About St. Denis (St. Michael Parish) · Whitefield, Maine
St. Denis Church is a Roman Catholic worship site of St. Michael Parish, located at 298 Grand Army Road in North Whitefield, Maine. Founded in 1818 by Irish immigrant Father Dennis Patrick Ryan, it is the second-oldest Catholic church in Maine and the third-oldest in New England, and it has served the rural farming community of Whitefield for over two centuries. The brick church was built between 1833 and 1838 around its original wooden-frame structure, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and on July 1, 2007 was canonically merged with four other central Maine parishes to form today's multi-site St. Michael Parish, headquartered in Augusta under the Diocese of Portland in Maine.
- Established
- 1818
- Patron
- St. Denis (Dionysius of Paris)
- Rector
- Rev. Nathan D. March
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in Maine
Why belong here
St. Denis offers a peaceful, historic place of worship for Catholics in the rural Whitefield farming community, with a weekly Sunday Mass and weekday Eucharistic Adoration. As part of St. Michael Parish, its members are connected to a larger central-Maine Catholic family of six worship sites, vibrant ministries (Prayer Shawl, Ladies of Charity, Knights of Columbus, OCIA, family faith formation), and St. Michael School (PK3–8th grade). It is a living link to Maine's earliest Catholic heritage — the second-oldest Catholic church in the state and the third-oldest in New England.
Mass times at St. Denis (St. Michael Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 10:40 AM – 10:50 AM (time permitted)
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
- First Fridays: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
History of St. Denis
St. Denis was founded in 1818 by Irish immigrant Father Dennis Patrick Ryan, who had been serving at St. Patrick Church in Newcastle (the oldest Catholic church in New England). Fr. Ryan is recognized as the first priest ordained in New England and as Maine's first resident parish priest; he drew many Irish Catholic farming families to the Whitefield and Windsor area, making the town a rural Catholic center of Maine. The Keating family donated 18 acres of land on the condition that the church be built there. The original 36-by-50-foot wood-frame church was replaced between 1833 and 1838 by the present brick church, which was literally built around the wooden chapel and then enclosed once the brick shell was complete. Bishop Fenwick urged the rebuild, calling the first church 'miserably built.' The stone rectory was added in 1851, the Italianate bell tower in 1861, and the Romanesque-style parish house across the road in 1871 (it housed the Sisters of Mercy's Whitefield Academy and Orphan Asylum until 1887). 19th-century stained glass windows were added as the parish prospered. The parish was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, underwent a major restoration in 1997–1998, celebrated its 200th anniversary in June 2018 with Bishop Robert Deeley, and on July 1, 2007 was canonically merged with four other parishes into today's St. Michael Catholic Parish.
- 1818: Parish founded by Rev. Dennis Patrick Ryan on land donated by the Keating family
- 1833–1838: Brick church built around the original wood-frame chapel
- 1851: Stone rectory added behind the church
- 1861: Bell tower added in Italian campanile style
- 1871: Romanesque brick parish house built across the road (Sisters of Mercy academy & orphanage until 1887)
- 1850: Parish name changed from 'St. Dennis' to 'St. Denis'
- 1976: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- 1997–1998: Major restoration
- 2007 (July 1): Merged into St. Michael Catholic Parish
- 2018: 200th anniversary celebrated with Bishop Robert Deeley
Architecture & Historic Status
St. Denis is a rectangular, single-story brick building crowned with a gabled roof — a very simple, transitional example of Greek Revival architecture. Its three-bay façade is articulated by pilasters, with entrances set below square gallery-level windows. The square tower attached to the left side rises in the Italian campanile style with corner pilasters, a clock stage, and an open belfry with paired round-arch openings on each side, topped by a flat roof. Inside, the decoration is an early version of the Gothic Revival. The 1871 Romanesque-style parish hall sits across SR 126 on the north side, and an adjoining cemetery contains the graves of some of the town's earliest settlers.
- Style: Transitional Greek Revival
- Materials: Brick, gabled roof
- Tower: Italian campanile style, added 1861
- Interior: early Gothic Revival decoration
- Windows: 19th-century stained glass
- NRHP reference No. 76000102 (added October 29, 1976)
Parish Identity & Wider Community
St. Denis is one of six worship sites of St. Michael Catholic Parish, which is described by the parish itself as 'Central Maine's Catholic Community, based in Augusta with worship sites in Gardiner, Hallowell, Winthrop, and Whitefield.' The Parish Office and Pastoral Center are at 24 Washington Street, Augusta, next to St. Augustine Church (the main church at 75 Northern Avenue). All six church addresses, along with St. Michael School, are listed in the parish bulletin.
- St. Augustine Church (main) — 75 Northern Avenue, Augusta
- St. Mary of the Assumption — 41 Western Avenue, Augusta
- St. Joseph — 110 School Street, Gardiner
- Sacred Heart — 14 Summer Street, Hallowell
- St. Denis — 298 Grand Army Road, Whitefield
- St. Francis Xavier — 130 Route 133, Winthrop
- Pastoral Center — 24 Washington Street, Augusta
Clergy & Staff
St. Michael Parish is currently led by Pastor Rev. Nathan D. March, with two parochial vicars from the HGN missionary congregation — Rev. Antonidass (Britto) Amirthanathan and Rev. Prabhu Toniyo Pastin Antony Raj — and Deacon Jeffrey Lewis. Parish staff include Gina Czerwinski (Pastoral Life Coordinator), Sr. Carol Martin (Faith Formation/Initiation Coordinator), Shawn Gregory (Faith Formation Director), Lisa Cooper (Parish Operations & Communication), Karol Skoby (Bookkeeping Services), Lisa Dumais (Parish Welcome Services), David Hayward (Property/Cemetery Manager), and James Pino (Sexton). Staff are reachable through the Pastoral Center.
- Rev. Nathan D. March — Pastor
- Rev. Antonidass (Britto) Amirthanathan, HGN — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Prabhu Toniyo Pastin Antony Raj, HGN — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Jeffrey Lewis
- Gina Czerwinski — Pastoral Life Coordinator
- Sr. Carol Martin — Faith Formation / Initiation Coordinator
- Shawn Gregory — Faith Formation Director
- Lisa Cooper — Parish Operations & Communication
- Karol Skoby — Bookkeeping Services
- Lisa Dumais — Parish Welcome Services
- David Hayward — Property/Cemetery Manager
- James Pino — Sexton
Faith Formation, School & OCIA
St. Michael Parish runs a Family Faith Formation program that meets one Sunday a month from 3:00–5:00 PM (children preparing for First Communion begin one hour earlier). It draws families from the outlying worship sites — including St. Denis in Whitefield — and pairs adult formation with children's catechesis, including elements of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is offered for adults seeking baptism, confirmation, or reception into the Catholic Church; inquiries go through Faith Formation Director Shawn Gregory. The parish also operates St. Michael School (PK3–8th grade) at 56 Sewall Street, Augusta.
- Family Faith Formation: monthly Sundays, 3:00–5:00 PM
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- OCIA / RCIA for adults
- St. Michael School (PK3–8th grade), 56 Sewall Street, Augusta
Fellowship & Outreach Ministries
Parishioners from St. Denis participate in ministries that span the whole of St. Michael Parish. The Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers knitters and crocheters at St. Monica Hall in Augusta on Tuesdays 10:00–11:00 AM to make shawls, lap robes, and baby blankets for those in need. St. Joseph's Ladies of Charity Outreach Group meets Thursdays at 5:00 PM at St. Joseph's Church Hall. The Knights of Columbus sponsors parish fellowship gatherings with coffee and donuts. Locally, the St. Denis Seniors' Group meets Mondays at 11:00 AM at the Whitefield Firehouse (bring a bag lunch; contact Genie Dailey at 549-5518). Community Breakfasts are served at St. Francis Xavier Hall in Winthrop after the 8:00 AM Mass.
- Prayer Shawl Ministry — Tuesdays 10–11 AM at St. Monica Hall
- Ladies of Charity — Thursdays 5 PM at St. Joseph's
- Knights of Columbus fellowship gatherings
- St. Denis Seniors' Group — Mondays 11 AM at Whitefield Firehouse
- Community Breakfasts at St. Francis Xavier Hall after 8 AM Mass
Devotions & Parish-Wide Schedule
Beyond its own Mass and adoration schedule, St. Denis is part of a parish-wide rhythm of devotions published in the bulletin. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered at multiple worship sites (Wednesdays 10:30 AM–12:30 PM at St. Denis; Thursdays 7:30–8:00 AM at St. Francis; Fridays 12:00–1:00 PM at St. Monica; Fridays 3:30–4:30 PM at St. Mary; First Fridays 7:00–8:00 PM at St. Denis; First Sunday 7:30–8:30 AM at St. Joseph). The Rosary is prayed Mondays at 6:00 PM (St. Monica), Mondays at 6:30 PM (St. Francis), Tuesdays at 7:30 AM (St. Francis), First Saturdays at 8:00 AM (St. Francis), and on the last Sunday of the month at 8:00 AM (St. Mary) and 10:00 AM (St. Augustine). An Hour of Prayer for Priests is held Tuesdays after the 8:00 AM Mass at St. Francis.
- Rosary — multiple weekly times across parish sites
- Adoration — daily at rotating parish sites
- Hour of Prayer for Priests — Tuesdays after 8 AM Mass at St. Francis
Sacraments
Through St. Michael Parish, all seven Catholic sacraments are available to St. Denis parishioners: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist (including First Communion), Reconciliation (Confession), Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. Adult initiation is handled through the OCIA process. Information and preparation for each sacrament is coordinated through the Pastoral Center at 24 Washington Street, Augusta.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist / First Communion
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
- Matrimony
- OCIA for adult initiation
Visiting & Contact
St. Denis is located at 298 Grand Army Road (Maine State Route 126) in North Whitefield, on a bend in the road just west of North Whitefield and east of its junction with Cooper Road. The 1871 parish hall and an adjoining historic cemetery sit nearby. Anyone wishing to visit, attend Mass, or arrange a sacrament should contact the Parish Office and Pastoral Center at 24 Washington Street, Augusta, ME 04330, by phone at (207) 623-8823, or by email at [email protected]. Office hours are currently 8:00 AM–2:00 PM, Monday through Thursday.
- Address: 298 Grand Army Road, North Whitefield, ME 04353
- Parish Office / Pastoral Center: 24 Washington Street, Augusta, ME 04330
- Phone: (207) 623-8823
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: 8:00 AM–2:00 PM, Mon–Thu