About Our Lady of Victory · Centerville, Massachusetts
Our Lady of Victory Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Centerville, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, belonging to the Diocese of Fall River. Founded in 1957 and now serving more than 2,700 families, the parish has grown from humble beginnings — its earliest Masses were celebrated in a just-completed church basement with furnishings donated by St. James Parish in New Bedford. Today it operates the main church on South Main Street together with Our Lady of Hope Chapel on the north side of the Cape, offering a robust sacramental life, the long-running GIFT intergenerational faith formation program, and a wide range of lay ministries.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- Our Lady of Victory (Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Victory)
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher D. Hughes (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
OLV is the largest parish on Cape Cod, with more than 2,700 families and two worship sites — the main church in Centerville and Our Lady of Hope Chapel on the north side of the Cape — so there is room for year-round residents and seasonal visitors alike. The parish runs the GIFT intergenerational faith formation program (in place for over 20 years), RCIA, sacramental preparation, and dozens of lay ministries spanning liturgy (lectors, servers, cantors, sacristans), pastoral care for the sick, bereaved, imprisoned and unborn, and outreach to the hungry and homeless. With five Sunday Masses, a daily 9 AM Mass, twice-weekly confession times, and an active deacon corps, OLV offers a full sacramental rhythm wrapped in a strong Cape Cod welcome.
Mass times at Our Lady of Victory
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
- Also by appointment
About Our Lady of Victory
Our Lady of Victory is a Catholic parish in Centerville, on the mid-Cape, serving more than 2,700 families under the Diocese of Fall River. Founded in 1957, the parish worships at its main church on South Main Street and at Our Lady of Hope Chapel on the north side of the Cape. The community prides itself on being 'a light on a hill' for thousands of Cape Codders, year-round and seasonal, with a strong sacramental life and an unusually broad intergenerational faith formation program.
- Founded 1957; 60th anniversary celebrated in 2017
- Diocese of Fall River
- Main church in Centerville plus Our Lady of Hope Chapel on the north side of the Cape
- More than 2,700 registered families today
Parish History
The first Masses of the new parish were celebrated in 1957 in the just-completed church basement, with the upper church finished some months later. St. James Parish in New Bedford donated the first altar and pews. Founding pastor Fr. Howard Waldron was without a permanent home for his first year — spending summers at the Fitzgerald cottage on Lake Wequaquet and autumn at the Scaramelli family home — until a rectory was ready in mid-1958. In 1960, OLV's boundaries expanded to include Our Lady of Hope Chapel. In 1983, Fr. John A. Perry began construction of the Parish Center and annex.
- 1957 — parish founded; first Masses in church basement
- 1957–1964 — Fr. Howard Waldron serves as founding pastor
- 1960 — boundaries expanded to include Our Lady of Hope Chapel
- 1983 — Fr. John A. Perry begins Parish Center and annex construction
- June 2014 — Fr. John J. Perry appointed pastor
- 2021 — Rev. Gregory A. Mathias appointed pastor after Fr. Perry's passing
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently served by a Parochial Administrator and a Parochial Vicar, with five retired Mass Assistants, four deacons, and a lay staff running faith formation, music, business, and parish operations. Pastoral care is coordinated by Kelley Spodris (Business Manager) and the deacon corps, with music under long-time Director Dorothy Lortie.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Christopher D. Hughes
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Balaswamy Thippabathini
- Mass Assistants: Rev. Richard Casey, Rev. Robert Soucy, Rev. James Finley, Rev. Richard DeVeer, Rev. George Bellenoit
- Deacons: Theodore E. Lukac, Keith Caldwell, Richard Murphy, David Roderick
- Business Manager: Kelley Spodris
- Director of Music: Dorothy Lortie
- Faith Formation / Confirmation / GIFT: Maureen Hufnagle
Anointing of the Sick and Pastoral Care
Anointing of the Sick is offered on First Saturdays following the 9:00 AM Mass and can be requested at any time by calling the parish office (508-775-5744 x113). After-hours emergencies are reached through the main parish number. The parish maintains active ministry to the sick and homebound, those in hospitals, and the bereaved.
- First Saturdays after the 9:00 AM Mass
- On request: 508-775-5744 x113
- After-hours emergency paging via the main line
Faith Formation and the GIFT Program
Our Lady of Victory has been home to the GIFT (Generations In Faith Together) program for more than 20 years, replacing the traditional youth-only faith formation model. GIFT combines all ages — children, teens, college students, singles, couples, parents, grandparents, empty nesters, retirees, and newcomers — for a transformative intergenerational formation experience. The program prepares children and youth for the sacraments (including Confirmation) and forms adults in the faith alongside their children. Registration opens each summer; more information is available at www.olvgift.com.
- GIFT — intergenerational faith formation (20+ years)
- Confirmation preparation
- Adult faith formation
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- More info: olvgift.com
Other Sacraments
In addition to the Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Anointing of the Sick, the parish prepares and welcomes parishioners for Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, and Funeral Masses. Deacon Keith Caldwell coordinates Baptisms; Maureen Hufnagle coordinates Confirmation and faith formation; Kelley Spodris coordinates weddings, funerals, and use of parish facilities.
- Baptism — Deacon Keith Caldwell ([email protected])
- Confirmation — Maureen Hufnagle
- Wedding — Kelley Spodris (at OLV or Our Lady of Hope)
- Funeral Mass — Kelley Spodris
- RCIA — Fr. Gregory Mathias
Ministries and Parish Life
The parish frames its ministries around the call 'We leave to serve,' with parishioners serving at the altar and in the wider community. Liturgical roles include lectors, altar servers, cantors, sacristans, funeral acolytes, and greeters. Social and pastoral service reaches the hungry, homeless, imprisoned, unborn, sick at home or in hospital, the dying, and the bereaved. The parish also supports family ministry around weddings, faith formation, and adult education.
- Liturgical: lectors, servers, cantors, sacristans, funeral acolytes, greeters
- Pastoral: sick, bereaved, imprisoned, dying
- Outreach: hungry, homeless, unborn
- Family and adult education ministries
- Time and Talents volunteer sign-up
Music and Liturgy
Music ministry at Our Lady of Victory is directed by Dorothy Lortie (508-771-1029, [email protected]), supporting the parish's full schedule of weekend and daily Masses as well as funerals, weddings, and holy days. Cantors are drawn from the parish volunteer corps as part of the broader liturgical ministry team.
- Director of Music: Dorothy Lortie
- Cantors drawn from parish volunteers
- Music at weekend, daily, funeral, and wedding liturgies
Parish Facilities and Our Lady of Hope Chapel
Beyond the church itself, Our Lady of Victory operates a Parish Center and annex — built under Fr. John A. Perry beginning in 1983 — that includes a large hall, kitchen facilities, and additional classrooms used for faith formation, meetings, and parish events. The parish also maintains Our Lady of Hope Chapel on the north side of the Cape, added to OLV's boundaries in 1960, which hosts Sunday Mass and serves seasonal and year-round residents there. Use of parish facilities can be arranged through Kelley Spodris.
- Parish Center with large hall and kitchen (built 1983)
- Classrooms and meeting space in the church basement
- Our Lady of Hope Chapel (north Cape) — Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM
- Facility rental inquiries: Kelley Spodris
Giving and Parish Support
Parishioners can support Our Lady of Victory through WeShare electronic giving, with details on the parish Support page. Donations are coordinated through Business Manager Kelley Spodris. The parish follows the Diocese of Fall River's Safe Environment policies and asks anyone exhibiting signs of illness to remain home from Mass.
- WeShare electronic giving
- Donations coordinator: Kelley Spodris ([email protected])
- Diocesan Safe Environment policies observed
Contact and Visit
The parish office is at 230 South Main Street, Centerville, MA 02632, reachable at 508-775-5744. The main parish email is [email protected]. The parish maintains a Facebook page (Our Lady of Victory Parish, Cape Cod, MA) and lists individual staff extensions and email addresses for faith formation, baptism, business, music, and facilities use.
- Address: 230 South Main Street, Centerville, MA 02632
- Phone: 508-775-5744
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.olvparish.org/
- Facebook: facebook.com/ourladyofvictorycenterville
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Howard Waldron1957–1964
Founding pastor; oversaw construction of the church and lived temporarily with parish families before the rectory was ready.
- Fr. John A. Perry
Began construction of the new Parish Center and annex (large hall, kitchen, classrooms) in 1983.
- Fr. John J. PerryAppointed June 2014
Had previously served at Our Lady of Victory; later deceased while pastor.
- Rev. Gregory A. MathiasAppointed 2021
Appointed pastor following the passing of Fr. John J. Perry.