About St. Mary of the Assumption · Lawrence, Massachusetts
St. Mary of the Assumption (Parroquia Santa María de la Asunción) is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Lawrence, Massachusetts, serving the Archdiocese of Boston from 300 Haverhill Street. The parish is a Hispanic-minority, English-Spanish community shaped by the Neocatechumenal Way and several lay movements, and it ministers to working-class families in the Merrimack Valley with daily and Sunday Masses in both languages, perpetual Eucharistic adoration, a robust faith formation program, and a long-running Catholic school partnership. Its current pastor is Rev. Israel J. Rodriguez, assisted by a parochial vicar, three deacons, and parish staff.
- Established
- 2004
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (Our Lady, under the title of her Assumption)
- Rector
- Rev. Israel J. Rodriguez
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Assumption is a bilingual parish where English and Spanish-speaking Catholics worship side by side, celebrate Mass in both languages every day of the week, and pray before the Blessed Sacrament around the clock in a perpetual Adoration Chapel open from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Families with school-age children can enroll in a full slate of faith formation programs — preschool 'Seeds,' two-year First Communion, Confirmation preparation, the Catholic after-school St. Mary's Youth Center, and OCIA for adults and children — while adults can deepen their faith through the Neocatechumenal Way, the Cursillo Movement, and adult Confirmation classes. The parish also extends Christ's presence outside its walls through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Hispanic Pro-Life Office, and partnership with Lawrence Catholic Academy, and welcomes new parishioners to register online.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Saturday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Sunday 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
- Sunday 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
- Sunday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Monday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM (half hour before the 6:30 PM Mass)
- Priests are available at other times by appointment — call the parish office at 978-685-1111
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Adoration Chapel — open daily 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and First Fridays the 12:00 PM Mass is celebrated in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel
- Overnight Adoration (Holy Hour in the night) by request — call the parish offices
Parish Identity & Welcome
St. Mary of the Assumption / Parroquia Santa María de la Asunción is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Boston located in the northwest territory of Lawrence, Massachusetts, at 300 Haverhill Street. The parish's bilingual bulletins and Mass schedule explicitly address worshippers in both English and Spanish, and new parishioners are invited to register through the parish website. The current parish bulletin identifies the pastoral team and points visitors to online giving, faith formation registration, and live-streamed Mass.
- Patron: Blessed Virgin Mary (Assumption); feast day celebrated August 15
- Archdiocese of Boston, Roman-Latin Rite
- Bilingual identity: English and Spanish
History
The parish was canonically erected November 1, 2004 by Archbishop Seán P. O'Malley, uniting Asuncion de la Virgen Maria Parish (itself formed by German Catholics in 1885 and later serving Spanish-speaking Catholics from the 1990s) with St. Mary-Immaculate Conception Parish. The reorganization came alongside the creation of Corpus Christi Parish from the Italian, Polish, and Portuguese national parishes of Lawrence. Augustinian friars staffed the parish from 2004 until announcing their departure in April 2019. The predecessor Asunción church on Lawrence and Park Streets was eventually demolished (the site of its former elementary school became the Greater Lawrence Community Health Center), and the community today occupies and renovates the St. Mary-Immaculate Conception complex.
- Erected November 1, 2004 by decree of Archbishop O'Malley
- Formed by merger of Asunción de la Virgen María and St. Mary–Immaculate Conception
- First pastor: Rev. Jorge Reyes, O.S.A., installed Nov. 21, 2004 by Auxiliary Bishop Emilio S. Allué, S.D.B.
- Augustinian friars served until their April 5, 2019 departure announcement
- Approximated 150th anniversary of St. Mary-Immaculate Conception marked around 2010
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by its pastor and supported by a parochial vicar, three deacons, and a staff including secretaries and a Director of Faith Formation. Team members are listed by extension on the parish bulletin.
- Rev. Israel J. Rodriguez — Pastor (ext. 20)
- Rev. Jose Ignacio Montero — Parochial Vicar (ext. 18)
- Deacon Jesús Castillo
- Deacon Arcenio Frias
- Deacon Cristino Ynfante
- Ana Cardenas — Director of Faith Formation (ext. 30)
- Maureen Shanahan — Religious Education Assistant / Digital Media & Communications Coordinator
- Moraliza Reyna, Yustine DeLeon, Diana Sanchez — Parish Secretaries (ext. 10)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Mary's runs from preschool through adulthood, with separate tracks for children, youth, and adults and a required parallel Parent & Adult Formation program. Director Ana Cardenas handles registration, and a baptism (or birth) certificate is required at sign-up. Programs are offered in English and Spanish, with most having a small donation that can be waived in cases of financial difficulty.
- 'Seeds' preschool/Kindergarten program (ages 3–6, English)
- First Communion — two-year program for grades 1–6 (English & Spanish), Sat 11:00 AM–12:15 PM (Year 1) and 12:45–2:00 PM (Year 2)
- Confirmation preparation for grades 7–8 (and catch-up grades 9–12), Archdiocese of Boston now confirms in 8th grade
- St. Mary's Youth Center — Catholic after-school program for grades 3–12
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) and Adult Confirmation
- OCIA for Children and Teens ages 7–17 not yet baptized
Lay Movements & Communities
The parish hosts several spiritual movements recognized by the Archdiocese of Boston and the Holy See, including the Neocatechumenal Way (with its own Saturday evening Mass) and Cursillos in Christianity through the Archdiocese's Hispanic Apostolate.
- Neocatechumenal Way — adult formation community, Saturday 8:00 PM English Mass in the gym; endorsed by St. John Paul II
- Cursillo Movement — Archdiocese of Boston Hispanic Apostolate chapter at St. Mary of the Assumption
- Seguidores de Cristo — Young Adult Group led in earlier years by Rev. Jorge Reyes, O.S.A.
Outreach & Charity
St. Mary's extends its mission beyond the church through parish-based charity and advocacy. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference operates in both English and Spanish for emergency assistance, and a Hispanic Pro-Life Office offers support in defense of life. The parish also partners with Lawrence Catholic Academy in the regional Catholic school system.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — English (978) 885-3158; Spanish (978) 885-7463 / (978) 885-7734
- Hispanic Pro-Life Office — (978) 687-4546
- Lawrence Catholic Academy — quality faith-based education partner
- Generous Heart Project / Corazón Generoso — convent renovation capital campaign
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments on the schedule published in its bilingual bulletin, with preparation programs for First Communion, Confirmation, and OCIA, and direct contact with the parish office for Baptism, Anointing of the Sick, and Marriage.
- Baptism — interview required, contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office
- Reconciliation — see confession times
- First Communion & Confirmation — formal two-year/grade-based programs
- Marriage — arrangements at least six months in advance with a priest
Office, Cemetery & Practical Information
The parish office handles registrations, Mass intentions, and confession appointments Monday–Friday, with a midday closure, and is closed on weekends. The parish also administers the neighboring Catholic cemetery in Methuen.
- Parish office hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00–4:30 PM; closed Sat/Sun
- Address: 300 Haverhill Street, Lawrence, MA 01840; Phone (978) 685-1111; Email [email protected]
- St. Mary-Immaculate Conception Cemeteries & Mausoleum — 55 Hideaway Lane, Methuen, MA 01844 — (978) 682-8181, fax (978) 685-7148
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jorge Reyes, O.S.A.2004–
First pastor of the newly erected parish; installed November 21, 2004 by Auxiliary Bishop Emilio S. Allué, S.D.B., D.D.; Augustinian friar.
- Rev. Carlos Urbina, O.S.A.
Referenced in an October 2017 stewardship letter to parishioners.
- Rev. Michael DiGregorio, O.S.A.
Wrote the April 5, 2019 letter announcing the Augustinian friars' departure from the parish.
- Rev. Israel J. Rodriguezcurrent
Current pastor (per parish bulletins); celebrates First Communions and is listed as pastor on current staff roster.