About St. James · Manville, Rhode Island
St. James Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Manville, Rhode Island, established in 1874 and part of the Diocese of Providence. It shares its Catholic mission with neighboring St. Ambrose Church, and the two parishes celebrate the regular schedule of daily and Sunday Masses together. The parish operates a food pantry out of its rectory, maintains its own Catholic cemetery on Old River Road, and serves the small mill-village community of Manville in northern Rhode Island.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- St. James (the Greater)
- Rector
- Fr. Ferland
- Diocese
- Diocese of Providence
Why belong here
St. James offers a welcoming Roman Catholic community in the heart of Manville with weekend Masses in English (Saturday 4:00 PM and Sunday 10:00 AM), weekday Masses, and the traditional sacraments. The parish provides Eucharistic Adoration at the Ave Maria Convent on Fridays and Saturday confession before Mass, plus active outreach through its Thursday food pantry serving families in need.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 PM to 3:45 PM
Adoration times
- Friday: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (Ave Maria Convent at St. James Church)
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. James Church celebrates Mass in English on Sundays at 10:00 AM and on Saturdays at 4:00 PM. Daily Masses rotate with neighboring St. Ambrose Church, with Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 AM Masses held at St. James, and Monday, Wednesday and Friday 7:30 AM Masses at St. Ambrose. During Lent, additional evening Masses and Stations of the Cross are added to the schedule.
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 AM (English)
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM (English)
- Tuesday & Thursday Daily Mass: 8:30 AM at St. James
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday Daily Mass: 7:30 AM at St. Ambrose
- Lenten Stations of the Cross: Friday 3:00 PM at St. James
- Lenten Evening Masses at St. James and St. Ambrose
Parish Cemetery
St. James Catholic Cemetery is located on Old River Road in Manville and is governed by formal parish guidelines to ensure orderly, dignified Catholic burial. As a Catholic institution, interments are customary for Catholics, with non-Catholics accommodated alongside Catholic family members. Plots are sold as a 'Right of Burial' rather than property, and all transfers, returns, and memorial placements require pastor and cemetery-office approval. To arrange a funeral Mass or burial, families must speak directly with Fr. Ferland or the parish secretary before finalizing any date or arrangements.
- Location: Old River Road, Manville
- Operated under St. James Catholic Cemetery guidelines
- Customary interment for Catholics; non-Catholics may be buried with Catholic family members
- Maximum one interment or two inurnments per grave (additional inurnment requires purchase of Right of Burial)
- In-ground planting privileges not permitted
- American flags permitted on Veterans' graves
Food Pantry & Outreach
St. James operates a parish food pantry out of its facilities in Manville, serving local families in need. The pantry is one of the parish's principal charitable outreaches, in keeping with the parish's broader mission of caring for the wider community.
- Food Pantry Hours: Thursday 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Listed as a United Way of Rhode Island partner resource
Parish Office
The parish office is the point of contact for parish business, Mass intention requests, sacramental arrangements, and cemetery inquiries. Office hours are limited, and the office is closed on Fridays. Families needing to schedule a funeral or burial must speak with Fr. Ferland or the parish secretary directly.
- Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Church service hours: Tuesday and Thursday 7:00–8:00 PM, Saturday 4:00–5:00 PM, Sunday 10:00–11:00 AM
- Phone: (401) 766-1558
- Office closed on Friday
About the Parish
St. James is the Roman Catholic parish of Manville, Rhode Island, established in 1874 and part of the Diocese of Providence. The parish shares its ministry with neighboring St. Ambrose Church, a neighboring parish of approximately the same era. Despite its modest size, St. James maintains a full schedule of Masses, confession, Eucharistic Adoration, a Catholic cemetery, and a food pantry, anchoring Catholic life in the historic mill village of Manville in the Blackstone Valley.
- Founded: 1874
- Diocese: Providence
- Parish type: Roman Catholic
- Partner parish: St. Ambrose Church, Lincoln