About St. Mary · Chelmsford, Massachusetts
St. Mary Parish is one of three Catholic parishes that make up The Holy Rood Collaborative in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, serving the Catholic faithful of Chelmsford and nearby communities within the Archdiocese of Boston. The parish church sits at 25 North Road in the heart of Chelmsford Center, and traces its origins to St. Mary's Mission, which was constructed at the intersection of North Road and Fletcher Street in 1926. Today St. Mary offers daily and Sunday Masses, a weekly Family Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, a Rosary Making Ministry, Baptism preparation, and a full Faith Formation program for children and youth.
- Established
- 1926
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Brian E. Mahoney
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Mary offers the full rhythm of Catholic parish life in a historic Chelmsford Center setting: daily 7 am Mass, Saturday Vigil Mass, two Sunday Masses (7 am and 11 am), a Family Mass on the third Sunday of the month, weekday and Saturday Reconciliation, and Eucharistic Adoration. The parish is supported by a sizable Faith Formation staff for grades 1 through Confirmation, Baptism preparation, a Rosary Making Ministry that donates handmade rosaries to missions worldwide, an addiction-recovery Family Connection group, and hundreds of lay volunteers — all under one pastor across the three-parish Holy Rood Collaborative. For a Catholic family looking for daily Mass, strong sacramental preparation, and a welcoming collaborative community in the Lowell area, St. Mary is a long-established home.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 4:30 – 5:30 PM (St. Mary)
- Saturday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (St. Mary)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered at St. Mary on multiple weekdays (consult the collaborative's LiveView and parish schedule for the current weekly hours)
History of St. Mary Parish
St. Mary's roots in Chelmsford go back to 1926, when St. Mary's Mission was constructed at the intersection of North Road and Fletcher Street in Chelmsford Center, bringing Catholic worship to what had historically been a farming community in Middlesex County. As Chelmsford grew rapidly in the decades after World War II, the parish grew with it, becoming a spiritual home for the town's growing Catholic families. The town's own history records even darker moments, noting that crosses were burned on St. Mary's lawn by Ku Klux Klan activity in the area during the early 1930s. The parish's century-strong foundation would shape its next chapter, when the Archdiocese of Boston reorganized the local Catholic landscape.
- 1926: St. Mary's Mission constructed in Chelmsford Center
- 2012: Archdiocese of Boston introduces Disciples in Mission pastoral plan
- June 2, 2015: St. Mary and St. John the Evangelist form the Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative
- October 31, 2015: Fr. Brian E. Mahoney installed as Pastor at St. Mary's
- July 1, 2021: St. Mary joins St. John the Evangelist and St. Margaret of Scotland as The Holy Rood Collaborative
Sacraments
The Holy Rood Collaborative prepares parishioners of all ages to receive the seven sacraments of the Church. Baptism is celebrated once a month at each parish church — at St. Mary on the 1st Sunday of the month at 2:00 PM — with required prior formation for parents on Friday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Children are prepared for First Communion in the Grades 1–2 program, for Confirmation through Grades 8–10, and adults are welcomed through the parish's sacramental preparation process. Couples seeking marriage are asked to contact the Parish Offices to begin dialogue with the priest team.
- Baptism — 1st Sunday at 2:00 PM at St. Mary; formation the preceding Friday evening
- First Communion preparation (Grades 1–2)
- Confirmation preparation (Grades 8–10)
- Marriage — contact Parish Offices
- Baptism Prep contact: Sue Beechin, ext. 236
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Mary / The Holy Rood Collaborative is a year-round effort led by a dedicated staff team. The program uses the phrase "Faith Formation" — emphasizing that the work is not merely classroom instruction but a lifelong call to live the Gospel through mission, service, advocacy, teaching and learning, and family life. Programs span Grades 1–2 (First Communion Preparation), Grades 3–6, Grade 7 (Middle School), and Grades 8–10 (Confirmation), and the Family Faith Formation program welcomes parents to walk alongside their children. The parish regularly invites volunteers — Table Facilitators, Small Group Mentors for adults, and Safety Monitors — to serve just 90 minutes once a month.
- Heather Hannaway, MA — Director of Faith Formation & Pastoral Associate, ext. 226
- Courtney Callanan, MA — Assistant Director of Faith Formation & Youth Minister, ext. 227
- Shaun Bradley, MA — Faith Formation Associate, ext. 232
- Lynn Anne LaDuke — Faith Formation Coordinator, ext. 240
- Volunteer roles: Table Facilitator, Small Group Mentor (adults), Safety Monitor
Ministries and Outreach
The Holy Rood Collaborative is home to a wide variety of lay-led ministries that put faith into action. The Rosary Making Ministry gathers weekly on Thursday mornings at the St. Mary Parish Center, Conference Room 2, to handcraft rosaries that are donated to missions across the U.S. and around the world, as well as to local homeless and detention-center ministries. The Family Connection (since 2017) is a parish-based ministry that supports families dealing with alcohol or drug abuse of a child, spouse, grandchild, or friend, and partners with the Archdiocese's iThirst Healing Initiative. The Baptism Preparation Ministry mentors expectant parents into the spiritual responsibility of raising a child of God. The parish also runs a robust volunteer program supporting every grade level of Faith Formation.
- Rosary Making Ministry — Thursday mornings, St. Mary Parish Center
- Family Connection — addiction recovery support (since 2017)
- iThirst Healing Initiative companions
- Baptism Preparation Ministry
- Faith Formation volunteer corps (Table Facilitators, Small Group Mentors, Safety Monitors)
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Mary is shepherded by Rev. Brian E. Mahoney as Pastor of the Holy Rood Collaborative, with Rev. Arnold F. Colletti serving as Senior Priest in Residence. Rev. Raymond Benoit, former administrator of St. Margaret of Scotland for 17 years, now resides in retirement in the rectory alongside Fr. Brian and Fr. Colletti. The lay staff includes Faith Formation leadership, Collaborative Business Manager Paul Firicano (978-251-8571 / ext. 220), and Finance Support Tina Sousa (978-251-8571 / ext. 219).
- Rev. Brian E. Mahoney — Pastor
- Rev. Arnold F. Colletti — Senior Priest in Residence
- Rev. Raymond Benoit — Retired, in residence
- Heather Hannaway, MA — Director of Faith Formation & Pastoral Associate
- Courtney Callanan, MA — Asst. Dir. of Faith Formation & Youth Minister
- Paul Firicano — Collaborative Business Manager (ext. 220)
- Tina Sousa — Finance Support (ext. 219)
- Sue Beechin — Baptism Prep (ext. 236)
The Holy Rood Collaborative
Since July 1, 2021, St. Mary has shared pastoral ministry with two sister parishes: St. John the Evangelist (Chelmsford/North Chelmsford) and St. Margaret of Scotland (Lowell). The name "Holy Rood" was chosen deliberately — a "rood" is the old English word for the True Cross of Christ. The collaboration allows the three parishes to share clergy, staff, and resources while each retains its own worship site, Mass times, and parish identity. The Parish Offices are centrally located at 115 Middlesex Street in North Chelmsford, and a collaborative-wide LIVEVIEW camera streams the daily Rosary (from St. Mary) and Chaplet of Divine Mercy (from St. John) so the homebound can join remotely.
- St. Mary — 25 North Road, Chelmsford
- St. John the Evangelist — 115 Middlesex Street, North Chelmsford
- St. Margaret of Scotland — 374 Stevens Street, Lowell
- Parish Offices — 115 Middlesex Street, North Chelmsford, MA 01863; (978) 256-2374
- Office Hours: Mon/Tue/Thu 9 AM–5 PM; Wed 9:30 AM–5 PM; Fri 9 AM–3 PM
Getting Involved
The collaborative asks the fundamental question: "God is calling the faithful to help with the harvest — will you answer His call?" The most pressing need is for volunteers in Faith Formation — just 90 minutes one Sunday a month — as Table Facilitators, Small Group Mentors for adults, or Safety Monitors. Lessons and materials are provided, no special qualifications are required, and parent-volunteers receive a discount on Faith Formation tuition. New volunteers fill out an Intent to Volunteer form on the parish website.
- Volunteer 90 minutes one Sunday a month
- Table Facilitator — Grades 1–2, 3–6, 7, and 8–10
- Small Group Mentor for adult faith groups
- Safety Monitor — assists with set up/tear down and hall monitoring
- Discount on Faith Formation tuition for parent-volunteers
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Brian E. Mahoney2015–present
Named pastor of the Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative on June 2, 2015, installed October 31, 2015 at St. Mary's and November 7, 2015 at St. John's; continues as Pastor of the Holy Rood Collaborative.