About St. Albert The Great · Weymouth, Massachusetts
St. Albert the Great is a Roman Catholic parish in Weymouth, Massachusetts, located at 1140 Washington Street and part of the Archdiocese of Boston. Founded in 1950 to serve the booming post-war population of Weymouth, the parish today shares its priests and ministries with neighboring St. Francis Xavier Church as the 'Saint Albert the Great & Saint Francis Xavier Collaborative,' with a single collaborative office at 234 Pleasant Street. The parish is best known beyond Weymouth for the remarkable 2004–2005 lay vigil in which parishioners occupied the church around the clock for ten months and forced the Archdiocese of Boston to reverse its decision to close it. Today St. Albert the Great offers weekend and weekday Mass, sacramental preparation, an active St. Vincent de Paul conference, and a robust Faith Formation program.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- St. Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus)
- Rector
- Rev. Kenneth V. Cannon
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Albert the Great is a small, tight-knit Catholic community with deep roots in Weymouth and a story of survival that has shaped its identity. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed into a full sacramental life — Sunday and weekday Mass, Reconciliation, infant Baptism, Marriage, Confirmation, First Communion and Penance, and a year-round Faith Formation program for grades 1–10. The collaborative with St. Francis Xavier means more Mass options, an active St. Vincent de Paul conference serving neighbors in need, and outreach partners such as Father Bill's Place, the Weymouth Food Pantry, and the Advent Giving Tree. It is a parish that has earned its future the hard way and now quietly tends to it.
Mass times at St. Albert The Great
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 8:45 AM – 9:15 AM at St. Albert the Great
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM at St. Francis Xavier (collaborative)
Our Story: The Parish That Refused to Close
St. Albert the Great was founded in 1950 by the Archdiocese of Boston to serve the booming population of post-war Weymouth. Groundbreaking was on 29 April 1951; services were held in a bowling alley until the church was dedicated in January 1954. The parish quickly grew from 465 to 950 registered families between 1951 and 1962 and became a center of Catholic life on Washington Street. The defining chapter of its modern history came in 2004, when the Archdiocese announced it would be closed. Parishioners responded with a 24-hour 'perpetual vigil' that lasted roughly ten months and inspired eight other parishes to do the same. On 13 June 2005, Archbishop Seán P. O'Malley revoked the closure and restored the parish as a full parish under Father Laurence J. Borges. The parish has remained open and stable ever since.
- Founded 1950; groundbreaking 29 April 1951; dedicated January 1954
- Named for St. Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus), Dominican Doctor of the Church
- Feast day: November 15
- 2004–2005: ten-month lay vigil against closure
- 13 June 2005: Archbishop O'Malley reversed the closure
- Now in a collaborative with St. Francis Xavier Church
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The collaborative Faith Formation program supports parents as the first teachers of the faith and provides ongoing, age-appropriate formation for children, with classes scheduled around Mass so families worship together. Programming includes Faith Formation for grades 1–6 and Confirmation Preparation for grades 7–10, along with the RCIA process for adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church. Registration for the 2025–2026 year opens in July, with online registration through the 'My Own Church' portal.
- Faith Formation for grades 1–6
- Confirmation Preparation for grades 7–10
- RCIA for adults
- Coordinator: Kelly Byrne ([email protected])
- Office of Faith Formation: 781-331-6264
- Catechism of the Catholic Church 2223 cited as guiding principle
Sacraments
The collaborative celebrates all seven sacraments. Infant Baptisms are scheduled at St. Albert the Great at 12:00 PM and at St. Francis Xavier at 12:30 PM, with summer baptisms consolidated at St. Albert the Great. A required Baptismal Catechesis class for parents and godparents must be completed before the baptism. First Penance and First Communion are prepared through the Faith Formation program; older students and adults prepare for Confirmation, often in the upper-grade program. Couples should contact the parish office to begin Marriage preparation, and the RCIA team walks catechumens and candidates through the Easter Vigil each year.
- Infant Baptism — 12:00 PM at St. Albert the Great
- First Penance / First Communion
- Confirmation (grades 7–10 and adult)
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- RCIA — contact Faith Formation at 781-337-2171 x 3
Outreach Ministries
Outreach is at the heart of parish life at St. Albert the Great. The local St. Vincent de Paul Conference discreetly serves neighbors in need within parish boundaries, supported by a baked-goods sale after the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass at St. Albert the Great and donation bins at both churches. Each month the parish prepares bagged lunches for Father Bill's Place; donations are accepted on the second Sunday at St. Francis Xavier. The parish also collects non-perishable food for the Weymouth Food Pantry year-round, runs an Advent Giving Tree of gift ornaments for the Long Island Shelter, Weymouth Youth Services, Friends of the Unborn and local families, and welcomes seamstresses who sew Baptismal Bibs for every child baptized in the collaborative.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference
- Friends of Father Bill's Place (monthly lunches)
- Weymouth Food Pantry collection baskets at the rear of each church
- Advent Giving Tree (gifts for local shelters and families)
- Baptismal Bibs sewing ministry
- Baked-goods fundraiser for St. Vincent de Paul after 11:00 AM Mass
Clergy & Staff
The collaborative is currently led by Pastor Rev. Kenneth V. Cannon. Liturgy and Music is coordinated by Ms. Kathy Clancy. Faith Formation is staffed by Coordinator Kelly Byrne along with Mr. John O'Reilly and Ms. Bethanne Packard. Earlier pastorates recorded in parish and archdiocesan history include Father Charles J. Higgins, VF and Father Peter J. Casey, who served as parochial vicar from 2015 onward, and Father Laurence J. Borges, who led the parish both before and after the famous closure fight.
- Pastor: Rev. Kenneth V. Cannon
- Liturgy & Music: Ms. Kathy Clancy
- Faith Formation: Mr. John O'Reilly, Ms. Kelly Byrne (Coordinator), Ms. Bethanne Packard
- Former past pastor: Fr. Charles J. Higgins, VF
- Former parochial vicar: Fr. Peter J. Casey
Get Involved
Parishioners and visitors are invited to register with the collaborative, take part in Faith Formation, and volunteer with either Outreach Ministries or Liturgical Ministries. The parish welcomes new families throughout the year and offers multiple ways to serve — from the St. Vincent de Paul conference to the Baptismal Bibs sewing ministry and the Advent Giving Tree.
- Register as a parishioner with the collaborative
- Volunteer with Outreach Ministries
- Volunteer with Liturgical Ministries
- Join Faith Formation (parent, catechist, or student)
Visit & Contact
St. Albert the Great Church is located at 1140 Washington Street, Weymouth, MA 02189. All mail and correspondence should be directed to the Collaborative Parish Office at 234 Pleasant Street, Weymouth, MA 02190. The parish can be reached by phone at 781-337-2171 (with extensions for specific needs: ext. 4 for St. Albert the Great Vincent de Paul assistance, ext. 5 for St. Francis Xavier, ext. 9 for Baptism inquiries) and by email at [email protected]. The collaborative office fax is 781-331-4192.
- St. Albert the Great Church: 1140 Washington Street, Weymouth, MA 02189
- Collaborative Office: 234 Pleasant Street, Weymouth, MA 02190
- Phone: 781-337-2171
- Email: [email protected]
- Fax: 781-331-4192
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Collins1950–1954 (possibly longer)
Founding pastor; oversaw groundbreaking in 1951 and dedication in January 1954.
- Fr. (unknown)1954–1994
Long-serving pastor of 40 years; oversaw the parish's main growth period.
- Fr. Laurence J. Borges1994–1999
Made stewardship and giving central to parish identity.
- Fr. John J. Nichols1999–2002
- Fr. Ronald Coyne2002–2004
Last pastor before the announced closure.
- Parish closed (decree)2004–2005
Closure decision later reversed after the 10-month lay vigil.
- Fr. Laurence J. Borges2005–2009
Re-appointed by Archbishop O'Malley after the closure was reversed; retired in 2009.
- Fr. Paul Soper2009–2012
- Fr. J. Bova Conti2013
Parish Administrator.
- Fr. James F. Rafferty2013
- Fr. Michael Sevigny, OFM Cap.2013–2014
- Fr. James F. Rafferty2013–2014
Parish Administrator.
- Fr. Richard S. DeVeer2014
- Fr. Charles J. Higgins, VF2014–
Pastoral Vicar; named in Wikipedia and Boston Pilot records.
- Fr. Peter J. Casey2015–
Parochial Vicar listed in Wikipedia.