About St. Brendan (North American Martyrs Parish) · Colebrook, New Hampshire
North American Martyrs Parish is a Catholic territorial parish in the far northern tip of New Hampshire, headquartered at 55 Pleasant Street in Colebrook. Formed on October 7, 2007 by a decree of Bishop John B. McCormack of the Diocese of Manchester, it merged the former Saint Albert Parish (West Stewartstown, est. 1926) and Saint Brendan Parish (Colebrook, est. 1953) into one community that also includes Saint Pius X Mission in Errol and Saint William of York Chapel in Dixville Notch. The parish belongs to the White Mountain Deanery of the Diocese of Manchester, is served by a pastor and parochial vicar, and worships across three church buildings plus a chapel, caring for three historic cemeteries (St. Albert, St. Brendan, and St. Pius Forest Lawn).
- Established
- 2007
- Patron
- North American Martyrs (the eight Jesuit missionaries martyred in North America)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Kyle F. Stanton, V.F.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester (White Mountain Deanery)
Why belong here
North American Martyrs Parish offers Catholics in New Hampshire's far North Country a stable, Eucharist-centered worship life across three historic church buildings — Saint Brendan in Colebrook, Saint Albert in West Stewartstown, and Saint Pius X Mission in Errol — plus Saint William of York Chapel in Dixville Notch. A Saturday vigil at St. Albert, an early Sunday Mass at St. Pius X (in season), and a 10:00 AM Sunday Mass at St. Brendan make weekly worship accessible across the wide rural deanery. The parish explicitly names the stranger and the poor in its mission, maintains three cemeteries with an annual prayer service for the deceased, and offers faith formation for all ages.
Mass times at St. Brendan (North American Martyrs Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 1/2 hour before weekend Masses
North American Martyrs Parish — Overview
North American Martyrs Parish is the Roman Catholic parish serving the northernmost corner of New Hampshire. It is one territorial parish — a single canonical entity — that worships across multiple historic church buildings. Its offices and its primary church, St. Brendan, sit at 55 Pleasant Street in Colebrook, the county seat of Coos County. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Manchester and is part of the White Mountain Deanery.
- Diocese of Manchester — White Mountain Deanery
- Parish ID 41795 in the New Hampshire Catholic Appeal records
- Established 2007 by merger decree
Mission Statement & Identity
The parish publishes a mission statement rooted in the Gospel commissioning of John 20:21: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." It identifies the community as a strong community of faith, nourished by the Holy Eucharist, guided by the Holy Spirit, and trusting in the grace of God. The parish commits itself to letting the light of Christ shine, providing sound religious formation for people of all ages, and caring for the spiritual and social well-being of one another — with particular attention to the stranger and the poor in its midst.
- Guiding Scripture: John 20:21
- Charity focus: the stranger and the poor
- Formation focus: all ages
History & Formation (1926–2007)
Catholic life in the region traces back to two predecessor parishes. Saint Albert Parish was established in 1926 to serve the faithful of Stewartstown, West Stewartstown, Clarksville and Pittsburgh; from 1995 it also served the parishioners of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Canaan, Vermont. Saint Brendan Parish, including Saint Pius X Mission and Saint William of York Chapel, was established in 1953 for Colebrook, Dixville Notch and Errol. After consultation through Cluster Task Force Number Thirty, the White Mountain Deanery, the Long Range Planning Commission, the Presbyteral Council, and the Diocesan Finance Council, Bishop John B. McCormack issued a formal decree on September 26, 2007 merging the two parishes effective October 7, 2007. All parish registers, assets, cemeteries, and ecclesiastical goods were transferred to the new North American Martyrs Parish.
- 1926 — Saint Albert Parish founded (Stewartstown/West Stewartstown/Clarksville/Pittsburgh)
- 1953 — Saint Brendan Parish founded (Colebrook/Dixville Notch/Errol)
- 1995 — Saint Albert's pastor begins also serving Assumption BVM, Canaan, VT
- September 26, 2007 — Merger decree signed by Bishop John B. McCormack
- October 7, 2007 — Merger takes effect; North American Martyrs Parish canonical
- All registers moved to 55 Pleasant Street, Colebrook
Churches, Mission & Chapel
The parish retains all four pre-merger worship sites as part of one territorial parish. The church buildings remain the property and worship spaces of North American Martyrs Parish until such time as the pastor, with his parish pastoral and finance council and the bishop's consent, determines otherwise.
- St. Brendan Church — 55 Pleasant St., Colebrook, NH (Sunday 10:00 AM; Tuesday 9:00 AM weekday Mass)
- St. Albert Church — 15 Church St., West Stewartstown, NH (Saturday 4:30 PM vigil; Monday 9:00 AM weekday Mass)
- St. Pius X Mission Church — 108 Colebrook Rd., Errol, NH (Sunday 8:00 AM, May 24 – Oct 11, 2026 seasonal schedule)
- St. William of York Chapel — Dixville Notch, NH (mission chapel)
Clergy & Staff
The parish is served by a pastor and a parochial vicar, supported by an administrative assistant and two church organists. The pastor is identified as Very Rev. Kyle F. Stanton, V.F. (Vicar Forane / Dean), and the parochial vicar is Rev. Stephen Savarimuthu, H.G.N. (a member of the Heralds of Good News missionary society). Rita Donnell serves as Administrative Assistant; Therese Wright is Organist at St. Brendan; Odette Crawford is Organist at St. Albert.
- Very Rev. Kyle F. Stanton, V.F. — Pastor
- Rev. Stephen Savarimuthu, H.G.N. — Parochial Vicar
- Rita Donnell — Administrative Assistant
- Therese Wright — Organist, St. Brendan
- Odette Crawford — Organist, St. Albert
Cemeteries & Annual Prayer Service
North American Martyrs Parish is responsible for three cemeteries that came to it from its predecessor parishes: Saint Albert Cemetery, Saint Brendan Cemetery, and Saint Pius Forest Lawn Cemetery. Each year the parish gathers the community for an evening prayer service at the cemeteries to pray for the repose of the souls of the departed.
- Saint Albert Cemetery (from former Saint Albert Parish)
- Saint Brendan Cemetery (from former Saint Brendan Parish)
- Saint Pius Forest Lawn Cemetery (from former Saint Pius X Mission)
- Annual prayer service at 6:00 PM at each cemetery
Contact, Office & Visiting
The parish office is located at 55 Pleasant Street in Colebrook, New Hampshire. Office hours are posted as Monday 8:00 AM–3:00 PM, Wednesday 10:00 AM–2:00 PM, and Thursday 10:00 AM–2:00 PM. Messages can be left by phone or sent via the website contact form. The parish email is [email protected].
- Parish Office: 55 Pleasant St., Colebrook, NH 03576
- Phone: (603) 237-4342
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon 8:00 AM–3:00 PM; Wed 10:00 AM–2:00 PM; Thu 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Website: http://www.nampnh.org/
Bulletin & Communications
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin through its website at nampnh.org/bulletin and posts upcoming events on its homepage, including seasonal schedules, cemetery prayer services, and notices for each of the three church sites.
- Bulletin published at nampnh.org/bulletin
- Homepage features upcoming events and seasonal Mass schedules
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Muirprior to current pastorate
Listed as Pastor of North American Martyrs Parish in third-party parish profiles before the current assignment.