About St. Augustine Church · Canterbury, Connecticut
St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church in Canterbury, Connecticut is one of three worship sites of St. Andre Bessette Parish in the Diocese of Norwich, alongside St. John the Apostle in Plainfield and All Hallows in Moosup. The parish traces its origins to 1964, when two Canterbury women petitioned the Norwich Chancery for a Catholic chapel in their rural town, and it grew from a Sunday Mass in the local Grange Hall into a dedicated church building in 1968 and a full parish in 1978. Today St. Augustine offers a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Thursday evening Mass with Holy Hour, Saturday reconciliation, a CCD religious education program for grades K–10, RCIA, a Parish Council, and the long-running Ladies Guild.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- St. Augustine
- Rector
- Rev. Grzegorz P. (Greg) Jednaki
- Diocese
- Diocese of Norwich
Why belong here
St. Augustine offers a warm, small-parish Catholic community in rural Canterbury, served as one of three worship sites of St. Andre Bessette Parish. Families can grow in faith through a CCD program for grades K–10, sacramental preparation for First Eucharist, Penance, and Confirmation, and the RCIA process for adults, while the Parish Council and Ladies Guild — founded in 1968 — provide meaningful ways to build community, raise funds (including the annual Harvest Bazaar), and serve the parish. With a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Thursday evening Mass followed by a Holy Hour (September–June), and Saturday confessions, the parish keeps a steady rhythm of Eucharistic life grounded in decades of local history.
Mass times at St. Augustine Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm, or by appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday following the 6:00 pm Mass (Holy Hour, September–June)
Parish History
St. Augustine's history is the story of a small rural Catholic community growing from a dream into a parish. It began in 1964 when two Canterbury mothers — Theresa Pukalo and Lillian Waskiewicz — wrote to the Chancery in Norwich asking for a Catholic chapel in their town, and culminated in a dedicated church building in 1968 and full parish status in 1978.
- 1964 — Theresa Pukalo and Lillian Waskiewicz petition the Norwich Chancery
- 1965 — Sunday Masses begin in Canterbury's Grange Hall
- April 1966 — Land purchased with Diocesan Development Fund and a $1,000 gift from Bishop Hines
- September 15, 1968 — Church dedicated by Bishop Vincent J. Hines; first confirmation class held same day
- September 15, 1978 — Mission elevated to parish status; Father Leo Lavallee named first resident pastor
- September 18, 1978 — Father Joseph Ricard appointed first pastor of the new parish by Bishop Daniel P. Reilly
- First Roman Catholic church in Canterbury since the town's 1703 incorporation
Clergy & Staff
St. Augustine is served by the pastor and staff of St. Andre Bessette Parish, who minister across all three worship sites — St. Augustine (Canterbury), St. John the Apostle (Plainfield), and All Hallows (Moosup). The current pastor was appointed by Bishop Michael R. Cote effective June 21, 2021.
- Rev. Grzegorz P. (Greg) Jednaki — Pastor (appointed June 21, 2021)
- Deacon Timothy Marshall
- Adele Comeau — Secretary & Bulletin Editor
- Patricia LaBonte — Bookkeeper
- Scott LaPorte — Properties & Maintenance Supervisor
- April Gibson — Director of Religious Education (DRE)
- Vincent Kluczewski — Organist (Canterbury)
- Janice McMahon — Organist (Canterbury & Plainfield)
- David Allard — Director of St. John's Cemetery
Religious Education (CCD)
The parish's religious education program is staffed by volunteer catechists from the parish and provides instruction for children in grades K–10. The Board of Religious Education frames its mission as helping 'every individual to become an enlightened and committed Christian,' with parents recognized as the primary educators of their children and Sunday worship as the foundation of an active Catholic life.
- Grades K–4 — Sundays, 10:00 am – 11:30 am
- Grades 5–10 — Sundays, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
- Sacramental preparation: First Eucharist in Grade 2
- Sacramental preparation: Penance in Grade 5
- Sacramental preparation: Confirmation in Grade 10
RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
The parish runs the RCIA process, preparing adults for full membership in the Catholic Church using the ancient method of the early Church. The program also welcomes alienated Catholics returning to the faith and prepares adult candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
- Designed for adults seeking membership in the Catholic Church
- Welcomes returning Catholics
- Prepares adult candidates for Confirmation
Parish Council
The Parish Council is a consultative body of 12 elected parishioners and four ex-officio members that promotes and executes parish programs alongside the pastor. It organizes its work through four standing committees covering the practical, spiritual, social, and justice dimensions of parish life.
- Finance Committee — income, expenditures, and maintenance of church properties
- Spiritual Life Committee — spiritual climate, health, and development of the parish
- Social Committee — social interaction of parishioners and general welfare
- Peace and Justice Committee — promotion of peace and justice as evangelical principles
Ladies Guild of St. Augustine
The Ladies Guild is a fellowship of parish women who meet monthly to support St. Augustine in distinctly Catholic and womanly ways. Founded in 1968, it is affiliated with the Putnam District Council of the Norwich Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. All women of the parish are eligible and encouraged to join.
- Organized in 1968
- Affiliated with the Putnam District Council of Norwich Diocesan Council of Catholic Women
- Hosts the annual Harvest Bazaar, a parish and community favorite
- Promotes social events, fundraisers, and mutual moral support
St. Andre Bessette Parish
St. Augustine Canterbury is one of three worship sites of the merged St. Andre Bessette Parish in the Putnam Deanery of the Diocese of Norwich. The parish's shared mission statement calls its members to be disciples of Jesus Christ and stewards of God's creation, formed and fed at the Table of God's Word and of His Body, and sent forth to continue the ministry of Christ in the community and the world.
- All Hallows — 126 Prospect St, Moosup, CT 06354 (Sunday Mass 8:00 am; Thursday 7:30 am)
- St. John the Apostle — 15 Railroad Ave (mailing: 10 Railroad Ave), Plainfield, CT 06374 (Sunday Mass 10:00 am or 10:30 am; Wednesday 6:00 pm; Friday 8:00 am)
- St. Augustine — 144 Westminster Rd, Canterbury, CT 06331 (Saturday Vigil 4:30 pm; Thursday 6:00 pm)
- Parish mailing address: 10 Railroad Ave, Plainfield, CT 06374 — 860-564-3313
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Pastor: Rev. Grzegorz P. Jednaki; Deacon: Timothy Marshall
Sacraments
St. Augustine prepares parishioners of all ages for the sacraments of the Church. Sacramental preparation for children is woven into the CCD program according to grade level, while adults prepare through the RCIA process. Reconciliation is also offered weekly before the Saturday Vigil Mass.
- First Eucharist — Grade 2
- Penance — Grade 5; Saturdays 3:30–4:00 pm
- Confirmation — Grade 10 (adults via RCIA)
- Baptism — arranged through the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick and Communion for the homebound — contact the rectory
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Leo Lavallee1965–c. 1978
First resident pastor; shepherded the Canterbury mission from 1965, oversaw construction and dedication of the church (1968) and became the first resident pastor when the mission became a parish on September 15, 1978.
- Rev. Joseph Ricard1978
Named first pastor of the new parish of St. Augustine's by Bishop Daniel P. Reilly on September 18, 1978.
- Rev. Phillippe MilletteAfter Lavallee's retirement
Appointed Pastor of St. John Church and St. Augustine Church following Lavallee's retirement.
- Rev. Greg (Grzegorz P.) JednakiEffective June 21, 2021–present
Transferred from St. Philip Parish, Warrenville to become Pastor of Saint Andre Bessette Parish, the merged parish serving Canterbury, Plainfield, and Moosup.