About St. Catherine of Sienna (St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish) · Norway, Maine
St. Catherine of Sienna Church is a Roman Catholic parish church at 32 Paris Street in Norway, Maine, historically serving the Oxford Hills community. As of a 2008 reorganization of the Diocese of Portland in Maine, the church is now one of three worship sites of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish (along with Our Lady of Ransom in Mechanic Falls and the seasonal St. Mary in Oxford), which is partnered with neighboring St. Joseph Parish in Bridgton to form Cluster 30 of the Western Maine Lakes & Foothills. Pastored by HGN (Heralds of Good News) priests from India, the parish offers a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, daily weekday Mass on Monday through Wednesday, Saturday confessions, and Wednesday evening Eucharistic Adoration. Cluster office hours are held Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 9 AM to 12 noon at the Norway pastoral center.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Siena (spelled "Sienna" in the parish's own records)
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas Aquinas Giragori Chinnappan, HGN
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in Maine
Why belong here
St. Catherine of Sienna offers a classic small-parish Catholic experience in the Oxford Hills: a weekly Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning Mass, daily Mass three mornings a week, and a faithful devotional life with weekly Tuesday Rosary, Saturday confessions, and Wednesday evening Eucharistic Adoration. It is part of a close-knit cluster of five Western Maine parishes — Calvary Cluster 30 — that share resources, faith formation, and sacramental preparation, so parishioners and visitors receive the care of a personal community with the programs of a larger network, including faith formation for all ages, a campus minister, RCIA-style preparation, and a clear path to the sacraments through dedicated lay coordinators.
Mass times at St. Catherine of Sienna (St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (at St. Catherine of Sienna, Norway — also at St. Joseph, Bridgton)
- By appointment — call the Cluster office at (207) 743-2606
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (at St. Catherine of Sienna, Norway)
History of St. Catherine of Sienna Church
St. Catherine of Sienna Church was built in 1914 in the growing mill town of Norway, Maine, to serve Catholic families — many of Norwegian, Irish, and Franco-American heritage — drawn to the paper and woolen mills of the Oxford Hills. For decades it operated as a standalone parish within the Diocese of Portland. In 2008, amid diocesan-wide consolidation, it was merged with Our Lady of Ransom Church (Mechanic Falls, built 1930) and the seasonal St. Mary Church (Oxford, built 1923) into the new St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, with the Norway church retaining the role of pastoral center. The cluster today also shares administrative and ministerial resources with the neighboring St. Joseph Parish in Bridgton.
- St. Catherine of Sienna Church built: 1914 (32 Paris Street, Norway)
- St. Mary Church, Oxford: 1923 (seasonal)
- Our Lady of Ransom Church, Mechanic Falls: 1930
- Merger into St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish: 2008
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Fryeburg (partner parish): 1990
- St. Joseph Church, Bridgton (partner parish): 1971
Clergy & Staff
The parish is pastored by members of the Heralds of Good News (HGN), an Indian missionary congregation. A team of lay cluster staff coordinates faith formation, administration, finances, and campus ministry across all five Western Maine Lakes & Foothills parishes.
- Pastor: Rev. Thomas Aquinas Giragori Chinnappan, HGN
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. A.N. Prabu Magimaidass, HGN
- Cluster Business Coordinator: Kristen Short
- Faith Formation Coordinator (St. Joseph & St. Teresa of Calcutta): Joanne Fortier
- Cluster Secretary: Gloria Vaznis
- Administrative Assistant: Sharon Rogers
- Campus Minister: Kylie O'Brien
Cluster 30 — Western Maine Lakes & Foothills
St. Catherine of Sienna is part of Cluster 30 of the Western Maine Lakes & Foothills, a five-church partnership that allows small rural parishes to share clergy, staff, faith formation, and sacramental preparation. Mass, confession, and adoration times are staggered across the cluster so that the faithful always have a nearby option.
- St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish: St. Catherine of Sienna (Norway), Our Lady of Ransom (Mechanic Falls), St. Mary (Oxford, summer only)
- St. Joseph Parish: St. Joseph (Bridgton), St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Fryeburg)
- Pastoral Center: 32 Paris Street, Norway (St. Catherine of Sienna)
- Second Pastoral Center: 225 South High Street, Bridgton
- Cluster Office: (207) 743-2606
Sacramental Preparation & Faith Formation
All faith formation and sacramental preparation across St. Catherine of Sienna and St. Joseph parishes is coordinated through Cluster Catechetical Leader Joanne Fortier. Families preparing children for First Reconciliation, First Communion, or Confirmation should contact her at the listed email to begin.
- Confirmation preparation: contact Joanne Fortier, [email protected]
- First Reconciliation / First Communion preparation: contact Joanne Fortier
- Adult sacramental preparation (RCIA inquiries): via the Cluster office
- Baptism preparation: via the Cluster office
- Faith Formation for all ages: cluster-wide under Joanne Fortier
Visiting & Contact
The Norway pastoral center is at 32 Paris Street, Norway, ME 04268-5650. Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon, with voicemail handled at the Cluster office phone number at other times.
- Address: 32 Paris Street, Norway, ME 04268-5650
- Office phone: (207) 743-2606
- Office fax: (207) 743-6601
- Office hours: Monday–Wednesday, 9 AM–12 noon
- Email: [email protected]
- Cluster website: www.cluster30.org