About St. Joseph Church (Saints Mary and Joseph Parish) · Salem, New Hampshire
Saints Mary and Joseph Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Salem, New Hampshire, formed on July 4, 2010 by the merger of Saint Joseph Parish (founded 1910) and Mary, Queen of Peace Parish (founded 1966) under the Diocese of Manchester. The unified parish worships at two historic church sites — St. Joseph Church on Main Street and Mary, Queen of Peace Church on Lawrence Road — and serves the Catholic faithful of the Salem region with a bilingual (English and Spanish) schedule of daily and weekend Masses. The parish is also the home parish of St. Joseph Regional Catholic School, a Pre-K through Grade 8 elementary school where daily prayer, weekly Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration form the rhythm of school life.
- Established
- 2010 (merged parish; St. Joseph Parish founded 1910; Mary, Queen of Peace Parish founded 1966)
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas Frink, SJ (Pastor)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire
Why belong here
Saints Mary and Joseph Parish offers a stable, two-campus Catholic home in southern New Hampshire with daily Mass in English, a Sunday Mass celebrated in Spanish, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (including 24-hour Adoration midweek and First Friday Adoration), and the Sacrament of Reconciliation every Saturday afternoon. It supports an affiliated parish school — St. Joseph Regional Catholic School — along with Parish Faith Formation, Youth Ministry, a FIRE OF HOPE Prayer Ministry, women's faith study, and a bereavement support group, making it a place where families, students, and longtime parishioners can all find a place to pray, serve, and grow.
Mass times at St. Joseph Church (Saints Mary and Joseph Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM (St. Joseph Church / North Campus)
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Mary Queen of Peace Church)
Adoration times
- First Friday Adoration: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Monday–Friday: one hour of Adoration following the 7:15 AM Mass at St. Joseph Church
- 24-Hour Adoration: Wednesday after the 7:15 AM Mass through Thursday before the 7:15 AM Mass
Parish History & 2010 Merger
Saints Mary and Joseph Parish is the 2010 successor parish of two historic Salem, NH Catholic communities. Saint Joseph Parish, founded in 1910, was the original Catholic parish serving the town, and its records — beginning with baptisms in 1911 — are preserved at the merged parish office. Mary, Queen of Peace Parish was established in 1966 on Lawrence Road to serve the growing Catholic population on Salem's south side. On June 18, 2010 the Bishop of Manchester signed a formal decree merging the two parishes under canon law, citing stewardship of resources and the spiritual welfare of the people of God in southern New Hampshire. The union took effect at midnight at the close of Sunday, July 4, 2010, with the existing church buildings retained as the parish's two worship sites.
- St. Joseph Parish founded 1910 (40 Main Street)
- Mary, Queen of Peace Parish founded 1966 (200 Lawrence Road)
- Merger decree signed June 18, 2010 by the Bishop of Manchester
- Union effective midnight, end of July 4, 2010
- Sacramental registers and assets of both former parishes transferred to Saints Mary and Joseph Parish under canon 535
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Thomas Frink, SJ, a priest of the Society of Jesus. Rev. Msgr. Marc Montminy, ordained in 1977, is also associated with Saints Mary and Joseph Parish in the diocesan directory. General parish business and sacramental inquiries are handled through the parish office at 200 Lawrence Road.
- Pastor: Rev. Thomas Frink, SJ
- Rev. Msgr. Marc Montminy (parish clergy per diocesan directory)
- Faith Formation Director: Ana Cardenas ([email protected])
- Parish office: (603) 893-8661
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Parish Faith Formation program supports the catechetical and sacramental preparation of the parish's children and families, supplementing the work of St. Joseph Regional Catholic School. Sacramental preparation for parishioners who do not attend the parish school is coordinated through the Faith Formation office.
- Director of Faith Formation: Ana Cardenas ([email protected])
- Reconciliation preparation: Grade 2
- First Holy Communion preparation: Grade 3
- Confirmation preparation: Grade 3
Youth Ministry
The parish maintains an active Youth Ministry with parish youth groups for teens. Programs and gathering details are posted on the parish website and calendar, complementing the Catholic school experience available to younger students at St. Joseph Regional Catholic School.
- Parish youth groups (middle school and high school ages)
- Calendar and events posted at saintsmaryandjoseph.org/youth-education
St. Joseph Regional Catholic School (Parish School)
Saints Mary and Joseph Parish is the home parish of St. Joseph Regional Catholic School, a Pre-K through Grade 8 Catholic elementary school located on the St. Joseph campus in Salem. The school's mission is to offer a traditional Catholic education guided by the core values of faith, integrity, service, and academic excellence. Students in Pre-K through Grade 8 attend Mass together once or twice each month at St. Joseph's Church, in front of the school, with individual classes hosting Masses throughout the year. The school operates with rolling admissions and offers tuition assistance to keep Catholic education affordable.
- Pre-K through Grade 8, rolling admissions
- Accredited Catholic elementary school
- Affiliated parish school of Saints Mary and Joseph Parish
- Tuition assistance available
- Daily morning and afternoon prayer led by Grades 1–8
- Grace before meals
- Friday morning Eucharistic Adoration in the third-floor chapel
- Weekly Rosary prayed together in the gym, led by students
- Reconciliation for Grades 4–8 twice a year
- 8th-grade retreats at the start and end of the year
- All Saints Day Mass hosted by Grade 2; Mother's Day Mass by Grade 3; Grandparents' Day Mass
- Stations of the Cross performed by Grade 8 during Lent
- Harvest Day Mass — Jr. High food drive for local families in need
- Graduation Mass honoring 8th-grade graduates
Spanish-Language Ministry
The parish serves the Hispanic Catholic community of the Salem area with a weekly Sunday Mass in Spanish at 1:00 PM in Mary Queen of Peace Church, on Lawrence Road. This Mass is part of the unified parish's regular Sunday schedule and complements the parish's English-language Masses throughout the weekend.
- Misa en Español — Domingo 1:00 PM, Mary Queen of Peace Church
- 200 Lawrence Road, Salem, NH
Prayer Groups & Devotions
Beyond Mass and Adoration, the parish hosts a number of ongoing prayer and devotion groups. The FIRE OF HOPE Prayer Ministry meets regularly, the women of the parish gather on Wednesday mornings for faith study (including a recent series on 'Abiding in God's Love: Praying with St. Catherine of Siena'), and a Bereavement Support Group is available for those who are grieving. The parish also observes the First Saturday Devotion with a 9:00 AM Mass at Mary Queen of Peace Church on the first Saturday of each month.
- FIRE OF HOPE Prayer Ministry
- Women's faith study — Wednesdays at 10:00 AM at Mary Queen of Peace Church
- Bereavement Support Group
- First Saturday Devotion — 9:00 AM Mass at Mary Queen of Peace Church
Sacraments & Sacramental Records
The parish celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments. Baptisms, First Communion (Grade 3 preparation), Reconciliation (Grade 2 preparation), Confirmation (Grade 3 preparation), Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick are arranged through the parish office. Sacramental registers from the former St. Joseph Parish and the former Mary, Queen of Peace Parish are preserved at the Saints Mary and Joseph Parish office in accord with canon 535 §§1–5.
- Baptism, Reconciliation (Grade 2), First Communion (Grade 3), Confirmation (Grade 3), Marriage, Anointing of the Sick
- Sacramental registers preserved at parish office (200 Lawrence Road)
Visit, Contact & Practical Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone at (603) 893-8661 or by email at [email protected] ([email protected] for general administration). The Faith Formation office can be reached at [email protected]. The parish office is located at 200 Lawrence Road, Salem, NH, and the North Campus (St. Joseph Church) is at 40 Main Street, Salem. Both Masses from each campus are live-streamed on the parish website for those who cannot attend in person.
- Parish office: 200 Lawrence Road, Salem, NH 03079
- North Campus (St. Joseph Church): 40 Main Street, Salem, NH 03079
- Phone: (603) 893-8661
- Email: [email protected]
- Faith Formation: [email protected]
- Website: saintsmaryandjoseph.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/smjparish