About St. Florence - Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine · Wakefield, Massachusetts
St. Florence – Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine is a Roman Catholic shrine in the Archdiocese of Boston located at 47 Butler Avenue in Wakefield, Massachusetts. The site grew out of St. Florence Parish, which was founded in 1947 to serve Italian-American immigrants and was built around an earlier 1920s chapel on Water Street; the present A-frame brick church on Butler Avenue was completed in 1960. On February 1, 2023, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley designated the parish as the Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine, refocusing its ministry around sacramental, physical, and inner healing through daily Mass, perpetual adoration, and twice-monthly Healing Services that include the Anointing of the Sick with a first-class relic of a saint. The shrine continues to operate as a neighborhood parish while welcoming pilgrims from across the region for its healing retreats, conferences, and devotional life.
- Established
- 1947
- Patron
- Named for Reverend Florence J. Halloran (the founder); also marked by devotion to St. Nunzio Sulprizio
- Rector
- Rev. Edward M. Riley (Rector; appointed Administrator 2023, named Rector 2025)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Florence – Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine is a place where traditional parish life and a focused ministry of healing meet: it offers daily and Sunday Mass in English, perpetual Eucharistic adoration, generous confession times, and a twice-monthly Healing Service that combines Adoration, Confession, holy Mass with the Anointing of the Sick (accompanied by a first-class relic), and personal prayer with a team of priests. Visitors and parishioners come not only for weekend worship but for healing from physical illness, mental-health struggles, grief, addiction, and spiritual difficulties — the shrine is open to anyone, of any faith, who is in need. The community welcomes new parishioners and pilgrims alike into a warm, tree-shaded neighborhood church that has served Wakefield's Italian-American faithful since 1947.
Mass times at St. Florence - Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
- Wednesday 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
- During all Healing Services (offered throughout the Adoration hour)
- Also listed on the site: Mon–Fri 7:00 AM – 8:45 AM and Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM, First Saturday 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Adoration times
- Monday – Friday: 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
About the Shrine
The Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine is the public identity of St. Florence Parish in Wakefield, Massachusetts, taken on February 1, 2023 by appointment of Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley. While still a neighborhood church — celebrated by daily and Sunday Mass, baptisms, weddings, and funerals — its central mission is healing: sacramental, physical, and inner-spiritual. The 47 Butler Avenue campus draws pilgrims from across New England and beyond for its Healing Services and healing conferences.
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
- Located at 47 Butler Avenue, Wakefield, MA 01880-5199
- Phone (781) 245-2711
- Website: healingshrine.org
Healing Services and Healing Team
Twice a month the shrine offers Healing Services — one on Wednesday evenings and one on First Friday afternoons — open to anyone of any faith needing physical, mental, or spiritual healing. Each service begins with an hour of Adoration, Rosary, and Confession; continues with holy Mass in which the Anointing of the Sick is administered alongside a first-class relic of a saint; and concludes with an opportunity for personal healing prayer with members of the Healing Team, a group of four to five priests.
- Wednesday Evening Healing Service (6:00 PM Adoration, Rosary & Confession; 7:00 PM Mass with Anointing)
- First Friday Afternoon Healing Service (2:00 PM Adoration, Rosary & Confession; 3:00 PM Mass with Anointing)
- Healing Team of 4–5 priests available for individual prayer
Devotions and Special Programs
Alongside the healing charism, the shrine sustains a daily pattern of Marian and Eucharistic devotion, including a weekly Marian Cenacle every Tuesday evening, daily Rosary before Mass, and First Saturday confession hours. The shrine hosts periodic healing conferences featuring dynamic Catholic speakers, confession, adoration, and Healing Services — its inaugural conference in October 2024 included a visiting relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis.
- Marian Cenacle every Tuesday 7:00 PM
- Daily Rosary (Mon–Fri 8:30 AM, Sat 3:45 PM, after Sun 8:00 AM Mass)
- Healing conferences with guest speakers, Mass, Confessions, Adoration, and Healing Services
Parish Life, Sacraments and Staff
The shrine continues the parish ministries of St. Florence Parish: baptisms, weddings, funerals, and parish-school liaison with neighboring St. Joseph School (an inter-parish Catholic school, joined to St. Florence following the 1992 diocesan school study). Pastoral staff includes the Rector, a priest in residence, a permanent deacon, and a pastoral associate who coordinates volunteers and communications.
- Rector: Rev. Edward M. Riley
- In Residence: Rev. Thomas J. Reilly
- Deacon: Edward S. Giordano
- Pastoral Associate: Ms. Rose Tramontozzi
- Collaborative Catholic education with St. Joseph School
Volunteer and Stewardship
The shrine invites supporters to become financial partners and active volunteers in its healing mission. Reported priorities for stewardship gifts include bringing dynamic speakers, updating facilities, installing livestream capability in the church, and funding healing retreats. Visitors can also subscribe to the shrine's email list for Healing Service schedules and updates.
- Financial supporter program (Stewardship page)
- Volunteer sign-up through Pastoral Associate Rose Tramontozzi
- Email subscription list for Healing Service reminders
Heritage: From Italian Chapel to Healing Shrine
St. Florence traces its origin to a 1920s chapel on Water Street founded for the Italian-American community of Wakefield; the parish itself was canonically established in 1947, the present Butler Avenue A-frame church was completed in 1960, and on February 1, 2023 Cardinal O'Malley re-designated the parish as the Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine. Throughout its history the community has held devotion to Blessed (now Saint) Nunzio Sulprizio, whose statue stands in the entryway and whose Abruzzese homeland many of the founders shared.
Visiting Wakefield
The shrine is situated on a quiet, tree-shaded side street in a residential neighborhood north of Boston, with on-site parking and easy access from Route 128/I-95. Wakefield is served by the MBTA Haverhill commuter rail line (Wakefield station). The church is open daily for prayer, typically from early morning until 8:00 PM, and is wheelchair accessible for its healing conferences.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Florence J. Halloran1920s (founder of the Water St. chapel)
Instrumental in starting the chapel for Italian-American immigrants that grew into St. Florence Parish; the church was later named in his honor.
- Rev. Vincent Giannias of 2018
Celebrant at St. Florence Parish in 2018; announced the upcoming canonization of Blessed Nunzio Sulprizio.
- Rev. Edward M. Rileyeffective February 1, 2023 – present
Appointed Administrator by Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley; in 2025 named first Rector of the Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine; member of the Institute of Jesus the Priest of the Pauline Family.