About SS. John and James · West Warwick, Rhode Island
Ss. John and James is a Roman Catholic parish in West Warwick, Rhode Island, in the Diocese of Providence. The parish was formed in 2003 from the merger of St. John the Baptist Parish (Centreville, founded c. 1872 by French-Canadian immigrants and dedicated to the patron saint of the founders of New France) with St. James Parish. In 2019, St. Mary Parish in Crompton — the oldest Catholic church building still in use in the diocese — was merged in as St. Mary Mission, making the present parish a three-church community served by one pastor. Today the parish offers the Mass in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms, runs a religious education program (CCD), supports a St. Vincent de Paul conference, and cares for two historic Catholic cemeteries (St. Mary's and St. Joseph's).
- Established
- 2003 (parish in current form; roots in St. John the Baptist, c. 1872, and St. Mary, 1850)
- Patron
- Saints John (the Baptist, as co-patron from Centreville origins) and James
- Rector
- Rev. Nicholas Fleming, STL
- Diocese
- Diocese of Providence
Why belong here
Ss. John and James offers something rare in southern New England: a parish family that celebrates Mass in both the Ordinary Form and the Traditional Latin (Extraordinary) Form, with daily Mass at St. Mary Mission in Crompton and Sunday Masses at SSJJ in Centreville. Parishioners can grow in faith through CCD religious education, the RCIA process, a Prayer Ministry, the Ladies of St. Anne sodality, and a St. Vincent de Paul conference serving neighbors in need. The community is rooted in over 150 years of local mill-town history and warmly welcomes new members through a simple registration process.
Mass times at SS. John and James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 – 4:15 PM at SSJJ
- Monday 7:00 – 8:00 PM at St. Mary's Mission (during Adoration)
- Tuesday 7:00 – 8:00 PM at SSJJ (during Adoration)
Adoration times
- Monday following the 8:00 AM Mass at St. Mary's Mission until 1:00 PM
- Monday 7:00 – 8:00 PM at St. Mary's Mission
- Tuesday 7:00 – 8:00 PM at Ss. John and James
About Ss. John and James Parish
Ss. John and James Parish serves the Catholic faithful of West Warwick, Rhode Island, from its principal church on Washington Street in the Centreville neighborhood. The parish is a community of three historic worship sites — Ss. John and James, St. Mary Mission in Crompton, and the historic French-Canadian heritage of the original St. John the Baptist congregation — gathered under one pastor in the Diocese of Providence. Sunday Masses are celebrated in both the Ordinary Form (Saturday Vigil, 8 AM, 10:30 AM) and the Traditional Latin Extraordinary Form (6:30 AM), with daily Mass offered at St. Mary Mission in the Extraordinary Form. The parish runs CCD and RCIA programs, a Prayer Ministry, a St. Vincent de Paul conference, the Ladies of St. Anne sodality, and maintains the sacramental records of the merged communities.
History: From Centreville's French-Canadian Roots to Today's Parish
About 1872, French-Canadian immigrants working in West Warwick's textile mills established their own parish, St. John the Baptist, in the Centreville section — the first church was built in 1873 and dedicated in 1880. The growing congregation of roughly 7,500 outgrew the original building by 1930; the current neo-Gothic church on the same site was completed in 1950. St. Mary Parish in Crompton had already been established in 1850 and is the oldest Catholic church building still in use in the Diocese of Providence. In 2003, St. John the Baptist merged with St. James Parish to form SS. John and James, and in 2019 the diocese affiliated St. Mary Parish in as a mission church.
- c. 1872 – French-Canadian mill workers found St. John the Baptist Parish, Centreville
- 1873 – Construction begins; church dedicated 1880
- 1899 – Rectory built
- 1938 – Current neo-Gothic church begun; completed 1950 (architect Walter Fontaine, builder Clomodie Savageau)
- 1957–58 – School added to the parish complex
- Sept. 14, 2003 – Merger with St. James Parish creates the Parish of SS. John and James
- 2010–12 – Major restoration: roofing, masonry, window repairs
- July 1, 2019 – St. Mary Parish (Crompton) affiliated as St. Mary Mission under Fr. Nicholas Fleming
The Church of St. John the Baptist Building
The principal church of the parish is a neo-Gothic building clad in brick and cast stone, completed in 1950 on the site of the original 1880 church. Its buttressed bell tower frames a façade with a central Tudor-arched entry and a large stained-glass rose window above. An ambitious restoration completed in 2011–12 renewed the roofing, masonry, and windows; the project also uncovered an original construction condition hidden by a 70-year-old leak.
- Architect: Walter Fontaine (1938 design)
- Builder: Clomodie Savageau
- Style: Neo-Gothic, brick and cast stone
- Features: Buttressed bell tower, Tudor-arch entry, rose window
- Restoration completed 2011–12
St. Mary Mission (Crompton)
St. Mary's, the oldest Catholic church building still in use in the Diocese of Providence, was established in 1850 to serve the Crompton section of West Warwick — before the diocese itself existed. It is home to weekday Mass in the Extraordinary Form and serves as the parish's mission church after the 2019 affiliation.
- Established 1850
- Oldest Catholic church building still in use in the Diocese of Providence
- On two previous occasions had been designated a mission of SS. John and James
Pastoral Team
The parish is served by a small, dedicated staff led by its pastor. Sacramental preparation, religious education, cemetery care, and outreach are handled by named coordinators who are listed on the parish website.
- Rev. Nicholas Fleming, STL — Pastor (since July 1, 2019) — [email protected], ext. 102
- Paul Merola — Business Manager
- Karen Veltri — Administrative Assistant
- Renee Johnson — Part-Time Administrative Assistant
- Jackie Henderson — Religious Education Coordinator
- Marcelline Zambuco — Baptism Coordinator (ext. 7)
- JoAnne Carlton — St. Mary's Cemetery Historian (401-934-1355)
- Deborah Doyle — St. Joseph Cemetery Historian
- Mike Osenkowski — St. Joseph Cemetery Historian
- Dillia Sylvester — Ladies of St. Anne (401-828-6790)
Fr. Nicholas Fleming — Pastor
Rev. Nicholas Fleming entered the Seminary of Our Lady of Providence and attended Providence College, earning a degree in Philosophy in 2011. He went on to earn a degree in Theology from the Angelicum University in Rome and was ordained a priest on June 27, 2015. After ordination he completed a License in Marriage and the Family at the John Paul II Institute and was assigned as assistant pastor at SS. John and Paul in Coventry. He began his assignment as pastor of SS. John and James and St. Mary Mission in West Warwick on July 1, 2019, at the time of the parish affiliation.
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for the full range of Catholic sacraments, with named coordinators for Baptism (Marcelline Zambuco) and ongoing Religious Education (Jackie Henderson). Families new to the parish are encouraged to register through the parish office, and sacramental registration is handled separately from general parish registration.
- Baptism
- First Communion
- Confirmation
- Confession (Reconciliation)
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
Faith Formation: CCD and RCIA
The parish runs a religious education program (CCD) for children and an RCIA process for adults seeking to enter the Catholic Church. Families register through the parish website. Contact the Religious Education Coordinator, Jackie Henderson, at 401-821-7661 for details.
Ministries, Outreach & Devotions
Beyond the parish staff, SSJJ is sustained by lay ministries and sodalities that care for the spiritual and material needs of the community. The St. Vincent de Paul Society serves neighbors in need, the Ladies of St. Anne is a long-standing women's sodality, and a Prayer Ministry supports the spiritual life of the parish through intercessory prayer. The pastor has also begun 'Ephesians 6 Ministry' aimed at virtue formation for parishioners.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Ladies of St. Anne (contact: Dillia Sylvester, 401-828-6790)
- Prayer Ministry
- Ephesians 6 Ministry (virtue formation)
- CCD Religious Education
- RCIA
Cemeteries
The parish oversees two historic Catholic cemeteries: St. Mary's Cemetery and St. Joseph Cemetery. Each has its own historian who assists with records and genealogical inquiries.
- St. Mary's Cemetery — JoAnne Carlton, 401-934-1355
- St. Joseph Cemetery — Deborah Doyle and Mike Osenkowski
Visiting & Contact
Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed. The pastor invites anyone with questions or in need of a visit to contact him directly or call the parish office. New parishioners can register online through the parish website.
- Address: 20 Washington Street, West Warwick, RI 02893
- Parish Office: 401-821-7661 (dial 1) | Fax 401-826-7274
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor (Fr. Fleming): [email protected], ext. 102
- Religious Education: Jackie Henderson, 401-821-7661
- Baptisms: Marcelline Zambuco, ext. 7
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Eddy Lopez-Bolanosthrough June 2019
Administrator of SS. John and James Parish at the time of the 2019 affiliation with St. Mary Parish.
- Rev. Nicholas Fleming, STLJuly 1, 2019 – present
Ordained June 27, 2015; previously assistant pastor at SS. John and Paul, Coventry. Became pastor of SS. John and James and St. Mary Mission in the 2019 merger.