About St. Agnes · Niantic, Connecticut
St. Agnes Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Niantic, Connecticut, within the Diocese of Norwich. It is yoked with St. Matthias Church in East Lyme to form the St. John XXIII Catholic Community, sharing one pastor, one Director of Religious Education, a joint Parish Council, and a combined parish office at 22 Haigh Avenue. The parish is also home to the historic St. Francis Chapel, a seaside summer chapel built in 1908 and still in use every summer. Today St. Agnes has more than 1,000 registered families, around 25 parish groups and ministries, and roughly 350 volunteer parishioners.
- Established
- 1922
- Patron
- St. Agnes
- Rector
- Rev. Gregory Mullaney
- Diocese
- Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut
Why belong here
St. Agnes offers a warm, active Catholic community of more than 1,000 registered families with around 25 ministries and 350 volunteer parishioners. From daily and weekend Masses at the main church on Haigh Avenue to summer Masses at the historic 1908 St. Francis Chapel on Crescent Beach, parishioners of every age are fed through faith formation for children and youth, OCIA, a Youth Ministry, a Bereavement Support Group, the St. Vincent de Paul Help Line, and a full music ministry. The parish is yoked with St. Matthias in East Lyme as the St. John XXIII Catholic Community, sharing one pastor and a single parish office—so visitors are welcomed into a stable, long-established family of faith with deep roots along the Connecticut shoreline.
Mass times at St. Agnes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM at St. Agnes
- Other times by appointment
Adoration times
- Friday after the 9:00 AM Mass until 11:00 AM at St. Agnes (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
History of St. Agnes Parish
St. Agnes grew out of summer mission churches in the Niantic area, with the permanent parish established on April 16, 1922. The first Masses were celebrated in a house on Prospect Street (later Haigh Avenue) for 48 people, and the original wooden church opened in November 1924. The present stone church's foundation was dug by hand by Fr. Michael Thompson and a group of seamen in the late 1930s, left covered during WWII, and the finished church was first used on February 10, 1957, with Bishop Bernard Flanagan's dedication following on July 4, 1957. The parish hall and classrooms were built in 1997 and the church interior renovated in 2001; today there are more than 1,000 registered families.
- Parish established April 16, 1922
- Original wooden church opened November 1924
- Foundation of present church hand-dug by Fr. Michael Thompson and seamen, late 1930s
- First Mass in new church: February 10, 1957
- Dedication by Bishop Bernard Flanagan: July 4, 1957
- 50th Anniversary celebrated February 10, 2007
St. Francis Chapel at Crescent Beach
St. Francis Chapel, located at 2 Central Avenue in the Crescent Beach neighborhood of Niantic, is the parish's oldest worship site and a direct legacy of the Irish domestic servants who summered there with their employers in the early 1900s. Unable to reach St. Mary's Star of the Sea in New London by trolley or horse and buggy, the domestics arranged for a priest to celebrate Sunday Mass at the Crescent Beach Hotel, then in 1907 funded the purchase of land at Crescent and Central Avenues from the Diocese of Hartford. Rev. Francis P. Nolan dedicated the chapel in the summer of 1908. It is still open each summer for Mass, and St. Francis Chapel celebrated its 100th Anniversary in the summer of 2008.
- Land purchased by Diocese of Hartford May 24, 1907
- Additional 50 feet acquired January 4, 1908
- Dedicated by Rev. Francis P. Nolan in the summer of 1908
- 100th Anniversary celebrated summer 2008
- Address: 2 Central Avenue, Niantic, CT 06357
St. John XXIII Catholic Community (Yoked Parish)
In 2012 the Diocese of Norwich formed deanery-level committees to plan the restructuring of parishes across eastern Connecticut. Within the New London Deanery, St. Agnes of Niantic and St. Matthias of East Lyme were joined as the Holy Martyrs Cluster and ultimately yoked—sharing one pastor, one Director of Religious Education, a joint Parish Council, and a combined Parish Office located at 22 Haigh Avenue in Niantic. Each parish retains its own organizations, committees, and finance councils; only the canonical pastoral care is unified under a single pastor.
- Cluster formed in the New London Deanery after 2012 diocesan restructuring
- Yoked parishes: St. Agnes (Niantic) and St. Matthias (East Lyme)
- Pastoral care entrusted to one pastor; each parish keeps its own organizations
- Joint offices at 22 Haigh Avenue, Niantic, CT 06357
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
St. Agnes offers a full weekend schedule at its main church on Haigh Avenue, with a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM and Sunday Masses at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM (changed to 11:00 AM effective 11/7/21). Weekday Masses are celebrated on Wednesday at Noon and Friday at 9:00 AM; there is no daily Mass on Monday, Tuesday, or Saturday. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard Saturdays from 3:00 to 3:45 PM and by appointment, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held on Fridays after the 9:00 AM Mass until 11:00 AM at St. Agnes. Daily Masses are cancelled when East Lyme Schools announce weather-related cancellations.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM
- Sunday: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM (now 11:00 AM)
- Wednesday 12:00 PM; Friday 9:00 AM weekday Masses
- Confession Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM and by appointment
- Adoration Fridays after 9:00 AM Mass until 11:00 AM
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's Religious Education program, directed by Meghan Cambridge for the yoked St. John XXIII community, assists parents in passing on the faith to their children—described on the parish website as 'the home remains…the first and foremost source of the religious education of children.' Classes for Grades 1 through 7 meet on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4:30 PM to 5:45 PM. Confirmation preparation for Grades 8 and 9 is offered on alternating Thursdays from 5:00 to 7:00 PM or on Sundays from 12:30 to 2:30 PM. Approximately 250 children are enrolled in the program today, compared with only 16 youngsters in 1923.
- Grades 1–7: Tuesday or Wednesday, 4:30–5:45 PM
- Confirmation Grades 8–9: alternating Thursdays 5:00–7:00 PM or Sundays 12:30–2:30 PM
- Director of Religious Education and OCIA: Meghan Cambridge
- Contact: [email protected] or 860-739-9722 x236
OCIA (Becoming Catholic) & Youth Ministry
Adults seeking to become Catholic are welcomed through the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA), directed by Meghan Cambridge and run jointly with St. Matthias. Youth Ministry for the yoked parishes is led by Abby Whewell, offering young parishioners formation and fellowship across both campuses.
- OCIA / RCIA: contact Meghan Cambridge at [email protected]
- Youth Ministry: Abby Whewell, [email protected]
Music Ministry
Music at St. Agnes is supported by a small team of volunteer and staff musicians, including Organist Steve Lattanzi, Guitarists Jeff Mattson and Jeff Kyser, and Cantors Jon Firman and Emily Lattanzi. They provide music for weekend Masses, holy days, and other liturgical celebrations throughout the year.
- Organist: Steve Lattanzi (860-917-7741)
- Guitarists: Jeff Mattson and Jeff Kyser
- Cantors: Jon Firman (860-334-7014) and Emily Lattanzi
Parish Staff & Contact
The parish office at 22 Haigh Avenue in Niantic is staffed Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM (closed on Holy Days and civil holidays) and can be reached at 860-739-9722. Pastor Fr. Gregory Mullaney can be reached at extension 225, and retired priest Fr. Joseph Castaldi assists on weekends. Lay staff include a Business Manager, a Parish Office coordinator, and the directors of Religious Education and Youth Ministry.
- Pastor: Fr. Gregory Mullaney (x225)
- Weekend Assistant: Fr. Joseph Castaldi (Retired)
- Parish Office: Jennifer Fant – [email protected] (x223)
- Business Manager: Dona Stankov – [email protected] (x233)
- Director of Religious Education & OCIA: Meghan Cambridge (x236)
- Youth Ministry: Abby Whewell (x236)
- St. Vincent de Paul Help Line: 860-389-0854
- Bereavement Support Group: Linda Young – 203-415-8202
Outreach & Pastoral Care
St. Agnes extends its ministry beyond the parish through a St. Vincent de Paul Help Line (860-389-0854) providing assistance to those in need, and a Bereavement Support Group led by Linda Young (203-415-8202) for parishioners grieving the loss of a loved one. Both outreach efforts are integrated into the yoked St. John XXIII Catholic Community.
- St. Vincent de Paul Help Line: 860-389-0854
- Bereavement Support Group: Linda Young – 203-415-8202
Directions & Visiting
The main St. Agnes campus is located at 22 Haigh Avenue, Niantic, CT 06357, with a parish parking lot along Columbus Avenue. The historic St. Francis Chapel, still in summer use, is at 2 Central Avenue. Detailed driving directions from both I-95 North and South are posted on the parish website; visitors can also reach the parish office by phone (860-739-9722) during weekday morning hours.
- Main campus address: 22 Haigh Avenue, Niantic, CT 06357
- St. Francis Chapel: 2 Central Avenue, Niantic, CT 06357
- Parking lot on Columbus Avenue at the main campus
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Michael Thompsonlate 1930s–mid-1950s+
Pastor who dug the church foundation by hand with a group of seamen before WWII; offered the first Mass in the new stone church on February 10, 1957.