About St. Gertrude Church · Windsor, Connecticut
St. Gertrude Church was a Roman Catholic parish located at 550 Matianuck Avenue in Windsor, Connecticut, founded in 1947 as part of the Archdiocese of Hartford. For decades it served the Catholics of Windsor's Hayden Station neighborhood until, in October 2020, by decree of Archbishop Leonard P. Blair, St. Gertrude Parish was subsumed into the newly formed St. Damien of Molokai Parish — the unified Catholic parish created in 2017 from the merger of the former St. Joseph Parish (founded 1892) and St. Gabriel Parish (founded 1921). The St. Gertrude church building itself was subsequently closed and 'relegated to profane but not sordid use' by decree of the Archdiocese of Hartford, with the parish now operating from St. Joseph Church and St. Gabriel Church under the windsorcatholic.org banner. Windsor's Catholics today worship together as one parish family, carrying forward the heritage of all three former Windsor parishes.
- Established
- 1947
- Patron
- St. Gertrude the Great (Gertrude of Helfta), Benedictine virgin and mystic
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Hartford
Why belong here
St. Gertrude's faithful are now part of St. Damien of Molokai Parish, a unified Catholic community in Windsor that worships at St. Joseph Church and St. Gabriel Church. The parish carries forward St. Gertrude's heritage alongside St. Joseph (since 1892) and St. Gabriel (since 1921), offering weekend and daily Mass, the sacraments, faith formation, and a vision of 'unifying, awakening and energizing the faithful' through a welcoming celebration of the Eucharist. Visitors and returning parishioners are invited to continue their connection with Windsor's Catholics at windsorcatholic.org.
About St. Gertrude Parish
St. Gertrude Parish was established in 1947 in Windsor, Connecticut as part of the Archdiocese of Hartford. It was the third Catholic parish founded in Windsor, following St. Joseph Parish (1892) and St. Gabriel Parish (1921), and it served the Catholics of the Hayden Station / Matianuck Avenue area for more than seven decades. The parish was named for St. Gertrude the Great (Gertrude of Helfta), the 13th-century Benedictine mystic whose feast day is celebrated on November 16. St. Gertrude Parish is now part of St. Damien of Molokai Parish following the October 2020 merger under the Archdiocese of Hartford's pastoral reconfiguration.
- Founded: 1947
- Patron: St. Gertrude the Great
- Feast Day: November 16
- Former address: 550 Matianuck Avenue, Windsor, CT 06095
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Hartford
- Merged into St. Damien of Molokai Parish: October 2020
- Church building closed: by decree of the Archdiocese of Hartford
History of Catholic Windsor
Windsor, Connecticut is recognized as the oldest settlement in the state, and its Catholic heritage stretches back to 1892. According to St. Damien of Molokai Parish's official history, with the founding of (former) St. Joseph Parish in 1892, the founding of (former) St. Gabriel Parish in 1921, and the subsequent addition of (former) St. Gertrude Parish in 1947, there has been a continuous Catholic presence in Windsor. Since the earliest days, these faith-based communities have represented a rich and diverse heritage in Connecticut's oldest settlement, bound together by both geography and a common Faith.
- St. Joseph Parish founded: 1892
- St. Gabriel Parish founded: 1921
- St. Gertrude Parish founded: 1947
The 2017 Reconfiguration & the Merger with St. Damien of Molokai Parish
On June 29, 2017, by decree of Archbishop Leonard P. Blair of the Archdiocese of Hartford, St. Joseph Parish and St. Gabriel Parish were merged to become St. Damien of Molokai Parish, under Father John P. Melnick's pastorship. At that time, St. Gertrude Parish was designated to merge with the new parish upon the retirement of its pastor. Three years later, in October 2020, St. Gertrude Parish was subsumed into St. Damien of Molokai Parish, consolidating all of Windsor's Catholics under one unified parish. The Archdiocese of Hartford subsequently issued a decree 'Concerning the Relegation to Profane but not Sordid Use of Saint Gertrude Church Building in Windsor, Connecticut,' formally closing the 550 Matianuck Avenue church building.
- St. Joseph + St. Gabriel merged to form St. Damien of Molokai Parish: June 29, 2017
- First pastor of merged parish: Father John P. Melnick
- St. Gertrude subsumed into St. Damien of Molokai Parish: October 2020
- Archdiocesan decree closing the St. Gertrude church building issued under Archbishop Leonard P. Blair
St. Damien of Molokai Parish Today
St. Damien of Molokai Parish now carries forward the combined heritage of Windsor's three former Catholic parishes. Its stated mission is 'to serve Jesus Christ by loving God and each other, to spread the Good News and to make new disciples in our community,' and its vision is to 'unify, awaken and energize the faithful' and to make 'our celebration of the Eucharist an irresistible expression of welcome, faith and love.' The parish operates from St. Joseph Church and St. Gabriel Church in Windsor under the website windsorcatholic.org, with the former St. Gertrude Church building closed and deconsecrated.
- Parish website: https://windsorcatholic.org/
- Parish office email: [email protected]
- Parish office phone: (860) 688-4905
Mass & Sacraments at St. Damien of Molokai Parish
Weekend and daily Masses for the unified Windsor Catholic parish — which now includes the former St. Gertrude faithful — are celebrated at the parish's remaining church buildings. According to the parish website, the current weekend Mass schedule includes Saturday vigil at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday Masses at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 11:30 a.m., with daily Mass celebrated Monday through Friday at 7:30 a.m. (the parish's mass-times page lists separate St. Joseph and St. Gabriel daily Mass schedules). The parish also offers the sacrament of Confession, with Confession listed at St. Gabriel Parish on Saturdays at 3:15 p.m.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 p.m.
- Sunday Masses: 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.
- Daily Mass: Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.
- Confession: Saturday 3:15 p.m. (at St. Gabriel)
St. Gertrude the Great (the Parish's Patron)
St. Gertrude the Great (born 6 January 1256, died 17 November 1301 or 1302 at Helfta, Saxony) was a Benedictine mystic and one of the great medieval writers on the spiritual life. She was placed in the care of the Benedictine nuns at age five and became renowned for her learning, holiness, and the spiritual revelations recorded in her 'Legatus divinae pietatis.' Her name was inscribed in the Roman Martyrology in 1677 by Pope Clement XII, and Pope Benedict XIV later gave her the title 'the Great,' making her the only woman saint to bear that title. She is the patroness of the West Indies and is widely invoked for the souls in Purgatory. Her feast day is celebrated on November 16 in the universal Church.
- Born: 6 January 1256
- Died: 17 November 1301 or 1302 at Helfta, Saxony
- Order: Benedictine
- Title: 'the Great' (conferred by Pope Benedict XIV)
- Patroness of the West Indies; invoked for souls in Purgatory
- Feast Day: November 16
- Inscribed in the Roman Martyrology: 1677
Contact & Location
The former St. Gertrude Church building stands at 550 Matianuck Avenue, Windsor, Connecticut 06095-3599. The building has been formally closed and deconsecrated by decree of the Archdiocese of Hartford. For all parish business — including sacraments, Mass, faith formation, and former-St.-Gertrude inquiries — parishioners are directed to the unified St. Damien of Molokai Parish offices via the contact information below.
- Former church address: 550 Matianuck Avenue, Windsor, CT 06095-3599
- Current parish website: https://windsorcatholic.org/
- Parish office email: [email protected]
- Parish office phone: (860) 688-4905
- Parish fax: (860) 688-4905
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend James M. Sullivan
Listed as pastor of St. Gertrude Church in older parish directory records before the merger.