About St. Catherine of Siena [All Saints Parish] · Charlestown, New Hampshire
All Saints Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, formed in 2007 by the merger of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Charlestown and Saint Peter Parish in North Walpole (which included Saint Joseph Mission in Walpole). The parish serves Catholics across the towns of Acworth, Alstead, Charlestown, Langdon, and Walpole, with worship held in two historic church buildings: St. Catherine of Siena Church at 285 Main Street in Charlestown (the parish's administrative and rectory site) and St. Peter Church in North Walpole. Its mission statement is "To Live and Preach the Gospel through the Example of our Lives," and daily and weekend Masses are celebrated across both sites alongside the sacraments of Reconciliation, Baptism, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Siena (patron of the Charlestown church)
- Rector
- Very Rev. John Loughnane, VF
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester
Why belong here
All Saints Parish welcomes Catholics and seekers across a wide swath of the Upper Connecticut River Valley — from Charlestown and North Walpole to Alstead, Langdon, Acworth, and Walpole — preserving two beloved historic worship sites (a 1904-era and an 1878-era church) rather than closing them. It offers the full sacramental life with weekend and daily Masses at both churches, two weekly opportunities for Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays at St. Catherine, a parish-based Faith Formation program preparing children for First Communion and Confirmation, RCIA for adults entering the Church, and sacramental records kept on-site with easy contact through the rectory. With a parish mission to "Live and Preach the Gospel through the Example of our Lives" and a pastor and staff who personally accompany families through weddings, funerals, baptisms, and catechesis, it is a small but full Catholic community.
Mass times at St. Catherine of Siena [All Saints Parish]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM (St. Peter Church, North Walpole)
- Thursday 4:45–5:25 PM (St. Catherine of Siena Church, Charlestown)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration Thursday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM (St. Catherine of Siena Church)
Our Parish — All Saints Parish
All Saints Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Manchester serving the Upper Connecticut River Valley of New Hampshire. The parish was established on June 10, 2007 by a decree of the Bishop of Manchester, merging St. Catherine of Siena Parish (Charlestown, est. 1904) and St. Peter Parish (North Walpole, est. 1878, with St. Joseph Mission in Walpole). Its mission is "To Live and Preach the Gospel through the Example of our Lives," and it serves the entire towns of Acworth, Alstead, Charlestown, Langdon, and Walpole — including the village precincts of North Walpole and Drewsville — with the Connecticut River marking the western (Vermont) boundary.
- Parish Mission: To Live and Preach the Gospel through the Example of our Lives
- Formed in 2007 by Bishop's decree merging three former parishes
- Located in the Upper Valley Deanery of the Diocese of Manchester
- Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Our Churches
All Saints Parish worships at two historic church buildings, preserving both as living sacramental sites for the merged community. The 2007 decree specifically ordered that the names of the existing church edifices — St. Catherine of Siena Church, St. Peter Church, and St. Joseph Mission Church — remain unchanged.
- St. Catherine of Siena Church (Interior) — 285 Main St., Charlestown, NH 03603 — site of the parish office, rectory, and cemetery.
- St. Peter Church (Interior) — 39 Church St., North Walpole, NH 03609.
- St. Joseph Mission Church — Walpole, NH (former mission site).
Sacramental Records & Funeral Care
Since the 2007 merger, sacramental records for the three former parishes — St. Catherine's, St. Peter's, and St. Joseph's — are kept at the St. Catherine of Siena Rectory in Charlestown. Requests for certificates go through Teri Sullivan at 603-826-3359. The parish also walks alongside families through the loss of a loved one, offering prayer, support, and funeral services; families are encouraged to contact the rectory right away after a death.
- Sacramental records (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Marriage, Death) for the three former parishes
- Certificate requests handled by Teri Sullivan at 603-826-3359
- Funeral planning and bereavement support through the rectory
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish Religious Education Program prepares the children of All Saints Parish for First Holy Communion and the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Assistant Director of Faith Formation is Michael Szklennik, supported by Jeffrey Szklennik, and the pastor Fr. John Loughnane serves as the RCIA contact for adult inquirers.
- Parish Religious Education Program for school-age children
- First Holy Communion preparation (celebrated in the spring)
- Confirmation preparation (celebrated with the Bishop, typically at St. Mary Church, Claremont)
- Faith Formation contact: 603-826-3359
RCIA — Becoming Catholic
The parish runs the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for any unbaptized adult, those baptized in another Christian tradition, and baptized Catholics who have never received formal religious training. The process — described on the parish site as "not an instructional program but a process of conversion created by the Church" — includes formation, discernment, and the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist). Inquiries go directly to Fr. John Loughnane at 603-826-3359.
- Welcomes unbaptized adults, baptized Christians from other traditions, and uncatechized Catholics
- Includes rituals of commitment and the Sacraments of Initiation
- Minimum one full liturgical year for the unbaptized; adapted for already-baptized candidates
- Inquiries: Fr. John Loughnane, 603-826-3359
Parish Staff
The day-to-day life of the parish is run by a small team led by the pastor, with a music director, bookkeeper, faith-formation staff, and sacramental-records coordinator.
- Pastor: Very Rev. John Loughnane, VF — 603-826-3359 — [email protected]
- Music Director: Thomas LaCasce; Assistant Director: Michael Szklennik — 603-826-3359
- Bookkeeper: Leslie Taylor
- Director of Faith Formation program — Assistant Director Michael Szklennik; Jeffrey Szklennik (603-826-3359)
- Sacramental Records: Teri Sullivan — 603-826-3359
Parish History
St. Catherine of Siena Parish traces its roots in Charlestown to 1904; St. Peter Parish's history in North Walpole goes back to 1878. St. Joseph's Mission in Walpole belonged to St. Catherine's for decades before becoming a mission of St. Peter Parish in 1966, and St. Catherine's later planted a mission in Alstead that grew into the Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit (1974–1999).
- 1878 — St. Peter Parish founded in North Walpole
- 1904 — St. Catherine of Siena Parish founded in Charlestown
- 1966 — St. Joseph (Walpole) becomes a mission of St. Peter
- 1974 — St. Catherine's begins renting the Third Congregational Church in Alstead, founding Holy Spirit mission
- 1999 — Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit closes
- June 10, 2007 — Bishop of Manchester formally merges the parishes into All Saints Parish
- 1933 — St. Catherine's remodeled with marble altars, Stations, lighting, pews, and electrical organ
- 2010–2011 — St. Peter Church renovated
- July–Nov 2012 — St. Catherine of Siena Church totally renovated
Visiting, Registering & Contact
New parishioners can register by mail, by email, or by requesting a form from the parish office. The rectory is staffed part-time (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM), and parishioners and visitors are invited to call 603-826-3359 or email [email protected] with questions about the sacraments, funerals, registration, faith formation, or RCIA.
- Three ways to register: print and mail the form, submit it by email, or request one from the office
- Rectory phone: 603-826-3359
- Parish fax: 603-826-5875
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Very Rev. John Loughnane, VFpresent pastor (All Saints Parish formed 2007)
Current pastor; serves as RCIA contact and leader of the merged parish of St. Catherine of Siena (Charlestown), St. Peter (North Walpole), and former St. Joseph Mission (Walpole).