About St. Mary Mission Church · Canaan, New Hampshire
St. Mary Mission Church is a Roman Catholic mission church located at 1157 US Route 4 in the center of Canaan, New Hampshire. It is administered as a mission of St. Helena Parish in neighboring Enfield, sharing a pastor and staff with that parish and with Sacred Heart Parish in Lebanon. The community celebrates a single Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m., preceded by confessions at 9:30 a.m., and belongs to the Diocese of Manchester.
- Established
- 1890
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Charles H. Pawlowski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester
Why belong here
St. Mary's is a small, close-knit mission church with a story that goes back to 1880s Canaan, where Catholic families first gathered for Mass in one another's homes. Today it offers a single Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m. (with confessions beforehand), a wheelchair-accessible worship space on Route 4, and a vibrant parish hall — built in the late 1980s by the local Knights of Columbus — that anchors religious and community life. As a mission of St. Helena Parish, Enfield, worshippers belong to a wider Roman Catholic community that shares faith formation, RCIA/OCIA, and sacramental preparation across St. Helena, St. Mary's, and Sacred Heart in Lebanon.
Mass times at St. Mary Mission Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:30–9:45 AM
About St. Helena Parish and St. Mary's Mission
The website describes St. Helena Parish and St. Mary's Mission as 'A Roman Catholic Community.' The two share a pastor and staff with Sacred Heart Parish in Lebanon. Mass is offered Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m. at St. Helena's in Enfield and Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Mission in Canaan, with confessions a half-hour before each Mass.
- St. Helena Church — 36 Shaker Hill Rd., Enfield, NH
- St. Mary's Mission — 1157 US Route 4, Canaan, NH (center of town)
- Shared pastor and staff with Sacred Heart Parish, Lebanon
- Both worship sites are wheelchair accessible
History of St. Helena's & St. Mary's
The parish maintains a detailed 'History of the Parish' page that traces St. Helena's back to its Enfield roots and St. Mary's back to the first Catholic families who settled in Canaan after 1850. The narrative draws largely on newspaper articles preserved by Mrs. Nellie Pierce.
- After 1850 — Catholic families settle in Canaan; Mass celebrated in private homes
- 1889 — Lot on Church Street purchased from Mrs. Lura Milton
- 1890 — First Catholic church built in Canaan, with a nearby priest's house
- June 2, 1923 — Original church destroyed in the great Canaan fire
- August 6, 1950 — Present chapel dedicated on the original site, debt-free
- Late 1980s — Knights of Columbus build the parish hall
- Late 1990s — Parking lot rebuilt, lawn and daylily landscape installed (Tom St. George Eagle project)
- Christmas Eve 2000 — 50th anniversary of the rebuilt church celebrated by Fr. Paul Rainville
- January 2016 — Missionaries of LaSalette conclude 40 years of ministry; Fr. Charles Pawlowski installed as pastor
Parish Staff
The staff page lists the pastor and lay staff who serve St. Helena Parish and St. Mary's Mission together. A parochial vicar has also been assigned to assist with the tri-parish grouping.
- Pastor — Rev. Fr. Charles Pawlowski
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Jayakumar Thangaraj, HGN (assigned April 14, 2021)
- Parish Secretary — Mrs. Camille Hardt
- Music Director — Alice Maleski
- Accountant — Richard Reece
Sacraments
Baptism is the most fully detailed sacrament on the parish website. Other sacraments (Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick) are referenced through the parish's sacramental menu and the parish office.
- Infant Baptism — registration with St. Helena/St. Mary's required first; appointment with faith-formation director or pastor required; catechesis required for parents
- Baptism for Adults and Children Age 7+ — provided through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA/RCIA), which prepares candidates for full initiation into the Catholic Church
- Confession — Sundays 9:30 AM at St. Mary's; Sundays 5:00 PM at St. Helena
- Contact the parish office for Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and other sacramental needs
Becoming Catholic (OCIA) & Faith Formation
The parish website links to Becoming Catholic (formerly RCIA) for adults and children age 7 and older seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church. Faith Formation for adults and Grades K–8 is administered in cooperation with Sacred Heart Parish in Lebanon; all information is hosted on the Sacred Heart Parish website.
- Becoming Catholic / OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Faith Formation — Adult & Grades K–8 (via Sacred Heart Parish, Lebanon)
Online Giving & the NH Catholic Appeal
The home page highlights two stewardship channels. Online Giving allows parishioners to support the parish remotely; envelopes may also be mailed to the parish office. The New Hampshire Catholic Appeal (NHCA) supports retired priests, seminarian formation, Catholic education, faith formation, Parable Magazine, and Catholic Charities.
- Online Giving — accessible from the parish homepage logo
- Envelope mailings — PO Box 1363, Lebanon, NH 03766
- NH Catholic Appeal — specify St. Helena, Enfield as your parish; 90% of funds raised above the parish goal are rebated back to the parish
Contact & Locations
Parish office operations are run out of Lebanon, NH; worship takes place at the two church sites in Enfield and Canaan. Office hours are Monday through Thursday.
- Parish Office — 7 Fairview Ave., Lebanon, NH 03766
- Office Hours — Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (walk-ins 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM; by phone until 3:00 PM)
- Mailing Address — St. Helena Parish, PO Box 1363, Lebanon, NH 03766
- Telephone — (603) 632-4263
- St. Helena Church — 36 Shaker Hill Rd., Enfield, NH
- St. Mary's Mission — US Route 4, center of Canaan, NH
Bulletins
The parish maintains a Bulletins page on its website where current and recent parish bulletins are posted for parishioners who wish to follow along with announcements and homilies.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Paul Rainvillelate 1990s – c. 2015
Celebrated the 50th anniversary of the rebuilt St. Mary's Church with a Christmas Eve Midnight Mass in 2000; planted the two evergreen trees on the church lawn.
- Father Johnny Vadakkan, MSuntil January 2016
Missionary of LaSalette; native of India; recalled to ministry in India by his religious community in early 2016.
- Father Charles H. PawlowskiJanuary 2016 – present
Installed as pastor of St. Helena Parish and St. Mary Mission at the end of January 2016; also named pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Lebanon; later named Assistant Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Manchester (effective November 1, 2020).