St. Joseph

Parish Identity and Mission

St. Joseph Church is one of two worship sites of Holy Family Parish in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Providence. The parish's mission statement, posted on its website, expresses the community's commitment to proclaiming the Word of God, celebrating the sacraments, and extending the mercy of Christ to those in need. The parish describes itself as a bilingual (English/Spanish) family of faith that welcomes all who come to its doors.

History of St. Joseph Parish

St. Joseph Parish was created in 1873 from St. Mary's of Pawtucket to serve the city's growing Irish Catholic population. Father P.G. Delany bought the land; the cornerstone was laid in July 1873 and Rev. H.F. Kennerney became first pastor in January 1874. The church was dedicated on October 8, 1878, with the belfry and tower finished in 1891. A parochial school was organized in 1892 and by the early 1900s enrolled about 610 pupils under fourteen Sisters of Mercy.

• 1873 — Father Delany buys land; cornerstone laid in July.
• 1874 — Rev. H.F. Kennerney becomes first pastor; basement ready for worship in April.
• 1878 — Church dedicated October 8.
• 1885 — Dodgeville and Hebronville set off as separate parishes.
• 1888 — Rumford set off and later annexed to East Providence.
• 1891 — Belfry and tower completed.
• 1892 — Parochial school organized.
• 1905 — Rev. D.M. Lowney becomes pastor; serves until 1918 as auxiliary to Bishop Harkins.
• 1919 — Rev. John F. Barry succeeds Father Lowney as pastor.

Holy Family Parish (2009 Unification)

In 2009, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence unified three Pawtucket parishes — Sacred Heart of Jesus (38 Park St.), Our Lady of Consolation (211 Sabin St.), and Saint Joseph (195 Walcott St.) — into a single Holy Family Parish. The Sacred Heart church property was relegated and sold that same year, leaving St. Joseph and Our Lady of Consolation as the two worship sites of the new parish.

• Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish — 38 Park St. (closed and sold in 2009).
• Our Lady of Consolation Parish — 211 Sabin St. (still an active worship site).
• St. Joseph Parish — 195 Walcott St. (still an active worship site).

2025 Merger into St. John Paul II Parish

On December 11, 2025, the Diocese of Providence announced that Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., had approved the merger of Holy Family Parish into St. John Paul II Parish. Declining Mass attendance (240 at weekend Masses in 2024, down 510 from a decade earlier), minimal sacramental activity, and operating losses all contributed to the decision. Under the proposal, the St. Joseph Church building at 195 Walcott St. is to be incorporated into the St. Raphael Academy campus and used for funerals and weddings, while the Pawtucket Soup Kitchen will eventually need to be relocated from the church basement. Sacramental records of the former parishes are to be maintained at St. John Paul II Parish in accordance with Canon 535.

Parish Ministries

The parish regularly calls for new volunteers to its lay ministries and holds ministry meetings at the churches to train, refresh, and re-commission members. Coordinated through the parish office, the ministries include liturgical roles and ongoing community outreach such as the Pawtucket Soup Kitchen, which is based in the basement of St. Joseph Church.

• Lectors
• Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMOHC)
• Altar Servers
• Greeters and Collectors
• Spanish Ministry — Sarly Richardson
• Religious Education / Faith Formation — Laurianne Down, Coordinator
• Pawtucket Soup Kitchen (in the church basement)

Staff and Leadership

Holy Family Parish is led by Fr. Joseph Craddock as pastor. Fr. Joseph R. Paquette has also been listed as a pastoral administrator for the parish. The parish team includes a secretary/bookkeeper, a Spanish ministry coordinator, and a religious education coordinator.

• Rev. Joseph Craddock — Pastor
• Rev. Joseph R. Paquette — Pastoral Administrator
• Therese M. Duquette — Secretary/Bookkeeper
• Sarly Richardson — Spanish Ministry
• Laurianne Down — Religious Education Coordinator

Architecture and the Quality Hill Setting

The present St. Joseph Church was built in 1979 to replace the original 1870s church on the same Walcott Street site, which was destroyed by fire. The new building stands within the Quality Hill Historic District, whose National Register of Historic Places nomination lists it alongside the First Baptist Church (1959) and the Greek Orthodox Church of Pawtucket (1967) as one of the three twentieth-century churches that are socially important elements of the neighborhood.

• Original church dedicated 1878; belfry and tower completed 1891.
• Interior (pre-fire) described as having seven arches on fourteen pillars, twelve stained-glass windows, a rose window, a carved central altar, an oak communion rail and pews, and a basement worship space seating about 800.
• Current church built 1979 on the same site within the Quality Hill Historic District.