady of the Valley · Townshend, Vermont
Our Lady of the Valley is a Roman Catholic mission church located on Route 35 (92 Grafton Road) in the small village of Townshend, Vermont. It is administered as part of Our Lady of Mercy Parish and the broader 'West River Missions' grouping, which also includes Our Lady of Mercy in Putney and Chapel of the Snows on Stratton Mountain. The mission sits within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington (currently led by the 11th Bishop, Most Rev. John J. McDermott) and is staffed by HGN Father Victor Cruz as administrator, with Deacon Richard Anderberg attached to the Townshend community. Weekly Sunday Mass and a Friday Mass are offered in English, with weekday adoration and monthly reconciliation.
- Established
- circa 1928-1931 (as part of the Society of St. Edmund's West River mission field)
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Valley (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Valley)
- Rector
- Fr. Victor Cruz, HGN (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Valley offers a small, rural Catholic community in the Townshend area with a Sunday Mass, a Friday daily Mass, weekly Friday Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation on the first Sunday of each month before and after Mass. Parishioners are involved in works of mercy that reach beyond the town — Deacon Anderberg leads a prison ministry that delivers Christmas gifts to inmates at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, and the parish has previously run a Christmas collection for families in Selma, Alabama. For Catholics and visitors in southern Vermont's West River valley, it is a welcoming, mission-style parish closely tied to the wider West River Missions community of Our Lady of Mercy (Putney) and Chapel of the Snows (Stratton Mountain).
Mass times at Our Lady of the Valley
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 1st Sunday of the month, before and after Mass
Adoration times
- Friday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
About Our Lady of the Valley
Our Lady of the Valley is a small Catholic mission church serving the Townshend, Vermont, area. It is one of three communities in the 'West River Missions' grouping administered together with Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Putney. The mission sits along Route 35 in the West River valley of southern Vermont, and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington under Bishop John J. McDermott, the 11th Bishop of Burlington.
History of the West River Missions
Catholic presence in the West River valley dates to the late 1920s, when Mark J. Harvey of St. Michael's in Brattleboro began organizing missions on behalf of the Society of St. Edmund (Edmundites). The first Edmundite church in the area was established in 1931 when a former Methodist church in downtown Putney was acquired (the seller was told the building would become a 'tea house'). Townshend's mission developed alongside Putney's, despite local resistance that included signs reading 'the papists are coming.' In 1946 Bishop Edward Ryan gave the Edmundites formal responsibility for the West River area as part of the Our Lady of Mercy parish. Today the mission field is administered by diocesan and HGN clergy.
- 1928: Edmundite mission work begins in West River area
- 1931: Our Lady of Mercy established in Putney; Townshend develops as a dependent mission
- 1946: Bishop Edward Ryan formally entrusts West River area to the Society of St. Edmund
- Today: Mission administered through Our Lady of Mercy Parish and the Diocese of Burlington
Clergy & Staff
The mission is administered by Father Victor Cruz, HGN, who serves as administrator of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Putney (with responsibility for Chapel of the Snows at Stratton Mountain). Deacon Richard Anderberg is attached to the Townshend community and is a visible presence in local outreach, especially the prison ministry. The parish office and mailing address are at 31 Cherry Hill Street, Bellows Falls.
- Fr. Victor Cruz, HGN — Administrator
- Deacon Richard Anderberg
Prison Ministry
Deacon Richard Anderberg of Our Lady of the Valley conducts a monthly Communion service at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, Vermont, and spearheads the parish's annual Christmas gift drive for inmates. The effort is ecumenical, involving roughly half a dozen churches including Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Springfield and St. Joseph in Chester. Since 2014 the parish and missions have collected items such as bar soap, white socks, microwave popcorn, and solid deodorant for delivery at Christmas; in past years the parish has also run a Christmas drive for families in Selma, Alabama.
- Monthly Communion service at Southern State Correctional Facility (Springfield)
- Annual Christmas gift drive for inmates (since 2014)
- Ecumenical partnership with Springfield and Chester churches
- Prior Christmas drive for families in Selma, Alabama
Outreach & Community Life
As a small mission church, Our Lady of the Valley combines regular worship with concrete acts of charity that connect the Townshend community to people well beyond the parish boundaries. Parishioners describe giving 'from the heart,' and Deacon Anderberg and his wife Daisy emphasize that 'it's making contact with our brothers and sisters' who are incarcerated. Online giving is available through the parish website for those wishing to support the mission financially.
- Online Giving through the parish website
- Ecumenical collaboration with nearby Catholic and Protestant churches
- Outreach to the incarcerated at Southern State Correctional Facility
Visiting & Contact
Our Lady of the Valley is located at 92 Grafton Road (Route 35) in Townshend, Vermont. Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by mail at 31 Cherry Hill Street, Bellows Falls, VT 05101, or by phone at 802-387-5861. Email correspondence is handled at [email protected]. The mission's clergy also serve St. Charles Parish in Bellows Falls and Our Lady of Mercy in Putney.
- Physical Address: 92 Grafton Road, Townshend, VT 05353
- Mailing Address: 31 Cherry Hill Street, Bellows Falls, VT 05101
- Phone: 802-387-5861
- Email: [email protected]