About Sacred Heart · Newton, Massachusetts
Sacred Heart Parish, located at 1321 Centre Street in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, is a Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Boston founded in 1890 by Irish Catholic families who had moved into the area. Today it is paired with Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Newton as the 'SHOL' (Sacred Heart & Our Lady's) Collaborative, sharing one pastor and a single pastoral team. The parish is known for its striking Italian Renaissance Revival church, its stained glass and plasterwork, a storied list of early pastors that includes a future Archbishop of New York and a future Archbishop of Boston, and a broad range of faith formation, youth, music, social justice, and pastoral care ministries serving families across the Newton community.
- Established
- 1890
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel J. (Dan) Riley
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Sacred Heart welcomes parishioners into a long-established Catholic community rooted in Newton Centre since 1891, offering daily and weekend Mass, the Sacraments, and Eucharistic Adoration. Families find a full Religious Education program (K–10), First Communion and Confirmation preparation, a Middle School Drop-In Center, a High School Youth Group, and Catholic Heart Workcamp mission trips, while adults can join the RCIA process, Women's Discussion Group, Retrouvaille, Pax Christi / Racial Justice Ministry, and a Saint Vincent de Paul conference that serves neighbors in need. As part of the SHOL Collaborative with Our Lady Help of Christians, the parish combines small-parish warmth with the resources of a broader pastoral team.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 2:45–3:30 PM in the Lower Church, alternating months between Sacred Heart and Our Lady's (Month of June: Sacred Heart; Month of July: Our Lady's)
- 1st Friday 6:00–7:00 PM at Sacred Heart, Lower Church
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration follows the 7:30 PM Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday (Sacred Heart)
- 1st Friday Adoration 6:00–7:00 PM (Lower Church, in conjunction with confessions)
Sacred Heart Parish — Newton Centre
Sacred Heart Parish has served the Catholic community of Newton Centre since 1891. Today it shares a collaborative ('SHOL') with Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Newton under a single pastor and pastoral team. The parish offers weekend and weekday Mass, the Sacraments, Eucharistic Adoration, a full K–10 Religious Education program, robust youth and young adult ministries, music and liturgical ministries, a Saint Vincent de Paul conference, and a number of faith-sharing and justice ministries. The Sunday 9:30 AM Mass is livestreamed each week at sholnewton.org.
- Founded 1890 / dedicated 1891
- 1321 Centre Street, Newton Centre, MA 02459
- Phone 617-969-2248 • [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:30 AM–2:30 PM
- Sunday Masses: 9:30 AM (livestreamed) and 11:30 AM
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM
History of the Parish
Sacred Heart was established in 1890 by Irish Catholic families who had moved into Newton Centre to work for the suburb's affluent households and wanted a Catholic church closer to home. The congregation dedicated the parish in 1891 and built the present large Italian Renaissance Revival church over the following years. Two of its early pastors — Francis Spellman (1933–39) and Richard Cushing (1939–44) — went on to become Cardinals and Archbishops of New York and Boston respectively. In 2007 the parish welcomed the former parishioners of St. Philip Neri, and on June 25, 2017, Bishop Robert Reed celebrated the 125th Anniversary Mass and rededicated the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
- Congregation established 1890; parish dedicated 1891
- Building designed by Bertram Taylor of Rand & Taylor; completed c. 1899
- Pastor Francis Spellman 1933–39 (later Cardinal, Archbishop of New York)
- Pastor Richard Cushing 1939–44 (later Cardinal, Archbishop of Boston)
- St. Philip Neri parishioners joined Sacred Heart in 2007
- 125th Anniversary Mass celebrated June 25, 2017
The Church Building and Architecture
The church at 1321 Centre Street is an Italian Renaissance Revival edifice designed by Newton Centre resident Bertram Taylor of the firm Rand & Taylor. It is dominated by twin hipped-roof bell towers, and the interior is regarded as having some of the most elaborate plaster work in the Boston area, complemented by stained glass windows lining the walls. A statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus stands in front of the rectory.
- Style: Italian Renaissance Revival
- Architects: Rand & Taylor (Bertram Taylor)
- Twin hipped-roof bell towers
- Notable interior plasterwork and stained glass
Mass and the Sacraments
Sacred Heart offers Mass on Saturday at 4:00 PM (Vigil) and on Sunday at 9:30 AM (livestreamed) and 11:30 AM. Weekday Mass is celebrated on Friday and Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Saturday afternoons 2:45–3:30 PM in the Lower Church (alternating months with Our Lady's) and on First Fridays 6:00–7:00 PM. The parish prepares children and adults for the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist), assists couples preparing for marriage (at least six months in advance), and brings Anointing of the Sick, Eucharist, and Reconciliation to the homebound and hospitalized on request.
- Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM
- Sunday 9:30 AM (livestreamed) and 11:30 AM
- Weekday Mass Fri & Sat 9:00 AM
- Reconciliation Saturdays 2:45–3:30 PM (Lower Church)
- First Friday Reconciliation 6:00–7:00 PM
Religious Education & Faith Formation
The collaborative's Religious Education program uses the Pflaum Gospel Weekly curriculum for Grades K–1 and 3–8, with classes on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays so that what is heard at Sunday Mass is reinforced in the classroom. The program coordinates First Penance and First Communion preparation, Confirmation preparation for Grades 9 and 10 (with retreats and a Cape Cod day of reflection), and welcomes back families returning after time away.
- Coordinator K–5: Kristina Preman ([email protected], x216)
- Coordinator Grades 6–10: Leslee Ambrosio ([email protected], x213)
- Curriculum: Pflaum Gospel Weekly (K–1, 3–8)
- First Penance / First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation in Grades 9–10
Youth Ministry
Youth Minister Jared Blake coordinates a Middle School Drop-In Center (twice a month at the MacKenzie Center with open gym, board games, and seasonal activities), Teen Edge Nights for Grades 5–8, a High School Youth Group that meets before the Sunday 6 PM Mass at Our Lady's, and summer service trips including Catholic Heart Workcamp (recently Knoxville, TN). The collaborative also brings student volunteers to Cor Unum Meal Center in Lawrence on the fourth Saturday of each month.
- Middle School Drop-In Center (twice monthly, MacKenzie Center)
- Teen Edge Nights (Grades 5–8)
- High School Youth Group (Sundays before 6 PM Mass at Our Lady's)
- Catholic Heart Workcamp mission trips
- Monthly Cor Unum Meal Center service in Lawrence
- Contact: [email protected], ext. 126
RCIA and Adult Faith Formation
Adults who are interested in becoming Catholic or learning more about the Church are invited to RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), which meets on Mondays at 7:00 PM in the Youth Center at Our Lady's. The parish also runs a Young Adults Faith Fellowship, a Women's Discussion Group, a Pray & Play Group for parents of young children, and a FIAT discernment group for women considering religious life (in conjunction with the Sisters of St. Joseph).
- RCIA — Mondays 7 PM, Our Lady's Youth Center
- Young Adults Faith Fellowship
- Women's Discussion Group
- Pray & Play Group
- FIAT discernment for women
Music and Liturgy
Sacred Heart and Our Lady's each have a dedicated Director of Liturgy and Music. Erica Johnson directs music at Sacred Heart; Anne Marie David directs music at Our Lady's. Liturgical volunteers — Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, and greeters — are welcomed and trained for all Masses, with a particular current need at the Sunday 6 PM Mass.
- Erica Johnson — Liturgy & Music Director (Sacred Heart)
- Anne Marie David — Music Director (Our Lady's)
- Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, and greeters needed at all Masses
- Sunday 9:30 AM Mass livestreamed at sholnewton.org
Outreach, Social Justice, and Pastoral Care
The Sacred Heart & Our Lady's Collaborative runs a Saint Vincent de Paul Conference that assists neighbors with housing, clothing, and food needs ([email protected] / 617-527-7560 x255), a Bereavement Ministry, a Ministry of Care that brings the Sacraments to the homebound and hospitalized, and a Pax Christi / Racial Justice Ministry that has hosted discussions on voting rights and other justice topics. A Collaborative Green Team, inspired by Pope Francis's Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum, is also forming to work ecumenically with other Newton houses of worship.
- Saint Vincent de Paul Conference
- Bereavement Ministry
- Pastoral Care / Ministry of Care
- Pax Christi / Racial Justice Ministry
- Collaborative Green Team (Laudato Si')
- Retrouvaille referrals for struggling marriages
The SHOL Collaborative with Our Lady Help of Christians
Sacred Heart Parish and Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Newton were paired as the Sacred Heart & Our Lady's ('SHOL') Collaborative as part of the Archdiocese of Boston's 'Disciples in Mission' pastoral plan. The two parishes share a single pastor (Fr. Daniel J. Riley) and a unified pastoral team, with bulletins, websites, and ministries operating jointly. Our Lady's is located at 573 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02458 (617-527-7560), and its office is open Monday–Friday 7:00 AM–3:00 PM.
- Pastor: Fr. Daniel J. Riley ([email protected], ext. 229)
- Sacred Heart: 1321 Centre St., Newton Centre 02459
- Our Lady Help of Christians: 573 Washington St., Newton 02458
- Combined staff of pastors, pastoral associates, deacon, faith formation, music, youth, and operations
Pastoral and Support Staff
In addition to Pastor Fr. Daniel J. Riley and Deacon Bill Koffel, the SHOL Collaborative is served by Kristina Preman (Senior Pastoral Associate and Director of Religious Education), Leslee Ambrosio (Coordinator of Religious Education, Grades 6–10), Ginny Arpino (Coordinator of Pastoral Care, now moving into the Sacred Heart ministry role), Jared Blake (Youth Minister), Anne Marie David (Music Director, Our Lady's), Erica Johnson (Liturgy & Music Director, Sacred Heart), Maria Rosen (Pastoral Minister), Michael Bliss (Finance & Operations), Ed Desmond (Administrative Assistant, Our Lady's), Sioux Mont (Administrative Assistant, Sacred Heart), Gerry McGrath and David Nahabedian (Facilities). Several other priests and a Jesuit deacon assist regularly with the liturgies.
- Fr. Dan Riley — Pastor
- Deacon Bill Koffel
- Kristina Preman — DRE & Sr. Pastoral Associate
- Jared Blake — Youth Minister
- Erica Johnson — Liturgy & Music Director (Sacred Heart)
- Anne Marie David — Music Director (Our Lady's)
- Ginny Arpino — Coordinator of Pastoral Care
- Clergy assisting: Fr. Kevin Deeley; Deacon Isaac Demase, S.J.; Fr. John Geaney, C.S.P.; Fr. Bart Geger, S.J.; Fr. Michael Mohr, S.J.; Fr. Frank Silva
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Francis C. Spellman1933–1939
Later Archbishop of New York and Cardinal
- Richard J. Cushing1939–1944
Later Archbishop of Boston and Cardinal
- Rev. John J. Connellyserved ~30 years; in residence as Pastor emeritus until 2013
Taught 26 years at St. John's Seminary; earned Doctorate in Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome; ordained by Cardinal Cushing in 1950; died June 28, 2021, age 98
- Rev. John E. Sassani2006–2019
Previously Director of the Office of Spiritual Development for the Archdiocese of Boston; author; died April 21, 2019