About Sacred Heart (St. Dominic Parish) · Portland, Maine
Sacred Heart / St. Dominic Parish is a Catholic parish in Portland, Maine, part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland and the Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes Cluster. The parish serves the city's Parkside neighborhood from the historic Sacred Heart Church at 65 Mellen Street, offering Masses in English, French, and Spanish alongside robust programs for new immigrants and a well-known community food pantry. It is home to the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry and a flourishing congregation that includes long-time Portland families alongside refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa and Central America.
- Established
- 1896 (Sacred Heart Parish construction began; first Mass April 4, 1897); 1997 (merged with St. Dominic to form today's parish)
- Patron
- The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- V. Rev. Seamus P. Griesbach
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
Why belong here
Sacred Heart / St. Dominic is one of the most culturally diverse Catholic parishes in Maine, offering weekend Masses in English, French, and Spanish under the soaring Renaissance Revival vault of one of Portland's most striking historic churches. It runs a parish food pantry out of the Sherman Street hall, hosts the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, welcomes new immigrants and refugees, and maintains a partnership with a Haitian sister parish — so belonging here means joining a community that takes seriously both the Eucharist and the corporal works of mercy in the heart of Portland.
Mass times at Sacred Heart (St. Dominic Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
History of Sacred Heart / St. Dominic Parish
Sacred Heart Parish traces its origins to the 1890s, when Portland's Irish-American Catholic population in the Parkside neighborhood had outgrown nearby parishes. Construction of the church began in 1896, the first Mass was offered April 4, 1897, and the building was completed in 1915. In 1997 the Diocese of Portland merged it with the nearby St. Dominic's parish to form today's combined Sacred Heart / St. Dominic Parish, and also brought the seasonal Our Lady Star of the Sea mission on Long Island under its care. Successive renovation campaigns in 1999, 2005, and 2013 have worked to preserve the historic Fassett-designed structure, even as its congregation has been transformed by new waves of immigrants and refugees.
- 1896 — Construction of Sacred Heart Church begins
- April 4, 1897 — First Mass celebrated; Father John O'Dowd named first pastor by Bishop James Augustine Healy
- 1915 — Building completed; Sacred Heart becomes Portland's third Catholic parish
- 1997 — Merger with St. Dominic Parish forms today's combined parish
- 1999–2001 — $793,000 roof and exterior stone repair
- 2005 — Further interior renovations completed
- 2013 — $200,000 capital campaign for bell tower, bell, and window sashes
- 2015 — Placed on Greater Portland Landmarks' 'Places in Peril'
Hispanic Ministry / El Ministerio Hispano
The parish is the home base of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, which supports Spanish-speaking Catholics across the diocese with sacramental preparation, outreach, and cultural events. José Pérez Lopéz, an immigrant from El Salvador who became an active parishioner at Sacred Heart, has served on the Hispanic Ministry team since 2014 as an outreach coordinator based at the parish. The office's signature event is the annual Latino Food Festival, which has drawn hundreds to Portland for homemade dishes from across Latin America.
- Diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry housed at Sacred Heart Church
- Outreach coordinator José Pérez Lopéz based at the parish
- Father Michael Sevigny, OFM Cap., serves as diocesan director
- Annual Latino Food Festival fundraiser held in Portland
Sacred Heart / St. Dominic Food Pantry
The parish operates a community food pantry out of the parish hall at 80 Sherman Street, serving residents of the Parkside neighborhood — the most populated neighborhood in Maine. Volunteers gather each Tuesday morning to distribute food, and donations are accepted at the Pastoral Center on Congress Street or directly at the church on Tuesday mornings.
- Distribution: Tuesdays 7:00–11:00 AM (some sources note 7:30–11:00 AM)
- Location: 80 Sherman Street, Portland, ME 04101
- Open to Portland residents
- Donations may be made by check to 'SH/SD Food Pantry' or dropped off Tuesdays 8:30–10:00 AM
Cultural Diversity & Newcomer Outreach
Parish leadership describes Sacred Heart / St. Dominic as a community 'where culture is celebrated and community stretches in many directions.' Once a predominantly Irish-American parish, it now includes significant numbers of sub-Saharan African and Central American worshippers, and has forged a partnership with a Haitian sister parish. Ministries for new immigrants, bilingual Masses, and a vibrant Hispanic Ministry office all reflect this reality.
- Partnership with a Haitian sister parish
- Programs for new immigrants and refugees
- Bilingual and trilingual Sunday worship
- Family Masses that welcome many children
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
The parish is led by V. Rev. Seamus P. Griesbach as pastor and rector, with two parochial vicars and a deacon. Day-to-day operations are supported by a lay staff working out of the Portland Pastoral Center on Congress Street.
- V. Rev. Seamus P. Griesbach — Pastor / Rector
- Rev. Paul R. Marquis — Parochial Vicar & Hospital Chaplain
- Rev. Sylvester Nwaokolo, OP — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Michael B Augustino
- Suzanne Proulx — Director of Music
- Abrey Feliccia — Director of Portland Catholic Center for Faith
- Cheryl Magalski — Director of Finance & Administration
- Rebecca Jensen — Office Manager
- Kerrilyn Ciccomancini — Director of Communications
- Joey Bolduc — Director of Buildings and Grounds
- Carolyn Mitchell — Pastoral Associate
- Lisa Foster — College Outreach Minister
- James Sidelinger — Pastoral Administration & Liturgy Coordinator
- Kelly Roussel — Faith Formation Assistant
Architecture & Historic Building
Sacred Heart Church is a Renaissance Revival landmark designed by Francis H. Fassett and Edward F. Fassett. Its composition is modeled on Marseille's Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica. Construction started in 1896 and the church was completed in 1915 — Francis Fassett's last major commission before his death in 1906. The structure features a bell tower (with its historic bell), tall arched window sashes, and a stone exterior that has been the subject of multiple restoration campaigns.
- Style: Renaissance Revival
- Architects: Francis H. Fassett & Edward F. Fassett
- Modeled on: Notre-Dame de la Garde, Marseille
- Built 1896–1915; first Mass 1897
Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes Cluster
Sacred Heart / St. Dominic is one of five parishes (plus one mission) in the Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes Cluster, sharing pastoral staff and the Portland Pastoral Center at 307 Congress Street. Sister communities include the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (1856), St. Peter (1911), St. Louis (1915), and St. Christopher on Peaks Island (1923), with the seasonal Our Lady Star of the Sea mission on Long Island.
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (1856) — 307 Congress Street
- St. Peter (1911) — 72 Federal Street
- St. Louis (1915) — 279 Danforth Street
- St. Christopher (1923) — 15 Central Ave, Peaks Island
- Our Lady Star of the Sea mission — Long Island (seasonal, April–November)
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish through the shared Pastoral Center on Congress Street or at the church office line. Sacramental records for the cluster are maintained at the Pastoral Center.
- Church: 65 Mellen Street, Portland, ME 04101
- Pastoral Center / mailing address: 307 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3695
- Phone: (207) 773-7746
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.portlandcatholic.org/shsd
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John O'Dowd1897–
Irish-born first pastor of Sacred Heart, appointed by Bishop James Augustine Healy