About Sacred Heart. St. Francis Xavier Parich. · Yarmouthport, Massachusetts
Sacred Heart Chapel, located at 32 Summer Street in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, is a mission chapel of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis. The chapel hosts the parish's celebrated Tridentine Mass (1962 Roman Missal) in Latin and serves as an intimate worship site for the summer Catholic community along Cape Cod's historic Route 6A. It is one of two worship sites under St. Francis Xavier, which also operates the main church at 347 South Street in Hyannis and the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Centerville. The chapel is part of a parish with deep Kennedy-family roots and a multicultural congregation of English, Brazilian, and Spanish-speaking Catholics in the Diocese of Fall River.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier (parent parish); Sacred Heart of Jesus (chapel)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Fitzpatrick
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Chapel offers something rare in southeastern Massachusetts: a quiet, historic chapel where the traditional Latin Mass (1962 Roman Missal) is celebrated every Sunday at 11 AM, alongside an English-language Saturday Vigil Mass at 4 PM and a Sunday English Mass at 8 AM. As a mission of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis, it belongs to a thriving multicultural Catholic community that also welcomes English, Brazilian, and Spanish-speaking worshippers, with active devotions including First Friday 24-hour Adoration, the Rosary with Chaplet of Divine Mercy before each Saturday Mass, and outreach through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Walking with Moms in Need ministry. Parishioners value the chapel's intimacy, its tradition, and the rich parish life — faith formation for grades 1–9, Faith Fostering gatherings, Respect Life and Prayer Shawl ministries, and devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus — that surrounds it.
Mass times at Sacred Heart. St. Francis Xavier Parich.
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 – 3:30 PM (Sacred Heart Chapel)
Adoration times
- First Friday 24-hour Adoration (St. Francis Xavier Church)
- Monday–Friday 12:00 noon – 3:00 PM (St. Francis Xavier Church)
About Sacred Heart Chapel
Sacred Heart Chapel sits at 32 Summer Street in the heart of historic Yarmouth Port, just off Route 6A, and serves as a mission chapel of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis within the Diocese of Fall River. The chapel is best known as the home of the parish's Traditional Latin Mass in the 1962 Roman Missal, celebrated every Sunday at 11 AM and on First Saturdays at 9 AM. English-language Masses are offered Saturday at 4 PM and Sunday at 8 AM, with confessions heard Saturday from 3:00 to 3:30 PM and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Rosary prayed in the chapel beginning at 3:20 PM each Saturday.
- Mission chapel of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Hyannis
- Hosts the 1962 Missal (Traditional Latin) Mass
- English Vigil: Saturday 4 PM
- English Mass: Sunday 8 AM
- Latin Mass: Sunday 11 AM and First Saturday 9 AM
- Confessions: Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM
History of the Parish
St. Francis Xavier Parish was originally founded in 1874 as St. Patrick's Church on Barnstable Road in Hyannis. Sections of the original building were moved to South Street in 1903, and in 1904 a new, larger church was dedicated under the name St. Francis Xavier, deliberately renaming it so as not to suggest it served only the Irish immigrant community. The parish grew with an east wing added in 1946 and a west wing in 1953, raising capacity to 960. A major renovation in 1998–1999 enlarged the sacristy, covered the entrances, and repositioned the altar. The parish's mission statement still recalls how, in 1903, the new parish 'embraced all immigrant people by following the missionary zeal of our patron.'
- 1874 — St. Patrick's Church built on Barnstable Road
- 1903 — Sections moved to South Street
- 1904 — New church dedicated and renamed St. Francis Xavier
- 1946 — East wing added
- 1953 — West wing added (capacity 960)
- 1998–1999 — Major renovation (sacristy, entrances, altar)
The 'Kennedy Church' Heritage
St. Francis Xavier is widely known as the Kennedy family's summer parish. Rose and Joe Kennedy began attending summer Masses here in 1926 after purchasing their Hyannis Port compound, and the family remained deeply connected through the century. President John F. Kennedy sat in the second-row pew in the east wing when he worshipped there, with Secret Service agents bracketing him in the first and third rows; a 'red phone' with a direct line to the White House was installed in the sacristy during his presidency. The central altar was donated by the family in memory of Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., killed in action in 1944 when his plane exploded over the English Channel. The oak front doors were hand-carved by Charles J. Najarian and his family in honor of the Kennedys, and plaques in the front foyer and on the JFK pew commemorate the connection.
- 1926 — Kennedy family begins summer worship at the parish
- 1944 — Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. memorial service; central altar donated in his memory
- 1969 — Funeral Mass for Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.
- 1986 — Wedding of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver
- 2009 — Funeral Mass for Eunice Kennedy Shriver
- 2011 — Sargent Shriver buried in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Centerville
- 2012 — Mary Kennedy buried in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery
Devotions and Prayer Life
The chapel is a center for traditional Catholic devotions. Every Saturday at 3:20 PM, parishioners gather to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, followed by the Rosary, before the 4 PM Vigil Mass. The parish observes the First Friday and First Saturday devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart with a special Mass each year.
- Chaplet of Divine Mercy — Saturdays 3:20 PM
- Rosary — Saturdays before the 4 PM Mass
- First Saturday Mass — 9 AM (1962 Missal)
- First Friday 24-hour Adoration
- Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus — annual observance
Our Clergy and Staff
St. Francis Xavier Parish is led by Pastor Rev. Michael Fitzpatrick and is served by two Parochial Vicars who care respectively for the Brazilian and Spanish-speaking communities. Together with an experienced administrative, music, religious-education, and buildings team, they staff both the main church in Hyannis and the Sacred Heart Chapel in Yarmouth Port.
- Rev. Michael Fitzpatrick — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Thiago Santos — Parochial Vicar, Brazilian Community ([email protected])
- Rev. Marcelo Silva — Parochial Vicar, Spanish Community ([email protected]); a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, ordained in Rome in 2012
- Mrs. Pollyanna Lemos — Office Manager ([email protected])
- Mrs. Franciele Ferias — Business Manager
- Director of Religious Education — [email protected]
- Mr. Don DiChiappari — Music Director
- Mr. Edson Liborio — Building and Grounds Manager
Multilingual Community
True to its 1903 mission to 'embrace all immigrant people,' St. Francis Xavier Parish today serves English, Brazilian, and Spanish-speaking Catholics, with Mass celebrated in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Latin. Sacred Heart Chapel specifically carries the Latin and English Mass life of the parish, while the main Hyannis church hosts the Portuguese and Spanish Mass communities.
- English Masses — St. Francis Xavier Church and Sacred Heart Chapel
- Brazilian/Portuguese Masses — Sat 4 PM (parish listing), Sun 7 AM and 6 PM at main church
- Spanish Mass — Sun 1 PM at main church; daily 6:30 AM
- Latin (1962 Missal) Mass — Sacred Heart Chapel
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Francis Xavier Parish serves students in grades 1 through 9. First Eucharist is a two-year program beginning in grade 1 and concluding in grade 2, and Confirmation is a two-year program beginning in grade 8 and concluding in grade 9. The Director of Religious Education can be reached at [email protected].
- First Eucharist — two-year program, grades 1 and 2
- Confirmation — two-year program, grades 8 and 9
- Faith Fostering — Monday mornings after the 8:30 AM Mass, faith formation and fellowship
Outreach and Parish Ministries
The parish runs a robust set of outreach and devotional ministries. Practical assistance for those in need of food or rent is handled by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (508-775-3073), not the Parish Office. The 'Walking with Moms in Need' apostolate accompanies expectant and struggling mothers. The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets Wednesdays after the 8:30 AM Mass at the Fr. Duffy Center, the Respect Life Ministry gathers on the first Friday of each month after the Rosary (about 9:45 AM), and Holy Communion is brought to the homebound by arrangement with the Parish Office.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — 508-775-3073
- Walking with Moms in Need
- Prayer Shawl Ministry (Wednesdays)
- Respect Life Ministry (first Friday after Rosary)
- Holy Communion for the Homebound
- Faith Fostering (Mondays)
Sacraments
Information about the reception of the seven sacraments is available through the Parish Office. The Anointing of the Sick may be received after any weekday Mass or by appointment. First Eucharist and Confirmation are prepared through the parish's two-year Faith Formation programs, and arrangements for Baptism and Marriage are made through the Parish Office.
- Baptism — contact Parish Office
- First Eucharist — two-year program (grades 1–2)
- Confirmation — two-year program (grades 8–9)
- Marriage — contact Parish Office
- Anointing of the Sick — after any weekday Mass or by appointment
- Confession — Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM at Sacred Heart Chapel
Visit and Contact
Sacred Heart Chapel is located at 32 Summer Street in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, off Route 6A. The main parish office is at 347 South Street, Hyannis, MA 02601, and can be reached at 508-775-0818 or [email protected]. The parish website at sfxhyannis.org is the central hub for the weekly bulletin, Mass schedule, Faith Formation registration, ministry sign-ups, and online giving for both the main church and the chapel.
- Chapel address — 32 Summer Street, Yarmouthport, MA 02675
- Parish office — 347 South Street, Hyannis, MA 02601
- Phone — 508-775-0818
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — sfxhyannis.org
- Diocese — Diocese of Fall River
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael Fitzpatrick2014–present
Originally Parochial Administrator from June 2014; subsequently named Pastor. Grew up in Norwood, MA; Xaverian Brothers HS; St. John's Seminary; M.Div. from Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg. Ordained October 11, 2003. Served at St. Mary's Mansfield, Bishop Feehan HS, UMass Dartmouth chaplaincy, Corpus Christi Sandwich, St. Joan of Arc Orleans.