About Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish · Weymouth, Massachusetts
Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Weymouth, Massachusetts, in the Archdiocese of Boston, currently worshipping at Sacred Heart Church on Washington Street. It was created in August 2022 by merging two long-standing South Shore parishes — Sacred Heart (founded 1869) and St. Thomas More (founded 1938) — which had already been joined in a collaborative since 2014. The parish is led by Rev. Sean M. Connor and offers daily and weekend English Masses, perpetual Eucharistic adoration in its Sacred Heart Adoration Chapel, a parish school (Sacred Heart School), Family Faith Formation, and outreach to the Weymouth–Braintree Landing neighborhood.
- Established
- 1869
- Patron
- Our Lady, Queen of Peace (parish name); Sacred Heart of Jesus (the historic church building)
- Rector
- Rev. Sean M. Connor
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Our Lady Queen of Peace offers a tight-knit Catholic community rooted in 150+ years of South Shore tradition, with daily Mass, perpetual Eucharistic adoration in its Sacred Heart Adoration Chapel, a parish elementary school that has served generations, and a robust Family Faith Formation program for children and adults. The parish welcomes families through sacraments — baptism, marriage, OCIA, anointing of the sick — and offers hearing devices, accessible parking, livestreamed Masses on its YouTube channel, and a collaborative spirit described by its staff as 'One Faith, One Family, One Mission in Christ.'
Mass times at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays, 3:00–3:45 PM, Sacred Heart Church
- By appointment — contact the parish office
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration in the Sacred Heart Adoration Chapel
- Church and Adoration Chapel open Monday–Friday 7:30 AM–1:30 PM
- Saturdays 7:30 AM–5:00 PM
History of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish
Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Weymouth, Massachusetts, was formed in August 2022 from the merger of Sacred Heart Parish (established 1869) and St. Thomas More Parish (established 1938), which had been joined in a Cardinal O'Malley-directed collaborative since September 19, 2014. The parish worships at Sacred Heart Church on Washington Street, a Gothic-style granite-and-brick church originally designed by architect Patrick C. Keely and dedicated on June 16, 1882. The current parish carries forward the motto 'One Faith, One Family, One Mission in Christ.'
- Sacred Heart Parish established 1869 (some sources: 1871)
- Sacred Heart School founded 1913
- St. Thomas More Parish established 1938
- Collaborative of Sacred Heart and St. Thomas More formed September 19, 2014
- Merger into Our Lady Queen of Peace: August 2022
- St. Thomas More Church relegated for profane use: December 2022
Sacred Heart Church: Built, Burned, Rebuilt
The current Sacred Heart Church is the third chapter of one of the most dramatic parish stories on the South Shore. Irish immigrants — many fleeing the Great Famine — built the first church in the 1870s on land purchased on Washington Street. After a gale damaged the original tower and spire, a Gothic granite-and-brick upper church was designed by Patrick C. Keely and dedicated on June 16, 1882, with what was then considered one of the finest high altars in the country. A Jesse Woodberry & Co. tracker organ followed in 1889.
- Architect: Patrick C. Keely of Brooklyn, NY
- Upper church dedicated June 16, 1882
- 1881–82 high altar called one of the best in the country
- 1889 Jesse Woodberry & Co. tracker organ installed
- Seven-alarm fire, June 9, 2005 — likely from an old refrigerator in the church basement
- Roof over sanctuary, 1898 pipe organ, and stained glass destroyed
- Reconstruction architect: S/L/A/M Collaborative
- Church rededicated December 2007; about 90% of the 1882 exterior reproduced
- $3 million in stained glass, lighting, and Stations of the Cross donated from closed Boston-area parishes
Parish Staff and Clergy
Our Lady Queen of Peace is led by Rev. Sean M. Connor, the 12th pastor of Sacred Heart and the priest who guided the parish through the 2014 collaborative and 2022 merger. He is assisted by Deacon John P. Murray, Pastoral Associate Mary Beth Brady, and Pastoral Coordinator / Faith Formation director Maureen Simmons. The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday, 9:30 AM–2:30 PM (lobby open for walk-ins at the front door).
- Pastor: Rev. Sean M. Connor
- Deacon: Deacon John P. Murray
- Pastoral Associate: Mary Beth Brady
- Pastoral Coordinator / Faith Formation: Maureen Simmons ([email protected])
- Parish office phone: 781-337-6333
Sacred Heart School
Sacred Heart School is a parish-affiliated Catholic elementary school at 75 Commercial Street, Weymouth — directly adjacent to the parish campus — that has been in continuous operation since 1913. Today it serves Pre-K through Grade 4 and is fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. For middle-school grades (5–8), the parish operates a Partnership School arrangement with St. Francis Xavier School in Weymouth, located about three miles away at 234 Pleasant Street.
- Address: 75 Commercial Street, Weymouth, MA 02188
- Phone: 781-335-6010
- Email: [email protected]
- Grades: Pre-K through Grade 4 (partnership with St. Francis Xavier for Grades 5–8)
- Founded: 1913
- Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation at Our Lady Queen of Peace is intentionally family-centered. The parish's Family Faith Formation (FFF) program follows the Catechism of the Catholic Church's teaching that 'the family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith.' Parents are supported as the first teachers of their children. Adult Faith Formation, OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), and the FORMED.org digital platform (free with a parish access code) round out the lifelong-learning offerings.
- Family Faith Formation (children)
- Adult Faith Formation
- OCIA (initiation for adults)
- FORMED.org access — free with parish code; contact Maureen Simmons
- Sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments on a regular schedule. Baptism is scheduled online; marriage requires at least six months of preparation through the parish office; the Sacrament of the Sick is offered by appointment or after weekday or Sunday Mass; Reconciliation is heard weekly on Saturday afternoons or by appointment. Funeral Masses are coordinated through the parish office and resources are listed on the website.
- Baptism — register at olqopp.org/baptism-form
- Marriage — six-month prep with Mary Beth Brady
- Sacrament of the Sick — by appointment or after Mass
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:00–3:45 PM or by appointment
- Funeral Mass — see parish website
- Sacramental Record Request Form available online
Visiting, Accessibility, and Giving
Our Lady Queen of Peace welcomes visitors with several practical accommodations. Accessible parking is available for the church, school, and parish office, and hearing-assistance devices are available in a box in front of the organ (parishioners are asked to return them after Mass). QR codes are posted in the pews and at the office for online donations from phones or other devices. Masses, Baptisms, and Funerals are livestreamed on the parish's OLQOP YouTube channel, with about 862 family subscribers and 1.4K videos posted as of August 2025.
- Accessible parking available
- Hearing devices available at Mass
- QR codes for online giving in pews and at the office
- OLQOP YouTube channel — live-streamed Masses, Baptisms, Funerals
Get Involved
The parish regularly invites parishioners to serve through safe-environment (VIRTUS) training for school and parish volunteers, parish registration through the 'Getting Involved' tab on the website, and seasonal ministries including the Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents (which hosts an annual Our Lady of Sorrows Votive Mass on September 15). The bulletin regularly lists volunteer formation dates and stewardship opportunities.
- Parish registration via olqopp.org 'Getting Involved' tab
- VIRTUS safe-environment training for all volunteers
- Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents — annual Our Lady of Sorrows Votive Mass, Sept. 15
- Annual Wedding Anniversary Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Sean M. Connor2014–present
12th pastor of Sacred Heart; led the 2014 collaborative with St. Thomas More and the 2022 merger into Our Lady Queen of Peace.
- Rev. Daniel J. Riley
Led Sacred Heart through the 2005 fire and the 2007 rebuilding; oversaw renovations during a wave of Boston-area parish closures/mergers.
- Rev. Hugh P. Smyth
Pastored Sacred Heart during construction of the original church on Washington Street in the 1870s.