About SS. Peter and Paul · West Warwick, Rhode Island
SS. Peter and Paul Parish was a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Providence serving the West Warwick, Rhode Island community at 48 Highland Street. Founded in 1853, it served generations of Catholic faithful in the area, offering weekly Mass in the Roman-Latin Rite along with confession and devotions. Following years of declining Mass attendance — about 130 parishioners at weekend Masses in 2025 — and a shortage of priests, Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., formally merged SS. Peter and Paul (and Our Lady of Good Counsel) into neighboring St. Joseph Parish effective November 9, 2025. The parish church is now closed as a worship site, and sacramental records are maintained at St. Joseph, 854 Providence St., West Warwick.
- Established
- 1853
- Patron
- Saints Peter and Paul
- Rector
- Rev. Robert J. Giardina (former pastor; parish merged into St. Joseph Parish, 854 Providence St., West Warwick, effective November 9, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Providence
Why belong here
SS. Peter and Paul closed as a worship site effective November 9, 2025, and the parish community was formally merged into St. Joseph Parish at 854 Providence Street, West Warwick, under Bishop Lewandowski's decree. Parishioners and visitors are now welcomed into the life of St. Joseph Parish, which continues the Sunday Mass schedule (Saturday 5:00 PM, Sunday 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM, with weekday Mass Monday–Friday at 9:00 AM) and sacramental programs of the former SS. Peter and Paul community. Sacramental records have been transferred to St. Joseph Parish for safekeeping and access.
Mass times at SS. Peter and Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:45 PM to 4:45 PM (or by appointment)
Parish History
SS. Peter and Paul Parish traces its origins to 1853, when it was established to serve the growing Catholic population of what was then the Pawtuxet Valley section of Warwick, Rhode Island (West Warwick would not incorporate as its own town until 1913). For more than 170 years the parish community worshipped at 48 Highland Street, sharing in the sacramental, devotional, and parish life typical of Rhode Island's historic mill-town parishes. Generations of Italian, French-Canadian, Irish, and Portuguese families built the parish's identity and supported its ministries through the decades.
- Founded in 1853 in the Pawtuxet Valley area of Warwick/West Warwick, RI.
- Identified in the Diocese of Providence parish directory at 48 Highland St., West Warwick.
- Listed in GCatholic's directory of churches for the Diocese of Providence (ID 22463).
Merger into St. Joseph Parish (2025)
After years of declining weekend Mass attendance and a shortage of diocesan priests, SS. Peter and Paul Parish was formally merged into St. Joseph Parish, 854 Providence St., West Warwick. Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., issued the decree after consulting the Council of Priests and hearing from the pastors, trustees, and finance councils of the affected parishes. The three West Warwick communities — St. Joseph, Our Lady of Good Counsel, and SS. Peter and Paul — had already been sharing programs, faith formation, and Mass schedules since January 1, 2025.
- Merger decree issued by Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., effective November 9, 2025.
- Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish also merged into St. Joseph at the same time.
- SS. Peter and Paul had reported ~130 parishioners at weekend Masses in 2025.
- Father Gregory P. Stowe, Pastor of St. Joseph, oversaw the transition as Administrator.
- All sacramental records moved to St. Joseph Parish (854 Providence St.) per Canon 535.
Worship and Sacraments
Before the merger, the parish celebrated Mass in the Roman-Latin Rite with a Saturday vigil and two Sunday morning Masses, plus a daily morning Mass Monday through Friday. Confessions were heard Saturday afternoons. Like all parishes of the Diocese of Providence, SS. Peter and Paul administered the seven sacraments and maintained sacramental records in accordance with Canon 535 — records now kept at St. Joseph Parish.
- Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 PM.
- Sunday Masses at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM.
- Weekday Mass Monday–Friday at 9:00 AM.
- Confessions Saturday 3:45 PM–4:45 PM, or by appointment.
- Sacramental records preserved at St. Joseph Parish, West Warwick.
Parish Identity and Diocese
SS. Peter and Paul was one of multiple Catholic parishes serving West Warwick's diverse neighborhoods, alongside St. Joseph, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Sacred Heart, Christ the King, St. Anthony, and the merged SS. John & James / St. Mary Mission. The parish belonged to the Diocese of Providence, the Roman Catholic diocese covering Rhode Island, and was listed in both the diocesan parish finder and the GCatholic directory of Catholic churches in the United States.
- Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island.
- GCatholic Church ID: 22463.
- Roman-Latin (Roman Catholic) Rite.
- Address: 48 Highland St., West Warwick, RI 02893.
- Main phone: (401) 821-2198.
Contact Information
Because the parish has been formally merged, inquiries about former SS. Peter and Paul sacramental records, parish registration, or pastoral matters are now directed to St. Joseph Parish, the receiving parish of the merger.
- Former address: 48 Highland St., West Warwick, RI 02893.
- Phone: (401) 821-2198.
- Receiving parish: St. Joseph Parish, 854 Providence St., West Warwick, RI.