About St. Mary · Fairhaven, Massachusetts
St. Mary's Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, part of the Diocese of Fall River. Founded as a mission of St. Joseph's, Fairhaven in 1924 and established as its own parish in 1933, St. Mary's has been entrusted since the beginning to the pastoral care of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.), an international missionary religious congregation of priests, sisters, and brothers. The parish describes itself as a 'Eucharistic Community of welcoming, forgiving, and inclusive people' who serve the Lord and the wider community through the gifts of time, talent, and treasure, and who gather for worship, faith formation, and parish-family events throughout the year.
- Established
- 1924 (mission); 1933 (parish)
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (parish name); Our Lady of Angels (historic devotional patron, enshrined statue since 1930)
- Rector
- Fr. Chris Kaitapu, SS.CC.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers a warm, family-style parish community rooted in more than a century of Catholic and Portuguese-American tradition in North Fairhaven. Daily and weekend Masses, Wednesday morning Eucharistic Adoration, and Saturday confessions make the sacraments easy to access, while a parish Faith Formation program (including the diocesan Circle of Grace safety curriculum) forms the children of the parish. Members gather for beloved annual events such as the Blessing of the Pets, the All Souls Day Memorial Mass, Mary's Angels Banquet, the parish picnic, Trunk or Treat, seasonal breakfasts, and outreach days at Shepherd's Pantry — all signs of a close-knit Eucharistic community that welcomes new faces.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:45 PM – 4:15 PM
- Other times by appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesdays 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Welcome and Parish Mission
St. Mary's Parish describes itself as a warm and inviting communal experience — 'like a family' — welcoming new parishioners and inviting them to bring their gifts and talents to help the community grow. Its formal Mission Statement reads: 'St. Mary's Parish is a Eucharistic Community of welcoming, forgiving, and inclusive people. We serve the Lord and the community through the gifts of our time, talents, and treasures. We seek to care for and empower all who come through education, evangelization and action for social justice and worship.' Newcomers are encouraged to register via the Parish Registration Form.
- Mission Statement: a Eucharistic, welcoming, forgiving and inclusive community
- Parish Registration Form available for new parishioners
- Contact the parish office at (508) 992-7300 to learn more
History of St. Mary's Parish
Catholic life in North Fairhaven began on April 21, 1905, when the Fathers of the Sacred Hearts celebrated the first Catholic Mass in Fairhaven at Phoenix Hall. The SS.CC. acquired land in North Fairhaven in 1907, broke ground for the Church of the Sacred Hearts in 1908, and Bishop Feehan blessed that church on July 4, 1909. St. Mary's was founded as a mission of St. Joseph's, Fairhaven, in 1924, with the first Mass at St. Mary's Church celebrated by Fr. Charles De Baetselier on March 1, 1925. The mission was established as its own parish in 1933, and the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.) has served as pastor ever since.
- 1905: First Catholic Mass in Fairhaven celebrated by Fathers of the Sacred Hearts at Phoenix Hall
- 1907: SS.CC. purchase land between Morgan and Dover streets in North Fairhaven
- 1908: Ground broken for the Church of the Sacred Hearts
- 1909: Bishop Feehan blesses Sacred Hearts Church in North Fairhaven
- 1924: St. Mary's founded as a mission of St. Joseph's, Fairhaven
- March 1, 1925: First Mass at St. Mary's Church celebrated by Fr. Charles De Baetselier
- 1933: Mission established as its own parish
- 1930 (Aug 19): 700-lb carved wooden statue of Our Lady of Angels arrives and is enshrined at St. Mary's
- 1930 (Sept 21): First Feast of Our Lady of Angels held in North Fairhaven
Our Lady of Angels and Portuguese-American Heritage
On August 19, 1930, a 700-pound carved wooden statue of Our Lady of Angels, created by sculptor Monteiro Borges of Oporto, Portugal, arrived at St. Mary's Church and was enshrined there. The first Feast of Our Lady of Angels in North Fairhaven followed on September 21, 1930. The devotion was begun by four immigrants from Água de Pau, São Miguel, Azores, who sought to recreate the feast days of their hometown. Today it has grown into the Our Lady of Angels Feast, sponsored by the Sociedade da Nossa Senhora dos Anjos, which the Herald News has called 'the ultimate homecoming event for Fairhaven's Portuguese community since the Great Depression.' A Labor Day procession with the 700-pound image of the Blessed Virgin remains a high point.
- Statue of Our Lady of Angels (Monteiro Borges, Oporto, 1930) enshrined at St. Mary's
- Annual Our Lady of Angels Feast sponsored by Sociedade da Nossa Senhora dos Anjos
- ROMEIROS devotional tradition observed by the parish (e.g., 3/22/26 at 8 AM)
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts (SS.CC.)
Since its founding, St. Mary's Parish has been entrusted to the pastoral care of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.), a worldwide religious congregation of missionary priests, sisters, and brothers serving in more than 40 countries. The congregation was born on Christmas Eve 1800 when Pierre Coudrin and Henriette Aymer de la Chevalerie pronounced their vows, growing out of their shared experiences during the French Revolution. The SS.CC. United States Province maintains a Provincial Office in Fairhaven, MA, and continues to staff St. Mary's to this day.
- Founded: Christmas Eve 1800 by Pierre Coudrin and Henriette Aymer de la Chevalerie
- Mission: 'to contemplate, live and announce the love of God made flesh in the heart of Jesus'
- SS.CC. U.S. Province Provincial Office located in Fairhaven, MA (P.O. Box 111, Fairhaven, MA 02719; 508-999-0500)
Staff and Clergy
The parish is staffed by a priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts and a team of lay and formational staff who run the parish office, religious education program, music ministry, and Faith Formation.
- Fr. Chris Kaitapu, SS.CC. — Pastor/Priest
- Nicole Benjamin — Pastoral Administrator
- Stevan Piazza — Secretary/Bookkeeper
- Melissa DeTerra — Music Director and Director of Religious Education ([email protected]; 508-287-2640)
- Renee Ledbetter — Faith Formation Coordinator
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Mary's is committed to sharing the Catholic faith with the children of the parish through an age-appropriate, diocesan-mandated program. The parish uses the Circle of Grace (COG) curriculum, which teaches children and youth personal safety skills, recognizing physical, emotional, and spiritual boundaries, identifying trusted adults, and taking action if boundary violations occur. Parents may opt out of the COG lesson by completing an opt-out form. All families must be registered parishioners, and a baptismal certificate is required if a child was not baptized at St. Mary's. The parish also follows the diocesan 'Essential Three' safe-environment policy for anyone who ministers, works, or volunteers.
- Levels 1–4: Saturday, 9:15–10:15 AM
- Levels 5, 6, 7 & 8: Monday, 6:30–7:30 PM
- Circle of Grace (COG) safety curriculum (opt-out form available)
- Registration Form, Circle of Grace Disclosure, and OPT-OUT form required
- Diocesan Essential Three safe-environment policy observed for all ministers and volunteers
Parish Life, Events, and Outreach
St. Mary's runs a busy calendar of seasonal and annual events that build parish family life and reach out to the wider community. Highlights include a parish picnic, the annual Blessing of the Pets, an All Souls Day Memorial Mass with candle-lighting for deceased parishioners, seasonal Spring and Autumn breakfasts, Mary's Angels Banquet, Trunk or Treat, an Easter Chocolate Sale, a Thanksgiving Pie Sale, Soup's On fundraiser for Faith Formation, and a volunteer day at Shepherd's Pantry. Confirmation I and II students can earn service hours by volunteering at many of these events.
- Annual parish picnic
- Annual Blessing of the Pets (with service-hour opportunities for Confirmation I/II students)
- All Souls Day Memorial Mass (candles lit for departed parishioners)
- Seasonal breakfasts in Spring and Autumn
- Mary's Angels Banquet
- Trunk or Treat
- Easter Chocolate Sale
- Thanksgiving Pie Sale (Apple, Pumpkin, Pecan, Boston Cream, Lemon Meringue from Grandma's Donuts and Coffee)
- Soup's On — Faith Formation Fundraiser (March 28, 2026 at 5:30 PM)
- Lenten Bible Studies on Fridays during Lent (5:00–5:45 PM)
- Volunteer days at Shepherd's Pantry
Parish Support and Bereavement Ministry
Beyond its public events, the parish maintains ongoing small-group support for parishioners and families. A St. Mary's Bereavement Support Group meets at the parish and is listed on the parish calendar, providing a regular space for those grieving the loss of a loved one.
- St. Mary's Bereavement Support Group (regular meetings; listed on parish calendar)
- All Souls Day Memorial Mass and candle lighting for deceased parishioners from the past year
Stewardship at St. Mary's
The parish frames parish life around the three traditional stewardship pillars — time, talent, and treasure — calling parishioners to share their gifts in service to the community.
- Stewardship of Time
- Stewardship of Talent
- Stewardship of Treasure
Contact, Location, and Office Hours
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Mary's by phone, email, or in person at the parish offices on Harding Road. The church building itself stands on Main Street in North Fairhaven.
- Parish office: 41 Harding Road, Fairhaven, MA 02719-4500
- Phone: (508) 992-7300
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
- Church location: 440 Main Street, Fairhaven, MA 02719