About St. Luke · Belmont, Massachusetts
St. Luke Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Belmont, Massachusetts, part of the Archdiocese of Boston and one of two worship sites of New Roads Catholic Community, a collaborative formed in 2013 with neighboring St. Joseph Parish under Cardinal Seán O'Malley's 'Disciples in Mission' pastoral plan. The parish church sits at 132 Lexington Street in the Waverley neighborhood and welcomes worshippers to a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, and two weekday morning Masses. New Roads describes itself as a community that helps people 'encounter God and grow in their relationship with God,' offering a fresh, modern approach to worship, sacramental preparation, and small-group ministry for all ages.
- Established
- 1919
- Patron
- St. Luke the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas A. (Thom) Mahoney
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Luke's is a parish that openly welcomes the searching, the doubting, and the returning — New Roads describes itself as 'a spiritual home for those who do not currently practice the Catholic faith; for those who have questions, struggles, and doubts; and for all people who are looking for a sense of meaning and belonging.' Parishioners find meaningful worship with relevant preaching and inspiring music, dedicated Kids' Church for children ages two and up, Confirmation and sacramental preparation, and small groups for teens, young adults, and older adults. Outreach ministries include the St. Luke's St. Vincent de Paul Society and The Bridge Ministry (LGBTQ outreach), with pastoral care extending to Belmont Manor, McLean Hospital, and Mt. Auburn Hospital.
Mass times at St. Luke
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM at St. Luke Church
About New Roads Catholic Community
New Roads Catholic Community is a collaborative of two parishes — St. Joseph and St. Luke in Belmont, Massachusetts — that work together to offer worship, welcome, and conversation through which people can encounter God. The community describes itself as a family that welcomes all who search for God and helps each person take next steps in developing a relationship with God, whether they are 5, 15, 25, or 105. It is also positioned as a spiritual home for those who do not currently practice the Catholic faith, for those with questions and doubts, and for anyone looking for meaning and belonging.
- Meaningful worship with relevant preaching and inspiring music
- Fresh, modern approach to preparing for and celebrating the sacraments
- Dedicated Kids' Church for children ages two and up
- Small groups for teens, young adults, and older adults
- Two worship sites and four weekend Masses, plus three weekday Masses
- Weekly email to help connect faith to daily life
History of St. Luke Parish
St. Luke's was carved out of St. Joseph's Parish in April 1919 to serve Waverley Catholics. A small wood-frame chapel built in 1915 on Beech Street served as the first worship space; it was replaced by the present Gothic Revival church whose cornerstone Cardinal O'Connell laid on August 1, 1926. The parish went on to build the first parochial school in Belmont (1940), a convent (1952), and an expanded rectory (1954), and today the complex is recognized as a potential National Register historic district.
- April 1919: Established as an independent parish from St. Joseph's
- 1915: Wood-frame mission chapel built on Beech Street
- 1923: Rectory built at Beech & Lexington by Melanson Brothers
- 1926: Cornerstone laid by Cardinal O'Connell; first Mass on Christmas Day
- 1934: Upper church interior completed by Allen & Butler
- 1940: St. Luke's School — Belmont's first parochial school — opens
- 1952: Convent built (architect Maurice P. Meade)
- 1970: Parochial school closes; later houses Waldorf High School
- 2013: Forms collaborative with St. Joseph under Disciples in Mission
- 2014: Collaborative takes the name 'New Roads Catholic Community'
- September 21, 2019: Centennial Mass with Cardinal O'Malley
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Luke Church is one of two worship sites in the New Roads Catholic Community. The other — St. Joseph — offers Sunday Masses at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM in the South Worship Space with modern music, kids programs, and café service after Mass. Daily and holy day Mass times are listed on the parish website.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM at St. Luke
- Sunday: 10:00 AM at St. Luke (live-streamed via YouTube)
- Weekday: 9:00 AM Thursday and Friday at St. Luke
Parish Staff
New Roads Catholic Community is led by a single pastor with a unified pastoral staff team serving both worship sites. The Boston Catholic Directory lists Rev. Thomas A. Mahoney as Pastor; the parish website adds administrative, operations, communications, liturgy/music, ministry, and Confirmation staff.
- Rev. Thomas A. (Thom) Mahoney — Pastor
- Tom McHugh — Finance and Operations Manager
- Kathy O'Leary — Creative Director (Media Communications)
- Silvia Paredes — Administrative Assistant
- Maria LeBlanc — Adult Ministry Associate
- Veronica Groom — Confirmation Coordinator
- Louis Fabrizio — Operations
- Denise Ryan — Liturgy and Music
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Children's and youth faith formation at New Roads begins with Tiny Disciples for the youngest children, continues with Kids' Church during Sunday Masses (for ages two and up), and leads into Sacramental Preparation, Confirmation, and a Teen Small Group. Veronica Groom serves as Confirmation Coordinator and Maria LeBlanc as Adult Ministry Associate.
- Tiny Disciples
- Kids' Church (ages 2+, during Sunday Mass)
- Sacramental Preparation
- Confirmation Program (Coordinator: Veronica Groom)
- Teen Small Group
- Adult Ministry (Coordinator: Maria LeBlanc)
Worship & Music Ministries
Music and liturgical ministry are central to New Roads' contemporary worship style, with a Director of Liturgy & Music (Denise Ryan) coordinating a team of musicians, techs, and liturgical volunteers.
- Worship Team / Music
- Creative Tech (audio/visual)
- Altar Servers & Masters of Ceremony
- Lectors & Eucharistic Ministers
Outreach & Pastoral Care
New Roads extends God's love and compassion to parishioners and neighbors experiencing illness or loss through a robust pastoral care ministry, while two flagship outreach efforts — the St. Luke's St. Vincent de Paul Society and The Bridge Ministry (LGBTQ outreach) — serve the wider community.
- St. Luke's St. Vincent de Paul Society
- The Bridge Ministry (LGBTQ outreach)
- Bereavement Ministers
- Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound
- Eucharistic Ministers at Belmont Manor (weekly)
- Eucharistic Ministers at McLean Hospital (rotating monthly)
- Eucharistic Ministers at Mt. Auburn Hospital (weekly)
Hospitality & Small Groups
A welcoming culture is supported by formal Hospitality ministries — greeters, the Info Desk, hosts, and a Café Ministry — while small groups provide the relational backbone of parish life for adults, teens, and young adults.
- Greeting Team
- Info Desk
- Host Ministry
- Café Ministry
- Small Group Leaders
Getting Involved — Safe Environment
Anyone wishing to volunteer at New Roads completes three required steps before serving: a CORI (criminal background check) done in person with photo ID at the parish office, a Volunteer Application Form agreeing to the Archdiocese of Boston Code of Conduct, and VIRTUS 'Protecting God's Children' training. Children's/youth volunteers must complete VIRTUS within 30 days; all others within 60 days. CORI is renewed annually in March.
- Step 1: CORI background check (in person, with photo ID)
- Step 2: Volunteer Application Form / Code of Conduct
- Step 3: VIRTUS 'Protecting God's Children' training
Contact & Visit
The collaborative parish office is located at St. Joseph, 130 Common Street, Belmont — not at the St. Luke church building itself. To reach the office, park in the upper lot behind St. Joseph, enter through the double glass doors, take a left down the ramp, and a left into the Café; the administrative office is on the left. Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM. The St. Luke church building (for Mass, Confession, and the Triduum) is at 132 Lexington Street.
- Parish Office (mailing/office): 130 Common Street, Belmont, MA 02478
- St. Luke Church: 132 Lexington Street, Belmont, MA 02478-1239
- Phone: 617-484-1996
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Gerard Petringaserving until 2013
Pastor of St. Luke's prior to the formation of the New Roads collaborative; under Disciples in Mission he and Fr. Thomas Mahoney were asked to resign and could reapply for the new collaborative pastorate.
- Rev. Thomas A. Mahoney2013–present
Pastor of St. Joseph's at the time of the 2013 collaborative launch; became Pastor of the New Roads Catholic Community collaborative (St. Joseph and St. Luke), serving continuously since.