About St. Joseph · North Grosvenordale, Connecticut
St. Joseph Parish in North Grosvenordale, Connecticut, is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the villages of North Grosvenordale, Grosvenordale, and Thompson in the Quiet Corner of northeastern Connecticut. Founded in 1873 and part of the Diocese of Norwich, the parish is currently yoked with St. Mary in Putnam, Most Holy Trinity in Pomfret, and St. Stephen in Quinebaug. The parish runs weekend Masses at its 12 Main Street church, weekday Masses at partner parishes, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, a Catholic school (now closed), a thrift shop, a food pantry, a parish hall, and a consecrated cemetery.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Very Rev. David P. Choquette
- Diocese
- Diocese of Norwich
Why belong here
St. Joseph welcomes Catholics from the mill villages of Thompson and the surrounding Quiet Corner to a traditional parish life centered on the Eucharist and devotion to St. Joseph. The community gathers every weekend at 12 Main Street and throughout the week at St. Stephen in Quinebaug, with daily Mass, weekly Eucharonic Adoration on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Saturday confessions. Beyond liturgy, the parish extends its care beyond the church walls through the St. Joseph Food Pantry at 20 Main Street, the St. Joseph Thrift Shop at 17 Main Street, and St. Joseph Hall, all expressions of the parish's long-standing commitment to its neighbors.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM (in the sacristy)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Friday 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM (some listings note Friday opening at noon)
Parish History
St. Joseph Parish was organized in January 1873 to serve the Catholic mill workers and their families of the Grosvenor Dale and North Grosvenordale villages in Thompson, Connecticut. The original wooden Gothic church on twelve acres between the two villages was dedicated on September 29, 1872 by Bishop F. P. McFarland. Father Hyacinthe Martial was the first pastor; Father W. E. Flanagan succeeded him after his death. Through the 1880s the parish supported a Catholic school staffed by the Sisters of Holy Cross, a Sacred Heart mission at West Thompson, and a cemetery consecrated in 1874. By 1886 Mechanicsville was spun off as its own parish (today St. Stephen, Quinebaug), and St. Joseph continues to serve the rest of Thompson.
- 1872: Parish land purchased and wooden Gothic church built ($10,000)
- September 29, 1872: Church solemnly dedicated by Bishop F. P. McFarland
- January 1873: Parish formally organized as 'St. Joseph's Catholic Society'; Father Martial first pastor
- June 15, 1874: Cemetery consecrated by Very Rev. James Hughes, V.G.
- 1882: St. Joseph School opened
- 1886: Mechanicsville (Quinebaug) constituted a separate parish
Leadership & Parochial Staff
St. Joseph is currently led by Very Rev. David P. Choquette as pastor, with Rev. Thomas Griffin assisting. The parish is yoked with St. Mary in Putnam, Most Holy Trinity in Pomfret, and St. Stephen in Quinebaug, and Rev. Lawrence J. Barile was appointed Parochial Vicar to that cluster effective July 16, 2024. Pastoral inquiries and records for the former Sacred Heart mission at West Thompson are handled through the North Grosvenordale parish office.
- Very Rev. David P. Choquette — Pastor
- Rev. Thomas Griffin
- Rev. Lawrence J. Barile — Parochial Vicar (appointed July 16, 2024)
Parish Outreach & Facilities
The parish campus along Main Street includes several ministries that serve the wider community beyond Sunday Mass. The St. Joseph Food Pantry at 20 Main Street distributes food to neighbors in need; the St. Joseph Thrift Shop at 17 Main Street raises funds through donated goods; and St. Joseph Hall hosts parish gatherings. The consecrated St. Joseph's Cemetery, the only cemetery in Thompson that is part of church property, is administered from the parish office.
- St. Joseph Food Pantry — 20 Main St., 860-923-9470
- St. Joseph Thrift Shop — 17 Main St., 860-923-9346
- St. Joseph Hall — 860-923-2841
- St. Joseph Cemetery — office at 12 Main St., 860-923-2361
St. Joseph School
St. Joseph School at 26 Main Street traced its roots to 1882 and, in its final years, served students from preschool through grade 8. The school was the only NAEYC- and NEASC-accredited Catholic preschool in the State of Connecticut. After 138 years, the school closed at the end of the 2019–2020 academic year.
- Founded 1882 (current school building at 26 Main St.)
- Closed in 2020 after 138 years
- Past Principal: David Sizemore
Diocese & Pastoral Cluster
St. Joseph is part of the Diocese of Norwich (Bishop Michael R. Cote) and is yoked in pastoral ministry with three neighboring parishes in the Putnam Deanery. Inquiries and records for the closed Sacred Heart mission at West Thompson are handled through the North Grosvenordale parish office.
- Diocese of Norwich
- Yoked parishes: St. Mary (Putnam), Most Holy Trinity (Pomfret), St. Stephen (Quinebaug)
- Mission (closed): Sacred Heart, West Thompson
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone during business hours or by email. The church is located at 12 Main Street in the village of North Grosvenordale within the town of Thompson, Connecticut.
- Address: 12 Main St., P.O. Box 897, North Grosvenordale, CT 06255-0897
- Phone: (860) 923-2361
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stjosephng.weconnect.com
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Hyacinthe Martial1873 – (deceased in office)
First pastor; organized the parish in January 1873 after the 1872 dedication. His tombstone is near the church.
- Rev. W. E. Flanagan
Took charge of the parish after Father Martial's decease.