About St. Mark · Sutton, Massachusetts
St. Mark Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Worcester serving the town of Sutton, Massachusetts. The parish was canonically established in 1962 after local Catholics petitioned Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan, and its church building was blessed and dedicated on December 13, 1964. Today the parish maintains the historic 1765 Singletary Farm house as its rectory and serves an active community from 356 Boston Road, with weekend and weekday Masses, Eucharistic adoration, faith formation for every age, and outreach ministries including a long-standing Haiti twinning mission.
- Established
- 1962
- Patron
- St. Mark (the Evangelist)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Hoye
- Diocese
- Diocese of Worcester
Why belong here
St. Mark's is a mid-sized Catholic parish in the Diocese of Worcester with strong roots in Sutton's local history (the parish's rectory is a 1765 house on Boston Road) and an active sacramental and devotional life. Parishioners can attend daily Mass Monday–Thursday, weekend Masses in English, Eucharistic adoration every Tuesday afternoon (with Rosary, Benediction, and Reposition) and a monthly First-Wednesday all-day adoration, plus a robust faith-formation track from Children's Liturgy of the Word through Edge (middle school) and Life Teen (high school) into Confirmation. Outreach runs through St. Vincent de Paul, the Knights of Columbus, a Bereavement Ministry, and a 30-plus-year Haiti twinning mission supporting the Foyer de St. Etienne nursing home in Les Cayes — giving parishioners concrete ways to put faith into action locally and abroad.
Mass times at St. Mark
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Rosary begins 5:45 PM, followed by Benediction and Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament)
- First Wednesday of each month after 9:00 AM Mass until 8:00 PM
History of St. Mark Parish
The first Catholic Mass in the Sutton area was celebrated in 1834 in a private home in Millbury by Reverend James Fitton, S.J. For roughly the next 50 years, Catholics in Sutton traveled to Worcester, to Millbury (St. Brigid's, 1851), or to Manchaug (St. Anne's, 1883, a mission of St. Dennis' in Douglas). As the local Catholic population grew, residents approached Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan in 1962 to establish a parish in Sutton Center. He approved, and a four-acre parcel on Boston Road — with a 1765 house (now the rectory) — was purchased. Masses were first celebrated in the old Sutton Town Hall, and the First Congregational Church of Sutton generously offered its building as an alternative worship space, an early act of ecumenical cooperation. On Sunday morning, December 13, 1964, Bishop Flanagan celebrated the Mass for the Blessing and Dedication of the new St. Mark Church. The founding parish had 167 families.
- 1834 — First Mass in area celebrated by Fr. James Fitton, S.J. in Millbury
- 1851 — St. Brigid's Church built in Millbury
- 1883 — St. Anne's Church built in Manchaug as mission of St. Dennis' (Douglas); rebuilt after 1924 fire; closed 2013
- 1962 — Bishop Flanagan approves establishment of St. Mark Parish
- December 13, 1964 — Blessing and Dedication of St. Mark Church by Bishop Flanagan
- 2013 — St. Anne's closes; community joins St. Mark's
The Rectory — The 1765 House on Boston Road
When the founding land was purchased in 1962, the parcel already included a house dating to the 1760s. According to the Sutton Town History and local research, the original upright portion was built by John Whipple (Capt. John Whipple II) in the 1760s. The property later passed to Rev. Edmund Mills, ordained pastor of the First Congregational Church of Sutton in 1790. It was subsequently owned by the Benjamin family from 1927 to 1953 and is sometimes referred to as the Singletary Farm. Today the house serves as the parish rectory, with the original 18th-century structure still in use.
- c. 1765 — Original upright portion built by John Whipple
- Early 1800s — Owned by Rev. Edmund Mills (Congregational minister, ordained 1790)
- 1927–1953 — Owned by Stephen & Mary Benjamin
- 1962 — Acquired by St. Mark Parish as rectory
Parish Staff
St. Mark's is staffed by a pastor, a permanent deacon, an office manager, a director of sacred music, a coordinator of elementary religious education, and a youth minister. Staff email contacts on the website follow the pattern of [email protected].
- Pastor — Rev. Michael Hoye
- Deacon — Deacon Daniel Lavoie
- Office Manager — Sarah Kelly
- Director of Sacred Music — Paul Machunski
- Coordinator of Elementary Religious Education — Kathleen Huggins
- Youth Minister — Lisa DeHaan
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation is described on the parish site as 'an important task of every parish family,' with teachers, helpers, and team members supporting parents as primary catechists. Programs run from preschool through high school. Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered for ages 3 and up during Sunday Mass; Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Foundations serve the early grades; First Penance and First Eucharist are prepared for in the elementary years. Edge (grades 6–8) and Life Teen (grades 9–12) combine catechetical, social, and service components.
- Children's Liturgy of the Word (Ages 3 and Up)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- Foundations
- First Penance and First Eucharist Preparation
- Elementary School Religious Education
- Edge (Middle School Youth Ministry, grades 6–8)
- Life Teen (High School Youth Ministry, grades 9–12)
- Confirmation Preparation (2-year Life Teen track)
Edge — Middle School Youth Ministry
Edge gatherings are the catechetical, issue, and social components of St. Mark's Middle School Faith Formation program. The 90-minute sessions use both classroom and activity formats and follow the USCCB recommendations for middle school faith formation and the Eight Components of Youth Ministry from Renewing the Vision. Edge sessions begin with the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass and run until 1:00 PM through May. Middle-schoolers lead the Living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, attend Diocesan AMPLIFY events, and perform service.
- Grades 6–8
- Sundays after 10:30 AM Mass until 1:00 PM
- Living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday
- Diocesan AMPLIFY middle school events
Life Teen — High School Youth Ministry
Life Teen is the parish's high-school faith formation and youth ministry program for grades 9–12, combining catechetical sessions, a spiritual component (weekly Mass, liturgical ministries, retreats, the Diocesan Youth Rally at Anna Maria College), and a service component that places teens in ministries both at St. Mark's and in the greater local community. Two years of Life Teen are required before Confirmation preparation, with the sacrament typically celebrated in November of the junior year.
- Grades 9–12
- Sundays after 10:30 AM Mass until ~1:15–1:30 PM
- Diocesan Youth Rally at Anna Maria College in the fall
- Confirmation Preparation begins in year 2 (year 1 may be waived for Catholic school students)
Sacraments
The parish website publishes guidance for Baptism and lists the sacramental preparation tracks for First Penance, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. Baptisms can be scheduled for any weekend Lord's Day Mass or on the First Sunday of the month at 1:00 PM. Parents preparing for a child's Baptism attend a scheduled home visit and a catechetical session held on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 PM. The parish also supports funeral and Bereavement Ministry services for families experiencing loss.
- Baptism — any weekend Mass, or First Sunday at 1:00 PM
- Baptismal Prep — Second Monday, 7:00 PM (home visit + catechetical session)
- First Penance and First Eucharist — via Faith Formation
- Confirmation — 2-year Life Teen track
- Bereavement Ministry for funerals and celebrations of life
Outreach & Ministries
Beyond faith formation, St. Mark's supports a range of parish ministries focused on charity, fellowship, and outreach. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul serves those in need, the Knights of Columbus support the parish and broader community, a Bereavement Ministry assists families at funerals and celebrations of life, and the parish's long-standing Haiti Twinning Mission supports the Foyer de St. Etienne nursing home in Les Cayes.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- Knights of Columbus
- Bereavement Ministry
- Haiti Twinning Mission — Foyer de St. Etienne, Les Cayes, Haiti
- Children's Liturgy of the Word (Ages 3 and Up)
Haiti Twinning Mission — Foyer de St. Etienne
Since 1992, St. Mark's has sponsored the Foyer de St. Etienne in Les Cayes, the only nursing home on the south coast of Haiti. The mission partnership was co-founded by then-pastor Father Michael A. DiGeronimo and Father William C. Konicki, and parishioners (including Father DiGeronimo) traveled to Haiti for nearly 20 years to support the home. The parish continues to raise money and resources for the twinned parish community.
- Sponsorship began 1992
- Location: Les Cayes, south coast of Haiti
- Only nursing home on Haiti's south coast
- Co-founded by Fr. Michael DiGeronimo and Fr. William Konicki
Visit & Contact
St. Mark's Catholic Church is located at 356 Boston Road, Sutton, Massachusetts 01590. The parish phone number is (508) 865-3860. Sunday Masses are available both in person and via live stream at saintmarksparish.org/live. New parishioners can register through the parish website.
- Address: 356 Boston Road, Sutton, MA 01590
- Phone: (508) 865-3860
- Website: https://saintmarksparish.org
- Sunday Mass live-streamed via the parish website
- New parishioner registration available on the site
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael A. DiGeronimo2009–2025 (retired June 2025)
Served 17 years as pastor of St. Mark's. Named pastor in 2009; in 2012 also appointed pastor of St. Anne (Manchaug) while remaining at St. Mark's. Co-founded (with Father William C. Konicki) the parish's Haiti mission twinning with the Foyer de St. Etienne nursing home in Les Cayes, which the parish has sponsored since 1992. Retired in June 2025 and returned as a senior priest to Our Lady of Mount Carmel / Our Lady of Loreto Parish, where he had begun ministry in 1976.
- Rev. Michael Hoye2025–
Current pastor.