About St. Aloysius · Gilbertville, Massachusetts
St. Aloysius Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Worcester located at 64 Church Street in the Gilbertville village of Hardwick, Massachusetts. The parish was established in 1894, having been served as a mission of Ware since 1872 to minister to the Irish, French-Canadian, and Polish immigrant families drawn to the George H. Gilbert Manufacturing Company's woolen mills along the Ware River. The parish shares pastoral care of St. Augustine Mission in nearby Wheelwright, and its historic school building now houses St. Aloysius Catholic School, an independent Pre-K through Grade 8 faith-based school reopened in 2016 under the encouragement of the Diocese and Pastor Richard A. Lembo.
- Established
- 1894
- Patron
- St. Aloysius (Aloysius Gonzaga)
- Rector
- Father Richard A. Lembo
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester
Why belong here
St. Aloysius Parish offers the warmth of a small village Catholic community in historic Gilbertville, with Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses celebrated at the parish church and at St. Augustine Mission in Wheelwright. Worship is supported by an active Music Ministry (choir, cantors, piano, organ) and enriched by a variety of lay-led groups including the Holy Family Altar Guild, Men's Society, Prayer Group, Knights of Columbus, Hispanic Ministry, and charismatic renewal communities such as Fire of the Spirit and Mother of Christ. Families with school-age children have the rare advantage of an on-site Catholic school, St. Aloysius Catholic School (PreK–Grade 8), and the parish participates annually in the Diocese of Worcester's Partners in Charity appeal.
Mass times at St. Aloysius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM at St. Aloysius Parish (or by appointment)
Parish History
St. Aloysius Parish traces its origins to 1872, when Catholic mill-worker families in the Gilbertville village of Hardwick were first served as a mission from Ware. The Massachusetts Historical Commission documents that the church building was erected on Church Street that same year to meet the spiritual needs of an immigrant population that, by 1895, made up roughly 44% of the town's residents. In 1894 the mission was elevated to parish status under the Diocese of Worcester, and it has continued without interruption as a beacon of Catholic life in the Ware River valley ever since.
- 1872: Mission established from Ware; original church built on Church Street
- 1894: Mission elevated to an independent parish
- Late 19th century: Parish grows alongside Irish, French-Canadian, and Polish mill-worker communities
- 2016: St. Aloysius Catholic School reopens in the historic parish school building
Clergy and Staff
St. Aloysius Parish is currently served by Father Richard A. Lembo as Pastor. Father Lembo is credited in diocesan reporting for his leadership in reopening St. Aloysius Catholic School in 2016 and for guiding the parish to a 102% achievement of its Partners in Charity goal.
- Pastor: Father Richard A. Lembo
Parish Ministries and Organizations
The parish supports a broad range of lay-led ministries that serve the spiritual, charitable, and social life of the community. These include traditional parish organizations, a vibrant Music Ministry, and charismatic prayer groups that meet on a regular basis.
- Altar Guild (Holy Family) — fellowship and service projects for women of the parish
- Knights of Columbus — Catholic fraternal service organization
- Men's Society — men's fellowship and service
- Prayer Group
- Music Ministry — choir, cantors, piano and organ supporting congregational worship
- Hispanic Ministry
- Fire of the Spirit — charismatic prayer group
- Mother of Christ — charismatic prayer group
Music Ministry
The parish's Music Ministry enlists choir members, cantors, and instrumentalists (piano, organ, and additional instruments) to support the liturgical life of the parish. Drawing on both traditional hymnody and contemporary settings, the ministry aims to foster full, conscious, and active participation in the Mass through song.
- Choir and cantors
- Piano and organ accompaniment
- Welcomes new vocalists and instrumentalists
St. Aloysius Catholic School
St. Aloysius Catholic School is an independent, faith-based Pre-K through Grade 8 school located at 52 Church Street, Gilbertville, in the historic parish school building. It reopened its doors at the start of the 2016–2017 school year after a nearly half-century hiatus, founded by former parents and teachers of St. Mary's School in Ware with the encouragement of the Diocese of Worcester and Pastor Richard A. Lembo. The school is led by Head of School Dawn Rudnansky and offers a preschool program with Catholic values woven into a theme-based curriculum (2-, 3-, or 5-day options), as well as a K–8 curriculum with practical experience in math, creative writing, grammar, Spanish, gym, hands-on science, art, and music.
- Address: 52 Church Street, Gilbertville, MA 01031
- Phone: 413-477-1268
- Head of School: Dawn Rudnansky ([email protected])
- Preschool (2, 3, or 5 days) with Catholic values
- Grades K–8 faith-based curriculum
- Subjects include math, creative writing, grammar, Spanish, gym, science, art, and music
- Original parish school served students from the early 1900s until 1970
Partners in Charity
St. Aloysius Parish participates annually in the Diocese of Worcester's Partners in Charity appeal, which supports seminarian education, faith formation, Catholic Charities outreach, and the day-to-day operations of the diocese. In a recent campaign year, Father Richard A. Lembo led the parish and its St. Augustine Mission to a 102% achievement of their combined $13,800 goal—an outcome the pastor described as a welcome surprise after many years of coming close but not quite reaching the goal.
- Annual diocesan appeal
- Most recent reported campaign: 102% of $13,800 goal achieved
Visiting and Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Aloysius Parish by phone at (413) 477-6493 or by email at [email protected]. The parish office is located at the church at 64 Church Street, Gilbertville, MA 01031. The official website at 19826.sites.ecatholic.com provides up-to-date Mass times, bulletins, news, a directions link, and online giving.
- Address: 64 Church Street, Gilbertville, MA 01031
- Phone: (413) 477-6493
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://19826.sites.ecatholic.com/
St. Augustine Mission (Wheelwright)
St. Aloysius Parish shares pastoral care with St. Augustine Mission in the nearby Wheelwright village of Hardwick, where the growing Polish and other immigrant mill-worker families were historically served. The mission hosts a Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM in English and is jointly supported by the parish in diocesan appeals such as Partners in Charity.
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 AM (English)
- Located in Wheelwright village, Hardwick, MA
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Richard A. Lembo
Pastor at the time the parish helped reopen St. Aloysius Catholic School in 2016; led the parish's successful 102% Partners in Charity campaign.