About St. James · Haverhill, Massachusetts
St. James Parish, founded in 1859, is the Mother Parish of Haverhill, Massachusetts, in the Archdiocese of Boston. Originally established to minister to newly-arrived Irish Catholic immigrants, the parish has grown over more than 165 years to embrace Hispanic and Vietnamese communities as well, with Mass celebrated in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. On July 1, 2024, St. James merged with St. John the Baptist Parish to form the new St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, though each church building retains its original name. The historic St. James Church stands at 185 Winter Street, its cornerstone laid in 1884 and the building consecrated in 1900.
- Established
- 1859
- Patron
- St. James the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Hoang V. Le
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. James welcomes parishioners into a multigenerational, multicultural Catholic family rooted in Haverhill since 1859. Daily and weekend Masses are celebrated in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, and the parish sustains a robust sacramental and devotional life including Eucharistic Adoration, Stations of the Cross in Lent, and Saturday confessions. Active lay ministries—RCIA, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Soup Kitchen, the Liz Murphy Open Hand Pantry, music ministry, lectors, greeters, and outreach to the homebound—offer concrete ways to live the Gospel alongside fellow parishioners.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 – 3:30 PM at St. James Church, or by appointment
Adoration times
- Monday 7:00 PM (Spanish) — St. James Church
- Tuesday 9:30 AM — St. James Church
- Thursday 9:30 AM — St. James Church
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 5:15 PM (September through April) — Eucharistic Adoration with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
About St. James Parish
Saint James is the Mother Parish of Haverhill, a Roman Catholic community of faith established in 1859 to offer God's spiritual comfort to people struggling to settle in a new and strange land. Originally ministering to newly-arrived Irish Catholics, the parish family has continued to welcome new brothers and sisters in Christ, most recently those of Hispanic and Vietnamese heritage. Through celebration of the Eucharist, spiritual, educational and cultural opportunities, and parish service organizations, St. James strives to live out the Gospel and be an example of Christ's presence in Haverhill.
- Founded 1859 as the Mother Parish of Haverhill
- Originally ministered to Irish Catholic immigrants
- Now a multicultural community: English, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- Motto: 'a welcoming multi-cultural Catholic Community, always faithful to the Gospel, loving and sharing Christ.'
History
Catholic life in Haverhill began with the first Mass in the summer of 1849, said by Rev. Father French of Lawrence in a small clapboard house on the Lawrence road. By 1850 the congregation had outgrown that space and was gathering at the Old Rechabite Hall on Main Street, where sacramental records (baptisms and marriages) were kept under the parish's original name, St. Gregory. The parish was formally established as St. James in 1859 and served Catholics from Haverhill and the surrounding towns of Bradford, Groveland, and Georgetown.
- 1849: First Mass in Haverhill (Father French of Lawrence, in a house on the Lawrence road)
- 1850: Masses at Old Rechabite Hall on Main Street; earliest parish records kept under the name St. Gregory
- 1859: Parish formally established as Saint James
- Sept. 7, 1884: Cornerstone of the present Winter Street church laid
- Oct. 25, 1886: Church dedicated
- Sept. 9, 1900: Bishop William Stang consecrates the church
- Cost of construction: $200,000 (brick, three stories, tower and steeple, stained-glass windows)
- Late 20th–21st centuries: large Hispanic and Vietnamese Catholic communities join the parish
Merger into St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish
With declining numbers of priests and Mass attendance—exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic—St. James and St. John the Baptist entered a Catholic Collaborative. Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley approved the merger of the two parishes into a single parish under the new name St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, effective July 1, 2024. Each church retains its original name: St. James Church on Winter Street and St. John the Baptist Church on Lincoln Avenue.
- Approved by Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston
- Effective date: July 1, 2024
- New combined name: St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish
- Each church retains its historic name and identity
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. James is pastored by Rev. Hoang V. Le, with the assistance of Fr. Robert W. Murray and Permanent Deacon Jose Nelson Agudelo. The parish is supported by an administrative team, a Faith Formation coordinator, directors of music, the Open Hand Pantry coordinator, and a financial administrator. Volunteers wishing to join any ministry are encouraged to contact the rectory at 978-372-8537.
- Rev. Hoang V. Le — Pastor
- Rev. Robert W. Murray — assisting priest
- Deacon Jose Nelson Agudelo — Permanent Deacon
- Kerry Crossman — Administrative Assistant (ext. 201)
- Dat Nguyen — Administrative Assistant (ext. 201)
- Thanh Nguyen — Faith Formation Coordinator (ext. 207)
- Cynthia Arsenault — Director of Music, St. James Church
- Philip Clayton — Director of Music, St. John the Baptist Church
- Therese Mohay — Coordinator, Liz Murphy Open Hand Pantry
- Deborah Conner — Financial (ext. 202)
Parish Ministries and Organizations
St. James Parish offers a wide range of liturgical, social-justice, and fellowship ministries. Liturgical roles include lectors, greeters, ushers, sacristans, altar servers, the liturgical linen service, and music ministry. Outreach ministries include the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Soup Kitchen, the Liz Murphy Open Hand Pantry, and Outreach to Homebound. Adult faith formation is supported through the RCIA program.
- Music Ministry
- Eucharistic Adoration volunteers
- Finance Council
- Offertory Counters
- Greeters and Ushers
- Lectors
- Liturgical Linen Service
- Sacristans
- Senior Altar Servers
- Outreach to Homebound (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion)
- St. Vincent de Paul Society (978-521-8851)
- Fellowship Committee
- Flowers and Grounds
- Parish Pastoral Council
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Soup Kitchen (monthly meals for the homeless)
- Liz Murphy Open Hand Pantry (Tuesdays 4:00–7:00 PM)
Outreach and Charity
The parish has a long tradition of corporal works of mercy. The St. Vincent de Paul Society ministers to the poor and needy of the parish, funded solely by contributions placed in the St. Vincent de Paul boxes at the church exits. The Soup Kitchen provides hot meals on a monthly basis to the homeless, and the Liz Murphy Open Hand Pantry (Tuesdays 4:00–7:00 PM, housed at the Unitarian Church at 16 Ashland Street) distributes food to families in need, with donations collected at all weekend Masses.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — phone 978-521-8851
- Soup Kitchen — monthly meals for the homeless
- Liz Murphy Open Hand Pantry — Tuesdays 4:00–7:00 PM, Unitarian Church, 16 Ashland Street
- Outreach to Homebound — Extraordinary Ministers bring Communion to registered parishioners
Faith Formation
Faith formation at St. James is a lifelong endeavor. The Collaborative Faith Formation program, coordinated by Thanh Nguyen, supports children and families in sacramental preparation and ongoing religious education. Adults seeking to become Catholic or complete their initiation are welcomed through the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults).
- Collaborative Faith Formation (Thanh Nguyen, Coordinator — 978-372-8537 ext. 207)
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
- RCIA for adult candidates
St. James Cemetery
The St. James Cemetery on Primrose Street is run and maintained by the Cemetery Office of the Archdiocese of Boston.
- Location: Primrose Street, Haverhill
- Operated by the Archdiocese of Boston Cemetery Office
- Inquiries: 781-322-6300
Visit, Contact, and Location
St. James Church is located at 185 Winter Street in Haverhill, Massachusetts, between Primrose and Cottage Streets. The parish office (for St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish) is at 6 Cottage Street, Haverhill, MA 01830. Office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM. The parish phone number is 978-372-8537.
- St. James Church: 185 Winter Street, Haverhill, MA 01830
- Parish Office: 6 Cottage Street, Haverhill, MA 01830
- Phone: 978-372-8537
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
- Website: https://www.stgabrielhaverhill.org (legacy URL: http://www.stjamesandjohnhaverhill.org)