About St. Charles Borromeo · Providence, Rhode Island
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church (Iglesia San Carlos) is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Providence located at 178 Dexter Street in Providence, Rhode Island. It is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish serving about 975 families in the heart of the city, with a strong identity as a Charismatic Catholic community associated with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal since 1978. The parish is widely known for its perpetual Eucharistic Adoration — continuous since 1986 — and a notably lively liturgical and prayer life. Father Jaime A. García has served as pastor for over 16 years, leading a parish that celebrates multiple Sunday Masses, hosts weekly Charismatic prayer meetings, runs an RCIA program that has drawn unusually large classes, and maintains a robust CCD/Saturday faith-formation program for children and adults.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo
- Rector
- Rev. Jaime A. Garcia
- Diocese
- Diocese of Providence
Why belong here
St. Charles Borromeo offers something distinctive in the Diocese of Providence: a bilingual (English and Spanish) parish in the heart of Providence with one of the most vibrant Charismatic Catholic communities in Rhode Island. Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament — continuous since 1986 and visible from the street during daytime hours — anchors a parish life that includes five Sunday Masses, large weekly prayer meetings, a thriving RCIA program (50+ new members in recent Easter seasons), Saturday CCD faith formation for children, Monday-night adult catechesis in Spanish, and bilingual Healing Masses on the last Tuesday and Thursday of every month. If you're looking for a parish that is unmistakably Eucharistic, warmly Hispanic and family-centered, and alive with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, St. Charles is worth a visit.
Mass times at St. Charles Borromeo
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (English and Spanish)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (continuous since 1986): monstrance visible in the parking-lot window 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM, overnight hours in the chapel
About St. Charles Borromeo Parish
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church (Iglesia San Carlos) is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Providence, located at 178 Dexter Street on the west side of Providence, Rhode Island. The parish was founded in 1874 and serves approximately 975 families from a heavily Hispanic, bilingual community in the heart of the city. The parish's bilingual identity — with most weekday Masses in Spanish, the Sunday 10:00 AM Mass in English, and pastoral materials in both languages — is central to its daily life.
- Founded 1874 (per GCatholic Catholic directory)
- Diocese of Providence
- About 975 registered families
- Bilingual parish: English and Spanish
Parish History
The parish was canonically established in 1874 and incorporated among the Diocese of Providence's Catholic parishes by 1881. Its modern identity as a Charismatic center began in 1978 when Father John Randall — a priest of the diocese affiliated with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal — was stationed at St. Charles. He instituted the Life in the Spirit Seminar, Bible studies and weekly prayer meetings that grew the movement locally. Under longtime pastor Father Jaime A. García, the parish developed two signature ministries: Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (continuous since 1986) and a flourishing RCIA program whose Easter classes have included 18 adult baptisms and 50+ sacraments of initiation in a single season.
- 1874 — parish founded
- 1881 — Articles of Incorporation on file at Rhode Island State Archives
- 1978 — Fr. John Randall arrives; Charismatic Renewal takes root
- 1986 — Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins
- 16+ years — tenure of Fr. Jaime A. García as pastor
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Team
The parish is led by a stable pastoral team led by Father Jaime A. García, who has been pastor for more than sixteen years and is widely quoted in diocesan press as the voice of the parish. He is assisted by a vicar, a senior priest in residence, and a deacon who also serves as the parish's Hispanic pastoral assistant.
- Rev. Jaime Garcia — Pastor (ext. 114)
- Rev. Jairon Olmos — Vicar
- Rev. John Gray — Senior Priest
- Deacon Jose Rico — Pastoral Associate (ext. 116)
- Ms. Angie Jose — Director of Religious Education / CCD (ext. 112)
- Mrs. Karin Herrera — Parish Office Secretary (ext. 110)
Charismatic Prayer Life
Since 1978, when Father John Randall introduced the parish to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, St. Charles has been recognized in the Diocese of Providence as a Charismatic parish. The worship style is described by the Rhode Island Catholic as expressive: congregants raise hands in prayer, pray aloud, and pray in tongues; during entrance and closing processions the celebrant, deacon and altar servers raise their arms and wave them back and forth. Two weekly prayer meetings anchor this life, with close to 300 people attending the Tuesday evening session alone.
- Catholic Charismatic Renewal present since 1978
- Life in the Spirit Seminars (instituted by Fr. Randall)
- English Prayer Meeting — Thursdays 7:30 PM
- Spanish Prayer Meeting — Tuesdays 7:30 PM
- Hispanic Youth Meeting — Fridays 7:30 PM
Healing Masses & Special Devotions
Two monthly Healing Masses — one in Spanish on the last Tuesday of the month and one in English on the last Thursday — form a distinctive devotional offering at St. Charles. A weekly Kids' Rosary gathers children on Wednesday evenings, and the parish holds an all-night Pentecost vigil leading into its Solemnity of Pentecost Mass each year.
- Healing Mass (Spanish) — last Tuesday, 7:00 PM
- Healing Mass (English) — last Thursday, 7:00 PM
- Kids' Rosary — Wednesdays 6:30–7:00 PM
- All-night Pentecost vigil and Pentecost Sunday Mass
Faith Formation & Religious Education (CCD / Catecismo)
The parish's Faith Formation program follows the vision and curriculum framework of the Diocese of Providence's Office of Religious Education: catechesis aimed at putting people in communion with Jesus Christ, initiating them into the Church, teaching sacramental living, and forming disciples in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Children's CCD classes meet in person every Saturday from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the parish school building, following a published October–May schedule. Adult religious education in Spanish meets on Mondays from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM, also in person. Baptisms for children in CCD are coordinated through the rectory.
- Children's CCD — Saturdays 11:00 AM–12:30 PM (school building)
- Adult Catechesis in Spanish — Mondays 7:00–8:00 PM
- Diocesan-aligned catechetical program
- Saturday Religious Education schedule runs October–May
- Easter Vigil scheduled April 4, 2026
RCIA — Coming into Full Communion
St. Charles Borromeo's RCIA program has been singled out in the diocesan press as one of the most fruitful in Rhode Island. Father García attributes the program's unusually large classes to the graces flowing from the parish's perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. In one recent Easter Vigil, 41 candidates received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and First Eucharist, with more than 300 children and adults total receiving sacraments of initiation across the season and a First Communion class of about 100 the following month. The RCIA culminates at the Easter Vigil, celebrated bilingually each year.
- Director of Religious Education: Ms. Angie Jose
- Adult baptisms and confirmations received at Easter Vigil
- Frequently more than 300 sacraments of initiation in a single season
- Easter Vigil celebrated bilingually (Spanish and English)
Memorial: Father John Randall, RIP
The parish website sets aside space in its About section to commemorate Father John Randall, the priest whose 1978 arrival at St. Charles Borromeo planted the seeds of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the parish. In later years, Father Randall authored several small books of catechetical and charismatic insight — including The Rosary Book (also in Spanish), The Book of Revelation: What does it mean?, Wisdom Instructs Her Children, The Power of the Spirit and the Word, Mary, Barrier or Bridge?, and No Spirit, No Church. These books remain available for sale through the rectory office.
- Fr. John Randall — RIP
- Author of The Rosary Book, The Book of Revelation, Wisdom Instructs Her Children, The Power of the Spirit and the Word, Mary Barrier or Bridge, and No Spirit, No Church
- Books available through the rectory (401-421-6441)
Visit, Contact & Rectory Office
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at the rectory during office hours, Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. The office is closed on weekends; main Mass times and the Saturday confessions remain the most reliable ways to reach a priest outside those hours.
- Address: 178 Dexter Street, Providence, RI 02907
- Phone: (401) 421-6441
- Fax: (401) 421-4009
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM (closed weekends)
- Website: stcharleschurchprovidence.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/pages/St-Charles-Church
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Randall1978 – (later years)
Diocese of Providence priest affiliated with the Charismatic Renewal; stationed at St. Charles Borromeo in 1978. Instituted Life in the Spirit Seminars, Bible studies and prayer meetings; author of several books including The Rosary Book and No Spirit, No Church. Commemorated RIP on the parish's About Us page.
- Rev. Jaime A. García16+ years as pastor (as of 2018 reporting)
Long-time pastor credited with the flourishing of the parish's perpetual Adoration, RCIA program and Charismatic prayer life. Quoted extensively in the Rhode Island Catholic about the parish's Eucharistic-centered identity.