About St. Joseph · Quincy, Massachusetts
St. Joseph Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Quincy Point neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts, part of the Archdiocese of Boston. Since June 1, 2018 it has been paired in a collaborative with neighboring St. John the Baptist Parish under a single pastor, Rev. Matthew M. Williams, with the two parishes sharing staff and faith formation while keeping separate finances and identities. The parish is known for the JOY movement ('Jesus, Others, Yourself'), a stewardship discipleship program launched during the COVID-19 pandemic that brought the parish back to financial health and energized its ministries.
- Established
- 1917
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Matthew M. Williams
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a tight-knit Quincy Point parish that pairs traditional Catholic devotion with a clear, contemporary mission. Its JOY movement (Jesus, Others, Yourself) channels every parishioner's time, talent, and treasure into prayer, outreach, and tithing, with 10% of the weekly offertory going directly to charity. Sunday Mass at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. and Saturday Vigil at 4:00 p.m. are celebrated in English, daily Mass and weekday Adoration are offered at partner parish St. John the Baptist, and faith formation is provided collaboratively for the whole family.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm (Drive-Through at St. John the Baptist)
- Wednesday 6:45 pm – 7:45 pm (Inside at St. John the Baptist)
- Or by request
Adoration times
- Sunday 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm (Holy Hour at St. John the Baptist)
- Monday – Friday 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm (Adoration with Holy Hour at St. John the Baptist)
About St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Parish serves the Catholic families of Quincy Point from its church at 550 Washington Street, at the corner of Washington and Pray Streets. Since June 1, 2018 it has been paired in a collaborative with neighboring St. John the Baptist Parish under one pastor, Rev. Matthew M. Williams, sharing staff and faith formation while keeping two distinct parish identities and finances. The parish office (rectory) is at 556 Washington Street and can be reached at (617) 472-6321 or [email protected]. Pastoral care and prayer-request needs are handled through the [email protected] outreach email.
- Church: 550 Washington St, Quincy, MA 02169
- Rectory / Mailing: 556 Washington St, Quincy, MA 02169
- Phone: (617) 472-6321
- Office email: [email protected]
- Outreach email: [email protected]
- Parish is part of the St. John the Baptist–St. Joseph Collaborative (since June 1, 2018)
History of St. Joseph's Church
Founded in July 1917 to serve the Catholic families of Quincy Point, St. Joseph's was built as a Spanish-mission-style stucco church seating 500 and quickly grew to include a parish school (dedicated September 7, 1927) staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Through the decades eight pastors have guided the parish, weathering a school closure in 2006, a major renovation in 1990 under Fr. Daniel Graham, and a 2007 capital campaign for the bell tower and grounds. The parish entered its current collaborative arrangement with St. John the Baptist in 2018 under Fr. Matt Williams.
- 1915: Decision made to build a new church for Quincy Point
- 1917: Parish formally established; Rev. Michael J. Cuddihy named first pastor
- 1927 (Sept 7): Parish school dedicated and blessed
- 1930: Fore River barracks converted into convent for the Sisters of St. Joseph
- 1980: Sisters of Providence take up residence in the convent
- 1990: Sanctuary reconfigured and church renovated under Fr. Daniel Graham
- 2002: Sisters of Providence depart for their Indiana motherhouse
- 2006: Parish school closes due to demographic change
- 2007: Capital campaign funds bell tower, chimney, and grounds repairs
- 2018 (June 1): St. John the Baptist–St. Joseph Collaborative formed; Fr. Matt Williams appointed pastor
The JOY Movement — Jesus, Others, Yourself
Launched on June 11, 2020 in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the JOY movement is the collaborative's stewardship discipleship program. The acronym — Jesus, Others, Yourself — sets a priorities order: put Christ first through prayer, then serve neighbors in need, then care for self. The collaborative committed 10% of each week's offertory to charity and asked parishioners to tithe their time, talent, and treasure. The initiative moved St. Joseph's from a 10-month runway to a budget surplus, lifted weekly offertory by 38%, and on September 25, 2020 commissioned 107 volunteers as JOY ambassadors in an outdoor ceremony that included Liturgy of the Word, praise music, Eucharistic adoration, and bonfires.
- Acronym: Jesus, Others, Yourself
- Tithing: 10% of weekly offertory given to charity
- Parishioner response: St. Joseph's offertory up 38% within months of launch
- 107 volunteers commissioned as JOY ambassadors on Sept. 25, 2020
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The collaborative runs a single faith formation program for both parishes, based at St. John the Baptist, that serves children and their families from Pre-K through Grade 8. The program is rooted in family attendance at Sunday Mass and treats parents as the primary educators of their children. St. J's Wednesdays is the weekly daylong offering for grades 1–8, combining homework help, faith formation, and sacramental preparation in a safe, social environment.
- Program held at St. John the Baptist, serving both parishes
- Rooted in Sunday Mass attendance and family involvement
- St. J's Wednesdays: weekly daylong faith formation for grades 1–8
- Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist
- Contact: [email protected]
Faith Formation
Run as one collaborative program for both St. John the Baptist and St. Joseph, the Faith Formation program forms children as disciples of Jesus Christ and equips parents, catechists, and volunteers to hand on the Catholic faith. Each year the program is reviewed with input from parents, teachers, clergy, and parishioners. In addition to traditional classroom-style religious education, Vacation Bible School is offered in the summer.
- Comprehensive Pre-K through Grade 8 faith education
- Parent and family involvement emphasized
- Vacation Bible School (summer)
- Annual program review with parents, teachers, clergy, parishioners
Youth Ministry
Youth ministry was a particular focus of the seventh pastor, Fr. Vincent Doolan, and remains a strong part of parish life through the collaborative. Programs are aimed at building youth leadership and engaging young parishioners across grade levels.
- Religious education built around youth leadership under Fr. Doolan
- Ongoing youth engagement as part of the collaborative
Parish Ministries & Volunteer Corps
St. Joseph's runs a broad volunteer ministry that supports the liturgies and outreach of the parish. The JOY movement has dramatically expanded the volunteer base, and many of the parish's liturgical and pastoral roles are filled by trained, commissioned volunteers. The collaborative's StJsCares outreach and St. John's Food Pantry are key pastoral-care ministries.
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Ushers
- Sacristans
- Collaborative Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
- StJsCares pastoral care / prayer outreach ([email protected])
- St. John's Food Pantry (collaborative outreach, Wed evenings 6:30–7:30)
Outreach & Charity
Charitable giving is a pillar of the JOY movement: 10% of each week's offertory is donated to those in need. The collaborative's food pantry at St. John the Baptist provides groceries weekly, and the StJsCares email connects parishioners in need — or those who know of someone in need — to the parish's outreach team.
- 10% of weekly offertory to charity (JOY movement)
- St. John's Food Pantry — open Wednesdays
- StJsCares pastoral care: [email protected]
Giving & Registration
Parishioners and visitors can support St. Joseph's through the Grand Annual collection, regular offertory, and online giving. The parish accepts donations via PayPal and Venmo (@Donate-StJs), and new parishioners are encouraged to register to help the parish maintain an accurate database and serve the community well.
- Grand Annual appeal
- Online giving via PayPal and Venmo (@Donate-StJs)
- Parish Registration available on the parish website
Parish Staff
The parish is served by a pastor, two vicars, a deacon, and lay staff in operations and evangelization, all shared across the St. John the Baptist–St. Joseph collaborative.
- Pastor: Rev. Matthew M. Williams
- Vicar: Rev. Jason W. Worthley
- Vicar: Rev. Lambert K. Nieme
- Deacon: Deacon Timothy A. Booker
- Operations: Mr. Stephen Marx
- Evangelization: Ms. Andrea Alberti, Ms. Michaela Silva, Ms. Alyson Doucette
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael J. Cuddihy1917–1930
First pastor; oversaw construction of the church and, in 1927, the parish school, plus conversion of a Fore River barracks into a hall and later a convent for the Sisters of St. Joseph.
- Rev. John J. Crane1930–1937
Second pastor; continued building up the young parish.
- Rev. Joseph E. Murphy1937–c.1947
Third pastor; the parish flourished under his leadership.
- Msgr. John J. Allston1947–c.1970
Fourth pastor; completely remodeled and redecorated the church.
- Rev. Joseph Downey1970–c.1990
Fifth pastor; served 20 years, built a new gym/hall, and received a donated parking lot across the street from Mrs. Georgette Nickerson.
- Rev. Daniel Graham1990–c.2002
Sixth pastor; top-to-bottom renovation, became Vicar of the Parishes of Quincy, instituted many spiritual events.
- Rev. Vincent Doolan2002–c.2018
Seventh pastor; launched youth program and rebuilt the religious education program around youth leadership; oversaw closure of the parish school in 2006 and the 2007 capital campaign.
- Rev. Matthew M. Williams2018–present
Eighth pastor; first pastor of the St. John the Baptist–St. Joseph collaborative (formed June 1, 2018); former Archdiocesan Director for Youth; creator of the JOY movement.