About St. Andrew the Apostle · Taunton, Massachusetts
St. Andrew the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish in Taunton, Massachusetts, located at 19 Kilmer Avenue in the city's Weir neighborhood. It was formed in 2007/2008 from the merger of two older parishes, St. Joseph and St. Paul, and is served within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River. The parish is known for its strong devotional life, including daily Mass, perpetual-style Eucharistic Adoration in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel, the Miraculous Medal Novena, a Friday Cenacle Prayer Group, the Men of St. Joseph, and Women at the Well, as well as seasonal Healing Masses celebrated jointly with nearby parishes.
- Established
- 2008
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Father Edward A. Murphy
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
St. Andrew the Apostle offers an unusually rich devotional rhythm for a parish of its size: daily morning Mass Monday through Friday, weekend Masses on Saturday afternoon and twice on Sunday, and Eucharistic Adoration in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. every weekday. Faithful will also find the Miraculous Medal Novena on Monday evenings, the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Holy Hour on Wednesdays, a Friday Cenacle Prayer Group for priests, monthly Mass gatherings for Women at the Well and the Men of St. Joseph, a faith formation program for children, an active youth ministry, and a parish-run Healing Mass. It's the kind of parish where newcomers are welcomed by greeters and ushers, and where there are concrete ways to serve — from lectoring and serving at the altar to joining the choir, the Women of Faith, or the Finance and Pastoral Councils.
Mass times at St. Andrew the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before and after weekend Masses (per parish website 'Confession: Before and After Weekend Masses')
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel, Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm — Divine Mercy Holy Hour (in person or livestreamed)
History of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish
St. Andrew the Apostle is the youngest Catholic parish in Taunton, born in 2007/2008 from the merger of St. Joseph Parish and St. Paul Parish under the direction of the Diocese of Fall River. The inaugural Mass was held on a Sunday in late October 2008 in the former St. Joseph's church on Kilmer Avenue, with roughly 600 worshipers present and about 200 former parishioners of the two churches processing together from a midpoint between the two former worship sites. The Very Rev. Timothy Reis preached at that first liturgy, framing the merger as 'a beginning once again.' The 2019 diocesan reorganization placed the parish into a linked model with the Church of the Annunciation in Taunton, allowing shared pastoral leadership while each parish retained its own identity and buildings.
- Merged in 2007/2008 from St. Joseph Parish and St. Paul Parish
- Inaugural Mass celebrated October 2008 with about 600 worshipers
- Housed in the former St. Joseph's building at 19 Kilmer Avenue
- Linked in 2019 with the Church of the Annunciation in a shared pastoral model
Pastoral Leadership and Staff
The parish is served by Father Edward A. Murphy, Pastor, under the Diocese of Fall River's linked-parish arrangement with the Church of the Annunciation. The parish office is administered by Nancy Roberts, with faith formation under Sally Medeiros and music ministry directed by Ken Nosul, Organist, alongside singers Veronica Briggs and Charlene Dalrymple. Deacon Alan Thadeu continues in diaconal ministry, and Kristin Mohan leads the parish's youth ministry. Brooke Pina serves as Bulletin Editor, with Susan Orton, Michael Wojcik, Richard Alvamaz and Veronica Briggs serving as Sacristans, and Joseph Teixeira on maintenance.
- Pastor: Father Edward A. Murphy
- Administrator: Nancy Roberts
- Director of Religious Education: Sally Medeiros
- Music Director & Organist: Ken Nosul
- Singers: Veronica Briggs, Charlene Dalrymple
- Youth Minister: Kristin Mohan
- Bulletin Editor: Brooke Pina
- Sacristans: Susan Orton, Michael Wojcik, Richard Alvamaz, Veronica Briggs
- Maintenance: Joseph Teixeira
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Andrew the Apostle is directed by Sally Medeiros and prepares children for the sacraments as well as ongoing catechesis. Children typically participate in the Faith Formation Program for at least eight years before entering the Confirmation Program, unless they have attended a diocesan Catholic school. Canon Law requirements for Confirmation sponsors are reviewed with Father Murphy before anyone is asked to take on that role. Registration pages for the program are linked from the parish website.
- Director of Religious Education: Sally Medeiros
- Faith Formation Registration
- Faith Formation Schedule
- Confirmation preparation with sponsor requirements reviewed by Fr. Murphy
- RCIA for adults becoming Catholic
Youth Ministry
The parish's Youth Ministry, led by Kristin Mohan, is listed among the parish's ongoing ministries and is featured on the parish website as a place where younger parishioners can grow in faith together.
- Youth Ministers: Kristin Mohan
- Featured in the 'Ministries' and 'Our Parish' sections of the parish website
Miraculous Medal Novena and Cenacle Prayer
The parish gathers on Monday evenings at 7:00 pm for the Miraculous Medal Novena, which can be attended in person or joined via the parish livestream. On Fridays at 1:00 pm, the parish hosts the Prayer Cenacle for Priests, praying Father John Gobbi's Cenacle for Priests. All are welcome to both gatherings.
- Miraculous Medal Novena — Mondays at 7:00 pm
- Prayer Cenacle for Priests (Father Gobbi's Cenacle) — Fridays at 1:00 pm
Parish Groups and Prayer Communities
Several lay groups and prayer communities shape parish life at St. Andrew. Women at the Well meets on the second Saturday of each month, beginning with 9:00 am Mass and welcoming women of all ages. Men of St. Joseph gathers monthly for men in the parish. The Women of Faith is a broader women's fellowship that undertakes plantings, flower sales, an annual Ladies Tea, and a scholarship for a parishioner attending a Catholic middle school. The Friday Cenacle Prayer Group meets weekly for the Cenacle for Priests.
- Women at the Well — 2nd Saturday, 9:00 am Mass
- Men of St. Joseph — monthly gathering
- Women of Faith — fellowship, flower sales, Ladies Tea, Catholic middle-school scholarship
- Friday Cenacle Prayer Group — Fridays at 1:00 pm
Healing Mass Ministry
Healing Masses are a distinctive part of the parish's outreach to the sick and homebound. They are celebrated at St. Andrew the Apostle at 19 Kilmer Avenue in Taunton and also at St. Anne Shrine, 818 Middle Street in Fall River, with the seasonal schedule resuming in the spring and fall.
- Healing Mass at St. Andrew the Apostle — 19 Kilmer Avenue, Taunton
- Healing Mass at St. Anne Shrine — 818 Middle Street, Fall River
Liturgical Ministries and Service
Parishioners serve the liturgy through a robust set of ministries described on the parish's 'Ministries at Saint Andrew the Apostle' page. Boys and girls in the third grade or higher who have received their First Communion are invited to serve as Altar Servers. Greeters, Collectors and Ushers form the parish's hospitality backbone, distributing bulletins, taking up the collection, and helping seat worshipers, especially at holiday and sacramental liturgies. Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist are commissioned by Father Murphy, usually on the Feast of Corpus Christi, for renewable three-year terms, and a separate corps of Extraordinary Ministers brings Communion to the sick in hospitals, nursing homes and at home. Lectors proclaim the Word, while Sacristans care for the sanctuary.
- Altar Servers — grades 3 and up, after First Communion
- Greeters, Collectors, Ushers
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist to the Sick
- Lectors
- Sacristans
Music Ministry
Music at St. Andrew the Apostle is led by Music Director and Organist Ken Nosul, supported by singers Veronica Briggs and Charlene Dalrymple. The music ministry is listed among the parish's liturgical ministries and supports the weekend Masses and other parish liturgies.
- Music Director & Organist: Ken Nosul
- Singers: Veronica Briggs, Charlene Dalrymple
Parish Councils and Administration
St. Andrew the Apostle is guided by both a Parish Pastoral Council and a Finance Council. The Parish Pastoral Council is involved in most activities and programs affecting the liturgical and spiritual life of the parish, while the Finance Council advises the pastor on financial matters, monitors income and expenses, and approves the annual budgets. A team of Offertory Counters handles the weekly counting of Mass collections.
- Parish Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
- Offertory Counters
- Administrator: Nancy Roberts
Becoming Catholic and Newcomers
The parish website provides dedicated pages for those exploring the Catholic faith, including sections on 'Becoming Catholic,' 'Our Faith,' 'Returning Catholics,' and 'Welcome,' alongside a registration page for those wishing to join the parish formally. The RCIA program supports adults preparing for full initiation into the Catholic Church.
- Becoming Catholic
- Returning Catholics
- Our Faith
- Register at St. Andrew the Apostle
- RCIA
Visiting and Contacting the Parish
St. Andrew the Apostle invites visitors to come for Mass, to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration, and to learn more about the parish through its bulletin and website. The parish office can be reached by phone at (508) 824-5577 or by email at [email protected], and a dedicated 'Directions to Saint Andrew the Apostle' page helps those traveling to the church for the first time. Masses are livestreamed from the parish website for those who cannot attend in person, and confession is available before and after weekend Masses.
- Address: 19 Kilmer Avenue, Taunton, MA 02780
- Phone: (508) 824-5577
- Email: [email protected]
- Directions page on the parish website
- Bulletin and online giving linked from the homepage
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Timothy Reis2008 inaugural Mass
Preached at the parish's first Mass when St. Joseph and St. Paul parishes merged into St. Andrew the Apostle in October 2008.
- Rev. Freddie Babiczuk
Listed in 2019 Taunton Gazette coverage as the former St. Andrew pastor at the time the parish was placed into the linked-parish model with the Church of the Annunciation.
- Rev. Edward E. Murphy2019–present (as listed on parish staff page)
Handles pastoral duties for St. Andrew the Apostle under the linked-parish arrangement with the Annunciation.