About St. Mary of the Assumption · Fall River, Massachusetts
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River and the oldest extant Catholic church building in the city of Fall River, Massachusetts. Designed in the Gothic Revival style by the renowned Brooklyn architect Patrick C. Keeley and built of native granite, it was begun in 1852, dedicated in 1855, and elevated to cathedral status in 1904 when Pope Pius X created the Diocese of Fall River. Today the cathedral parish operates as part of the Our Lady of Fall River Catholic Community alongside Good Shepherd and St. Stanislaus parishes, and serves a diverse congregation with Masses in English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese.
- Established
- 1855
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title Our Lady of the Assumption
- Rector
- Very Rev. David C. Frederici, V.G. (Rector)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
St. Mary's Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Fall River and the historic seat of its bishop, so it is a natural place for Catholics throughout southeastern Massachusetts to attend major diocesan liturgies, ordinations, confirmations, and holy days alongside Bishop Edgar da Cunha. It offers one of the most linguistically diverse parish liturgies in the region — daily noon Mass in the Blessed Sacrament Lady Chapel, weekly Sunday Mass in English, a Spanish Mass for the Hispanic community, and a Saturday evening Brazilian-Portuguese Mass for the area's large Brazilian Catholic population. As the anchor of the Our Lady of Fall River Catholic Community, it shares faith formation, music, and outreach ministries with Good Shepherd and St. Stanislaus parishes, while preserving its 1855 Gothic Revival granite sanctuary as a National Register landmark with a 2015 Peragallo organ and stained glass spanning more than a century.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
- Weekday mornings Monday–Friday: 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (immediately before the 12:05 daily Mass)
Overview
St. Mary's Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River and the spiritual center of Catholic life in southeastern Massachusetts. It is the cathedral where the diocesan bishop — currently Most Reverend Edgar Moreira da Cunha, S.D.V. — has his cathedra, and where the Catholic community gathers with him for the great feasts of the year and the important sacraments of diocesan life (ordinations, confirmations, Chrism Mass, etc.). Built as a parish church in the 1850s and elevated to cathedral status in 1904 when Pope Pius X created the Diocese of Fall River, it is the oldest surviving church building in the city of Fall River and one of the city's earliest Catholic parishes.
- Cathedral of the Diocese of Fall River
- Dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption (feast day August 15)
- Oldest extant Catholic church in Fall River
- National Register of Historic Places (1983, NRHP #83000723)
History
The Catholic community that would become St. Mary's began as the parish of St. John the Baptist in 1838, after property on the present site was acquired in 1835 for $659. Bishop John Fitzpatrick of Boston laid the cornerstone for the new Gothic Revival church on August 8, 1852. The old frame church literally stood inside the new granite walls until the roof was added; parishioners themselves helped with the construction. Bishop Fitzpatrick dedicated the new church on December 16, 1855; the steeple was completed in 1858, and the sanctuary was solemnly consecrated by Bishop Matthew Harkins in 1901. Three years later, in 1904, Pope Pius X erected the Diocese of Fall River and named St. Mary's its cathedral, with Bishop William Stang as the first ordinary. The cathedral has been beautified in five major renovations (1890–91, 1912–13, 1951, 1978–79, and 2000), and in 1983 the cathedral and its attached rectory were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Parish of St. John the Baptist founded 1838
- Cornerstone laid August 8, 1852 (Bishop John Fitzpatrick of Boston)
- Dedicated December 16, 1855; steeple completed 1858
- Sanctuary consecrated September 7, 1901 (Bishop Matthew Harkins of Providence)
- Elevated to cathedral 1904 (Pope Pius X); Bishop William Stang, first ordinary
- Bishop's Chapel completed 1935; Bishops' Crypt beneath
- Renovations 1890–91, 1912–13, 1951, 1978–79, 2000
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places February 16, 1983
Architecture & Art
St. Mary's Cathedral is a textbook example of mid-19th-century American Gothic Revival Catholic architecture. Designed by the prolific Brooklyn architect Patrick C. Keeley and built of native New England granite, it rises 90 feet from floor to nave ceiling and 190 feet to the top of the gilded cross above the 1858 spire. Two chapels flank the nave — the 1869 Lady Chapel on the Second Street side, which serves as the Blessed Sacrament chapel and the site of daily Mass, and the 1935 Bishop's Chapel on the opposite side, dedicated to the English martyrs Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More, beneath whose floor the Bishops' Crypt is located. The stained glass is a layered record of the cathedral's history: 1891 German-made nave windows, 1915 Brooklyn-designed sanctuary windows, and 1952 Boston-designed Assumption lancets above the choir loft.
- Architect: Patrick C. Keeley (Brooklyn) — cathedral; Maginnis & Walsh — rectory
- Style: Gothic Revival; built of native granite
- Dimensions: 126 ft long × 76 ft wide × 90 ft nave height; spire 190 ft
- Lady Chapel (1869, Blessed Sacrament) and Bishop's Chapel (1935, Sts. Fisher & More)
- Bishops' Crypt beneath the Bishop's Chapel — four bishops of Fall River interred there
- Five renovations; major liturgical renewal in 1978–79 per Vatican II
- 2015 Peragallo pipe organ combining 1952 Kilgen and 1883 Hook & Hastings elements
Parishes of the Our Lady of Fall River Catholic Community
St. Mary's Cathedral is now part of the Our Lady of Fall River Catholic Community, a combined pastoral grouping of three historically distinct downtown Fall River parishes sharing a single pastor/rector and pooled faith formation, music, and outreach ministries. Each parish retains its own church building, sacramental life, and identity, and Masses are celebrated at all three churches each weekend.
- St. Mary's Cathedral — 327 Second Street, Fall River (the cathedral, oldest)
- Good Shepherd Parish — partner parish (Saturday 4 p.m. Vigil, Sunday 9 a.m.)
- St. Stanislaus Parish — 36 Rockland Street, South End (Polish heritage; Sunday 11 a.m.)
- Pastoral leadership under one pastor and rector, supported by a community Director of Parish Life
Apostolates & Ministries
The cathedral and its community operate several pastoral ministries serving the diverse Catholic population of Fall River. The Brazilian Apostolate (Rev. Paulo Barbosa) serves the large Brazilian Catholic community with a Saturday Vigil Mass in Portuguese and accompanying sacramental and formation ministry. The Hispanic Apostolate (Rev. GermÁn Correa Agudelo) serves the Spanish-speaking community with a Sunday Mass in Spanish. The Faith Formation program (FY25 enrollment at the cathedral: 96 students) prepares children and adults for the sacraments, including the 57 First Communions and 21 Confirmations celebrated at the cathedral in FY25. Diocesan youth ministry (CYO, parish youth group, Youth Mass) and diocesan Marriage and Family Ministry also operate from the cathedral parish, in coordination with the Secretariat for the New Evangelization.
- Brazilian Apostolate — Rev. Paulo Barbosa (Saturday 7 p.m. Portuguese Mass)
- Hispanic Apostolate — Rev. GermÁn Correa Agudelo (Sunday Spanish Mass)
- Faith Formation — 96 students enrolled (FY25)
- First Communion 57, Confirmation 21, Baptisms 30, Funerals 21 (FY25)
- Director of Music — liturgical music with the 2015 Peragallo organ
- Diocesan CYO / Youth Ministry / Youth Mass
- Diocesan Marriage and Family Ministry — Secretariat for the New Evangelization
- RCIA and adult faith formation
Clergy & Staff
The cathedral and Our Lady of Fall River Catholic Community are led by Very Rev. David C. Frederici, V.G., who serves as Rector of the cathedral (and Vicar General of the Diocese of Fall River) and Pastor of the wider community. Deacon Alan Thadeu serves as Director of Parish Life. The Brazilian Apostolate is staffed by Rev. Paulo Barbosa, and the Hispanic Apostolate by Rev. GermÁn Correa Agudelo. The Director of Music oversees the cathedral's liturgical music program and the 2015 Peragallo pipe organ, and a Religious Education Coordinator oversees the parish faith-formation program. The cathedral is also served by visiting diocesan clergy for major events.
- Very Rev. David C. Frederici, V.G. — Rector / Pastor
- Deacon Alan Thadeu — Director of Parish Life
- Rev. Paulo Barbosa — Brazilian Apostolate
- Rev. GermÁn Correa Agudelo — Hispanic Apostolate
- Director of Music (liturgical music program)
- Religious Education Coordinator
- Most Rev. Edgar Moreira da Cunha, S.D.V. — Bishop of Fall River
Visiting & Location
Located at 327 Second Street in downtown Fall River, the cathedral is open daily for the 12:05 p.m. Mass in the Lady Chapel and for the weekend Mass schedule. The address is within walking distance of the Fall River Government Center and the historic textile-mill district along the Taunton River. SRTA local buses serve the downtown corridor; municipal and street parking are available around the parish block. Visitors are welcome outside of Mass times for private prayer in the Blessed Sacrament chapel and to view the architecture and stained glass; the cathedral and rectory are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #83000723, February 16, 1983).
- Address: 327 Second Street, Fall River, MA 02721
- Phone: (508) 673-2833
- Open daily for 12:05 p.m. Mass and weekend schedule
- SRTA bus service along South Main / Second Street
- Street and municipal-lot parking downtown
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Annual Financial Report & Stewardship
The Our Lady of Fall River Catholic Community — including the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption — publishes an annual report each fiscal year detailing sacramental life, income, and expenses. The FY25 annual report, signed by Fr. David Frederici (Pastor & Rector) and Deacon Alan Thadeu (Director of Parish Life), presents full financial transparency for the cathedral and the two partner parishes. FY25 Cathedral totals: Total Revenue $877,262; Total Expenses $1,040,974; net operating deficit $163,712 — the report notes the cathedral was closed for two months during Q1 of FY25 for renovations, which affected the timing of offertory receipts. Sacramental life at the cathedral for FY25: 30 Baptisms, 57 First Communions, 21 Confirmations, 21 Funerals, 74 New Registrations, and 96 Faith Formation students.
- FY25 Cathedral Revenue: $877,262
- FY25 Cathedral Expenses: $1,040,974 (net −$163,712)
- FY25 Cathedral Operations: $223,207; Other Revenue $573,500
- FY25 Sacramento: 30 Baptisms, 57 First Communions, 21 Confirmations, 21 Funerals
- FY25 Faith Formation enrollment: 96
- Report signed by Fr. David Frederici and Deacon Alan Thadeu
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Bishop William Stang1904–
First bishop of Fall River; cathedral seat established under him in 1904 (held cathedra, not rector of the parish as such).
- Very Rev. Thomas Washburncirca 2020–2021
Rector at Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption and Pastor of Good Shepherd and St. Stanislaus parishes during the COVID-19 pandemic; quoted in March 2021 SouthCoast press coverage.
- Very Rev. John C. Ozug
Listed as Rector of the cathedral in diocesan and directory listings dated circa mid-2010s to early 2020s.
- Very Rev. David C. Frederici, V.G.present (as of FY25 Annual Report, 2025)
Current Rector of St. Mary's Cathedral and Pastor of the Our Lady of Fall River Catholic Community; also serves as Vicar General of the Diocese of Fall River.
