About Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish - Sacred Heart · Weymouth, Massachusetts
Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Weymouth, Massachusetts, is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Boston serving the communities of Weymouth and Braintree from its Sacred Heart Church at 72 Washington Street. It is the product of a long Catholic heritage on Washington Street: Sacred Heart Parish was founded in 1869 and its parish school in 1913, and the parish has been the spiritual home to generations of South Shore families. In 2014 Sacred Heart joined with Saint Thomas More Parish (Braintree) as a Collaborative, and in August 2022 the two parishes were merged into the new parish of Our Lady Queen of Peace. Today the parish is led by Fr. Sean M. Connor and offers daily and weekend Mass in English, a Perpetual Adoration Chapel, Family Faith Formation for children, OCIA for adults, and a Pre-K–Grade 8 parish school on the same campus.
- Established
- 1869
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus (church); parish named for Our Lady Queen of Peace (Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Sean M. Connor
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Our Lady Queen of Peace is a parish where a small-town Catholic tradition still shapes daily life: Sacred Heart on Washington Street has been a South Shore worship site for more than 150 years, and the rebuilt 2007 church — plus a Pre-K–Grade 8 parish school next door — keeps the school-and-church campus at the heart of the parish. The parish offers Mass in English six days a week (with a First-Friday 10:30 AM Mass during the school year), a Perpetual Adoration Chapel, Saturday confession, OCIA for adults becoming Catholic, and Family Faith Formation for parish children. With Fr. Sean M. Connor as pastor and a dedicated team of deacons and pastoral staff, it is a welcoming place for South Shore Catholics and newcomers to put down roots.
Mass times at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish - Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (Sacred Heart Church)
- By appointment — contact the parish office
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration in the Sacred Heart Adoration Chapel (lower church hall)
- Church and Adoration Chapel open daily: Monday–Friday 7:30 AM – 1:30 PM, Saturday 7:30 AM – 1:30 PM, Sunday after Masses
Our Story — From Sacred Heart (1869) to Our Lady Queen of Peace (2022)
Sacred Heart Parish was established in 1869 in Weymouth, Massachusetts. The Wales Estate on Washington Street was acquired for the parish, and Irish immigrant laborers built the first church. The Gothic-style granite-and-brick Upper Church was dedicated on June 16, 1882. In 1913 the Sisters of Saint Joseph arrived and began Sacred Heart School with 33 first-graders; a high school followed in 1923 and ran until 1992. The present elementary building was dedicated in 1959 by Archbishop Richard Cardinal Cushing. On September 19, 2014, Cardinal Seán O'Malley coupled Sacred Heart with Saint Thomas More Parish in Braintree as a Collaborative under the Archdiocese's "Disciples in Mission" initiative. In August 2022 the two parishes were merged into a single new parish named Our Lady Queen of Peace; the Saint Thomas More church was relegated for profane but non-sacred use in December 2022.
- 1869 — Sacred Heart Parish established
- 1882 — Upper Church dedicated (Gothic style, granite and brick)
- 1913 — Sisters of Saint Joseph arrive; parish school founded
- 1923 — Sacred Heart High School opens
- 1959 — Present elementary school building dedicated by Cardinal Cushing
- 1992 — Sacred Heart High School closes
- June 2005 — Seven-alarm fire destroys the 1882 church
- December 15, 2007 — Cardinal O'Malley dedicates the rebuilt church
- September 19, 2014 — Sacred Heart + Saint Thomas More form a Collaborative
- August 2022 — Merged into Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish
- December 2022 — Saint Thomas More church relegated for profane use
The 2005 Fire and Rebuilding
In June 2005 a seven-alarm fire — traced to the wiring of an old refrigerator in the church basement — destroyed the 134-year-old Sacred Heart Church. For roughly two years the parish celebrated weekly Mass in the auditorium of Sacred Heart School next door. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 8, 2006, and Cardinal Seán O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston, dedicated the rebuilt church on December 15, 2007. According to parish reporting at the time, approximately 90 percent of the new structure replicates the 1882 original.
Sacred Heart School (Pre-K – Grade 8)
Sacred Heart School, the parish's Catholic elementary school on the Washington Street campus, was founded in 1913 when the Sisters of Saint Joseph opened the first class with 33 first-graders. The school grew into Pre-K through Grade 8 with an all-lay faculty and administration, and has educated more than 10,000 students across its history (including Sacred Heart High School, 1923–1992). The current elementary building was dedicated in 1959 by Cardinal Cushing. The school offers extended-day, foreign-language, after-school enrichment, and developmental programs for working families, and continues the educational mission begun by the Sisters of Saint Joseph.
- Founded 1913 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph
- Pre-K (age 3) through Grade 8
- Elementary building dedicated in 1959 by Cardinal Cushing
- Extended-day program, foreign-language program, after-school enrichment
- All-lay faculty and administration
- 10,000+ students educated across the parish's schools since 1913
Faith Formation & OCIA
Faith Formation at Our Lady Queen of Peace is led by Maureen Simmons, the parish's Pastoral Coordinator for Faith Formation. The Family Faith Formation program prepares parish children for the sacraments and accompanies families in handing on the faith. Adult Faith Formation and the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA) walk adults through Catholic teaching, initiation, and ongoing formation. The parish also subscribes to Formed.org — a free digital library of books, movies, Bible studies and documentaries for all ages — accessible with a parish code from Kevin Chapdelaine or Maureen Simmons.
- Family Faith Formation for parish children
- Adult Faith Formation
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Formed.org parish subscription (access code via the parish office)
- Contact: Maureen Simmons, [email protected], 781-337-6333 ext. 114
Sacraments
The parish prepares families and individuals for all the Catholic sacraments. Baptism is scheduled through the parish website registration form. Marriage requires contacting Mary Beth Brady at the parish office at least six months before the wedding, and is connected to the Archdiocese's Boston Marriage Prep program. The Anointing of the Sick is available by appointment — particularly before surgery, or for those in treatment or hospice care. First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation are received through the Family Faith Formation program.
- Baptism — register online; Maureen confirms the date and schedules a family meeting
- Marriage — contact Mary Beth six months ahead; Archdiocese of Boston Marriage Prep
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment or see a priest at Mass
- First Reconciliation & First Communion — through Family Faith Formation
- Confirmation — through Family Faith Formation
Music & Liturgy
Music at Sacred Heart is shaped by the parish's different weekend communities. The Saturday 4:00 PM Vigil Mass is supported by a Cantor, Choir and Organ/Piano. The Sunday 9:30 AM Family Mass features Piano/Organ and a children's choir, while the Sunday 11:30 AM Mass uses a Cantor/choir with a contemporary music band.
- Saturday 4:00 PM — Cantor/Choir & Organ/Piano
- Sunday 9:30 AM — Family Mass, Piano/Organ & children's choir
- Sunday 11:30 AM — Cantor/choir & contemporary music band
Parish Staff & Leadership
Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish is staffed by a small pastoral team that has served the merged parish since 2022. The pastor, Fr. Sean M. Connor, leads the parish with the support of Deacon John P. Murray, Pastoral Associate Mary Beth Brady, and Maureen Simmons, who serves as Pastoral Coordinator overseeing Faith Formation. Kevin Chapdelaine is a parish contact for the Formed.org digital library. School inquiries go to the Sacred Heart School office, and safe-environment training for parish volunteers is coordinated through the Archdiocese of Boston's VIRTUS program.
- Rev. Sean M. Connor — Pastor
- Deacon John P. Murray
- Mary Beth Brady — Pastoral Associate
- Maureen Simmons — Pastoral Coordinator / Faith Formation
- Kevin Chapdelaine — Formed.org contact
- Parish office: 55 Commercial Street, Weymouth, MA 02188 (Tue–Fri 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM)
- Phone: 781-337-6333
Getting Involved & Communications
Families new to the parish can register online through the parish website (olqopp.org). The parish publishes a weekly bulletin with announcements, Mass intentions, and formation news, and live-streams Mass, Baptisms and Funerals on the OLQOP YouTube channel (with QR codes in the pews for online giving). Annual traditions include the Wedding Anniversary Mass each October, and parish volunteers complete safe-environment training through VIRTUS.
- Parish registration — online at olqopp.org
- Weekly bulletin and parish communications
- OLQOP YouTube channel — live-streamed Mass, Baptisms, Funerals
- Annual Wedding Anniversary Mass (October)
- VIRTUS safe-environment training for volunteers
Visit, Contact & Directions
Sacred Heart Church sits at 72 Washington Street in Weymouth, Massachusetts, with the parish office and rectory at 55 Commercial Street, Weymouth, MA 02188-2604. The parish office lobby is open Tuesday through Friday, 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM. Accessible parking is available for the church, school, and parish office. The parish phone is 781-337-6333, and the parish can be reached by email through [email protected] or [email protected] for Faith Formation.
- Sacred Heart Church — 72 Washington Street, Weymouth, MA 02188
- Parish Office / Rectory — 55 Commercial Street, Weymouth, MA 02188-2604
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM
- Phone: 781-337-6333
- Email: [email protected] (parish office); [email protected] (Faith Formation)
- Website: https://olqopp.org/
- Accessible parking available