About St. Bernards Church of Our Lady of Providence Parish · Worcester, Massachusetts
St. Bernard's Catholic Church of Our Lady of Providence Parish serves the north side of Worcester, Massachusetts from its home on Lincoln Street. Founded in 1916 as an Irish immigrant church carved out of Immaculate Conception Parish, St. Bernard's grew with its neighborhood and in 2008 merged with Our Lady of Fatima to form today's multicultural Our Lady of Providence Parish. Today the parish offers Masses in English and Spanish, runs a food pantry, an after-school program and ESL classes, and gathers a diverse, multigenerational community under the pastoral leadership of Father Jonathan J. Slavinskas.
- Established
- 1916
- Patron
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux (church name); Our Lady of Providence (parish name)
- Rector
- Rev. Jonathan J. Slavinskas
- Diocese
- Diocese of Worcester
Why belong here
St. Bernard's of Our Lady of Providence is a genuinely multigenerational, multicultural neighborhood parish where an Irish-rooted congregation now worships alongside families from across Latin America, with Mass in English and Spanish. The parish opens its doors wide beyond Sunday liturgy — feeding neighbors through a twice-monthly food pantry, tutoring children in an after-school program, and teaching English to newcomers from 36 different countries. Add weekly Eucharistic Adoration, a vibrant Hispanic ministry, Recovery Masses, RCIA, and youth and young-adult programming, and visitors find a parish that is rooted in a hundred-year-old Worcester neighborhood but very much alive with new faces.
Mass times at St. Bernards Church of Our Lady of Providence Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (and by appointment)
- Thursday 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM (before the Spanish Mass, or by appointment)
Adoration times
- First Thursday of the month: 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM (following morning Mass, with reposition before the evening Mass)
- First Friday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM: 'Ascend' Young Adult Adoration
Parish History
St. Bernard Parish was established in 1916 when the Springfield Diocese divided Immaculate Conception Parish on Grove Street to serve the Irish immigrant community on Worcester's north side. The Lincoln Street church was built between 1917 and 1919 and formally dedicated November 6, 1921 by Bishop Thomas M. O'Leary — exactly one hundred years before the parish would mark the anniversary with a bilingual Mass on November 7, 2021. Our Lady of Fatima was carved off in 1952 and merged back into St. Bernard's in 2008 to create today's Our Lady of Providence Parish, with Father Edward M. Ryan transitioning from Fatima to OLP. In 2017 OLP additionally absorbed the territory of the former St. Ann parish, now covering 223 Worcester streets.
- 1916 — Springfield Diocese announces creation of St. Bernard Parish
- 1917 — Ground broken on Lincoln Street church
- 1919 — First Mass celebrated at St. Bernard's on March 16
- 1921 — Church dedicated by Bishop Thomas M. O'Leary
- 1952 — Our Lady of Fatima Parish created from St. Bernard territory
- 2008 — Our Lady of Fatima merged back into St. Bernard's to form Our Lady of Providence Parish
- 2017 — Former St. Ann territory (Our Lady of Mount Carmel–St. Ann) assigned to OLP
- 2021 — 100th anniversary of the church's dedication celebrated with bilingual Mass
Our Pastor & Staff
Father Jonathan J. Slavinskas is the current pastor, appointed administrator in July 2016 and pastor in July 2017. A Worcester native, he grew up at St. John's Parish on Temple Street, graduated from North High School (2002) and Anna Maria College (2006), and was ordained at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD in 2012. He previously served as parochial vicar at St. John Paul II Parish in Southbridge (2012–2014) and St. Joseph's in Charlton (2014–2016). He also directs recruitment for the diocesan Office of Vocations and serves as chaplain to the Worcester and Auburn Police Departments and the Worcester Fire Department.
- Pastor: Rev. Jonathan J. Slavinskas ([email protected])
- Assisting Priest: Rev. William E. Reiser, S.J.
- Deacon Rev. Mr. Gilberto Javier Almonte ([email protected])
- Deacon Rev. Mr. Scott J. Camilleri ([email protected])
- Spanish Apostolate / Teen Outreach: Sister Susi Miranda, X.M.M.
- Special Ministry: Sister Rena Mae Gagnon, P.F.M.
- Religious Education: Sister Irene Moran, M.P.V.
- Parish Secretary: Frances J. Ocasio ([email protected])
- Cantor & Music Director: Monica Hatch
- Organist: Gavin Klein
Sacramental Life
Beyond Mass and Reconciliation, the parish prepares children and adults for the sacraments. Baptisms are scheduled through the parish office with at least two months' notice. Couples contact the office to begin marriage preparation. The parish also celebrates a monthly Recovery Mass and offers Mass cards and Mass intentions to honor the deceased or pray for special needs.
- Baptism — request at least 2 months in advance
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist — via Religious Education
- Confirmation — preparation for teens and adults
- Marriage — contact parish office to begin preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — on request
- Mass Intentions & Memorial Mass Cards — call the parish office
Religious Education & Faith Formation
The parish runs a Religious Education program for children in the parish schools' grades and welcomes registration year-round through the Religious Education Coordinator (Sister Irene Moran, M.P.V.). RCIA forms adults for full initiation into the Catholic Church, and the Marie Anne Center in the lower level of the church offers an after-school homework and reading program that complements classroom faith formation.
- K–8 Religious Education program
- First Reconciliation / First Eucharist preparation
- Confirmation preparation for teens
- RCIA for unbaptized adults and those completing initiation
- Vacation Bible School / seasonal events as advertised
Outreach: Marie Anne Center & Food Pantry
Sister Michele Jacques directs the Marie Anne Center, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Anne of Marlborough and located in the lower level of the church. Over the years it has offered English-as-a-Second-Language classes to adults from 36 different countries, an after-school homework and reading program for neighborhood children, and a twice-monthly prayer group. The parish Food Pantry, accessed via the Harlow Street entrance on the second floor, distributes food on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month from 5:00 to 6:00 PM. The site also lists a Safety Environment Coordinator and College Mentor/ESL Coordinator as part of its parish outreach network.
- Marie Anne Center — after-school program, prayer group, ESL
- Food Pantry — 2nd & 4th Monday, 5:00–6:00 PM (Harlow Street entrance)
- ESL classes for adults (current year ~15 adults; Portuguese and Spanish most common)
- Safety Environment & College Mentor programs
Hispanic Ministry (Spanish Apostolate)
The Spanish Apostolate, led by Sister Susi Miranda, X.M.M., accompanies the growing Latino Catholic community of the north side. The parish celebrates a weekly Spanish evening Mass on Thursday at 7:00 PM with a Spanish-language Rosary at 6:30 PM and Confession at 6:15 PM, and a Sunday Spanish Mass at 11:00 AM. Easter Vigil at the parish has included readings in English, Spanish, French and Vietnamese.
- Sunday 11:00 AM Mass in Spanish
- Thursday 7:00 PM Mass in Spanish (with Rosary and Confession beforehand)
- Teen outreach through the Xaverian Sisters
- Bilingual sacramental preparation and parish bulletin
Music Ministry
Music at St. Bernard's is led by Cantor and Music Director Monica Hatch and Organist Gavin Klein, supporting the parish's English and Spanish liturgies as well as special celebrations. A 1932 pipe organ — once considered the finest in Worcester — still anchors the choir loft, a reminder of the parish's musical heritage.
- Cantor & Music Director: Monica Hatch
- Organist: Gavin Klein
- Heritage pipe organ in the choir loft (installed 1932)
Recovery & Community Support
Our Lady of Providence welcomes those struggling with addiction through a monthly Recovery Mass and AA meetings in the parish hall. Whether you are personally struggling or know someone who is, the parish invites you to pray with them once a month. The calendar shows AA gatherings most Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 PM.
- Monthly Recovery Mass
- AA meetings — Tuesdays & Thursdays at 7:00 PM in the parish
- Confession and Adoration available to support spiritual recovery
Visiting & Getting Involved
Newcomers are warmly welcomed: 'It is good to have you home!' is the greeting on the parish homepage. Visitors can register as parishioners online, request a Mass intention, register a child's baptism, or volunteer with the Marie Anne Center, Food Pantry, Religious Education program, or one of the parish's bilingual liturgical ministries. The parish also rents out its gym to community groups and hosts an annual Irish Lunch fund-raiser.
- Parish registration available via the website
- Gym rental for community use
- Annual Irish Lunch fundraiser
- Volunteer opportunities in food pantry, religious ed, music, and Hispanic ministry
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Edward M. Ryan2008–
Pastored the merged Our Lady of Providence Parish after the 2008 union of St. Bernard's and Our Lady of Fatima.
- Rev. Jonathan J. SlavinskasAdministrator 2016; Pastor from July 2017
Born and raised in Worcester; ordained in 2012; served as parochial vicar at St. John Paul II Parish (Southbridge) and St. Joseph's (Charlton) before OLP.