St. Mary

Welcome and Pastor's Greeting

St. Mary's Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Boston, founded in 1870 and today serving more than 2,200 families in Holliston, Massachusetts. The parish is known for the beauty of its liturgy and the strength of its social outreach and youth ministry programs. Its mission is "To know Christ and to make Him known," and the pastor, Fr. Mark J. Coiro, is described as always available to meet with parishioners to hear their ideas, needs, concerns, and dreams for the parish.

History of St. Mary's Parish

Holliston was named a district parish in December 1870, with Fr. Richard Quinlan as founding pastor. Fr. Quinlan built the present church starting in 1870, with the first Mass celebrated in its basement on Christmas 1873, and served for 42 years until his death in 1912. Successive pastors continued to grow the parish: Fr. John Lyons (1912–1917), Fr. William O'Brien (1966–1979), Fr. Patrick Kelly (administrator 1972–1975), and Fr. William J. Haley (administrator 1975, then 13th pastor 1979–2005). Fr. Haley oversaw the major 1995 expansion adding 200 seats through two transept wings, remodeled the sanctuary with a massive skylight, and connected the church to the religious education center. Fr. Mark J. Coiro became the fourteenth pastor in October 2005.

• 1870: Holliston established as a district parish; Fr. Richard Quinlan founding pastor
• 1873 (Christmas): First Mass celebrated in the basement of the new church
• 1912: Fr. Quinlan dies after 42 years as pastor
• 1966: Fr. William O'Brien appointed pastor; period of unprecedented growth
• 1975: Fr. William Haley becomes administrator; named 13th pastor in 1979
• 1995: Church expanded by 200 seats; sanctuary remodeled with massive skylight
• October 2005: Fr. Mark J. Coiro appointed 14th pastor by Archbishop Sean O'Malley

Mass and Sacraments Schedule

The regular Mass schedule features a daily 9:00 AM Mass Monday through Friday, two Saturday vigil Masses at 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM, and three Sunday Masses at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM (Family Mass with CLOW September–May), and 11:30 AM (Sung Mass). Holy Day schedules are announced; for example, the Immaculate Conception includes a December 7 vigil Mass at 6:15 PM and two Masses on December 8 at 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Low-gluten hosts are available upon request.

Religious Education (Pre-K through Grade 8)

St. Mary's Parish Religious Education Program teaches and shares the Catholic faith with children, building on the Sunday Mass experience and family prayer as the essential foundation. Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade sessions meet several times a year on Sunday mornings with parents attending; Grades 3–6 meet roughly twice a month for an hour and a half. First Communion is a two-year program spanning Grades 1 and 2. Confirmation requires a two-year course of study in Grades 7 and 8. For the youngest students, the parish offers Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a Montessori-based program, and home-based learning is available for Grades 3–5.

• Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) for young children
• Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) at the 9:30 AM Mass, September–May
• First Communion preparation: Grades 1 and 2
• Confirmation preparation: Grades 7 and 8
• Home-Based Religious Education option for Grades 3–5
• Outreach projects include Fourth Grade food drive, Fifth Grade baptismal garments, Fifth Grade Healing Mass
• Financial assistance/scholarships available; no child denied enrollment due to need
• Special needs support available in the classroom and by parent conference

OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)

The OCIA process welcomes people into full membership in the Catholic Church through a series of sessions that begin with a no-commitment period of inquiry and culminate at the Great Easter Vigil when participants receive their sacraments. The program is for those who were never baptized, raised in a non-Christian faith, baptized into a Protestant tradition, or raised Catholic but missing some sacraments. St. Mary's OCIA is led by Deacon Ron Dowding and begins each fall.

TGIF High School Youth Ministry

TGIF is a high school youth ministry that gathers monthly on Sunday evenings from 7:00–8:45 PM in Fr. Haley Hall. The mission is to help teens grow as disciples of Jesus through community, faith, and service. Teens come from Holliston, Franklin, Medway, Hopkinton, and Ashland, from public and private schools, and from many faith backgrounds. The program includes faith talks, seasonal Advent and Lent studies, group Mass attendance, and a summer mission trip — since 2005 TGIF has served in Mississippi, Jamaica, Texas, Florida, Vermont, and New Jersey on home repairs, ramp building, painting, landscaping, and shelter/camp service.

• Monthly meetings, Sunday evenings, 7:00–8:45 PM, Fr. Haley Hall
• Service: caroling and bingo at nursing homes, letters to the incarcerated, Holliston Pantry Shelf, Catholic Charities Milford
• Annual week-long summer mission trip (since 2005)
• Youth Minister: Lisa Dufault (508-429-6076 ext 3)

WINGS — Women in God's Spirit

WINGS is a faith enrichment group for women of all ages — single, married, separated, divorced, widowed, or in religious life, working or retired — that meets Wednesday mornings during the school year from 9:45 AM to 11:15 AM in Fr. Haley Hall and via Zoom. Each year has three seasons: Fall explores Catholic tradition and teaching, Winter involves Scripture study and sharing, and Spring focuses on putting faith into practice in family, community, and the world. Childcare is available with advance registration.

• Fall Season: Catholic tradition and teaching
• Winter Season: Scripture study and sharing
• Spring Season: Faith focus and putting faith into practice
• Contact: Jennifer Schiller (Archdiocesan Coordinator)

Music Ministry

St. Mary's Music Ministry serves to unify the community in the magnification of God's glory through sacred song, and is open to Catholics and non-Catholics, experienced musicians and beginners. The Adult Choir sings traditional classical music at the 11:30 AM Sunday Mass and at Holy Week and special liturgies, rehearsing Thursdays 7:00–9:00 PM September–June in the lower church. The Children's Choir welcomes singers Grades 3–6 with a focus on whole-person engagement. A new Youth Music Jam (Grades 7+) launched in fall 2025 for collaborative jam sessions across Christian genres.

• Adult Choir — Sundays 11:30 AM Mass; Holy Week; Thursday rehearsals
• Children's Choir — Grades 3–6
• Youth Music Jam — Grades 7+ (launched fall 2025)
• Affiliation with the Royal School of Church Music in America (RSCM)
• Music Director: Abigail Kelley-Lanser ([email protected])

Outreach — Pine Street Inn

St. Mary's supports the Pine Street Inn, a Boston homeless shelter for men and women, by preparing and serving a complete home-cooked meal for approximately 100 women guests in the women's dining hall on the first Saturday of each month, October through September. The adult food group of about 65 members divides into cooks (teams of three who plan the menu, shop, cook in the parish center kitchen, drive to Boston, and serve) and bakers (assigned to provide three dozen individual dessert servings per date). Cooks often contribute part or all of the cost, but receipts can be submitted to the parish so cost is not a barrier to volunteering.

• Schedule runs October through September, first Saturday of each month
• Approximately 100 women guests served per visit
• Cooks and bakers teams, ~65 members annually
• Contact: Laura Koziol, 508-429-7174

Parish Staff and Clergy

The parish is led by Rev. Mark J. Coiro, Pastor, the fourteenth pastor of St. Mary's. Deacons include John Barry (Parish Council) and Ron Dowding (Parish Council and OCIA). The staff includes a Youth Minister (Lisa Dufault), Music Ministry director (Abigail Kelley-Lanser), Business Manager (Mary Sanning), Director of Religious Education (Fran Crespi), Religious Education Secretary (Jennifer Burgett), and Parish Facilities (Billy Hanson). Liturgical and parish life roles include Patty Baribeau (Altar Servers), Janet Alexander (Welcoming Committee), the Middle School Youth Group, the Parish Council (Kevin Diamond, Finance Council), and the Website Committee.

Visit and Contact

Visitors are warmly welcomed at all Masses and are invited to introduce themselves to the priest after Mass and to register through the website or by calling the rectory. The parish notes that for generations it has been the custom at St. Mary's to kneel together for a silent Hail Mary at the end of Mass, and visitors are invited to join in. The rectory office, Religious Education office, parish email, and weekly bulletin are the primary channels for ongoing contact.

• Address: 8 Church Street, Holliston, MA 01746
• Rectory: (508) 429-4427
• Religious Education: (508) 429-6076
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: http://stmarysholliston.com