About St. Maria Goretti · Lynnfield, Massachusetts
St. Maria Goretti Church, located at 112 Chestnut Street in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, is one of two worship sites of Ave Maria Parish in the Archdiocese of Boston. Founded in February 1960 to serve Catholics in Lynnfield Center and adjacent parts of Wakefield, the church was completed in late 1960 and dedicated on April 29, 1961. In 2013 it joined the Lynnfield Catholic Collaborative with Our Lady of the Assumption Parish and OLA School, and on July 1, 2020 the two parishes were merged by Cardinal Seán O'Malley to form Ave Maria Parish. Today the parish is pastored by Rev. Paul E. Ritt, with weekly Sunday Mass at 9:30 AM at the SMG church and daily Mass on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- St. Maria Goretti
- Rector
- Rev. Paul E. Ritt
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Ave Maria Parish — of which Saint Maria Goretti is one worship site — is a community that explicitly welcomes everyone regardless of background, marital situation, or past church involvement, and it pairs a strong sacramental life with hands-on outreach. The parish offers Sunday and weekday Mass in a peaceful suburban setting, a year-round OCIA process for those becoming Catholic, faith formation for children and adolescents, and a vibrant music ministry led by a Director of Liturgical Music. Parishioners serve at My Brother's Table in Lynn, support a Lynnfield chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, run coat and food drives, and gather in smaller groups such as the Prayer Shawl Ministry, Brothers in Christ, the Holy Spirit Ensemble, and a Bible Study — making it easy to find a real place to belong.
Mass times at St. Maria Goretti
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment at Saint Maria Goretti Church
- Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM at Our Lady of the Assumption Church (and by appointment)
Adoration times
- First Friday 9:30–10:00 AM at Our Lady of the Assumption Church
- Wednesday 6:30–8:00 PM Medjugorje Eucharistic Adoration & Rosary at Saint Maria Goretti Church
About Ave Maria Parish
Ave Maria Parish is one community of faith comprised of two worship sites in the Archdiocese of Boston — Our Lady of the Assumption Church (758 Salem Street) and Saint Maria Goretti Church (112 Chestnut Street) — and one parochial school, Our Lady of the Assumption School. As members of the Body of Christ charged to live as missionary disciples, the parish strives to build a vibrant Lynnfield Catholic community in which the celebration of the sacraments is central and parish life extends well beyond the walls of the church buildings. The parish explicitly welcomes all people regardless of present church status, family or marital situation, personal history, age, income, background, gender, race, ethnicity, or spirituality.
Our Parish History
Our Lady of the Assumption (1922) and Saint Maria Goretti (1960) were founded as individual parishes to serve Lynnfield. In 2013 they were joined with OLA School in the Lynnfield Catholic Collaborative, one of the first twelve Phase I collaboratives in the Archdiocese of Boston. On July 1, 2020 — partly due to the social and financial shockwaves of the COVID-19 pandemic — Cardinal Seán O'Malley merged the two parishes into Ave Maria Parish. Both churches keep their original names, and Masses and sacraments continue at both worship sites.
- 1960 — St. Maria Goretti parish created to serve Lynnfield Center and adjacent Wakefield
- Christmas Eve 1960 — first Mass celebrated by founding pastor Rev. James A. Garrity
- April 29, 1961 — St. Maria Goretti Church dedicated
- 1986 — 25th anniversary celebrated with about 700 families
- 2013 — Lynnfield Catholic Collaborative formed; Fr. Paul Ritt named first pastor
- July 1, 2020 — Merger into Ave Maria Parish decreed by Cardinal O'Malley
- August 2020 — Name 'Ave Maria Parish' chosen from 60+ parishioner suggestions
Saint Maria Goretti
Saint Maria Goretti was created in February 1960 to serve Catholics residing in Lynnfield Center and adjacent parts of Wakefield. Construction was completed in late 1960; the first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Eve by founding pastor Rev. James A. Garrity, and the church was dedicated on April 29, 1961. Under Fr. Garrity the Ladies Sodality flourished; Fr. William Shinnick, his successor, led the parish through Vatican II and the establishment of its first parish council. By its 25th anniversary in 1986 the parish numbered roughly 700 families.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by Rev. Paul E. Ritt as Pastor, Rev. Peter Pham as Parochial Vicar, Rev. Benjamin O. Madu as Priest in Residence, and Deacon Thomas O'Shea as Permanent Deacon. Lay staff include Audrey Sullivan (Finance & Human Resources Manager), Kate McGrath (Pastoral Associate), Marie Lagman (Director of Media Ministry), Gina Kolenda (Director of Liturgical Music), Janine Sano (Administrative Assistant), Jamie Bossi (Elementary Faith Formation Coordinator), and Robyn Yannone (Adolescent Faith Formation Coordinator).
- Pastor: Rev. Paul E. Ritt ([email protected])
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Peter Pham ([email protected])
- Priest in Residence: Rev. Benjamin O. Madu ([email protected])
- Permanent Deacon: Deacon Thomas O'Shea ([email protected])
- Pastoral Associate: Kate McGrath ([email protected])
- Director of Media Ministry: Marie Lagman ([email protected])
- Director of Liturgical Music: Gina Kolenda ([email protected])
Faith Formation and Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
Ave Maria Parish runs a full Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) process — formerly known as RCIA — for adults seeking to become Catholic, and an adapted children's OCIA for kids over seven who have not been baptized. Inquirers begin with a 7-week Discovering Christ series (ChristLife Ministries) and continue through the catechumenate, purification, and mystagogy periods using Liguori's Journey of Faith curriculum. Candidates are dismissed from the 9:30 AM SMG Sunday Mass (or the 4:00 PM Saturday or 11:00 AM Sunday Masses at OLA) and receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. The parish also offers a free, four-part summer Discipleship School taught personally by Fr. Paul Ritt, covering the Creed, the Sacraments, Christian Morality, and Prayer; it meets Wednesday evenings in June at SMG Hall. Elementary and Adolescent Faith Formation are coordinated by Jamie Bossi and Robyn Yannone respectively.
- OCIA — adult and children's tracks
- Discovering Christ 7-week inquiry series
- Journey of Faith curriculum (Liguori)
- Summer Discipleship School (Fr. Ritt, Wednesdays in June at SMG Hall)
- Elementary Faith Formation (Grades 1–5)
- Adolescent Faith Formation
Liturgical Music and Media
Gina Kolenda leads the parish's liturgical music program as Director of Liturgical Music. The Music Ministry includes the Holy Spirit Ensemble (rehearsing Thursdays at 7 PM, all ages 6+ welcome) and Heavenly Praise. The Media Ministry, under Marie Lagman, shares the parish's good works through photography, social media, and print and electronic communication, and is expanding livestream and audio-visual capabilities — the 4:00 PM Saturday Vigil Mass from OLA is livestreamed on the parish's online channels.
- Holy Spirit Ensemble (rehearsals Thursdays at 7 PM, in person or Zoom)
- Heavenly Praise
- Livestream of the Saturday Vigil Mass
- Flickr photo archive of parish events
Outreach and Pastoral Care
The Body, Mind, Spirit page describes a robust pastoral care and outreach network. Ministries visit the elderly, sick, and homebound; run summer walking groups with meditative prayer; host children's read-aloud sessions with a registered therapy dog at the Lynnfield Public Library; and bring board-game days to assisted-living residents at the Brudnick Center in Peabody. The parish supports My Brother's Table in Lynn, where parishioners plate meals and bag takeout; partners with the Lynnfield Society of St. Vincent de Paul (help line 781-513-6695) for heat, food, clothing, rent, and emergency aid; and works with the Lynnfield Knights of Columbus. Other offerings include Justice for Jesus (rosaries for prisoners, African water wells), Love Your Neighbor, Ministry of Consolation and Grief Support, Prayer Shawls and Baby Blankets, and an annual Advent almsgiving campaign for the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless' A Bed for Every Child / 250 Beds for 250 Kids program.
- Pastoral Visitation Ministry (Eucharist, Anointing of the Sick)
- My Brother's Table (Lynn) volunteer team — contact Deacon Tom
- St. Vincent de Paul (Lynnfield) — 781-513-6695
- Knights of Columbus (Lynnfield)
- Justice for Jesus Ministry
- Love Your Neighbor Ministry
- Prayer Shawl and Baby Blanket Ministry
- Coat drives, food drives, blood drives
- Advent almsgiving for A Bed for Every Child
Parish Councils and Finance
The Parish Pastoral Council, made up of representatives from both St. Maria Goretti and Our Lady of the Assumption, meets the second Monday of every month from September through June at 7:00 PM and serves as a steering committee for the parish's spiritual health. The Parish Finance Council advises the Pastor on financial matters of the parish and school, monitoring all income and expenses and approving annual budgets.
- Pastoral Council Chair: Fr. Paul Ritt (ex officio); Vice Chair: John DiBello
- Finance Council Chair of Meetings: David McCarthy
- Members include Patty Glennon, Monica Lozada, Len Morrison, Phyllis West, Gianna Wilkins, David Geary, Maria Gagnon, Robert McDonald, Linda Riley
Our Lady of the Assumption School
Ave Maria Parish includes Our Lady of the Assumption School, an elementary school serving Lynnfield Catholic families. The school shares in the parish's collaborative history — becoming part of the Lynnfield Catholic Collaborative in 2013 and continuing as part of Ave Maria Parish after the 2020 merger.
- Principal: Ms. Cynthia Donovan
- Vice Principal: Mr. Will Bachner
Getting Involved and Staying Connected
The parish offers many entry points: the Sunday bulletin (available by electronic subscription), the parish website, two Facebook pages (one per church), a Twitter/X account, a Pinterest board, a Flickr photo archive, and a YouTube channel. Smaller groups include the Brothers in Christ Rosary Group (Monday evenings at SMG), the Men's Group (Saturday mornings at the Priests' Residence), the Prayer Shawl Ministry, Bible Study (Friday 10 AM via Zoom), AA meetings (Tuesday 7:30 PM at SMG Hall), and Angela's Café Coffee (Wednesday 9:30 AM at OLA Hall). The Discipleship School each summer and the Disciples in Mission pastoral plan provide ongoing formation for adults.
- Weekly parish bulletin (electronic subscription available)
- Facebook: facebook.com/smglynnfield and facebook.com/olalynnfield
- X (Twitter): @AveMariaParish
- Pinterest: pinterest.com/avemarialynnfield
- Flickr: flickr.com/photos/lynnfieldcatholicphotos
- YouTube: Ave Maria Lynnfield
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James A. Garrity1960–
Founding pastor; celebrated the first Mass on Christmas Eve 1960 and saw the church dedicated April 29, 1961.
- Rev. William Shinnick
Succeeded Fr. Garrity; shepherded the parish through the changes of Vatican II and helped establish the first parish council.
- Rev. Paul E. Ritt2013–present
First pastor of the Lynnfield Catholic Collaborative (2013); became Pastor of the merged Ave Maria Parish in 2020.