About St. Margaret Mary (Parish of the Holy Spirit) · Keene, New Hampshire
St. Margaret Mary Church is a Catholic church located at 33 Arch Street in Keene, New Hampshire, and is one of the worship sites of the Parish of the Holy Spirit in the Diocese of Manchester. Built in the mid-1950s as the second Roman Catholic church in Keene, it was merged in 2010 with St. Bernard Parish and other nearby parishes to form the regional Parish of the Holy Spirit, which now serves the greater Keene and Hinsdale area of southwestern New Hampshire. Today the church offers a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, weekday Confession and Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, and shares a pastoral staff, faith formation program, and outreach ministries with the wider parish family.
- Established
- 1955
- Patron
- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
- Rector
- Rev. Alan Tremblay
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
Why belong here
St. Margaret Mary offers a welcoming, intimate setting for Catholic worship in the heart of Keene, with a Saturday Vigil Mass and a Sunday morning Mass that make weekly worship easy to fit into a busy week. The parish is part of the larger Parish of the Holy Spirit family, which means parishioners benefit from a robust slate of ministries — Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Ladies of St. Anne, Women in God's Spirit (WINGS), Marie Rivier Association, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Scouts, and faith formation for children and youth — alongside active outreach to those in need through the Director of Outreach and Volunteer Services.
Mass times at St. Margaret Mary (Parish of the Holy Spirit)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
- First Friday 4:30 PM (before 5:30 PM Mass; call office to confirm schedule)
Adoration times
- First Friday 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration)
- First Friday Healing Mass resumes in September
About St. Margaret Mary Church
St. Margaret Mary Church sits at 33 Arch Street in Keene, New Hampshire, and is one of the worship sites of the Parish of the Holy Spirit. Founded in 1955 and built in 1956, it was created to serve Keene's growing Catholic community as the city's second Roman Catholic church, alongside the older St. Bernard Parish. Today it remains a welcoming Sunday-and-weekday Mass site for Catholics in Cheshire County.
- 33-35 Arch Street, Keene, NH 03431
- Part of the Parish of the Holy Spirit (est. 2010)
- Diocese of Manchester, Monadnock Deanery
History
St. Margaret Mary Parish was established in 1955 and its church building was completed on Arch Street in 1956. A Keene city history describes it as 'a second Roman Catholic Church, St. Margaret Mary,' built at a time when the city's older St. Bernard parish (founded in the 1850s) could no longer comfortably accommodate the growing Catholic population. For more than half a century the parish operated independently within the Diocese of Manchester. On September 26, 2010, Bishop John McCormack formally merged St. Margaret Mary with St. Bernard Parish to create the new Parish of the Holy Spirit, and all sacramental records of St. Margaret Mary Parish were transferred to the merged parish at 173 Main Street, Keene.
- 1955 — Parish founded
- 1956 — Church built on Arch Street
- January 2, 2010 — Immaculate Conception, Troy unified with St. Bernard, Keene
- September 26, 2010 — Merger of St. Bernard Parish, Keene and St. Margaret Mary Parish, Keene into the Parish of the Holy Spirit
Pastoral Staff
The Parish of the Holy Spirit is led by Fr. Alan Tremblay as Pastor, with Fr. Peter Cuong V. Nguyen serving as Associate Pastor. Deacon Fintan Moore serves the parish as Hospital Chaplain. The wider staff includes a Faith Formation Coordinator, a Director of Outreach and Volunteer Services, a Youth Minister, a Finance Council Chair, a Facilities Manager, and parish secretaries handling general office, bookkeeping, and cemetery administration. Inquiries about any parish site — including St. Margaret Mary — are directed through the main Parish of the Holy Spirit office at 173 Main Street, Keene.
- Fr. Alan Tremblay — Pastor
- Fr. Peter Cuong V. Nguyen — Associate Pastor
- Deacon Fintan Moore — Deacon, Hospital Chaplain
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation for the parish family is coordinated by Carol Spindler and follows the Diocese of Manchester's emphasis on lifelong faith formation and the 'restored order' of the sacraments of initiation. Children are welcomed into Family Faith Formation beginning in first grade; First Reconciliation is typically prepared for and celebrated in second grade, and Confirmation and First Eucharist are celebrated together in third grade. The parish also offers Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a Montessori-based prayer and Scripture experience for ages 3–9, in a specially prepared atrium environment.
- Family Faith Formation (A Family of Faith series)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd — Level I (ages 3–6) and Level II (ages 6–9)
- Sacrament preparation: Reconciliation (2nd grade), Confirmation & First Eucharist (3rd grade)
- Youth Ministry for adolescents
Parish Ministries
The Parish of the Holy Spirit has a strong ministerial presence, and many of these groups are open to parishioners of all sites including St. Margaret Mary. Active groups include prayer ministries, women's organizations, fraternal and scouting groups, and parish leadership councils. The Director of Outreach and Volunteer Services coordinates charitable work reaching beyond the parish walls.
- St. Raphael Prayer Ministry
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- The Ladies of St. Anne
- Catholic Daughters
- Marie Rivier Association (MRA)
- Women in God's Spirit (WINGS)
- Widows Group
- Knights of Columbus
- Scouts
- Parish Finance Council
Outreach & Volunteer Services
Outreach is a central part of parish life under Diane Farina, the Director of Outreach and Volunteer Services. The parish works to serve not only its own members but the broader communities surrounding Keene and Hinsdale, partnering with parishioners and volunteers in service projects and acts of charity. Deacon Fintan Moore also serves as Hospital Chaplain, bringing the sacraments and pastoral care to the sick.
- Director of Outreach and Volunteer Services — Diane Farina
- Hospital Chaplaincy — Deacon Fintan Moore
- Volunteer opportunities across parish ministries
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments in alignment with the Diocese of Manchester's restored-order sacramental plan. Infants are baptized, children typically celebrate First Reconciliation in second grade, and Confirmation and First Eucharist together in third grade. Adults seeking initiation should contact the parish office about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Couples preparing for marriage and families seeking Anointing of the Sick are encouraged to contact the parish office directly.
- Baptism — infancy
- First Reconciliation — second grade
- Confirmation & First Eucharist — third grade (celebrated together)
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick / Hospital visits via Deacon Fintan Moore
Getting in Touch
All inquiries for St. Margaret Mary Church and the wider Parish of the Holy Spirit are handled through the parish main office at 173 Main Street, Keene, NH 03431. The office can be reached by phone at (603) 352-3525 or by email at [email protected]. The parish website at swnhcatholics.com lists current Mass times, confession schedules, ministry contacts, and registration information for new parishioners.
- Parish Main Office: 173 Main Street, Keene, NH 03431
- Phone: (603) 352-3525
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.swnhcatholics.com