About St. Joseph · Woodsville, New Hampshire
St. Joseph Parish is a rural Catholic community in Woodsville, New Hampshire, serving the village of Woodsville and surrounding towns in the upper Connecticut River valley (Grafton County). Since 1896 it has worshipped at 15 Pine Street and is today twinned as a dual-parish family with St. Catherine of Siena Church in nearby Lisbon. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Manchester (White Mountain Deanery) and describes itself as a close-knit family that 'images Jesus Christ' through Word, Sacrament, prayer, study, and mutual support. Weekend and daily Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, confession, religious education, youth ministry, and music ministry together make up the rhythm of parish life.
- Established
- 1896
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Ryan Amazeen
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester (White Mountain Deanery, Grafton County)
Why belong here
St. Joseph & St. Catherine of Siena offer a small, rural community where, in the words of the parish, 'we really become a big family.' Members commit to 'truly living out the fullness of our beautiful and life-giving Catholic faith' through Word and Sacrament, study, prayer, and mutual support — including practical help in times of difficulty. With daily and weekend Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, regular Confession, religious education K–9, a grades 6–12 youth ministry, music ministry, and active parish and finance councils, the parish provides the full rhythm of Catholic life in a setting where members know one another by name.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday — after the 9:00 AM Mass (approx. 9:30–10:30 AM)
- Saturday — 3:00–3:45 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday — 9:00 AM to 5:15 PM (Eucharistic Adoration)
- Friday — 9:30 to 10:30 AM (Eucharistic Adoration)
Welcome & Parish Identity
The parish describes itself as two rural community parishes that 'really become a big family.' Members commit to living the fullness of the Catholic faith through the Word and Sacraments, study, prayer, and the everyday interactions of parishioners with one another. Visitors, newcomers, and those returning to the faith are warmly invited to introduce themselves at Mass, adoration, or one of the parish talks and classes. The parish is explicit that it seeks to 'image Jesus Christ' and live out the call to be His disciples through both large and small acts of mutual care.
- Joint parish family with St. Catherine of Siena, Lisbon
- Welcomes visitors, newcomers, and returning Catholics
- Weekly bulletin available online
- Online donation option
History of St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Parish was established in January 1896, with Father Patrick S. Cahill as the first pastor serving a vast territory stretching from Haverhill to Lincoln. From the very start, Mass was celebrated in a hall over the Central Fire Station while plans were made for a permanent church. The Catholic population was largely made up of French-Canadian and Irish lumbermen, farmers, and railroad laborers, with strong ecumenical support from Protestant neighbors — non-Catholics contributed over $1,000 toward the building fund, and Catholic fairs and suppers drew community-wide audiences.
- Established January 1896
- First pastor: Rev. Patrick S. Cahill
- Church built 1896–1897 by James Dalton
- Dedicated November 7, 1897 by Bishop Denis M. Bradley
- Original parish covered Haverhill, Bath, Lisbon, Landaff, Monroe, Lyman, Carroll, and Lincoln
- Reported in the Manchester Union, November 8, 1897
Mission Church: St. Catherine of Siena, Lisbon
Lisbon was originally part of St. Joseph's territory. Until 1909, a priest came from Woodsville once a month to celebrate Mass in Franklin Hall on Main Street. The site for a new church at the northwest corner of Highland and Kelsea Avenues was acquired on August 24, 1907, and the church was built 1908–1909 under Rev. Thomas Redden. Bishop George Guertin blessed the new St. Catherine of Siena Church on August 9, 1909 as a mission of St. Joseph's. It became its own parish in 1958 under Bishop Matthew Brady, with Rev. Raymond Desjardins as the first resident pastor. In 1976–1978 the first Lisbon rectory was deeded to the Lisbon School District in exchange for a new rectory behind the church, built as a vocational-education class project. That rectory was sold in 1997 and St. Catherine's returned to mission status under St. Joseph's, with the pastor residing in Woodsville.
- Acquired the church site in 1907
- Built 1908–1909
- Dedicated August 9, 1909 by Bishop George Guertin
- Became a parish in 1958 with Rev. Raymond Desjardins as first resident pastor
- Returned to mission status under St. Joseph's; pastor now resides in Woodsville
Pastor Succession
The parish website publishes a full chronological list of pastors of St. Joseph's going back to Father Patrick S. Cahill in 1896, along with a long list of associate pastors. The list is unusually thorough for a small rural parish and runs continuously through to the present pastor, Fr. Ryan Amazeen. Notable names in the succession include Father Thomas Redden (who oversaw the building of St. Catherine's in Lisbon), Father Patrick E. Walsh (long-serving pastor 1913–1934), Father John W. Nolin (1983–1994), Father Mark E. Dollard (1994–2002), Father Daniel J. Sinibaldi (2002–2009), Father Jefferey P. Statz (2009–2014), Father Alan C. Tremblay (2014–2017), Father Maria Sebastian Susairaj (2017–2022), and Father Arockia I. Antony (2022–2024).
- 22 pastors listed from 1896 to present
- 30+ associate pastors listed from 1901 to 2006
- Fr. Patrick S. Cahill (1896–1907) — first pastor
- Fr. Arockia I. Antony (2022–2024) — most recent predecessor
- Fr. Ryan Amazeen — current pastor
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Joseph & St. Catherine of Siena is served by a pastor and parochial vicar, supported by a small lay staff covering parish administration, music, maintenance, youth ministry, and faith formation. The parish is administered jointly with St. Catherine of Siena, and the shared staff reflects that single-parish-family model. Office hours run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with slight variations.
- Fr. Ryan Amazeen — Pastor ([email protected])
- Fr. Roarke (Rory) Traynor — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Linda Aliberti — Parish Secretary (603-747-2038)
- Marianne Hahr — Music Ministry (802-757-2136)
- Jonah Hahr — Maintenance (802-757-2136)
- Ben Roy — Youth Ministry (603-243-0224)
- Tammy Poitras — CCIA Coordinator / Religious Education (603-397-7484)
- Prayer Line available through the parish office
Solemnity of St. Joseph Devotion
In early 2026, Fr. Rory Traynor launched a seven-Sunday devotion ahead of the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19. Each Sunday at 5:00 PM the parish prays Evening Prayer (part of the Liturgy of the Hours) and reflects on one of the Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph, culminating in a 6:00 PM Missa Cantata (sung Latin Mass) on March 19, followed by Italian pastries.
- Seven Sundays of Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM (Feb. 1 – Mar. 15)
- Meditations on the Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph
- Missa Cantata on March 19 at 6:00 PM
- Italian pastries after the Solemnity Mass
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education at St. Joseph & St. Catherine of Siena is coordinated by Tammy Poitras (CCIA Coordinator) and includes a Sunday School program covering Kindergarten through Grade 9 (with Grade 2 excluded from the listed classes, consistent with First Communion preparation being its own track). Class time is Sunday, 9:30 – 10:30 AM. Sacramental preparation covers First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation. Youth Ministry under Ben Roy serves grades 6 through 12, with a middle-school component (grades 6–8) meeting 4:00–5:30 PM and a high-school component (grades 9–12) meeting 6:00–8:00 PM.
- Sunday School K–9, Sundays 9:30–10:30 AM
- CCIA (Continuing Catholic Initiation for Adults) — Tammy Poitras
- First Reconciliation / First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Middle school youth ministry (grades 6–8), Sundays 4:00–5:30 PM
- High school youth ministry (grades 9–12), Sundays 6:00–8:00 PM
- Youth Ministry contact: Ben Roy, 603-243-0224
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music Ministry is led by Marianne Hahr (802-757-2136) and supports the regular Sunday and daily Mass schedule as well as special liturgies such as the annual Missa Cantata on the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Lector and Altar Server schedules are published online and rotated quarterly.
- Music Ministry — Marianne Hahr
- Lector and Altar Server schedules published online
- Sung Mass on the Solemnity of St. Joseph (March 19)
Parish Councils & Finance
Each of the two parishes maintains its own Finance Council and Parish Council, which work with the pastor on stewardship, building improvements, and parish life. Membership rosters are published on the parish website.
- St. Joseph Finance Council — Fr. Ryan Amazeen; Peter Cataldo, Chair; Linda Aliberti; Mary Cataldo; Chuck Schultz; Betsy Belanger
- St. Joseph Parish Council — membership listed on site
- St. Catherine of Siena Finance Council — Jacqueline Taxter, Chair; Donna Northrop
- St. Catherine of Siena Parish Council — Philip Roy, Chair; John French VI; Elie Roy; Carolyn Hofmann; Betsy Belanger-Krasucki
Cemetery
St. Joseph Parish maintains St. Joseph Cemetery, and a cemetery map is published on the parish website as a resource for families and visitors.
- St. Joseph Cemetery maintained by the parish
- Cemetery map linked from the parish website
Visiting, Directions & Contact
St. Joseph Church is at 15 Pine Street in Woodsville, with the parish office and rectory next door at 21 Pine Street. The companion mission, St. Catherine of Siena Church, is at 14 Highland Avenue in Lisbon, directly across from Lisbon Regional School. The parish encourages visitors to introduce themselves at Mass or other events and to reach the office by phone, email, or in person during posted office hours.
- St. Joseph Church: 15 Pine Street, Woodsville, NH 03785
- St. Catherine of Siena Church: 14 Highland Avenue, Lisbon, NH 03585
- Parish office / rectory: 21 Pine Street, Woodsville, NH 03785
- Phone: (603) 747-2038
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours (typical): Mon/Wed 8:30 AM – 2 PM; Fri 10 AM – 2 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick S. CahillJanuary 1896 – April 28, 1907
First pastor; original parish covered Haverhill, Bath, Lisbon, Landaff, Monroe, Lyman, Carroll, and Lincoln; oversaw construction and 1897 dedication of St. Joseph Church.
- Rev. Thomas ReddenApril 28, 1907 – October 12, 1913
Wrote to Bishop Guertin about building a new church in Lisbon (future St. Catherine of Siena).
- Rev. Patrick E. WalshOctober 12, 1913 – May 23, 1934
- Rev. Frederick I. GaumontMay 23, 1934 – January 19, 1939
Had earlier served as Associate Pastor (September 1922 – April 1924).
- Rev. Albert J. Burque (Administrator)January 19, 1939 – May 31, 1940
- Rev. John J. Foley (Administrator, then Pastor)May 31, 1940 – October 14, 1945
Had earlier served the parish as Associate Pastor in 1923.
- Rev. George G. DonnellyOctober 15, 1945 – May 16, 1952
- Rev. Lionel W. BoulayMay 16, 1952 – November 3, 1960
- Rev. Robert J. LaroucheNovember 3, 1960 – January 19, 1966
- Rev. Roland E. TancredeJanuary 19, 1966 – February 3, 1971
- Rev. Jean A. TremblayFebruary 3, 1971 – September 8, 1976
- Rev. Roger P. BilodeauSeptember 8, 1976 – October 23, 1979
- Rev. Edwin W. MilneOctober 23, 1979 – November 10, 1982
- Rev. Robert F. ColeNovember 10, 1982 – January 19, 1983
- Rev. John W. NolinJanuary 19, 1983 – June 16, 1994
- Rev. Mark E. DollardJune 16, 1994 – 2002
- Rev. Daniel J. Sinibaldi2002 – 2009
- Rev. Jefferey P. Statz2009 – July 7, 2014
- Rev. Alan C. TremblayJuly 7, 2014 – October 16, 2017
- Rev. Maria Sebastian SusairajOctober 16, 2017 – February 28, 2022
- Rev. Arockia I. AntonyMarch 1, 2022 – September 15, 2024