About St. Ambrose · Albion, Rhode Island
St. Ambrose Catholic Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the village of Albion, in the Town of Lincoln, Rhode Island, belonging to the Diocese of Providence. Founded on November 12, 1892, it serves a long-standing faith community in northern Rhode Island and is currently linked in ministry with neighboring St. James Parish in Manville. Weekend Masses are offered Saturday evening and twice on Sunday, complemented by weekday Masses on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Bishop Bruce Lewandowski appointed Reverend Robert E. Lacombe as parochial administrator effective January 1, 2026.
- Established
- 1892
- Patron
- St. Ambrose
- Rector
- Reverend Robert E. Lacombe (Parochial Administrator, effective January 1, 2026)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Providence
Why belong here
St. Ambrose is a long-established Catholic community in the village of Albion, more than 130 years old, with weekend Masses on Saturday evening and twice on Sunday, plus weekday Masses three mornings a week. The parish keeps an active religious education program for children and shares its clergy with neighboring St. James Parish in Manville, giving parishioners access to a wider circle of Masses, devotions, and a Lenten mission each year. New parishioners are warmly welcomed — registration forms can be downloaded from the parish site, and the rectory office (open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) is glad to help anyone make St. Ambrose their parish home.
Mass times at St. Ambrose
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (parish website)
- Saturday 4:15 PM – 4:45 PM (third-party listings and Discover Mass)
Adoration times
- During Lent: Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament accompanies the Thursday evening Lenten Mission talks (Feb 19, Feb 26, Mar 5, Mar 12, Mar 19 at 6:30 PM, alternating between St. Ambrose and St. James).
Welcome & Parish Identity
St. Ambrose Catholic Parish describes itself as a vibrant faith community in Albion, Rhode Island, rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The parish invites newcomers to register by downloading a parish registration form from the website and returning it to the Rectory Office, or by contacting the rectory directly. The parish also uses Flocknote to keep parishioners informed of important updates, special events, and inclement-weather announcements. St. Ambrose belongs to the Diocese of Providence and is currently administered by Reverend Robert E. Lacombe, who Bishop Bruce Lewandowski appointed as parochial administrator effective January 1, 2026.
- Downloadable parish registration form on stambrosechurchri.org
- Flocknote email sign-up for parish announcements
- Diocese of Providence parish
History of St. Ambrose Parish
Catholic life in Albion long predates the parish's official founding. The first Catholic services in the village were held in the Fireman's Hall on lower School Street — a building now owned by the Town of Lincoln and used as a community center. For many years before 1892, Albion was an out-station served by priests who traveled long distances to minister to a slowly growing Catholic population. In 1888 local Catholics petitioned the Bishop for recognition, and on November 12, 1892, St. Ambrose Parish was formally established. Father Antoine Bernard, the first resident pastor, was followed by Father Hercule J. Lariviere, who in 1916 purchased the old Albion public school and built the rectory across the street — landmarks still in use today. The parish observed its Centennial in 1992 and the close of its 130th Anniversary in 2022.
- Founded November 12, 1892
- Centennial observed in 1992; 130th Anniversary in 2022
- First Catholic services in the Fireman's Hall on lower School Street
- First baptism: Marie Dolores Laramee, April 7, 1901
- First marriage: Francois Forest and Zenoide Descoteaux, October 30, 1905
- Church bell blessed November 6, 1910
Lenten Schedule & Devotions
During Lent, St. Ambrose offers additional devotions in addition to the regular daily Mass schedule. Stations of the Cross and Benediction are celebrated on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM at St. Ambrose, and an evening Mass is offered at 6:00 PM — Tuesday at St. Ambrose and Monday/Thursday at St. James. In early 2026, Fr. Lacombe preached a five-week Lenten Mission on the Last Things, with Thursday-evening talks at 6:30 PM alternating between St. Ambrose and St. James during Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
- Wed 6:00 PM — Stations of the Cross & Benediction at St. Ambrose
- Tue 6:00 PM — Evening Mass at St. Ambrose
- Mon & Thu 6:00 PM — Evening Mass at St. James
- Lenten Mission by Fr. Lacombe — Thursdays at 6:30 PM during Exposition & Benediction
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education for parish children (K–5 and beyond) has long been a hallmark of St. Ambrose. From the era of Father Lariviere — when a lay teacher commuted weekly by train from Providence to instruct children in the two-room schoolhouse next to the church — to today, that same historic building still serves as the parish hall and religious education center. The parish also supports RCIA for adults preparing for initiation into the Catholic Church.
- K–5 Religious Education program
- RCIA for adults
- Religious Education phone line: (401) 334-3735
- Classes held in the historic 1916 parish hall next to the church
Parish Buildings & Grounds
St. Ambrose's built environment reflects more than a century of parish life. The two-room schoolhouse purchased by Father Lariviere in August 1916 still stands next to the church and serves as both the parish hall and the religious education center. The rectory was built across the street in the same era for $7,000, replacing an apartment in a private house where earlier pastors had lived. The parish organ Father Lariviere purchased was first played at his own funeral in November 1925.
- Church — parish's principal place of worship
- Historic 1916 schoolhouse — parish hall & religious education center
- Rectory across from the church (built by Father Lariviere)
- Parish grounds also host the annual summer collation under a white tent on the rectory grounds
Linked Ministry with St. James Parish, Manville
St. Ambrose shares its pastoral team with neighboring St. James Parish in Manville. Weekday Masses rotate between the two churches (Mon/Wed/Fri at St. Ambrose; Tue/Thu at St. James), and shared Lenten devotions are offered across both campuses. In 2018, Father Thomas J. Ferland welcomed the Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament — Kerala natives — into the St. James rectory, deepening the spiritual life shared between the two parishes.
- Weekday Mass rotation between St. Ambrose and St. James, Manville
- Lenten devotions shared across both parishes
- Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament resident at St. James rectory since 2018
Bulletin, Communications & Parish Office
St. Ambrose publishes a weekly parish bulletin and maintains an online Bulletin Archive on its website, along with a current bulletin and an annual 10-year comparison and financial report. Parishioners can sign up for Flocknote email updates or contact the rectory office (open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM) for parish registration, sacramental inquiries, and general questions.
- Online Bulletin Archive
- Current weekly bulletin
- 2025 Ten-Year Comparison & 2025 Financial Report
- Rectory office hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Flocknote parish email list
Getting Involved & New Parishioners
Anyone interested in joining the parish is invited to download the registration form from stambrosechurchri.org/register-as-a-parishioner and return it to the Rectory Office, or simply contact the rectory. Opportunities to get involved include faith formation (Religious Education, RCIA), liturgical ministries, and parish committees, as well as the parish's annual events.
- Parish registration form available online
- Liturgical and faith-formation volunteer opportunities
- Flocknote email sign-up for parish news and events
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Antoine Bernard1904–1912
Named Pastor 1899; first resident Pastor of St. Ambrose from 1904. Retired to an apartment across from the church.
- Father Hercule J. Lariviere1912–1925
Purchased the old Albion public school in 1916 for the parish school; built the rectory across the street for $7,000; bought the parish organ.
- Father Arthur H. Messier1925–1929
- Father David B. Brunelle1931–1938
- Father Napoleon J. Plasse1939–1944
- Father J. Arsene Corbeil1944–1950
- Father J. Alfred Laliberte–1951
- Father Eustache L. Magnant1951–1968
- Father Leonard F. Charron1968–1968
- Father Robert Ethier1968–1986
- Father Joel Lecuivre1986–1993
- Father Pierre Plante1993–1997
Also served as Chaplain at Bryant College during his tenure.
- Father Thomas Trepanier1997–2002
- Father Bernard A. Healey2003–2012
- Father Thomas J. Ferland2012–2025
Installed as Pastor on July 25, 2020 for a new six-year term by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin; simultaneously served St. James Parish, Manville.
- Father Robert E. Lacombe2026–present
Appointed Parochial Administrator by Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, effective January 1, 2026.