About St. Francis Chapel (Prudential Center) · Boston, Massachusetts
St. Francis Chapel is a Roman Catholic chapel located inside the Prudential Center shopping mall in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1969 by Cardinal Richard J. Cushing as one of several 'workers' chapels' in daily-life settings, it has been staffed by the Oblates of the Virgin Mary (OMV) since June 1, 1983. The chapel offers more than thirty Masses each week, daily confessions, and almost continuous Eucharistic Adoration, serving as an 'oasis of silence and prayer' for shoppers, office workers, students, tourists, and local residents in the heart of the city.
- Established
- 1969
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Fr. Jeremy Paulin, OMV
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Francis Chapel is unique among Boston-area churches because it is not a territorial parish — it exists to bring Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and Eucharistic Adoration into the daily lives of people passing through the Back Bay. Office workers, students from nearby Berklee, Boston University, MIT and Northeastern, hotel guests, convention-goers, and shoppers can walk in from the Prudential Center mall for one of more than thirty weekly Masses, drop in for Adoration during extensive daytime hours, or ring the bell at the confessional and find a priest almost immediately. For visitors to Boston, downtown residents, or anyone seeking a quiet Catholic space in the heart of the city, this chapel offers exactly what its tagline promises: an encounter with the Heart of Christ in the heart of Boston.
Mass times at St. Francis Chapel (Prudential Center)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday – Friday: 8:40 am – 11:40 am
- Monday – Friday: 12:40 pm – 4:25 pm
- Monday – Friday: After the 4:45 pm Mass, by request
- Saturday: 9:40 am – 11:40 am
- Saturday: 12:40 pm – 3:30 pm
- Sunday: By request in-between Masses
Adoration times
- Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 11:50 am
- Monday – Friday: 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm
- Saturday: 9:30 am – 11:45 am
- Saturday: 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm
- Sunday: 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Our History
St. Francis Chapel was founded in 1969 in the Prudential Center as part of Cardinal Richard J. Cushing's vision to place Catholic worship in the everyday places where people live and work. Originally dedicated on Veterans Day, November 11, 1969, as an ecumenical space and a satellite of the Franciscan-run St. Anthony Shrine, it quickly grew into its own ministry. The Franciscan Friars staffed it until 1983, when Cardinal Humberto Medeiros invited the Oblates of the Virgin Mary to take over beginning June 1 of that year. The chapel was demolished during a major renovation of the Prudential Center in the late 1980s, and the present 225-seat chapel — near the Hynes Convention Center entrance — was dedicated by Cardinal Bernard F. Law on April 28, 1993.
- 1969 — Chapel founded; dedicated by Cardinal Cushing on Nov. 11
- 1973 — Fr. David Fleming, OFM, named first director
- 1983 — Custody passed to the Oblates of the Virgin Mary (effective June 1)
- 1993 — Current chapel dedicated by Cardinal Law on April 28
- 2013 — Cardinal O'Malley celebrated 30/20 anniversary Mass; Pru Tower lit orange for the San Damiano Crucifix
The Oblates of the Virgin Mary
The chapel is staffed by the Oblates of the Virgin Mary (OMV), a Roman Catholic religious congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1826 (the OMV's own site gives 1830 as the founding year of the congregation as such) by the Venerable Fr. Bruno Lanteri in northern Italy. The Oblates arrived in the United States in the 1970s and have staffed St. Francis Chapel in Boston since 1983. Their charism centers on mercy, spiritual renewal, retreats, and preaching — even 'beginning again' in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which the OMV describe with the phrase 'Miracles occur in the confessional.'
- OMV founded in Pinerolo, northern Italy, by Venerable Bruno Lanteri
- OMV arrived in the United States in the 1970s and in Boston in 1983
- Other OMV apostolates in the Boston area: St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine (also the U.S. seminary) and St. Joseph Retreat House in Milton
- International OMV presence in Italy, Austria, France, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Nigeria, the Philippines, and England
Music Ministry
Music for the liturgies at St. Francis Chapel is led by Director of Music Celine Wynn, supported by cantors Saul Garcia, Cesar Garcia, and Stacey Ibe. The team supports the full weekly schedule of English and Spanish Masses as well as holy day and special celebrations.
- Director of Music: Celine Wynn
- Cantors: Saul Garcia, Cesar Garcia, Stacey Ibe
Gift Shop & Bookstore
Adjacent to the sanctuary is the St. Francis Chapel Gift Shop and Bookstore, a Catholic gift shop staffed and curated by the Oblates. It carries Bibles, rosaries, medals, crucifixes, icons, statues, prayer books, devotional materials, and other spiritual reading in both English and Spanish — chosen, the OMV note, in the spirit of their founder Venerable Bruno Lanteri, who 'knew the power of good reading and of beauty to touch hearts and transform lives.' Gift-giving occasions covered include Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, birthdays, and Christmas. An online version of the store is available through the Oblate Bookstore.
- Mon–Fri: 11:00 am – 5:30 pm
- Sat: 9:30 am – 6:30 pm (closed during Masses)
- Sun: 8:30 am – 6:30 pm (closed during Masses)
- Featured titles include Beloved Lover: The Priesthood in the Song of Songs by Fr. Gregory Cleveland, OMV
Our Staff
The chapel is currently served by seven Oblates of the Virgin Mary, along with a Director of Music and supporting staff. Fr. Jeremy Paulin, OMV serves as Chapel Director, with Fr. Andy Huhtanen, Fr. Victor Nwabueze, and Fr. Craig MacMahon as additional weekday priests; Fr. James Walther serves as OMV Provincial and Fr. Paul Kallal as Vocation Director, both helping on Sundays, alongside Fr. Sean Morris. The music team is led by Celine Wynn with cantors Saul Garcia, Cesar Garcia, and Stacey Ibe; Nubia Viasus cares for the chapel environment.
- Fr. Jeremy Paulin, OMV — Chapel Director
- Fr. Andy Huhtanen, OMV
- Fr. Victor Nwabueze, OMV
- Fr. James Walther, OMV — OMV Provincial
- Fr. Craig MacMahon, OMV
- Fr. Sean Morris, OMV
- Fr. Paul Kallal, OMV — Vocation Director
- Celine Wynn — Director of Music
- Saul Garcia, Cesar Garcia, Stacey Ibe — Cantors
- Nubia Viasus — Chapel Environment
Special Devotions and Programs
Beyond the daily schedule, the chapel offers a Novena of Masses for living and deceased mothers around Mother's Day each year, special Holy Day and holiday Mass schedules, and the use of the chapel as a quiet place for personal prayer and candle-lighting. Because it is not a territorial parish, the chapel does not typically host baptisms, weddings, or funerals.
- Novena of Masses for Mothers (living and deceased)
- Holy Day and civic holiday Mass schedules
- Daily silent prayer and candle-vigil opportunities
In the Area
The chapel sits in the heart of Boston's Back Bay, surrounded by major cultural, educational, and civic landmarks. Within a few blocks are MIT, Boston University, Northeastern University, the Museum of Fine Arts, Berklee College of Music, Symphony Hall, Fenway Park, and the Boston Conservatory of Music. The Prudential Center itself is connected to the Hynes Convention Center and anchors Back Bay shopping and business district; the chapel is a spiritual refuge for everyone who passes through.
- Educational neighbors: MIT, Boston University, Northeastern, Berklee, Boston Conservatory
- Cultural neighbors: Museum of Fine Arts, Symphony Hall (BPO and Pops), Fenway Park
- Shopping and convention: Prudential Center, Hynes Convention Center, Copley Place
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. David Fleming, OFM1973 – 1983
First director of the chapel under Franciscan staff.
- Rev. John Wykes, OMVcirca 2013
Director of the chapel as quoted in The Boston Globe in December 2013, serving under the OMV.
- Fr. Jeremy Paulin, OMVpresent
Current Chapel Director (per official staff page and weekly bulletins).