About Sacred Heart-St. Catherine of Sweden Parish at Sacred Heart Church · Worcester, Massachusetts
Sacred Heart–St. Catherine of Sweden Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Worcester, Massachusetts, formed by the merger of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and St. Catherine of Sweden Parish. It belongs to the Diocese of Worcester and is currently pastored by Fr. Erik Asante. The parish serves a diverse, multilingual community in the South Worcester / Lower Cambridge Street neighborhood, with regular weekend Masses in English and a well-attended African Mass on Sundays. Its vision statement expresses the parish as 'Christ's disciples, the hands, minds & voices which lovingly glorify God by serving each other as a Christian family.'
- Established
- 1880s
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus; St. Catherine of Sweden
- Rector
- Fr. Erik Asante
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester
Why belong here
Sacred Heart–St. Catherine of Sweden is a welcoming, multigenerational parish rooted in one of Worcester's older Catholic communities. Weekend worship in English plus a vibrant African Mass gives newcomers a chance to encounter the Eucharist in a culturally rich setting, while weeknight adoration and Saturday confession offer regular opportunities for prayer and sacramental grace. Parishioners describe themselves as 'hands, minds & voices' serving one another as a Christian family — a small, mission-driven community where it is easy to get involved.
Mass times at Sacred Heart-St. Catherine of Sweden Parish at Sacred Heart Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (no confessions on Holy Saturday; appointments by calling the parish office 508-752-1608)
Adoration times
- First Friday 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Parish Identity & Vision
Sacred Heart–St. Catherine of Sweden Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the Diocese of Worcester. The parish describes itself with the vision statement: 'We, as Christ's disciples, are the hands, minds & voices which lovingly glorify God by serving each other as a Christian family.' It carries the dual patron heritage of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Catherine of Sweden, the two communities that came together in the merger.
History
The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church on Cambridge Street was constructed in the 1880s and was originally established to serve Irish immigrants and their descendants in the South Worcester / Lower Cambridge Street neighborhood. Its original pipe organ, a William Johnson & Son Opus 731, dates to 1890. St. Catherine of Sweden was a separate nearby parish, and in 2007 Bishop McManus's pastoral planning initiative 'Building on the Good' twinned the two parishes under Fr. George J. Ridick; they were formally merged into Sacred Heart–St. Catherine of Sweden Parish at the Sacred Heart worship site. Fr. Ridick retired in 2018 and died in December 2021; his funeral Mass was concelebrated by Bishop McManus at the parish.
- Founded: 1880s (Sacred Heart of Jesus)
- Merger into current parish: ~2007–2010
- Diocesan initiative: 'Building on the Good' (Bishop McManus)
Leadership & Clergy
The parish is pastored by Fr. Erik Asante, as listed in the Diocese of Worcester's official parish directory. He succeeded Fr. George J. Ridick, who led the merged parish from 2007 until his retirement in June 2018.
- Fr. Erik Asante — Pastor (current)
- Fr. George J. Ridick — Pastor 2007–2018 (retired; d. Dec. 21, 2021)
Anointing of the Sick
The Anointing of the Sick is offered as a parish sacrament; parishioners can contact the parish office to arrange for anointing, particularly in connection with illness, surgery, or end-of-life pastoral care.
Visiting & Location
The parish is located at 600 Cambridge Street in Worcester, Massachusetts 01610, on the south side of the city in the Lower Cambridge Street / Cambridge Street neighborhood. Driving directions from I-290 are posted: take Exit 11 heading West, or from the East take Exit 11, pass through the first set of lights, and turn right at the second set — the church is three blocks down on the right.
- Address: 600 Cambridge Street, Worcester, MA 01610
- Phone: (508) 752-1608
- Email: [email protected]
Communications & Community
The parish maintains a website at shscparish.com with current Mass and confession times, bulletins, and a Flocknote sign-up for parish email and text updates. It also has an official Facebook page, where parish news and community updates are shared.
- Website: shscparish.com
- Flocknote email/text sign-up
- Official Facebook page (Sacred Heart-St. Catherine of Sweden Parish)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. George J. Ridick2007–2018
Named pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus June 30, 2007, while continuing as pastor of St. Catherine of Sweden, leading to the merged parish; retired June 2018; died December 21, 2021.
- Fr. Erik Asantepresent
Current pastor of Sacred Heart–St. Catherine of Sweden Parish per Diocese of Worcester parish listing.