About St. Augustine Cemetery Chapel (South Boston) · Boston, Massachusetts
St. Augustine Cemetery Chapel is a small, historic Catholic chapel on Dorchester Street in South Boston, Massachusetts. Built in 1818–19 as a mortuary chapel, it is the oldest surviving Catholic church building in Massachusetts and stands beside the first Catholic cemetery in Boston. The chapel is not a stand-alone parish; it is pastorally served by the priests of the Gate of Heaven & St. Brigid Parish Collaborative, who celebrate a Saturday Vigil Mass there and use the chapel for baptisms, weddings, funerals, and cultural events.
- Established
- 1818
- Patron
- Saint Augustine of Hippo (the chapel was named after the founder of the Augustinian order of Father Philip Lariscy, the Irish priest who raised funds for the cemetery)
- Rector
- Father Robert (Bob) Casey (Pastor of the Gate of Heaven & St. Brigid Parish Collaborative, which pastorally serves the chapel)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Augustine Cemetery Chapel is a living piece of Boston Catholic history: the oldest Catholic church still standing in Massachusetts and the first Catholic cemetery in Boston, where generations of Irish, Italian, and Polish immigrant families have buried and remembered their dead. Worshipping at the chapel — most regularly at the Saturday Vigil Mass — means joining a small, devoted community that keeps this 200-year-old Gothic Revival chapel in active use for weddings, funerals, baptisms, and devotions like the monthly Mass of the Simon of Cyrene Society for adults with disabilities. Because the chapel itself is not a stand-alone parish, attendance and donor support from beyond the regular congregation are what allow the historic building and grounds to be maintained and restored.
Mass times at St. Augustine Cemetery Chapel (South Boston)
Weekly Mass schedule
St. Augustine Cemetery Chapel — South Boston
St. Augustine Cemetery Chapel is the oldest surviving Catholic church building in Massachusetts and home to the first Catholic cemetery in Boston. Tucked along Dorchester Street in South Boston, the small Gothic Revival brick chapel is not an independent parish; it is pastorally served by the priests of the Gate of Heaven & St. Brigid Parish Collaborative and remains in active liturgical use for a weekly Saturday Vigil Mass and for weddings, funerals, baptisms, and special community devotions.
- Oldest Catholic church still standing in Massachusetts (built 1818–19).
- Adjacent to St. Augustine Cemetery, the first Catholic burial ground in Boston.
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
- Pastored by Gate of Heaven & St. Brigid Parish Collaborative.
History of the Chapel and Cemetery
The chapel and cemetery trace directly back to the death of Father Francis Anthony Matignon, the French priest who, alongside Boston's first bishop, Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus, helped found the Catholic Church in New England. After Matignon died on September 19, 1818, Bishop de Cheverus wanted a consecrated Catholic burial ground in which to lay him to rest. With the help of Father Philip Lariscy, an Irish Augustinian priest who preached fiery sermons and raised the $680 needed to buy the land, the cemetery was approved by Boston's Board of Health in November 1818. Just before Christmas, Matignon's body was exhumed from the Granary Burying Ground and carried in procession to South Boston, where it was reinterred on December 21, 1818 — the cemetery's first burial. The small brick chapel, 19 by 34 feet, was completed the following year to serve as a mortuary chapel sitting directly opposite Matignon's grave. Bishop Benedict Fenwick, Boston's second bishop, enlarged the chapel in 1831 to accommodate a growing congregation, and in the process moved Matignon's gravestone to the right of the present altar.
- 1818 — Cemetery approved by Boston's Board of Health; first burial December 21, 1818.
- 1818–19 — Mortuary chapel constructed of fire-hardened red brick over Father Matignon's grave.
- 1831 — Chapel enlarged by Bishop Benedict Fenwick, Boston's second bishop.
- 1987 — Chapel and cemetery listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 2018–19 — Yearlong bicentennial celebration marking the chapel and cemetery's 200th anniversary.
Why Saint Augustine?
Bishop de Cheverus named the chapel Saint Augustine in gratitude to Father Philip Lariscy, the Irish Augustinian priest whose preaching and fundraising had made the cemetery possible. The chapel thus honors both the fourth-century Doctor of the Church (the founder of Lariscy's order) and the early Catholic community of Boston that the chapel and cemetery were built to serve.
- Named after Saint Augustine of Hippo, founder of the Augustinian order.
- Father Philip Lariscy was an Irish Augustinian priest whose 'rough but earnest' sermons raised the $680 needed for the land.
The Cemetery Community
St. Augustine Cemetery was the first Catholic burial ground in Boston and gave the city's small Catholic population — many of them Irish immigrants drawn to South Boston by work in the local glass industry — a central place to bury their dead and gather for the sacraments. After the cemetery was dedicated in 1818, many families arranged to have relatives' remains moved there from other local grounds. According to the parish, eleven or twelve South Boston parishes eventually grew out of this seed Catholic community. About 1,000 people are buried in the cemetery, including several ancestors of Congressman Stephen Lynch. The last burial took place during the mid-1880s. In 2018, ahead of the bicentennial, dozens of volunteers — among them former Boston mayor and U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican Ray Flynn, his wife Kathy, and Congressman Lynch — helped scrub and restore gravestones, and Iron Workers Local 7 refurbished the historic iron fence around the grounds.
- First Catholic burial ground in Boston; ~1,000 burials, ending in the mid-1880s.
- Father Matignon is buried inside the chapel, with his gravestone to the right of the altar.
- Many early burials were reinterred from other Boston grounds after the cemetery was dedicated.
- Restoration in 2017–18 included gravestone cleaning, fence refurbishment by Iron Workers Local 7, and roof/shingle replacement.
Bicentennial Celebration (2018–19)
The community marked the 200th anniversary of the chapel and cemetery in September 2018 with a weekend of events that opened a yearlong celebration. Auxiliary Bishop John Dooher led evening prayer and Eucharistic adoration on Friday, September 14. On Saturday, September 15, Congressman Lynch introduced a civic ceremony that opened with a prayer from Cardinal Seán O'Malley, followed by a 4:00 PM Mass offered by the Cardinal (broadcast outside the chapel because the building only seats about 100). On Sunday, September 16, Bishop Robert Hennessey celebrated a 10:00 AM Mass, and a 12:00 noon Mass was offered for the Simon of Cyrene Society.
- Sept. 14, 2018 — Evening prayer and Eucharistic adoration with Bishop John Dooher.
- Sept. 15, 2018 — Civic ceremony and 4:00 PM Mass with Cardinal Seán O'Malley.
- Sept. 16, 2018 — 10:00 AM Mass with Bishop Robert Hennessey; noon Mass for the Simon of Cyrene Society.
Clergy and Pastoral Care
St. Augustine Chapel is served by the priests of the Gate of Heaven & St. Brigid Parish Collaborative, whose offices are at 841 East Broadway in South Boston. The priests reside together at the St. Brigid / Gate of Heaven Rectory and rotate sacramental care for the chapel along with many priests from across the Archdiocese of Boston who assist the collaborative.
- Father Robert (Bob) Casey — Pastor, Gate of Heaven & St. Brigid Parish Collaborative.
- Father Peter Schirripa — Parochial Vicar, Gate of Heaven & St. Brigid Parish Collaborative.
- Msgr. Liam Bergin — Irish priest and Boston College professor residing at the rectory; assists throughout the week.
Sacraments and Special Occasions
Outside its regular Saturday Mass, the chapel is a popular venue for the occasional sacraments — particularly weddings, funerals, and baptisms — because of its historic intimacy and significance to South Boston Catholic families. The parish also welcomes announced Masses booked through the office for anniversaries and memorial intentions.
- Baptisms by arrangement with the parish office.
- Weddings by arrangement with the parish office.
- Funerals by arrangement with the parish office.
- Announced Masses (memorials, anniversaries) bookable by calling 617-268-2122.
Devotions and Community Groups
In addition to regular worship, the chapel hosts a number of devotional and community gatherings that reflect its historic role as a gathering place for South Boston Catholics. The Simon of Cyrene Society, a spiritual group for adults with disabilities, meets monthly at St. Augustine for Mass. The chapel is also used for evening prayer and Eucharistic adoration on special occasions such as the bicentennial opening.
- Simon of Cyrene Society — monthly Mass for adults with disabilities, meeting at St. Augustine Chapel.
- Evening prayer and Eucharistic adoration on major anniversaries and holy days (e.g., the 2018 bicentennial opening led by Bishop Dooher).