About Saint Mary Star of the Sea · Onset, Massachusetts
St. Mary Star of the Sea is a Catholic mission church located at 1 Onset Bay Lane in the Onset village of Wareham, Massachusetts, on the shores of Onset Bay. It is administered as a mission chapel of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in neighboring Buzzards Bay, within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River. Together, the two worship sites share a pastor, deacons, and parish staff, and a single parish mission statement proclaiming welcome, sacramental nourishment, and service to families and the wider community. Sunday Mass is celebrated at St. Mary's at 9:00 AM, and the parish runs faith formation, charity outreach, and an active adoration chapel program that serves both congregations.
- Established
- 1913
- Patron
- Our Lady, Star of the Sea (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Shiju C. (George), S.D.V.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
St. Mary Star of the Sea offers a small, intimate Sunday Mass on Onset Bay for residents and summer visitors of the Wareham/Buzzards Bay area. As a mission of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, members share a wider sacramental and community life that includes weekday Mass, Rosary and the St. Joseph the Worker Adoration Chapel, a robust Faith Formation / CCD program, Knights of Columbus Council 2911, St. Vincent de Paul food and thrift ministries, an Outreach Ministry for the homebound and lonely, and the Attic Treasures Parish Thrift Store whose proceeds benefit both worship sites. It is a warm, mission-focused Catholic community rooted in service to local families.
Mass times at Saint Mary Star of the Sea
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 – 3:30 PM (at St. Margaret's, Buzzards Bay)
Adoration times
- St. Joseph the Worker Adoration Chapel (Parish Center, Buzzards Bay): Tuesday–Friday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- St. Joseph the Worker Adoration Chapel: Saturday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
St. Mary Star of the Sea Mission, Onset
St. Mary Star of the Sea is the Catholic mission chapel serving the Onset section of Wareham, Massachusetts, at 1 Onset Bay Lane on Onset Bay. It is a mission of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Buzzards Bay, within the Diocese of Fall River, and shares pastoral staff, ministries, and a mission statement with its parent parish. Sunday Mass at St. Mary's is celebrated at 9:00 AM.
- Worship site: St. Mary's Church, 1 Onset Bay Lane, Onset, MA 02558
- Parent parish: St. Margaret of Scotland, 141 Main Street, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 AM
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
History of the Onset Catholic Mission
Catholic life in Onset began when Father William Sullivan of St. Patrick's Parish, Wareham, started saying Sunday Mass for the resort community at the Pastime Theatre. A wooden mission church dedicated to St. Mary was built at the corner of Onset Avenue and Fourth Street in 1913. That chapel was quickly outgrown and, in 1923, land directly across the street was purchased for a larger frame church. Construction was tragically halted when both the building under construction and the existing chapel were destroyed by arson fires attributed to the Ku Klux Klan. A more substantial brick and stucco church designed by the Boston Catholic architect Charles D. Maginnis was then built and dedicated on May 31, 1925. When St. Margaret Parish in Buzzards Bay was established in the 1940s, Onset was separated from St. Patrick's and attached to it, and the 1925 church became the chapel of St. Mary Star of the Sea.
- 1913 — first wooden mission church built (Onset Ave. & Fourth St.)
- 1923 — land purchased across the street for a larger frame church
- 1923/24 — arson fires destroy the old chapel and the new frame church under construction
- May 31, 1925 — brick-and-stucco church designed by Charles D. Maginnis dedicated
- 1940s — St. Margaret Parish established in Buzzards Bay; Onset transferred to it
Pastoral Staff
The mission shares its pastoral staff with St. Margaret of Scotland Parish. The current Parish Administrator is Father Shiju C. (George), S.D.V., a Vocationist priest (Society of Divine Vocations) ordained in India on December 28, 2007, who came to the parish from St. Patrick Catholic Church in Mount Dora, Florida. He is assisted by deacons, a Director of Faith Formation, and a Director of Music.
- Rev. Shiju C. (George), S.D.V. — Parish Administrator (Vocationist)
- Rev. Dn. Ralph Guerra — Deacon
- Rev. Dn. (Emeritus) Ernest Gendron — Deacon Emeritus
- Ernest Boucher — Pastoral Associate / Director of Faith Formation
- Marianne Oien — Director of Music
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith Formation / CCD classes are offered for the children of both worship sites, with registration held at the rear of each church. The 2026–2027 program year is currently enrolling. Ernest Boucher serves as Pastoral Associate and Director of Faith Formation.
- Faith Formation / CCD for parish children
- Registration forms at the rear of St. Mary's and St. Margaret's
- Director: Ernest Boucher ([email protected])
- Program year aligns with the academic calendar (Fall–Spring)
Parish Ministries and Outreach
The combined parish supports a wide range of ministries that serve both Buzzards Bay and Onset. The Attic Treasures Thrift Shop and the St. Vincent de Paul Society are major outreach arms; the Knights of Columbus and an Outreach Ministry round out the parish's service to those who are lonely, homebound, or in need.
- Attic Treasures Thrift Store — parish fundraiser, Tue–Sat 10 AM–4 PM, 143 Main Street, Buzzards Bay
- St. Vincent de Paul — food pantry and thrift store, 5 Armory Road, Buzzards Bay
- Knights of Columbus Council 2911 — meetings 2nd & 4th Tuesday, 7:00 PM, Parish Hall
- Outreach Ministry — visits to those who are alone, lonely, or in need
- Helping Moms in Need — diapers, wipes, and essential baby items
- Cursillo Retreats
- Home Visits with the Blessed Mother (statue ministry)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the standard Catholic sacraments. Baptisms and weddings are arranged through the parish office, with weddings requiring contact at least six months in advance. Reconciliation is offered weekly on Saturday afternoon, and Eucharistic Adoration is available several days a week in the St. Joseph the Worker Chapel. Memorials (Tabernacle Lamp, Offertory Wine, Altar Bread) can be dedicated for loved ones by calling the office.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- Wedding — contact the pastor at least 6 months in advance
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM at St. Margaret's
- Eucharistic Adoration — St. Joseph the Worker Adoration Chapel
- Communion / Anointing of the Sick — contact the office; home visits available
Contact, Office Hours, and Visiting
The shared parish office serves both worship sites and is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (some bulletins list 9 AM–1 PM), with Monday and Friday by appointment only. The mailing and physical address of the parent parish is 141 Main Street, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532; St. Mary's worship site is at 1 Onset Bay Lane, Onset, MA 02558.
- Parish phone: 508-759-7777
- Fax: 508-759-4797
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tue/Wed/Thu 9 AM–2 PM; Mon & Fri by appointment
- Parish Office / Parish Center: 141–143 Main Street, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532
- St. Mary's Church: 1 Onset Bay Lane, Onset, MA 02558
- Facebook: facebook.com/stmmbbay
Architecture and Building Notes
The standing St. Mary Star of the Sea church is a 1925 brick-and-stucco edifice designed by Charles D. Maginnis, the Boston architect celebrated for major Catholic commissions including the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. It replaced two earlier wooden structures on Onset Avenue that were lost to arson fires in the early 1920s.
- Architect: Charles D. Maginnis (Boston)
- Materials: brick and stucco
- Dedicated: May 31, 1925
- Location: 1 Onset Bay Lane, Onset, MA
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Marek Chmurski
Listed as Pastor in the parish bulletin dated July 28, 2024 (seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time).
- Rev. Shiju C. (George), S.D.V.Appointed 2024
Vocationist priest ordained December 28, 2007 in India; arrived from St. Patrick Catholic Church in Mount Dora, Florida; serves as Parish Administrator of both St. Margaret of Scotland (Buzzards Bay) and St. Mary Star of the Sea (Onset).