About St. Ann · West Bridgewater, Massachusetts
St. Ann Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, part of the Archdiocese of Boston. Formally established in 1938 after beginning as a mission in 1927, it grew out of Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish in Bridgewater. Since July 2016 the parish has been twinned with neighboring Saint John the Evangelist in East Bridgewater as the Together in Christ Collaborative under Pastor Rev. Paul L. Ring. The parish celebrates weekend and weekday Masses at its church on North Main Street and serves the small Catholic community of West Bridgewater, a rural town about 30 miles southwest of Boston.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- St. Ann (Saint Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary) — the parish was named in memory of Anna Belmore, the late wife of donor Dr. A. O. Belmore
- Rector
- Rev. Paul L. (Paul) Ring
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Ann offers a close-knit parish life in West Bridgewater with a full weekly Mass schedule — including a Saturday Vigil, two Sunday Masses, and two weekday Masses — plus regular Saturday confession and Eucharistic ministry to the homebound. As part of the Together in Christ Collaborative with neighboring St. John the Evangelist, it pairs the warmth of a small-town parish (two parking lots, handicap-accessible horseshoe driveway, and a long history reaching back to 1927) with a robust slate of ministries — a collaborative choir, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, greeters and ushers, altar servers, a bereavement team, a family life ministry, a Catholic Women's Group, and a new Family/Disciples of Hospitality social life ministry. Pastor Fr. Paul Ring and a full collaborative staff (Director of Ministries Matt Brady, Music Director Rich Cesarini, deacons, and administrators) actively welcome newcomers and families.
Mass times at St. Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm (St. Ann)
- By appointment (call the parish office)
History of St. Ann Parish
West Bridgewater's Catholics began worshipping as part of Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish in Bridgewater. On June 27, 1927, a parcel of land on Ellis Avenue and West Center Street was donated to begin building the first Catholic church in West Bridgewater; the following month, on July 17, 1927, Sunday Mass was publicly celebrated in the Town Hall. A $5,000 gift from Dr. A. O. Belmore, made on the condition that the new church be named in memory of his late wife Anna, funded construction. The foundation of the present church was laid in 1932, and on January 29, 1933, Bishop's representatives opened and blessed the new brick, steel, and wood building with a Solemn High Mass attended by 589 people. St. Ann's remained a mission of Saint Thomas Aquinas until April 20, 1938, when Cardinal William Henry O'Connell formally decreed it a distinct parish and appointed Reverend Cornelius L. Reardon as its first pastor on April 27, 1938. Cardinal Cushing blessed the parish's Church Hall on June 15, 1959. Since July 2016, St. Ann has been partnered with St. John the Evangelist in East Bridgewater in the Together in Christ Collaborative.
- 1927 — Parish origins as a mission of St. Thomas Aquinas; first Mass celebrated in West Bridgewater Town Hall, July 17, 1927
- 1933 — Opening and blessing of the present church, Jan 29, 1933
- 1938 — Cardinal O'Connell's decree establishing St. Ann as a distinct parish (April 20) and appointment of first pastor Rev. Cornelius L. Reardon (April 27)
- 1959 — Cardinal Cushing blesses the parish's Church Hall (June 15)
- 2016 — Together in Christ Collaborative formed with St. John the Evangelist, East Bridgewater
Together in Christ Collaborative
Since July 2016, St. Ann in West Bridgewater has shared a pastor and many ministries with St. John the Evangelist in East Bridgewater under the name Together in Christ Collaborative. The two parishes share a collaborative pastoral council with elected members from each parish, a single Director of Ministries, Music Director, and Operations Manager, but each retains its own church building, Mass schedule, baptism/confession calendar, and identity. The collaborative office is located at the St. Ann rectory, 103 North Main Street, West Bridgewater.
- Formed: July 2016
- Member parishes: St. Ann (West Bridgewater) and St. John the Evangelist (East Bridgewater)
- Collaborative Parish Pastoral Council — St. Ann members: Linda Santry, Nancy Maloney, Patricia Everett, Ann Smith, Eileen Fitzgerald
Baptism, Confirmation & Sacraments
St. Ann prepares families for the Sacraments of Initiation and offers Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick through the parish office. Baptisms are typically celebrated at weekend Masses with a short preparation class held just before the baptism itself. Confirmation preparation is coordinated through the Director of Ministries.
- Baptism — celebrated at weekend Masses; arrive ~10 minutes early for prep class; call the office to schedule
- Confirmation — contact Director of Ministries Matt Brady ([email protected] / 774-533-2002)
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturday 3:00–3:30 pm or by appointment
- Eucharist — distributed at every Mass; homebound visits available
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical music is coordinated at the collaborative level by Music Director Rich Cesarini and Music Ministry staff member Erica Wasil. Volunteer liturgical ministers — lectors, Eucharistic ministers, greeters, ushers, and altar servers — make the parish's weekend and weekday liturgies possible. The collaborative choir welcomes new singers with no audition or music-reading experience required; rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings during the program year.
- Collaborative Choir — rehearsals Thursday evenings in September; no audition needed
- Music Director: Rich Cesarini ([email protected])
- Lectors (instruction required)
- Eucharistic Ministers (instruction required)
- Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound / Nursing Home
- Greeters and Ushers
- Altar Servers (open to any child grade 3+ or adult)
Faith Formation, Family Life & Youth
The collaborative hires a full-time Director of Ministries, Matt Brady, who oversees faith formation, family life, and youth ministry across both parishes. A newly revived Family Life Ministry plans family events, parent formation nights, and service projects. The collaborative also runs a Catholic Women's Group and supports a separate men's ministry and Prayer Chain, and the parish registration form lists interest categories for Youth Ministry, Children's Ministry, Religious Education, Faith Formation, and Vacation Bible School.
- Director of Ministries: Matt Brady — [email protected] / 774-533-2002
- Family Life Ministry — fun activities, parent formation nights, service projects
- Catholic Women's Group — meets at St. John; contact Jeanne MacDonald 508-807-1823
- Youth Ministry, Children's Ministry, Religious Education, Faith Formation, Vacation Bible School
Outreach, Bereavement & Pastoral Care
The parish maintains several pastoral-care ministries that reach beyond the church walls. A small team of Eucharistic ministers visits those who are homebound and residents of local nursing homes to bring Holy Communion and provide pastoral care. The Bereavement Ministry works with grieving families to plan funeral liturgies with Fr. Paul and provides ongoing support during the grieving period. The Disciples of Hospitality team runs Fellowship Hours after Mass and coordinates other parish-wide volunteer needs.
- Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound / Nursing Home
- Bereavement Ministry (funeral planning and ongoing support with Fr. Paul)
- Disciples of Hospitality — social life, Fellowship Hours after Mass, decorating, parish volunteer support
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Cornelius L. Reardon1938–1943
First pastor; appointed April 27, 1938 when the parish was canonically established.
- Rev. Thomas Devlin1943–1947
- Rev. John J. Scollan1947–1950
- Rev. John P. Foley1950
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Francis S. Shea, D.D.1950–1972
Longest-tenured pastor to that point.
- Rev. Francis G. Goss1972–1979
- Rev. John L. Mansfield1979–1991
- Rev. Edward McDonagh1991–2011
50th anniversary celebration held in 2012.
- Rev. Edward D. McCabe2011–2016
- Rev. Paul L. Ring2016–present
Pastor of the Together in Christ Collaborative (St. Ann and St. John the Evangelist) from July 2016.