About St. Margaret of Scotland · Lowell, Massachusetts
St. Margaret of Scotland is a Roman Catholic parish in the Highlands neighborhood of Lowell, Massachusetts, part of the Archdiocese of Boston. Since July 1, 2021 it has been linked with St. Mary and St. John the Evangelist in Chelmsford to form The Holy Rood Collaborative, a three-parish partnership pastored by Very Rev. Brian E. Mahoney, VF. The parish serves a faithful community on Stevens Street with daily and weekend Masses in English, the Sacraments, faith formation for children and youth, and a long history rooted in early-20th-century immigrant Catholic life in the city. The parish church stands at 384 Stevens Street, with the rectory next door at 374 Stevens Street.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- St. Margaret of Scotland
- Rector
- Very Rev. Brian E. Mahoney, VF
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Margaret of Scotland offers a faithful, walkable neighborhood parish in the heart of Lowell's Highlands, with daily Mass Monday through Friday, a Saturday Vigil Mass, and two Sunday Masses — a rhythm of prayer that anchors parish life. The community is small enough to know one another and large enough to sustain a real range of ministries: faith formation for children, an active youth ministry, liturgical music, and outreach through the wider Holy Rood Collaborative. Belonging here means joining a parish that has served Catholic families on Stevens Street since 1910 and continues that mission today in partnership with two Chelmsford parishes.
Mass times at St. Margaret of Scotland
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 4:30 – 5:30 PM
- Saturday 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Parish History
St. Margaret of Scotland was founded in 1910 to serve the Catholic families of Lowell's Highlands neighborhood on Stevens Street. Through the 20th century it grew alongside St. Margaret School, which opened in 1941 under the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. The parish entered a new era on July 1, 2021, when it joined St. Mary and St. John the Evangelist in Chelmsford to form The Holy Rood Collaborative under the pastoral vision of Disciples in Mission, the Archdiocese of Boston's pastoral plan.
- Founded 1910 on Stevens Street, Lowell
- St. Margaret School opened September 1941, blessed December 8, 1941
- Sisters of Charity of Nazareth served the school from 1941 until 1988
- Joined The Holy Rood Collaborative on July 1, 2021
The Holy Rood Collaborative
On July 1, 2021, the parishes of St. Mary (Chelmsford), St. John the Evangelist (Chelmsford), and St. Margaret of Scotland (Lowell) united to form The Holy Rood Collaborative. The name 'Holy Rood' comes from the relic of the True Cross venerated by St. Margaret of Scotland; her son King David I founded the Abbey of Dunfermline in 1070 to safeguard the relic. The collaborative's pastor is Very Rev. Brian E. Mahoney, VF, supported by vicars, a senior priest in residence, deacons, religious, and lay staff serving all three parishes.
- Three parishes: St. Mary, St. John the Evangelist, St. Margaret of Scotland
- Formed July 1, 2021 under Disciples in Mission
- Pastor: Very Rev. Brian E. Mahoney, VF
- Parish office: 115 Middlesex Street, Chelmsford, MA 01863 — 978-454-5143
Clergy & Staff
The pastoral team serving St. Margaret of Scotland is led by the collaborative's pastor, Very Rev. Brian E. Mahoney, VF. He is assisted by two vicars, a senior priest in residence, two deacons, and a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur serving as pastoral associate, along with lay staff in operations, liturgy and music, faith formation, and youth ministry.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Brian E. Mahoney, VF
- Vicar: Rev. Fernando E. Ayala Rosales
- Vicar: Rev. Patrick O. Alemayo, CSSp
- Senior Priest in Residence: Rev. Arnold F. Colletti
- Pastoral Associate: Sister Lori Fleming, SNDdeN
- Deacon John C. Hunt
- Deacon Frank M. Perez de Alderete
- Operations: Mr. Paul Firicano
- Liturgy and Music: Mr. Matthew Descoteaux
- Faith Formation: Ms. Heather Hannaway
- Youth Ministry: Ms. Courtney Callahan
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith formation for children and a dedicated youth ministry are led by Ms. Heather Hannaway and Ms. Courtney Callahan, respectively. Programs support catechesis for parish school-age children, sacramental preparation, and ongoing formation for teens, all within the collaborative's broader Disciples in Mission framework.
- Faith Formation (Ms. Heather Hannaway)
- Youth Ministry (Ms. Courtney Callahan)
- Sacramental preparation
- RCIA available through the Holy Rood Collaborative
Liturgy & Music
Liturgical music at St. Margaret of Scotland is coordinated by Mr. Matthew Descoteaux, who oversees the music ministry supporting Sunday Masses, holy days, and the wider liturgical life of the parish within The Holy Rood Collaborative.
- Director of Liturgy and Music: Mr. Matthew Descoteaux
- Music at all weekend and weekday Masses
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven Catholic Sacraments, including daily and Sunday Eucharist, weekly Reconciliation, Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage (with Pre-Cana preparation through the collaborative), and Anointing of the Sick. Parishioners are encouraged to contact the parish office to begin sacramental preparation.
- Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist
- Reconciliation Tue 4:30-5:30 PM, Sat 1:00-2:00 PM
- Marriage preparation (Pre-Cana)
- Anointing of the Sick
St. Margaret School (Historical)
St. Margaret School opened in September 1941 with Sister Mary Auxilium Minton as the first Superior and Principal, joined by Sisters Leonard Maria McMahon, Elizabeth Wood, James Philomena McCall, and Theresa Miriam Merimee of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. The school building was blessed on December 8, 1941, and the next morning the first classes were marched in from the rectory. Over the decades it added all-day kindergarten (1980-81), pre-kindergarten (1989), and an after-school program; the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth withdrew in June 1988 after a steady drop in new vocations to their community.
- Opened September 1941
- Original community: Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
- School building blessed December 8, 1941
- All-day kindergarten added 1980-81; pre-kindergarten 1989
- SCN withdrawal June 1988
St. Margaret of Scotland — Patron
The parish takes its name from St. Margaret of Scotland (c. 1045–1093), an 11th-century queen of Scotland renowned for her deep piety and extensive charitable works. She is the patron saint of Scotland, mothers, and large families. After fleeing England following the Norman Conquest of 1066, Margaret brought a relic of the True Cross to Scotland; her son King David I later founded the Abbey of Dunfermline in 1070 to enshrine it — the 'Black Rood' — giving The Holy Rood Collaborative its name. Her feast day is November 16.
- 11th-century Queen of Scotland
- Patron of Scotland, mothers, and large families
- Brought relic of the True Cross to Scotland
- Feast day: November 16
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Raymond Benoitapprox. 2004 – 2021
Administrator of St. Margaret of Scotland for 17 years; granted retirement status when the parish joined The Holy Rood Collaborative on July 1, 2021.
- Very Rev. Brian E. Mahoney, VF2015 – present
Installed as Pastor of the Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative on Oct. 31 / Nov. 7, 2015; became Pastor of the expanded Holy Rood Collaborative including St. Margaret of Scotland on July 1, 2021.