St. Mary Church - Our Lady of Hope Parish

History of Saint Mary Church, North Grafton

Catholic worship in North Grafton began in 1882 as a mission of Saint Philip's Church, Grafton Center, when Father James Boyle constructed a low, wide, dark-brick basement church on the road from Westborough — affectionately known as 'Fort Boyle.' Father John R. Murphy succeeded Boyle in 1887 and saw to the construction of a new Romanesque, cruciform church designed by Providence architect James Murphy. That $20,000 building, constructed by Fullerton of Providence and decorated by A. Blair of Holyoke, was dedicated on November 29, 1896 by the Most Reverend Thomas D. Beaven, Bishop of Springfield, with 34 priests present and 120 children confirmed. A fire of unknown origin on March 30, 1948 — just an hour after a Requiem Mass by Father Thomas F. Mullahy — completely destroyed the church. The faithful worshipped at the Grafton State Hospital until Christmas 1948; the cornerstone of the rebuilt church was laid on August 15, 1948; the first Mass was celebrated Easter Sunday, April 17, 1949; and the new church was dedicated on May 19, 1950 by Bishop John J. Wright, who also confirmed 69 children. On April 30, 1952, the mission was raised to the status of an independent parish. In 2000 a Gathering Space, offices, and classrooms were added.

Our Lady of Hope Parish — A 2022 Merger of Three Historic Churches

On June 10, 2022, Bishop Robert J. McManus of Worcester announced the creation of Our Lady of Hope Parish, uniting the three historic Catholic parishes of Grafton — Saint Philip (Grafton Center, 1869), Saint James (South Grafton / Fisherville, 1883), and Saint Mary (North Grafton, 1882/1896) — into a single parish effective July 1, 2022. Rev. Anthony Mpagi was named the founding pastor, with newly ordained Rev. Derek A. Mobilio as associate pastor. In the summer of 2024, citing current and projected financial loss and excess capacity, Fr. Mpagi and the Pastoral Council and Finance Committee decided to sell Saint Philip Church; Bishop McManus gave his conceptual blessing on August 29, 2024. After the parish was informed on October 19, 2024, a Special Mass of Transition was held on November 23, 2024, ending 155 years of worship at Saint Philip with the Litany of the Saints and a candle-by-candle sharing of the Light of Christ. The parish continues today at its two remaining campuses — Saint Mary in North Grafton and Saint James in South Grafton — with one pastor, one staff, and shared ministries.

• Saint Philip, Grafton Center — mother church (founded 1869, closed 2024)
• Saint James, South Grafton / Fisherville — founded 1883
• Saint Mary, North Grafton — founded as mission 1882, church dedicated 1896
• Pastoral merger effective July 1, 2022

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Religious Education at Our Lady of Hope Parish is led by Director of Religious Education Darleen Farland ([email protected], 508-839-3993 x13) and runs during the school year from September through April/May for Grades 1 through 12. The parish supports catechists with formation opportunities, including course-fee reimbursement through the University of Dayton's Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF) and certification pathways. The Confirmation program, oriented around the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Sacrament itself, and the Life of a Disciple, requires an interview with the DRE before enrollment and includes a retreat, three preparation sessions, and a call to put faith into action. The parish also hosts the annual Totus Tuus Summer Camp in July, with daytime sessions for Grades 1–8 and evening sessions for Grades 9–12.

• Religious Education program (Grades 1–12), September–April/May
• Confirmation preparation with retreat and disciple-formation focus
• Totus Tuus Summer Camp (day and evening sessions)
• Catechist certification through VLCFF and Diocese of Worcester

Parish Ministries, Outreach & Charity

Stewardship at Our Lady of Hope is built on the U.S. Bishops' three-fold model of Time, Talent, and Treasure. Parishioners are invited to visit the sick and elderly, feed the hungry, teach those who want to learn, console the lonely and sorrowful, and give a helping hand and a kind word. The parish's flagship outreach is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Our Lady of Hope Conference, which runs Market Sunday on the first Sunday of each month at Saint Mary Church, bagging non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, personal care items, and paper products for over 20 Grafton families. The Mustard Seed Ministry supports the Catholic Worker House of Hospitality in Worcester, which serves dinner every weekday from 5:00–6:30 PM; the parish still contributes an annual second collection and encourages volunteers. Other active ministries include the Knights of Columbus, the Choir, Altar Servers, Coffee Socials, the Annual Parish Picnic, and youth activities such as white-water rafting trips.

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul — OLH Conference (Market Sunday food pantry)
• Mustard Seed Ministry (Worcester Catholic Worker meal program)
• Knights of Columbus (annual events, comedy shows, etc.)
• Choir and Music Ministry
• Altar Servers
• Coffee Socials (monthly at Saint James)
• Annual Parish Picnic and Independence Day Celebration at Saint Mary
• Youth Group outings (e.g., white-water rafting on the Deerfield River)
• Flocknote parish communication by text and email

Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Leadership

Our Lady of Hope Parish is pastored by Rev. Anthony Mpagi, who was appointed first pastor of the newly erected parish on July 1, 2022 after previously serving as pastor of Saint James Parish, South Grafton. He is assisted by Rev. Derek A. Mobilio, who was ordained by Bishop McManus on June 18, 2022 and assigned to Our Lady of Hope as associate pastor. The Director of Religious Education is Darleen Farland ([email protected]); Stewardship contact is Lynette White ([email protected]); and Market Sunday is coordinated by Nancy Atchue. The parish office is staffed by a Parish Secretary reachable at 508-839-3993 ext. 10. Together they oversee worship, formation, and outreach across the Saint Mary and Saint James campuses.

• Rev. Anthony Mpagi — Pastor
• Rev. Derek A. Mobilio — Associate Pastor
• Darleen Farland — Director of Religious Education
• Lynette White — Stewardship
• Nancy Atchue — Market Sunday Coordinator
• Parish Secretary — 508-839-3993 ext. 10

Sacraments & Devotions

Beyond the Sunday and weekday Mass schedule, Our Lady of Hope Parish offers the full range of Catholic sacraments and a rich devotional life. The Anointing of the Sick is available by appointment through the Parish Secretary and in emergencies by calling Fr. Anthony Mpagi at 978-732-4340. Reconciliation is scheduled at multiple weekly slots at both Saint Mary and Saint James, plus by appointment. First Communion and Confirmation are prepared through the Religious Education program. Devotional life centers on weekly Eucharistic Adoration (Monday evenings at Saint Mary and Thursday afternoons/evenings at Saint James), a Holy Hour with Confessions preceding Monday and Thursday evening Masses, and seasonal observances such as the Novena for the USA, Religious Freedom Week, the Solemnities and Feasts of the liturgical year, and the Sacred Paschal Triduum.

• Anointing of the Sick — by appointment / emergency line 978-732-4340
• First Reconciliation and First Eucharist via Religious Education
• Confirmation preparation for high-school students
• Marriage — preparation by appointment
• Weekly Eucharistic Adoration and Holy Hour
• Seasonal novenas (e.g., Novena for the USA, June 25–July 4)
• Religious Freedom Week (June 22–29)
• Sacred Paschal Triduum, Solemnities and Feasts

Parish Communication & Media

The parish keeps parishioners connected through several channels. The official website, ourladyofhopegrafton.org, hosts Mass, Confession, and Adoration schedules, photo albums of parish life (First Communions, Marian Mass with the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Blessing of Altar Servers, Knights of Columbus events, Coffee Socials), and a video library including Fr. Derek Mobilio's series 'Symbols and Signs of the Liturgy' and the parish's own 'Mass Explained' video series. Flocknote provides text and email updates, and the parish maintains an active Facebook page. The site also links to bulletins, ministry handouts (such as the downloadable Novena for the USA PDF), and the liturgical calendar from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops covering December 2025 through December 2026.

• Official website: ourladyofhopegrafton.org
• Facebook page (Our Lady of Hope Parish)
• Flocknote text and email parish communications
• Photo albums of parish life and events
• Video series: 'Symbols and Signs of the Liturgy' (Fr. Derek Mobilio), 'Mass Explained'
• Downloadable Novena for the USA and other parish resources

Getting Involved

Newcomers are warmly welcomed to register as parishioners of Our Lady of Hope Parish and to participate in any of its worship, formation, or service ministries. The Stewardship page invites parishioners to share their Time (daily prayer, Scripture reading, Eucharistic visits), Talent (teaching, hospitality, music), and Treasure (weekly offertory and special collections). Those interested in starting a new ministry are invited to submit ideas to the parish office. Information about all ministries — including those not given a separate page — is available from the parish office, and Catechist volunteers are always needed for the Religious Education program.

• New parishioner registration via the parish office
• Stewardship of Time, Talent, and Treasure
• Volunteer opportunities with Religious Education, SVdP, Mustard Seed, Music Ministry, Knights of Columbus
• Submit new ministry ideas to [email protected]