About St. Joseph (St. Joseph Parish) · Bridgton, Maine
St. Joseph Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Lakes Region of Maine, headquartered at 225 South High Street in Bridgton. Established as its own parish in 1971 after decades as a mission of St. Catherine of Sienna in Norway, it is one of four worship sites that today make up the Western Maine Lakes & Foothills Cluster (Cluster 30), serving Bridgton and the surrounding community including a mission at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Fryeburg. The parish is pastored by priests of the Heralds of Good News (HGN) missionary society and is sustained by a particularly active lay life built around the Knights of Columbus, the Women's Guild, the Daughters of Isabella, and other lay groups.
- Established
- 1971
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas Aquinas Giragori Chinnappan, HGN (Heralds of Good News); appointed pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Bridgton, and St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Norway, effective July 1, 2025.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in Maine
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers the traditional rhythms of a small-town Maine parish: two weekend Masses (Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning), weekday Masses on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and a solidly lived sacramental life including weekly adoration and Saturday confession. What makes it distinctive is the depth of its lay community — a Women's Guild that has served the parish for generations and awards two $2,000 continuing-education scholarships each year, an active Knights of Columbus council that maintains the buildings and hosts fundraisers like the annual Tootsie Roll Drive, and a Lay Dominican and Lay Franciscan presence. As part of the Western Maine Lakes & Foothills Cluster it is also tightly connected to neighboring parishes in Norway, Fryeburg, Mechanic Falls and Oxford, so any visitor quickly feels part of a wider Catholic family in the Lakes Region.
Mass times at St. Joseph (St. Joseph Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM
- By appointment (call the Cluster office at 207-743-2606)
Adoration times
- Monday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Wednesday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- First Friday 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM, followed by Mass at 6:00 PM
Parish Identity & Background
St. Joseph Parish is the Roman Catholic parish serving Bridgton and the surrounding Lakes Region of western Maine. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in Maine and is administered as part of the Western Maine Lakes & Foothills Cluster — a grouping of five worship sites across Bridgton, Fryeburg, Norway, Mechanic Falls and Oxford. The parish was formally established in 1971 and takes its name from St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the patron's feast day is March 19.
- Patron: St. Joseph
- Feast Day: March 19
- Established as a parish: 1971
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in Maine
History of St. Joseph Parish
Catholic life in Bridgton dates to the early 20th century, when the faithful gathered in homes and rented halls and relied on a priest who traveled up from Norway, when possible, to celebrate Mass. In 1924 the community purchased a former Unitarian church downtown; Mass was offered there first only in the summer, for vacationers, then year-round. Crowding soon prompted Father Gilbert Patenaude — pastor of St. Catherine of Sienna in Norway from 1968 — to propose a new church and parish status for St. Joseph. Ground was broken on South High Street in 1970; the building, designed by A.C. Pasquale and C.W. Curtis of P & C Allied Architects, was blessed and dedicated on August 22, 1971 by Bishop Peter Gerety. The 50th anniversary was celebrated on August 21, 2021 with a Mass and eucharistic procession led by Bishop Robert Deeley, during the diocesan Year of St. Joseph.
- Early 1900s: Catholics gather in homes and halls; priest visits from Norway.
- 1924: Community buys the former Unitarian church downtown; first summer-only Masses.
- 1968: Father Gilbert Patenaude becomes pastor of St. Catherine of Sienna, Norway.
- 1970: Ground broken for the South High Street church.
- August 22, 1971: Bishop Peter Gerety dedicates the present church.
- August 21, 2021: 50th anniversary Mass and eucharistic procession with Bishop Robert Deeley.
Pastoral Staff & Clergy
Following reassignments announced by Bishop James T. Ruggieri effective July 1, 2025, St. Joseph Parish is again served by Heralds of Good News (HGN) missionary priests from India. The previous pastor, Father Edward Clifford (pastor 2017–2025), has been reassigned as pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Wells.
- Pastor: Rev. Thomas Aquinas Giragori Chinnappan, HGN (assigned July 1, 2025)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Arockia Natha Prabu Magimaidass, HGN
- Cluster Business Coordinator: Kristen Short (207-743-2606)
- Faith Formation Coordinator (St. Joseph & St. Teresa of Calcutta): Joanne Fortier (207-647-2334)
- Cluster Secretary: Gloria Vaznis
- Administrative Assistant: Sharon Rogers
- Campus Minister: Kylie O'Brien
Mass, Sacraments & Devotions
The parish celebrates Mass in English on a regular weekly schedule, with weekday Masses on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and a weekly Saturday Vigil. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered on Monday and Wednesday mornings, with an extended First Friday holy hour followed by Mass. Confession is heard every Saturday afternoon before the Vigil Mass, and by appointment through the cluster office in Norway.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:00 PM (English)
- Sunday Mass — 8:30 AM (English)
- Weekday Masses — Mon/Wed/Thu 8:30 AM
- First Friday Adoration 3:00–6:00 PM, Mass at 6:00 PM
- Saturday Confession at 3:00 PM and by appointment
Parish Ministries & Lay Life
Lay life at St. Joseph is unusually active for a parish of its size, anchored by three long-standing organizations — the Knights of Columbus, the Women's Guild and the Daughters of Isabella — together with the Maine Council of Catholic Women, Lay Dominicans, Lay Franciscans and parish contacts for Maine Right to Life. Members of the Knights help maintain the church buildings and grounds, run the annual Tootsie Roll Drive for area agencies serving people with developmental disabilities, and host seasonal fundraisers such as the March Corned Beef & Cabbage dinner. The Women's Guild, which predates the present church, supports parish life and community outreach and awards two $2,000 continuing-education scholarships each year to anyone in the community seeking further education.
- Knights of Columbus — Bridgton/Fryeburg Council (Tootsie Roll Drive, building maintenance, Silver Rose Prayer Service for Our Lady of Guadalupe, March corned beef dinner)
- St. Joseph's Women's Guild — annual Holiday & Fall Sale; two $2,000 continuing-education awards each year
- Daughters of Isabella
- Maine Right to Life (parish contact)
- MDCCW (Maine Council of Catholic Women)
- Lay Dominicans and Lay Franciscans
Faith Formation & Campus Ministry
Faith formation across Cluster 30 is coordinated by Joanne Fortier, who can be reached through the St. Joseph Pastoral Center (207-647-2334). The cluster also employs a Campus Minister, Kylie O'Brien, supporting young adults in the Lakes Region parishes.
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Joanne Fortier (St. Joseph & St. Teresa of Calcutta)
- Campus Minister: Kylie O'Brien
Community Outreach
Beyond the parish walls, St. Joseph parishioners support several area missions and agencies. The Knights of Columbus assist area seniors with yard work and household tasks and raise funds for local disability-services agencies; the parish community also supports the Mother Seton House in Fryeburg, a nonprofit providing housing, education, counseling and other support services for pregnant women and new mothers.
- Mother Seton House (Fryeburg) — housing, education and counseling for pregnant women and new mothers
- Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive — area agencies serving people with developmental disabilities
- Senior outreach — yard work and household help through the Knights
Cluster 30 — Western Maine Lakes & Foothills
St. Joseph is one of two parishes in the Western Maine Lakes & Foothills Cluster (Cluster 30) of the Diocese of Portland. Clustered together since 2008, St. Joseph (Bridgton, established 1971) and Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Norway, established 2008) share clergy and pastoral staff and rotate weekday Masses and adoration across the five worship sites. Sharing the same priests is St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Fryeburg (1990), which serves as Bridgton's mission parish; the cluster's other sites are Our Lady of Ransom in Mechanic Falls and St. Mary in Oxford (summer only).
- St. Joseph — 225 South High Street, Bridgton (office hours Thu 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton — 857 Main Street, Fryeburg (Bridgton parish mission)
- St. Catherine of Sienna — 32 Paris Street, Norway (cluster office: 207-743-2606)
- Our Lady of Ransom — 117 Elm Street, Mechanic Falls
- St. Mary — 276 King Street, Oxford (summer)
- Cluster website: www.cluster30.org
Notable Moments & Heritage
The parish's most photographed recent milestone was the 50th anniversary on August 21, 2021, celebrated with a Mass and a walking eucharistic procession — the Blessed Sacrament carried in a monstrance by Bishop Deeley, with parishioners holding candles processing to an outdoor altar, then around the church and back into the pews. Concelebrants included Father Edward Clifford (then pastor), Father Arockia Natha Prabu Magimaidass (parochial vicar) and Msgr. Paul Stefanko, a former pastor. The Knights of Columbus closed the day with an outdoor barbecue.
- August 21, 2021 — 50th anniversary Mass with Bishop Robert Deeley
- Nine-day novena to St. Joseph leading into the anniversary
- First Friday tradition — afternoon adoration followed by evening Mass
- Annual Silver Rose Prayer Service for Our Lady of Guadalupe (Knights of Columbus)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Gilbert Patenaudefrom 1968
Pastor of St. Catherine of Sienna, Norway; under his leadership St. Joseph grew from a mission into a separate parish and the present church was planned.
- Rev. Edward CliffordJuly 2017 – June 2025
Ordained 2014; pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Bridgton, and St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Norway; led the 50th anniversary Mass with Bishop Deeley on August 21, 2021. Reassigned as pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, Wells, effective July 1, 2025.
- Msgr. Paul Stefanko
Former pastor; concelebrated the 50th anniversary Mass in 2021.
- Rev. Thomas Aquinas Giragori Chinnappan, HGNeffective July 1, 2025
Member of the Heralds of Good News missionary society (India); arrived in Maine in May 2025 and was ordained in 2012.