About St. John Paul the II (Notre Dame) · Adams, Massachusetts
St. John Paul II Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Adams, Massachusetts, in the Diocese of Springfield. Formed in 2009 by merging the three historic Catholic parishes of the town — Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Stanislaus Kostka — it carries the patronage of Pope St. John Paul II while keeping Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs, a soaring 1887 Romanesque church at the center of downtown Adams, as its parish church. St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, with its iconic twin steeples visible from atop Mt. Greylock, serves as a Mission Church. Worship is offered in English across both buildings, with weekend Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, daily Mass during the week, Friday Eucharistic Adoration, and Saturday confessions.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- St. John Paul II (parish patron); Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs / Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows (primary church's patroness)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Michael Lillpopp
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts
Why belong here
St. John Paul II Parish carries forward 140+ years of Catholic worship in downtown Adams while staying rooted in the sacramental and devotional life of two historic churches — the consecrated 1887 Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs and the twin-steepled St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission Church. Weekenders can choose between Saturday Vigil, early Sunday at St. Stanislaus, or later Sunday at Notre Dame, with weekday Masses and a Friday Communion Service. The parish offers the full sacramental life (Reconciliation Saturdays, baptism, marriage with eight-month preparation, First Communion and Confirmation prep, and a CCD/Youth Faith Formation program), Eucharistic Adoration, and a preservation effort led by parishioners to safeguard the landmark St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. For English-speaking Catholics in northern Berkshire County, it is the natural parish home.
Mass times at St. John Paul the II (Notre Dame)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM at Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs Church (21 Maple St)
- Sunday: upon request before and after Masses
- By appointment (call the parish office)
Adoration times
- Friday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (immediately following the Friday Communion Service) at Notre Dame
Parish History
Catholic life in Adams began in 1877 with a French-language chapel on Columbia Street, grew into the parish of Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs in 1882, and was consolidated into today's St. John Paul II Parish in 2009. Read more under the Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs history page for the full 19th–21st century story.
- 1877 — Fr. Charles Crevier builds St. Joseph's Chapel, Adams's first Catholic church
- March 1882 — Bishop Patrick O'Reilly establishes Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs parish; Fr. Jean Baptiste Charbonneau named first pastor
- June 15, 1887 — Cornerstone of present Notre Dame church laid by Bishop O'Reilly
- 1905 — Three Paccard bells (Fa, Sol, La) from Annecy-le-Vieux, France blessed
- June 6, 1909 — Notre Dame solemnly consecrated, first French parish church in New England so honored
- 1930 — Fr. Joseph T. Smith refurbishes the church after 50 years
- 1954 — Fr. Smith elevated to Domestic Prelate by Pope Pius XII (only Adams priest so honored)
- 1994 — Fr. Daniel Boyle assigned pastor of Notre Dame
- 1998 — Notre Dame and St. Thomas Aquinas merged under Fr. Boyle
- 2003 — St. Stanislaus Kostka added to Fr. Boyle's pastorate
- 2009 — St. John Paul II Parish formed under Fr. Boyle from all three Adams parishes
- 2012 — Rome overturns closure of St. Stanislaus Kostka; it becomes a Mission Church
- 2022 — Parish charity center (housed at former St. Thomas church) closed
Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs Church
Built 1887 and the oldest Catholic church building still standing in Adams, Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs is the parish church of St. John Paul II. It is a Romanesque Revival building designed by Perreault and Mesnard of Montreal, 150 feet long by 70 feet wide, with seating for 1,500. Located at McKinley Square in the center of Adams, its towering steeple is a defining landmark of the downtown skyline. The exterior iconography of seven swords and a heart pierced by a sword references the Seven Sorrows of Mary. On June 6, 1909 it became the first French-Canadian parish church in New England to be solemnly consecrated — a sacred character that, by canon law, can never be altered.
- Cornerstone laid June 15, 1887 by Bishop O'Reilly
- Architects: Perreault and Mesnard, Montreal
- Contractor: Barilett Bros. of North Adams
- Romanesque Revival style, 150 × 70 ft, 1,500-seat capacity
- 12 consecration crosses inside (from 1909) still visible
- Three Paccard bells (Fa, Sol, La) blessed in 1905
- Solemnly consecrated June 6, 1909 — first French-Canadian parish church in New England so honored
- Solemnly consecrated churches cannot have their dedication changed without Apostolic See permission — which is why the name was retained even after the 2009 merger
St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission Church
Located on the corner of Hoosac and Summer Streets in Adams (25 Hoosac Street), St. Stanislaus Kostka Church was saved from permanent closure in 2012 when parishioners' appeal to Rome overturned its suppression. Today it operates as a Mission Church of St. John Paul II Parish, with Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM, Monday Mass at 9:00 AM during the school year, and devotional services on Fridays. Its twin steeples soar so high they can be seen from the summit of Mt. Greylock — the highest peak in Massachusetts. Tours of the ornate interior are offered immediately after the Sunday 8:00 AM Mass (notify an usher and meet near the altar). A parish-led SSK Preservation Committee, formed in February 2022, is actively fundraising and planning the long-term restoration of the building.
- Address: 25 Hoosac Street, Adams, MA 01220
- Twin steeples visible from Mt. Greylock
- Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM
- Monday Mass at 9:00 AM (school year, with schoolchildren)
- Friday: Chaplet of Divine Mercy & Rosary 3:00–3:30 PM
- Friday (Lent): Stations of the Cross 3:45 PM
- Tours available after Sunday 8:00 AM Mass — meet near altar
- SSK Preservation Committee formed February 2022 to lead restoration
Sacraments
All seven sacraments are available at St. John Paul II Parish. Marriage preparation requires a minimum eight-month preparation period and proceeds through the FOCCUS inventory, a Marriage Prep Program, instruction in Natural Family Planning, and a final meeting with the priest. Faith formation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation is provided through the parish CCD/Youth program; adult initiation is offered through RCIA.
- Baptism — contact parish office; preparation class required
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist — typically Grade 2
- Confirmation — multi-year preparation through CCD/Youth program
- Marriage — eight-month preparation (FOCCUS, prep program, NFP, final meeting)
- Anointing of the Sick / Communion for the homebound — contact pastor or parish office
- RCIA — for unbaptized adults and adults seeking full initiation
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Fr. Michael Lillpopp, working with two deacons and a lay staff team that includes the parish business manager, Director of Religious Education, financial administrator, and secretary. Fr. Daniel J. Boyle, the founding pastor of St. John Paul II Parish who oversaw all three 21st-century mergers, is also historically associated with the parish.
- Rev. Fr. Michael Lillpopp — Pastor
- Rev. Fr. Daniel J. Boyle — Pastor Emeritus / founding pastor
- Rev. Mr. Robert Moulton — Deacon
- Rev. Mr. Gregory LaFreniere — Deacon
- Michelle Francesconi — Business Manager / Director of Religious Education
- Steve Berti — staff (CCD/Youth)
- Alice Racette — Secretary
- Mary Jette — Financial Administrator
Liturgical Ministries & Faith Formation
Lay faithful at St. John Paul II Parish serve the liturgy as Lectors, Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Ushers, Greeters, and Musicians. The parish runs a CCD/Youth Faith Formation program covering Pre-K through 8th grade (with continuing formation into 9th grade), preparing children for the sacraments and fostering a lifelong relationship with Christ.
- Lectors
- Altar Servers
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Ushers & Greeters
- Music Ministry
- CCD / Youth Faith Formation (PreK–8th, plus 9th grade)
- First Reconciliation & First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation (multi-year)
St. Stanislaus Kostka Preservation
Since February 2022, parishioners of St. John Paul II Parish have organized the SSK Preservation Committee to restore and maintain St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. The committee is led by an Executive Team including the pastor, parish business manager, legal advisor, and committee chair, with separate teams for fundraising, communications, construction, finance, and volunteer coordination — all volunteers donating their time and talents at no cost to the parish.
- Founded February 2022
- Executive Team led by Rev. Fr. Michael Lillpopp and Parish Business Manager Michelle Francesconi
- Beverly Maselli — Committee Chair
- Jim Loughman — Legal Advisor & SJPII Parish Council President
- Fran Bourdon — Fundraising Team Chair
- Sub-teams: Fundraising, Construction, Communications, Finance, Volunteer Coordination
- Contact: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Charles Crevier1877 (founded St. Joseph's Chapel)
Pastor of Sacred Heart, North Adams; started Adams's first Catholic chapel for French-Canadian faithful.
- Fr. Jean Baptiste Charbonneau1882–
First resident pastor of Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs; laid the cornerstone of the present church on June 15, 1887.
- Fr. Joseph T. Smithc. 1913–1963
Long-serving pastor who refurbished the church after 50 years; elevated to Domestic Prelate by Pope Pius XII in 1954 — the only Adams priest so honored. His 50 years of service in Adams remained a record at his death in 1963.
- Fr. Daniel Boyle1994–
Assigned as pastor of Notre Dame in 1994; oversaw the 1998 merger with St. Thomas Aquinas, the 2003 addition of St. Stanislaus Kostka, and the 2009 founding of St. John Paul II Parish, of which he was the founding pastor.
- Rev. Fr. Michael Lillpoppcurrent
Current pastor; serves across the Adams & Cheshire Catholic parishes cluster.