About Sacred Heart of Jesus · Webster, Massachusetts
Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Roman Catholic parish in Webster, Massachusetts, part of the Diocese of Worcester. The parish traces its roots to the late 1800s, when French-Canadian immigrants came to work at the Slater Textile mill complex, and it has served the community ever since. Its current pastor is Father Lucas M. LaRoche, assisted by a deacon and a lay staff, and the parish is the proud co-sponsor (with neighboring St. Louis Church) of All Saints Academy, the local Catholic school. Worship is offered in English in a striking granite church built of Quebec stone in the 1890s, and the parish maintains a perpetual adoration chapel shared with neighboring parishes.
- Established
- 1870
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sacré-Cœur-de-Jésus)
- Rector
- Rev. Lucas M. LaRoche (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester
Why belong here
Sacred Heart of Jesus is a welcoming French-Canadian-rooted Catholic parish in the heart of Webster that worships in a striking 1896 granite church built by immigrants for their descendants. It offers an unusually rich sacramental life — weekend Masses in English, daily Masses in the Guadalupe Chapel, a robust confession schedule, and a perpetual adoration chapel shared with neighboring parishes. Active parishioners can join lectors, liturgical decorating, the Coffee Fellowship Ministry, OCIA, faith formation for youth and adults, or serve the community through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul food and emergency assistance program. The parish is also one of two sponsoring parishes of All Saints Academy (Preschool–Grade 8), making it a true hub of Catholic life on the Webster–Dudley line.
Mass times at Sacred Heart of Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:00 AM – 7:45 AM
- Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 7:45 AM
- Thursday: 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
- First Friday: 7:00 AM – 7:45 AM
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
- First Saturday: 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
- Other times available by appointment (all confessions heard in the main church; enter through the parking-lot door on weekdays)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at the Emmaus Center (17 E Main St.). Door is locked 9:00 PM – 6:00 AM (scheduled adorers only during those hours). The chapel closes from 12 noon on Holy Thursday until the Easter Vigil at 10:00 PM.
Parish Identity and History
Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish — known to its original French-speaking faithful as Sacré-Cœur-de-Jésus — was founded in 1870 in Webster, Massachusetts, to serve the Irish and French-Canadian Catholic workers of the Slater Textile mill complex (then in Dudley). By November 1894 the growing parish under Rev. Joseph Agapit Legris was already planning a larger church. The current granite church was designed and built in 1895–96 by architect-contractor G.F. Héroux of Yamachiche, Québec, with the first Mass celebrated on July 19, 1896, and the official blessing on Labor Day, September 7, 1896, at which Bishop L.F. Laflèche of Trois-Rivières preached the dedicatory sermon in French.
- Founded 1870
- Present church built 1895–1896
- Architect: G.F. Héroux, Yamachiche, Québec
- Building stone: Canadian granite (Deschambault, Québec) with marble trim
- Dedication: September 7, 1896 (Labor Day)
Architecture and the 1896 Pipe Organ
The church measures 145 × 65 feet with a 165-foot steeple, transepts, a barrel-vaulted and gilded ceiling with faux marble, double balcony, and a long center aisle with side aisles. Six large mullioned windows on each side light the interior, and the front façade has three niches holding statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. John, and St. Raphael. The grand pipe organ in the gallery above the main entrance was built by Quebec builder E.B. Brodeur in 1896 under the direction of organist Professor Boulay; it was rebuilt and enlarged in 1930 by Arthur Morrissette of Westfield, releathered and tonally revised in the 1970s and 1980s, silenced in the late 1990s, and returned to liturgical use in 2012–2013 after restoration by Mathieu Pipe Organs.
- 1896 Brodeur pipe organ (Quebec)
- 1930 rebuild by Arthur Morrissette (Westfield)
- 1970s–80s releathering and tonal revisions
- Returned to liturgical use 2012–2013 after long restoration
Clergy, Staff and Pastoral Council
Father Lucas M. LaRoche was appointed parish administrator by Bishop McManus effective July 1, 2024, while simultaneously being named associate diocesan archivist. He previously served as associate pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Upton. Deacon Paul Lesieur assists at the parish. Lay staff include Ray Guerin (Financial Administrator), Maureen Benoit (Religious Education Coordinator), Nicole Werbecki (Administrative Assistant), and Jennie Raymond (Safe Environment Coordinator).
- Rev. Lucas M. LaRoche — Pastor / Parish Administrator (also Associate Diocesan Archivist)
- Rev. Mr. Paul Lesieur — Deacon
- Mr. Ray Guerin — Financial Administrator ([email protected])
- Mrs. Maureen Benoit — Religious Education Coordinator ([email protected])
- Mrs. Nicole Werbecki — Administrative Assistant ([email protected])
- Ms. Jennie Raymond — Safe Environment Coordinator ([email protected])
Faith Formation
Faith Formation at Sacred Heart is described as a whole-life process of coming to know Christ and his Church more and more, divided into three categories: Adult Faith Formation, the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA), and Religious Education for youth.
- Adult Faith Formation
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) — Sundays 9:30–11:00 AM at the Emmaus Center; contact Kelly Jefferson, (508) 943-3140
- Religious Education for youth (Coordinator of Rel. Ed./Youth: 508-461-9444)
OCIA — Becoming Catholic
OCIA seeks to bring the unbaptized, non-Catholic, and unconfirmed Catholic into a lifelong personal relationship with Christ in the Church He has built. Weekly sessions are typically held on Sunday mornings from 9:30–11:00 AM at the Emmaus Center, augmented by occasional guest speakers, special liturgical events, and Holy Week services. The process runs many months, with markedly fewer sessions during the candidates' neophyte year after Confirmation. Practicing Catholics are needed to serve as sponsors or team members.
- Sessions: Sundays 9:30–11:00 AM, Emmaus Center
- Director: Kelly Jefferson, (508) 943-3140
- Volunteers needed as sponsors/team members
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the liturgy as lectors, liturgical decorators, and Coffee Fellowship hosts. The parish also maintains a 24/7 perpetual adoration chapel with scheduled adorers.
- Lectors — proclaim God's Word and (in the absence of a deacon) the Prayer of the Faithful
- Liturgical Decorating — seasonal decoration of church and Guadalupe Chapel (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Ordinary Time)
- Coffee Fellowship — coffee and sweets after the 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM Sunday Masses
- Perpetual Adoration chapel adorers
Outreach and Charity
The parish's main outreach arm is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which provides food and emergency assistance to those in need in Webster and Dudley. The parish also ministers to the sick and homebound through visits for Communion, Confession, and Anointing of the Sick.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Food and Emergency Assistance (facebook.com/svdpwebsterdudley)
- Ministry to the Sick and Homebound (Communion, Confession, Anointing)
All Saints Academy (Parish School)
All Saints Academy is the parish's Catholic school serving Preschool through Grade 8, co-sponsored by Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and neighboring St. Louis Church. The school is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is led by Head of School Joan E. Matys, M.Ed., with Ellen Tagg as Director of Admissions.
- Preschool – Grade 8
- 48 Negus Street, Webster, MA 01570
- (508) 943-0257 / (508) 461-9666
- www.allsaintswebster.org
- Co-sponsored by Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Louis parishes
- Head of School: Joan E. Matys, M.Ed.
- Director of Admissions: Ellen Tagg
Sacred Heart Cemetery
Sacred Heart Cemetery is now managed by the Diocese of Worcester's Saint John Cemetery System. Inquiries should be directed to the diocesan system.
- Managed by: Diocese of Worcester — Saint John Cemetery System
- Address: 260 Cambridge St., Worcester, MA 01606
- Phone: (508) 757-7415
Sacraments
Information for those preparing to receive the sacraments at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.
- Baptism — call the parish office to arrange, preferably a few months before the baby is due
- Marriage — couples should contact the parish office at least one year in advance
- Anointing of the Sick, Communion, and Confession for the sick/homebound — call the parish office
- OCIA — for adults seeking baptism, full communion, or confirmation
Getting Involved and Contact
New parishioners are warmly invited to make an appointment with Father LaRoche through the parish office. To volunteer for any ministry, sign up for Flocknote, or contact the parish for assistance (including SVdP food and emergency help), the parish office is open at 2 Day Street, Webster, MA.
- Parish Office: 2 Day Street, Webster, MA
- Phone: (508) 943-3140
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.shojwebster.org
- New parishioners: contact the office to make an appointment with Father LaRoche
- Flocknote sign-up available at shojwebster.org/flocknote
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Agapit Legris1887–1909
Born in Rivière-du-Loup, Québec (21 May 1845); ordained in Nicolet, Québec (1866); led the parish during the planning and construction of the 1896 granite church; died 16 February 1909.
- Rev. Adam R. Reid
Former pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish; reassigned by Bishop McManus effective July 1 (to St. Anne Parish in Shrewsbury).
- Rev. Lucas M. LaRocheJuly 2024–Present
Appointed administrator of Sacred Heart by Bishop McManus effective July 1; previously associate pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Upton; also serves as associate diocesan archivist.