About St. Mary of the Assumption · Brookline, Massachusetts
St. Mary of the Assumption is the first Catholic parish in Brookline, Massachusetts, founded in 1852 and now part of the Archdiocese of Boston. The parish worships at two historic sites — the main church at 5 Linden Place in the Lindens neighborhood and St. Lawrence Church at 774 Boylston Street in Chestnut Hill, which was rejoined to St. Mary's in 2005. The current parish complex (church, rectory, school, and convent) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the church still houses the baptismal font used to baptize President John F. Kennedy in 1917. A parish grammar school, opened in 1899 with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, continues today as a thriving Catholic school serving a remarkably diverse Brookline community.
- Established
- 1852
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (under the title of the Assumption)
- Rector
- Rev. Jonathan Gaspar
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers the rare combination of deep Catholic history and a thriving, active community: a 1852-founded parish with two worship sites (St. Mary in the Lindens neighborhood and St. Lawrence in Chestnut Hill), a parish school now serving families of more than 20 language backgrounds, daily and Sunday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration several days a week, Confession twice weekly, and a wide range of lay ministries — Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, OCIA, Bible study, a Young Adult group, a Mothers' Prayer Group, and a Catholic mental-health peer group called PAX. It is also the parish that holds the baptismal font of President John F. Kennedy, a tangible link to American Catholic history.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:30–7:30 PM
- Saturday 8:30–9:30 AM
- or by appointment
Adoration times
- Sunday 3:00–5:00 PM (suspended in July and August)
- Wednesday 8:00–9:00 AM
- Wednesday 6:30–7:30 PM
- Saturday 8:30–9:30 AM
History of the Parish
St. Mary of the Assumption was founded in June 1852, when a small congregation of Catholics gathered at the Brookline Lyceum Hall (formerly the Punch Bowl Tavern) for the first public Mass. Created under Bishop John B. Fitzpatrick and carved out of St. Joseph's Parish in Roxbury, the young parish built its first church on Andem Place, opening on Christmas Day 1853. The present church was constructed 1880–1886 under Pastor Rev. Lawrence J. Morris and dedicated by Archbishop Williams on August 22, 1886.
- 1852 — First public Mass at Brookline Lyceum Hall
- 1853 — First frame church opens on Andem Place, Christmas Day
- 1873 — Rev. Lawrence J. Morris becomes pastor
- 1880–1886 — Current church constructed on Harvard St. at Linden Place
- 1886 — Church dedicated by Archbishop Williams (Aug. 22)
- 1897 — St. Lawrence Parish carved out of St. Mary's
- 1899 — Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur arrive to open the parish school
- 2005 — St. Lawrence reopened as a second worship site of St. Mary of the Assumption
Worship Sites
The parish worships at two historic churches. The mother church, St. Mary of the Assumption, sits in the Lindens neighborhood — Brookline's earliest planned development, originally envisioned as a garden suburb away from the bustle of Boston. The second site, St. Lawrence Church at 774 Boylston Street in Chestnut Hill, was reopened in June 2005 as part of the parish after being slated for closure.
- St. Mary of the Assumption — 5 Linden Place, Brookline, MA 02445
- St. Lawrence Church — 774 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Sacramental & Devotional Life
Beyond Mass, St. Mary's offers regular Confession, Eucharistic Adoration on three days a week, and a number of traditional Catholic devotions. Adoration is suspended on Sundays during July and August; weekday and Saturday Adoration continue year-round.
- Confession: Wed 6:30–7:30 PM; Sat 8:30–9:30 AM; or by appointment
- Adoration: Sun 3–5 PM; Wed 8–9 AM & 6:30–7:30 PM; Sat 8:30–9:30 AM
- Novena to St. Anthony: Tuesday 8:00 AM
- Stations of the Cross: Friday 6:00 PM during Lent
- Children's Stations of the Cross: Good Friday 2:15 PM
- Baptism: usually first Sunday after the 11 AM Mass
- Marriage: contact the pastor at least 6 months in advance
- Pastoral Care of the Sick: by appointment through the parish office
Parish School
St. Mary of the Assumption School was established as a parish school in Brookline in 1899. Originally staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (and later the Sisters of St. Joseph), the school now serves a diverse population of students representing more than 20 languages and 25 communities, supported by a faculty of full-time lay teachers, learning-support specialists, classroom aides, and instructors in art, music, and physical education. Current leadership includes Principal Dr. Christine Nadjarian and Assistant Principal Maria Enrique.
- Founded 1899 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
- Originally taught by Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, then Sisters of St. Joseph
- Today a lay faculty with full-time teachers and specialists
- Diverse community representing 20+ languages and 25 communities
- School website: https://stmarys-brookline.org/
Parish Ministries & Groups
St. Mary's runs an unusually broad range of lay ministries for a parish of its size, including faith formation, fellowship, service, and prayer groups. Most have a dedicated contact email listed in the parish bulletin.
- Bereavement Group
- Bible Study (Zoom, biweekly Tuesdays)
- Bible Study (in-person, weekly Tuesdays)
- Knights of Columbus Council 110
- Men's Group
- Mental Health Group — PAX
- Mothers' Prayer Group
- OCIA — Christian Initiation of Adults
- Prayer Line
- Religious Education (Faith Formation)
- Saint Vincent de Paul Society
- Women's Group
- Young Adult Ministry
- Parish Pastoral Council
Clergy & Staff
The parish is served by a full team of priests and deacons along with parish-office and school staff. Parish staff can be reached at 617-734-0444 or by email.
- Pastor: Rev. Jonathan Gaspar
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. David Joanis
- Weekend Assistant: Rev. Michael MacInnis
- In Residence: Bishop Cristiano Barbosa, Rev. Emmanuel Idoko, Rev. Kevin Staley-Joyce
- Permanent Deacons: Deacon John Nicholson, Deacon Tommy Heyne
- Finance & Operations Manager: Bert Almeida
- Business Manager: Susan Crapo
- Director of Religious Education & Faith Formation: Sarah Fernandez
- Youth Minister: Julia Lopez
- Pastoral Assistant: Mary Slattery
- Office Assistant / Website & Bulletin Editor: Jenevieve Price
- Director of Music (St. Mary): Arthur Rishi
- Director of Music (St. Lawrence): Warren Hutchison
- Facilities Manager: Eddie Deocareza
- School Principal: Dr. Christine Nadjarian
National Register & the Kennedy Baptismal Font
The St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Rectory, School and Convent complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A particular point of pilgrimage is the baptismal font moved to St. Mary's from St. Aidan's Church — the very font in which John F. Kennedy was baptized in June 1917.
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Houses the baptismal font in which President John F. Kennedy was baptized (June 1917)
- Managed by Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish in cooperation with the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site (NPS)
Disciples in Mission
According to the parish, the Archdiocese of Boston selected St. Mary of the Assumption to take part in the first phase of Disciples in Mission — a pastoral plan intended 'to revitalize the Church in Boston by positioning our parishes more solidly for the task of evangelization, the work of reaching out to our brothers and sisters and drawing them more fully to Christ Jesus.'
- Parish chosen for Phase 1 of Disciples in Mission
- Pastoral plan of the Archdiocese of Boston
- Goal: parish revitalization and evangelization
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Lawrence J. Morris1873–
Built the present church (1880–1886) and founded St. Lawrence Parish in 1897; invited the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur to start the parish school in 1899.
- Rev. Thomas F. McManus1897–
First pastor of St. Lawrence Parish when it was carved out of St. Mary's in 1897; installed December 23, 1897.