St. Catherine of Siena

About St. Catherine of Siena Parish

St. Catherine of Siena is a small Catholic parish in Preston, Connecticut, founded in 1954 and now in the Diocese of Norwich. It is one of three yoked parishes that together form Holy Spirit Catholic Community, sharing pastoral leadership, staff, and sacramental life with St. Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary in Jewett City and Ss. Thomas the Apostle & Anne in Voluntown. The church itself sits along Route 164 in Preston City. The parish mailing address is 34 N. Main Street, Jewett City, CT 06351, and the office phone is (860) 376-2044.

History of the Parish

St. Catherine of Siena was established in 1954 to serve the Catholic families of Preston and the surrounding rural towns of southeastern Connecticut. The area's Catholic roots go back to the Irish, French-Canadian, and Polish immigrants who settled in eastern Connecticut to work on the railroads and in the textile mills in the 19th and early 20th centuries. St. Catherine was 'yoked' from early on with St. Mary in Jewett City (est. 1872) and Ss. Thomas & Anne in Voluntown (est. 1892). In 2023 the three parishes formally adopted the joint name 'Holy Spirit Catholic Community,' and in February 2025, after thirteen fiscal years in which only three of those years saw St. Catherine pay its bills without a deficit, the parishes transitioned to a new Administrator model under Bishop Michael R. Cote.

• 1954 — St. Catherine of Siena Parish established in Preston, CT
• Pre-2011 — Parishes served by earlier pastors, including Rev. George Richards Jr., JCL (ordained 1995; d. May 11, 2023)
• June 2011 — Very Rev. Ted F. Tumicki, STL, JCL, appointed yoked pastor of St. Mary, St. Catherine, and Ss. Thomas & Anne
• April 2023 — Joint parish name 'Holy Spirit Catholic Community' adopted
• February 1, 2025 — Father Tom Griffin named Parish Administrator; Father Ted steps down as pastor to serve full-time as Diocesan Judicial Vicar

Sacraments

The parish prepares and celebrates the sacraments in close cooperation with the family and the wider Holy Spirit Catholic Community. Baptisms are normally celebrated during or after weekend Masses, or by appointment with the parish office. Couples preparing for Matrimony are asked to make arrangements one year in advance. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard by appointment at St. Catherine and on Saturday afternoons at St. Mary in Jewett City. The parish also visits the sick and homebound; parishioners may call the Rectory to arrange a visit.

• Baptism
• Confirmation (preparation through Religious Education)
• Eucharist (weekday and weekend Masses)
• Reconciliation (Confession)
• Matrimony — arrange one year in advance
• Anointing / Visitation of the Sick and Homebound

Religious Education & Faith Formation

St. Catherine of Siena shares faith formation programming across Holy Spirit Catholic Community. The Norwich diocesan directory lists Religious Education Coordinators Peg McComiskey and Pat Bell as contacts for the parish. Children preparing for First Eucharist and Confirmation, along with adults seeking the sacraments through the RCIA, are served through this tri-parish effort. Families are encouraged to call the parish office (860-376-2044) for current schedules and registration details.

• Religious Education Coordinators: Peg McComiskey and Pat Bell
• Children's sacramental preparation (First Eucharist, Confirmation)
• Adult faith formation and RCIA through the tri-parish community

Holy Spirit Catholic Community — The Yoked Parishes

Since 2023 the three linked parishes have used the umbrella name 'Holy Spirit Catholic Community.' All three are yoked under one pastor (now Administrator) and share staff, financial administration, and certain ministries. Together they form the Catholic presence in the towns of Griswold (Jewett City), Preston, and Voluntown in southeastern Connecticut.

• St. Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary — 34 N. Main St., Jewett City, CT 06351 (est. 1872). Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM; Sunday 8:00 AM; Daily Mass Tues. 8:00 AM in Parish Chapel. Director of Music: Howard Drye. Religious Education Coordinator: Cheryl Morin.
• St. Catherine of Siena — 243 Route 164, Preston, CT 06365 (est. 1954). Saturday Vigil 5:45 PM (May–Sept.) / Sunday 11:45 AM (Oct.–Apr.); Daily Mass Thurs. 9:00 AM.
• Ss. Thomas the Apostle & Anne — 61 Preston City Rd., Voluntown, CT 06384 (est. 1892). Saturday Vigil 5:45 PM / Sunday 9:00 AM; Daily Mass Fri. 8:00 AM (and Mon. May–Oct.). D.R.E.: Cathy Becotte; Confirmation Coordinator: Paul F. Dillon Jr.

Clergy, Staff & Office Hours

The community is led by Parish Administrator Fr. Tom Griffin, who succeeded Fr. Ted Tumicki on February 1, 2025. Two deacons — Deacon Bryan Jones and Deacon Jorge Escalona — assist across the three parishes. Parish secretarial and maintenance work is shared: Mrs. Christine Siart serves as Secretary for St. Mary; Mrs. Jaymie Macko serves as Secretary across the community; Mr. Steve Champagne is the Maintenance Coordinator. The tri-parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 1 PM, at 34 N. Main St., Jewett City; the office is closed on Fridays. The main phone line has experienced outages, so a backup line is published at (860) 376-5150.

• Rev. Thomas P. Griffin — Parish Administrator
• Very Rev. Ted F. Tumicki, STL, JCL — Pastor Emeritus, residing at St. Mary Rectory through June 2025
• Deacon Bryan Jones
• Deacon Jorge Escalona
• Mrs. Christine Siart — Secretary, St. Mary
• Mrs. Jaymie Macko — Secretary
• Mr. Steve Champagne — Maintenance Coordinator

Visit, Contact & Directions

St. Catherine of Siena sits on Route 164 in Preston City, between Norwich and the Rhode Island border. From Foxwoods Casino, take Route 2 West to the intersection of Route 2 and Route 164, turn right onto Route 164 North, and continue about three miles; the church will be on the left. The mailing address for all three parishes is 34 N. Main Street, Jewett City, CT 06351. Phone (860) 376-2044; backup line (860) 376-5150; email [email protected].

• Address: 243 Route 164, Preston, CT 06365-8726
• Mailing address: 34 N. Main St., Jewett City, CT 06351
• Phone: (860) 376-2044 (backup 860-376-5150)
• Email: [email protected]
• Office hours: Mon–Thu 9 AM–1 PM (closed Fridays)