About St. Anselm · Sudbury, Massachusetts
Saint Anselm Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic worship site in Sudbury, Massachusetts, situated at 100 Landham Road. The parish describes itself as 'a caring, committed, Roman Catholic community on a journey with Christ to welcome, love & serve,' and explicitly welcomes people of every background, family situation, and parish history. The community is led by Rev. John F. Carmichael (Administrator) alongside a small staff, and is supported by a network of lay-led ministries spanning faith formation, music and liturgy, pastoral care, and outreach including St. Vincent de Paul. The site belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston and is currently structured as a rectorate with no defined parish territory.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- Saint Anselm of Canterbury
- Rector
- Rev. John F. Carmichael (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston (Archdiocese of Boston)
Why belong here
St. Anselm offers a deliberately welcoming home for Catholics and seekers of every background, marital or family situation — the parish's published statement is that 'no matter your past or present status… you are invited, welcomed, accepted, loved and respected here.' Worshippers can attend an outdoor drive-in Sunday Mass (with audio broadcast to 98.9 FM for those listening from their cars) or the indoor Saturday evening Mass, complemented by weekday Mass Wednesday through Friday, weekly Tuesday Rosary, Saturday confession, and ongoing faith formation for children and adults. A lay-led culture is at the heart of the parish: the Pastoral Advisory Council, Finance Advisory Council, Communications Committee, faith-formation team, St. Vincent de Paul outreach, rosary, adoration, prayer-shawl and outdoor Mass ministries all keep a relatively small congregation actively engaged.
Mass times at St. Anselm
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM (per catholicmasstime.org; bulletin lists 4:15–4:45 PM), or by appointment
Adoration times
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is part of the parish's pastoral outreach ministry (no fixed weekly time published on the main schedule)
About St. Anselm Catholic Church
Saint Anselm Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic worship site of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston, located at 100 Landham Road in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The parish describes itself as 'a caring, committed, Roman Catholic community — on a journey with Christ to welcome, love & serve.' Its published welcome explicitly reaches out to people regardless of past or present status in the Church, family or marital situation, personal history, background, age, or race. The community is served by a small priest-and-lay staff and supported by a robust network of lay-led ministries, councils, and volunteer committees.
- Tagline: 'A caring, committed, Roman Catholic community on a journey with Christ to welcome, love & serve'
- Administered by the Archdiocese of Boston
- Located at 100 Landham Road, Sudbury, MA 01776
History and the Rectorate
St. Anselm opened as a parish in 1963. The Archdiocese of Boston targeted it for closure in 2004 as part of a sweeping regional reconfiguration. Parishioners responded with a round-the-clock vigil that ran nearly two years, and in 2006 Cardinal Seán O'Malley reorganized the site as a rectorate — reported as the first of its kind in the United States — under which it kept its own priest but lost its territorial parish boundaries (those were reassigned to Our Lady of Fatima in Sudbury and St. George in Framingham). In 2010 the community joined nine other Boston-area parishes in an appeal to the Vatican's Apostolic Signatura; the appeal was unsuccessful. The church was later grouped into the Maynard/Sudbury Catholic Collaborative with Our Lady of Fatima (Sudbury) and St. Bridget (Maynard), and in 2020 the Archdiocese announced the rectorate would close effective October 3 of that year — a decision parishioners publicly contested with renewed vigils. The site continues to operate from 100 Landham Road.
- Founded 1963
- Targeted for closure 2004; near-continuous 24/7 parishioner vigil Sept. 2004 – June 2006
- Reopened 2005 as chapel of St. George Parish (Framingham)
- Established as rectorate by Cardinal O'Malley in 2006 — reported as the first rectorate in the U.S.
- 2010: appealed closure to the Vatican's Apostolic Signatura (appeal denied)
- Joined Maynard/Sudbury Catholic Collaborative with Our Lady of Fatima and St. Bridget, Maynard
- 2020: Archdiocese announced closure effective Oct. 3, 2020; parishioners held fresh vigils
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is currently administered by Rev. John F. Carmichael, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston who has been ordained for 27 years and previously served for 17 years as Pastor of St. Ann by the Sea. He is supported by an administrative assistant, a director of liturgy and music, and a coordinator of faith formation, with broader lay leadership provided through the Pastoral Advisory Council, Finance Advisory Committee, and a Communications Committee.
- Administrator: Rev. John F. Carmichael
- Administrative Staff: Ms. Carolyn Llewellyn
- Liturgy and Music: Mr. Timothy Shelter
- Faith Formation: Ms. Susan Miglioisi
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish's Office of Religious Education supports catechesis for parishioners of every age, from infant baptism preparation through adult faith formation and sacramental preparation. Programs include Pre-CANA marriage preparation, Infant Baptism Preparation, Faith Formation, RCIA, and ongoing Adult Education, alongside a graded children's track that runs from kindergarten through Confirmation. The Faith Formation office also runs a Junior Youth Group for grades 7–8 and a High School Youth Group.
- Kindergarten
- First Eucharist Preparation (2-year program — grades 1 & 2)
- GIFT — Gathering in Faith Together (grades 3–6 family program)
- Confirmation Preparation (2-year program)
- Junior Youth Group (grades 7–8)
- High School Youth Group
- RCIA (adult initiation)
- Pre-CANA (marriage preparation)
- Infant Baptism Preparation
- Adult Education programs
Liturgy, Music, and Devotions
Liturgical life at St. Anselm is coordinated by the parish's music director working with the Liturgy Commission and pastor. Beyond weekend and weekday Mass, the parish sustains a Tuesday Rosary, seasonal Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Lenten Stations of the Cross, and Healing Masses connected to the parish's pastoral-care outreach. The drive-in outdoor Mass format, which began during the COVID-19 era, has continued as a regular feature and was specifically cited as a way to welcome worshippers whose health might be compromised by indoor gatherings.
- Music Director: Timothy Shelter
- Tuesday Rosary: 3:30 PM
- Outdoor drive-in Mass with 98.9 FM audio broadcast
- Healing Masses, Novenas, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
- Lenten Stations of the Cross
Pastoral Outreach and Charity
St. Anselm runs an active pastoral-care and outreach program organized around several lay ministries. The parish partners with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for direct aid to neighbors in need and maintains Rosary, Adoration, Prayer Shawl & Teddy Bear, and Outdoor Mass ministries. The pastor has also proposed a new ministry focused on those living with cancer and their caregivers and families, anchored by a planned St. Peregrine (patron saint of cancer) and St. Agatha (patron saint of breast cancer) Shrine inside the church, with votive candles near the Blessed Mother mosaic and Healing Masses, novenas, and Eucharistic Adoration as part of the accompanying pastoral program. The proposal received a lead gift of $40,000.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Rosary Ministry
- Adoration Ministry
- Prayer Shawl & Teddy Bear Ministry
- Outdoor Mass Ministry
- Welcome and Membership Committee
- Proposed St. Peregrine / St. Agatha Shrine for those with cancer and their caregivers
Parish Councils and Governance
Lay leadership is organized through several councils and committees that advise the Administrator and help run parish operations. The Pastoral Advisory Council is the principal consultative body for pastoral planning, while the Finance Advisory Committee oversees budgeting and a year-end financial report, including implementation of an online giving portal through Our Sunday Visitor. A recently formed Communications Committee is working on parish messaging and outreach.
- Pastoral Advisory Council
- Finance Advisory Committee
- Communications Committee
- Online giving via Our Sunday Visitor platform
- Memorial offerings for Wine, Hosts & Candles (full-year sponsorship)
Getting Involved
The parish actively recruits volunteers for every part of its life, and the website links to a dedicated 'Get Involved' page. Opportunities range from liturgical ministries (Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, music, ushers) and faith-formation catechists to outreach through the St. Vincent de Paul conference, the prayer-shawl ministry, the outdoor Mass team, and the Communications Committee. Registration for faith formation classes for the 2024–2025 year was open through the parish website.
- Liturgical ministries (Lector, EMHC, altar server, music, usher)
- Faith formation catechists and youth-ministry volunteers
- St. Vincent de Paul outreach
- Prayer Shawl & Teddy Bear Ministry
- Outdoor Mass Ministry
- Communications Committee and parish communications
- 2024–2025 faith-formation registration
Visit, Address, and Contact
St. Anselm Catholic Church is located at 100 Landham Road, Sudbury, MA 01776. The parish office can be reached by phone at (978) 443-8981 or by email at [email protected]. The official website is http://www.stanselmsudbury.org. Parking is available on site, and the outdoor Sunday drive-in Mass is designed so worshippers may attend from their cars.
- Address: 100 Landham Road, Sudbury, MA 01776
- Phone: (978) 443-8981
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stanselmsudbury.org
- On-site parking available
- Outdoor drive-in Mass: audio on 98.9 FM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Gerald SouzaRector until 2020
Announced the 2020 closure; reassigned as Administrator of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Bridget's in the Maynard/Sudbury Catholic Collaborative.