About St. Brendan · Bellingham, Massachusetts
St. Brendan Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in North Bellingham, Massachusetts, part of the Archdiocese of Boston. The parish worships at 382 Hartford Avenue, while its rectory and parish offices are at 384 Hartford Avenue. It is a bilingual, multi-generational community rooted in devotion to St. Brendan the Navigator, offering daily and Sunday Masses in English, Eucharistic Adoration, a Religious Education (CCD) program, a youth ministry (Life Teen), Vacation Bible School, and an active music apostolate under the guidance of its pastor, the Rev. David J. Mullen.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Brendan (the Navigator)
- Rector
- Rev. David J. Mullen
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Brendan offers the full rhythm of a traditional Catholic parish: daily Mass Monday through Saturday at 9:00 AM, three Sunday Masses (8:30, 10:30, 5:30 PM), and a Saturday Vigil. Devotional life is strong — weekly Eucharistic Adoration (with First Friday Adoration from 9:30 AM Exposition to Noon Benediction), First Saturday Devotions, a Tuesday evening Holy Souls Prayer Group for the holy souls in Purgatory, Stations of the Cross with Confession each Friday in Lent, and a prayer line ministry. Newcomers are warmly welcomed by Fr. Mullen, and the parish supports faith formation for every age through CCD (Religious Education), a Life Teen youth ministry, Vacation Bible School, parish scholarships, and a dedicated music apostolate — making it a true community in which to plant roots.
Mass times at St. Brendan
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:00 – 3:30 PM (3:00 – 4:30 PM during daylight saving time)
- During Lent: Fridays at 7:00 PM after Mass and Stations of the Cross
- Before or after any Mass by request (Fr. Mullen also hears confessions when requested)
Adoration times
- Saturday Exposition at 2:00 PM with Benediction at 3:30 PM
- First Friday Adoration: Exposition 9:30 AM (after the 9:00 AM Mass) until Noon Benediction
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by its pastor with the support of a small but dedicated staff of full-time and volunteer parish ministers. The Boston Catholic Directory (thebostonpilot.com) lists the parish staff alongside the pastor, while bulletins identify additional liturgical and formation roles.
- Rev. David J. Mullen — Pastor
- Mrs. Kelly Lacasse — Business Manager / Parish Secretary ([email protected])
- Mrs. Taryne Bakalars — Director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry ([email protected])
- Mr. Mark Lacasse — Custodian
- Mr. Christopher Carson — Music Director and Organist (per Feb 2026 bulletin)
- Mrs. Maryanne Donahue — Music Director and Organist (per July 2025 bulletin)
- Mrs. Alice Bissonnette — Young People's Choir Director and Organist
- Parish Pastoral Council: David & Mary Brennan, Amanda & David Fitzgerald, Peter Lacasse, Fr. Mullen, and Carolyn McNiff
- Steve Joanis — Parish Captain for 1060 Catholic Radio
- Rev. Mr. David Joanis (ordained May 25, 2024) — parish vocation
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education (CCD) for parish children is directed by Mrs. Taryne Bakalars. Registrations for the upcoming year are made available on the parish website and at the doors of the parish hall. The parish also runs Vacation Bible School each summer in the Parish Hall — recent programs include 'SCUBA' (2024) and 'True North – Trusting Jesus in a Wild World' (2025) — open to children age 5 by August 31 through grade 6, with sixth graders serving as Counselors in Training.
- CCD (Religious Education) — pre-registration on the parish website each year
- Vacation Bible School — Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
- Contact: [email protected] / 508-966-0260
- First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation preparation
Youth Ministry — Life Teen
St. Brendan's Youth Apostolate uses the Life Teen model and is led by Mrs. Taryne Bakalars. Information and updates are shared via the parish youth Facebook page and the @StBrendansYouth Twitter/X account. The parish also trains new altar servers and offers community-service projects for students in need of service hours.
- Life Teen — high-school youth ministry
- Parish-hosted Facebook page: 'St. Brendan's Youth Group'
- Twitter/X: @StBrendansYouth
- Altar-server training (call the parish office to sign up)
- Community-service projects for school service-hour requirements
Music Apostolate
Music at St. Brendan is coordinated through the parish's Music Apostolate under a Music Director and Organist, with a separate Young People's Choir Director and Organist nurturing children's and teens' participation in parish liturgy. Bulletins alternate staff listings between Mrs. Maryanne Donahue and Mr. Christopher Carson as Music Director and Organist.
- Parish (adult) Choir
- Young People's Choir
- Music Director and Organist
- Director of Young People's Choir and Organist
Sacraments at St. Brendan
St. Brendan prepares the faithful for the full sacramental life of the Church. Baptisms are normally celebrated on the fourth Sunday of the month at 1:00 PM, with baptismal instruction the Saturday night before at 7:30 PM. Marriages require an initial conversation with Fr. Mullen at least six months before the intended wedding date. Reconciliation is regularly available Saturday afternoons and on request; First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation are prepared through the Religious Education program. Low-gluten hosts are available at Mass.
- Baptism (4th Sunday, 1:00 PM; instruction Saturday before at 7:30 PM)
- First Reconciliation / First Holy Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage — six months' notice to pastor
- Anointing of the Sick — contact pastor; home visits available
- Reconciliation (Saturday and by request)
- Low-gluten hosts available
Parish Pastoral Council & Lay Leadership
The Parish Pastoral Council, together with the pastor, helps guide the life and mission of St. Brendan. Members listed in recent bulletins include David and Mary Brennan, Amanda and David Fitzgerald, Peter Lacasse, Father Mullen, and Carolyn McNiff.
- Parish Pastoral Council
- Parish Captain for 1060 Catholic Radio (Steve Joanis)
- St. Brendan Prayer Line (email chain coordinated by Gladys)
Annual Catholic Appeal & Parish Scholarships
Each year the parish participates in the Archdiocesan Catholic Appeal. For 2025 the parish goal was $24,300 with an assessment of $18,860; bulletins reported pledges of $22,530 (123% of assessment, 93% of goal). The parish also administers a Parish Scholarship Fund and, until the fund was fully distributed, the Father Daniel J. Gilmartin College Scholarship — a $1,000-per-year award honoring the parish's late former pastor.
- Catholic Appeal (annual Archdiocesan campaign)
- Parish Scholarship Fund
- Father Daniel J. Gilmartin College Scholarship ($1,000; final 2025–2026 award)
Outreach & Community Life
Beyond liturgy and formation, St. Brendan maintains a ministry of prayer and outreach. The Holy Souls Prayer Group meets weekly to pray for the faithful departed; the St. Brendan Prayer Line is an email chain for urgent or ongoing prayer requests. The parish bulletin regularly features a 'Pray for Our Troops' list naming parishioners and family members serving in the U.S. armed forces, and provides community-service projects for school students needing service hours.
- Holy Souls Prayer Group
- St. Brendan Prayer Line — [email protected]
- Pray for Our Troops — published list
- Community-Service Project opportunities
- Visits to the sick and homebound (contact the pastor)
Visiting, Registration & Location
Newcomers are warmly welcomed at every Mass. Fr. Mullen invites recent arrivals to introduce themselves after Mass, and parish registration forms are kept on the table outside the parish offices in the parish hall. The parish sits one mile east of Exit 18 (Route 126) off I-495 on the left side of Hartford Avenue, easily reached from I-95 via I-495 and from Boston via the Mass. Turnpike (I-90) west to I-495 south.
- New parishioner registration forms available outside the parish offices in the parish hall
- Address: 384 Hartford Avenue, Bellingham, MA 02019-1217 (Parish Office / Rectory); Church: 382 Hartford Avenue
- Parish Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
- Phone: 508-966-0260
- Directions via I-495 Exit 18 — see Getting There
Livestream, Online Giving & Communications
The parish livestreams daily and weekend Masses through its website and uses the WeShare online giving platform for one-time and recurring donations. The Sunday Mass bulletin is published weekly through the Boston Catholic Directory, which maintains an archive of past bulletins.
- Livestream at saintbrendansparish.org/livestream
- Online Giving via WeShare
- Weekly bulletin through thebostonpilot.com
- Email contacts for Pastor, Staff, and Prayer Line
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Daniel J. Gilmartin
Late former pastor of St. Brendan Parish; his estate endowed the Father Daniel J. Gilmartin College Scholarship distributed annually by the pastor to a college or master's-program parishioner.