About Sacred Heart · Boston, Massachusetts
Sacred Heart Parish is a Roman Catholic church located at 169 Cummins Highway in the Roslindale and Forest Hills neighborhoods of Boston, Massachusetts, within the Archdiocese of Boston. Founded in 1893 and named for its first pastor, Father Cummins (after whom Cummins Highway is named), the parish is a vibrant, multicultural community that celebrates the Mass in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Today the parish serves roughly twenty Masses each week across its Upper and Lower Church spaces, runs a parish school, supports the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and welcomes newcomers and returning Catholics through its RCIA and religious education programs.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Brian Clary
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is one of the most diverse parishes on Boston's south side, celebrating Mass in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole every week and offering six Sunday liturgies plus daily Mass. Its ministries are unusually broad — RCIA in two languages, religious education for grades 1–8 and Confirmation, three choirs, a St. Vincent de Paul Society, a Haitian prayer group, a Ghana Catholic Society, Boy Scout Troop 7, a Health Ministry, a parish school, and weekly Eucharistic Adoration. With a recently renovated, elevator-accessible building and a pastor who traces his own roots back to the neighborhood, Sacred Heart is a welcoming place both to grow spiritually and to put faith into action through service.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- In English: Friday after the 8:30 AM Mass
- In English: Saturday at 3:00 PM (in the reconciliation room on the Cummins Highway side of the lower church)
- In Spanish: Friday after the 8:30 AM Mass
- By appointment (call 617-325-3322)
Adoration times
- Thursday evenings, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM, Lower Church
About Sacred Heart Parish
Founded in 1893 and part of the Archdiocese of Boston, Sacred Heart Parish serves the Roslindale and Forest Hills neighborhoods of Boston from its campus at 169 Cummins Highway. According to the parish's own welcome page, it is 'a welcoming Catholic community called by God to live out the message of Christ in love and service to all people,' with a mission rooted in the universal call to discipleship and the proclamation of the Gospel through worship, education, service, works of mercy, and evangelization.
Parish History
Sacred Heart traces its origins to the late 1880s, when Roslindale Catholics first asked for a priest and bought a lot on Poplar Street. Construction of the present church began in 1892, and on July 7, 1893, the parish was formally established with Father Cummins as its first pastor. The lower church was ready for worshipers by Christmas 1893, and Archbishop William O'Connell dedicated the completed upper church on June 5, 1910.
- First pastor: Father Cummins, for whom Cummins Highway is named
- First Masses for Roslindale Catholics were said in a tent on Poplar Street in winter 1892
- St. Francis Xavier School founded in 1916 by the Sisters of Charity
- Archbishop John J. Williams Knights of Columbus Council #1308 chartered April 26, 1908
Pastor and Clergy
Father Brian Clary was appointed pastor on July 1, 2021. Born in Boston, raised in Quincy, and ordained in 1997, he has served at parishes in Braintree, Brookline, Sudbury, and Dorchester, and has directed the Archdiocese of Boston's Priests' Recovery Program since 2002. He is assisted by a senior priest in residence, a parochial vicar, a deacon, and a chaplain to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital.
- Rev. Brian Clary — Pastor (2021–)
- Rev. Gene P. Sullivan — Senior Priest, in Residence
- Rev. Succes Jeanty — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Elias Ojomah — Chaplain, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital
- Deacon Jesus Quiles
- Maggie Laboy — Parish Secretary
- Dorothy D'Amato — Confirmation and Religious Education Coordinator
- Monica Haldiman — Principal, Sacred Heart STEM School
Live Streaming
The parish livestreams and records its 10:00 AM English and 12:00 PM Spanish Sunday Masses each week. Live recordings and an archive of previous services are available through the parish website.
Parish School and Religious Education
Sacred Heart runs a parish STEM school on site (principal: Monica Haldiman) and an extensive religious education program for children in grades 1–8. First Eucharist preparation is a two-year program beginning in Grade 1, with English CCD classes on Sunday mornings and Spanish CCD classes on Saturday mornings. A separate Confirmation CCD program serves high-school students, and adult faith formation is offered through the RCIA in both English and Spanish.
- Sacred Heart STEM School (on-site)
- CCD Grades 1–8 (English and Spanish) — fee $60 per child
- Confirmation CCD for high-school students
- RCIA in English and Spanish for adults
Music and Liturgical Ministries
Music is a central part of parish life at Sacred Heart, with three parish choirs supporting the Upper and Lower Church liturgies. The parish also has a deep bench of liturgical lay ministers, including lectors, altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, ushers, and welcomers, in both English and Spanish ministries.
- Choir (English) — Wednesdays 7:30–9:00 PM, Upper Church
- Choir (Spanish) — Fridays 7:00–8:45 PM, Rectory Library
- Choir (Youth) — Mondays 6:00–7:00 PM, Upper Church
- Lectors (English and Spanish)
- Eucharistic Ministers and Homebound Ministers (English)
- Ushers and Welcomers
Outreach and Service
The parish lives out the call to works of mercy through its St. Vincent de Paul Society (with separate English and Spanish chapters), Catholic Relief Services, a Health Ministry, the Haitian Prayer Group, and the Ghana Catholic Society. The parish also supports neighbors in need through partnerships such as the Roslindale House ministry and 'Project Cookie Dough.'
- St. Vincent de Paul Society (English and Spanish)
- Catholic Relief Services
- Health Ministry
- Haitian Prayer Group — Fridays 7:00–10:00 PM, Lower Church
- Ghana Catholic Society — 1st Saturday, 5:30–8:30 PM, Murray Room
- Roslindale House ministry — 4th Friday
- Project Cookie Dough
Community Life and Groups
Beyond the Mass schedule, Sacred Heart sustains a wide range of parish-life groups, from a Spanish Christian Couples group and a Spanish Marriage Ministry to a coffee hour after the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass, a Basketball league in the colder months, Boy Scout Troop 7, and an annual Golf Tournament. Young adults have their own gathering through the 'Young N Catholic' ministry, and a separate Spanish-language ministry supports youth and young adults.
- Coffee after the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass — St. Theresa House
- Christian Couples Group (Spanish) — 3rd Friday, St. Theresa House
- Young N Catholic (young adults)
- Youth & Young Adults (Spanish)
- Basketball — September through March
- Boy Scout Troop 7 — Tuesdays 7:00–8:00 PM
- Annual Golf Tournament
Becoming Catholic and Registration
The parish formally welcomes four groups of newcomers: those registering as new parishioners, returning Catholics, those exploring the Catholic Church, and those ready to become Catholic. The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is offered in both English and Spanish, modeled on the formation of the earliest members of the Church in the first and second centuries.
Facilities and Accessibility
The parish campus at 169 Cummins Highway includes the Upper Church, the Lower Church, the rectory with its library and meeting rooms, the parish school, and ancillary spaces such as St. Theresa House (used for coffee hours and group meetings) and the Murray Room (used by the Ghana Catholic Society). A recent renovation added elevators, making the church accessible to those who cannot use stairs.
- Upper Church and Lower Church
- Rectory with library and council room
- St. Theresa House — parish hospitality and meeting space
- Murray Room — used by the Ghana Catholic Society
- Elevators added in recent renovation
Contact and Location
The parish office is at 169 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, MA 02131 (telephone 617-325-3322; fax 617-325-2145). The parish email is [email protected]. The pastor, Father Brian Clary, can be reached at [email protected]. An interactive map with driving directions is available on the parish website.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Cummins1893–
First pastor; the parish's Cummins Highway is named for him. Oversaw construction of the lower and upper church, helped establish St. Francis Xavier School in 1916, and encouraged formation of the Roslindale Knights of Columbus Council #1308 (chartered 1908).
- Rev. Brian Clary2021–present
Appointed pastor on July 1, 2021. Born in Boston, raised in Quincy, ordained 1997; previous assignments include St. Clare (Braintree), St. Mary of the Assumption (Brookline), St. Anselm (Sudbury), St. Brendan, St. Anne, and St. Martin de Porres (Dorchester). Has directed the Archdiocese of Boston's Priests' Recovery Program since 2002.