About St. Bernadette · Northborough, Massachusetts
St. Bernadette Parish is a Roman Catholic parish serving Northborough, Massachusetts, in the Diocese of Worcester. The parish community describes itself as 'a prayerful, Eucharistic, Marian, and faith-filled community of believers' that welcomes all into God's house. It operates St. Bernadette School (a pre-K through grade 7 Catholic elementary school) and runs an active Brazilian Ministry with a Sunday Mass in Portuguese, alongside a robust schedule of weekday and weekend Masses in English, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, and a wide network of outreach, liturgical, and faith-sharing ministries.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- St. Bernadette Soubirous (of Lourdes)
- Rector
- Rev. Ronald G. Falco
- Diocese
- Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts
Why belong here
St. Bernadette offers a complete Catholic life for Northborough-area families: weekday and weekend Masses in English plus a Sunday evening Mass in Portuguese for the Brazilian community, a perpetual Adoration Chapel open at any time, and a Catholic elementary school serving pre-K through grade 7. Parishioners can also join a deep bench of lay ministries — the Hope Ministry's food pantry and community meals, Respect for Life, Women's Faith Sharing, Knights of Columbus, Bernadette Youth, liturgical choirs and altar servers, prayer shawl ministry, and bereavement support — making it easy to find a way to serve and belong.
Mass times at St. Bernadette
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:15 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration — The Chapel is available for Adoration at any time
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Ronald G. Falco, who also serves as Director of the Diocese of Worcester's Office of Ongoing Priestly Formation. A team of lay staff and ministry coordinators supports the parish's sacramental, educational, musical, and youth ministries. Father Falco personally fields inquiries about Baptism, Marriage, and discernment to the priesthood or diaconate.
- Rev. Ronald G. Falco — Pastor ([email protected])
- Mrs. Ginny (Virginia) Boland — Director of Youth Ministry
- Ms. Lori Howard — Administrator of Religious Education
- Mrs. Celeste Mikitarian — Parish Secretary / Finance
- Ms. Mary Anne Jezierski — School Principal
- Jay Maenhout — Director of Music (508-494-1362)
St. Bernadette School
St. Bernadette School is a pre-K through grade 7 Catholic elementary school located on the parish campus and accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). It began in 1996 as a small preschool of twenty-five students championed by then-pastor Father Chester J. Devlin, expanded through K–3 grades in 1997, moved into a dedicated building in 1998, and has grown — with an academic wing, Activity Center, and preschool building added in subsequent years — into the largest Catholic elementary school in the Diocese of Worcester.
- Founded 1996 as preschool and day care
- Separate school building opened fall 1998 with 225 students
- New academic wing, Activity Center (2000) and preschool building (2001) added
- Curriculum: math, social studies, music, art, Spanish, technology, pre-K through grade 7
- Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
- Principal: Ms. Mary Anne Jezierski
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for parish children is coordinated through the Administrator of Religious Education and the Director of Youth Ministry. Sacramental preparation for First Eucharist, First Communion, and Confirmation is handled by Mrs. Virginia Boland, while adult initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation) is arranged with Father Falco. Youth ministry gatherings are branded as 'Bernadette Youth'.
- Children's Religious Education — register with Mrs. Virginia Boland
- Sacramental preparation (First Communion, Confirmation) through Mrs. Boland
- Adult Sacraments of Initiation — contact Fr. Ron Falco
- Bernadette Youth Ministry
Liturgical Ministries
Music and liturgy are central to worship at St. Bernadette. The parish's Music Ministry treats singing as meditation and witness rather than performance, and welcomes singers and instrumentalists of middle-school age and older. The Sanctuary Choir sings at every other 11:00 AM Sunday Mass, while the Praise & Worship Ensemble accompanies the Saturday 5:00 PM Vigil Mass. Lay liturgical roles include Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Cantors, Altar Servers (open to 4th graders who have received First Communion), and the Art & Environment Ministry that decorates the church through the liturgical year.
- Sanctuary Choir — rehearses 10:15 AM, sings alternate 11:00 AM Sunday Masses
- Praise & Worship Ensemble — rehearses Saturdays at 4:00 PM for 5:00 PM Mass
- Cantor Ministry — leads 9:00 AM and alternate 11:00 AM Masses
- Lectors — contact Horace Turner (508-393-5340)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers — open to 4th grade and up; contact Chuck Dinovo (508-662-0186)
- Art & Environment Ministry
Hope Ministry & Outreach
The Hope Ministry (Helping Others Prayerfully Evangelizing) is the parish's main outreach arm, coordinating several recurring service opportunities in Northborough and surrounding communities. Parishioners prepare and serve meals in Marlborough and at Trinity Church in Northborough, support men transitioning back into the community at Dismal Family Farm, and collect non-perishable items monthly for the Northboro Food Pantry.
- Our Father's Table — 1st Monday, 204 Main Street, Marlborough
- Dismal Family Farm — 2nd Monday, meal for men in transitional housing
- Community Meals — about every six weeks at Trinity Church, Northborough
- Monthly Food Pantry Collection for the Northboro Food Pantry
- Respect for Life Ministry
Prayer & Devotions
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish nurtures a robust devotional life. Perpetual Adoration is available in the Chapel at any time, and every Thursday evening the community gathers for an hour of Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Scripture reading before the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the monstrance. The Prayer Shawl Ministry brings comfort to those in need, and Women's Faith Sharing groups meet at various times throughout the year.
- Perpetual Adoration in the Chapel
- Thursday 7:00–8:00 PM — Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Scripture reading (Adoration Chapel)
- Prayer Shawl Ministry — contact Rose Marie Clark (978-415-0272)
- Women's Faith Sharing
- Bereavement support — contact the parish office
Sacraments
All seven sacraments are supported by the parish. Father Ron Falco personally arranges Baptisms (infant and adult), preparation for Christian marriage (which the parish asks couples to begin at least a year in advance), Anointing of the Sick, and discernment for Holy Orders or the permanent diaconate. Children's sacramental preparation is handled by Mrs. Virginia Boland. Pastoral staff also visit and minister to those who are ill, hospitalized, or elderly.
- Baptism (infant and adult) — Fr. Ron Falco
- Eucharist & Confirmation (adult) — Fr. Ron Falco
- First Communion & Confirmation (children) — Mrs. Virginia Boland
- Marriage — begin at least one year in advance with Fr. Ron Falco
- Anointing of the Sick / visits to the infirm — pastoral staff
- Holy Orders / Permanent Diaconate discernment — Fr. Ron Falco
Newcomers & Parish Life
St. Bernadette welcomes new parishioners with a registration form on its website and uses Flocknote to send ministry and group updates via email or text, with the ability to customize which notifications you receive. The parish also runs Online Giving and participates in the diocesan Partners in Charity appeal. The parish's self-description captures its welcome: 'Saint Bernadette Parish strives to embody the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ as a prayerful, Eucharistic, Marian, and faith-filled community of believers.'
- New parishioner registration form on stb-parish.org
- Flocknote email/text notification sign-up for ministries and groups
- Online Giving available
- Partners in Charity (Diocesan Appeal)
- Knights of Columbus council
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Chester J. Devlin
Pastor in 1994–1995; championed the parish school initiative that grew into today's St. Bernadette School.
- Rev. Ronald G. Falco
Current pastor; also serves as Director of the Diocese of Worcester's Office of Ongoing Priestly Formation; oversaw school restructuring and revitalization efforts.