About St. Mary [Parish of the Assumption] · Dover, New Hampshire
St. Mary Church, part of the Parish of the Assumption, is a Roman Catholic parish in Dover, New Hampshire, and the oldest Catholic congregation in the city. Originally founded in 1830 as St. Aloysius by Irish mill workers and Father Charles Ffrench, the parish was renamed St. Mary's when the present brick church was completed in 1872. In 2009, St. Mary's merged with neighboring St. Charles Borromeo and St. Joseph parishes to form the new territorial Parish of the Assumption in the Diocese of Manchester, with St. Mary, St. Joseph, and the Chapel of the Nativity in Barrington remaining active worship sites.
- Established
- 1830
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (under title of St. Mary's, originally St. Aloysius)
- Rector
- Rev. Agapit Jean Jr.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
The Parish of the Assumption welcomes Dover-area Catholics to three active worship sites — historic St. Mary Church downtown, St. Joseph Church, and the Chapel of the Nativity in Barrington — with daily and weekend Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, regular Confession, a Catholic school (Saint Mary Academy), faith formation, Vacation Bible School, and outreach through the wider diocese. As a merged parish, it combines the heritage of Dover's three oldest Catholic communities (dating to 1830, 1893, and 1945) into a single family of faith serving the Seacoast Deanery.
Mass times at St. Mary [Parish of the Assumption]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (St. Joseph Church)
- Wednesday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (St. Joseph Church, after 8:00 AM Mass)
- Mon–Fri 7:30 AM – 7:50 AM (before 8:00 AM Mass at St. Joseph Church)
- Saturday 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM (St. Mary Church)
- Or by appointment — call the parish office 603-742-4837
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration at St. Joseph Church: Monday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Wednesday following the 8:00 AM Mass at St. Joseph Church
Parish of the Assumption — Overview
The Parish of the Assumption is the Roman Catholic territorial parish serving Dover, New Hampshire, and the nearby town of Barrington. It was created on July 5, 2009 by the merger of three long-standing Dover parishes — St. Mary (founded 1830), St. Charles Borromeo (founded 1893), and St. Joseph (founded 1945) — together with the mission of the Chapel of the Nativity in Barrington. The parish belongs to the Seacoast Deanery of the Diocese of Manchester. It is pastored by Rev. Agapit Jean Jr., with parochial vicar Rev. George Mattathilani and three deacons.
- Three worship sites: St. Mary Church, St. Joseph Church, Chapel of the Nativity (Barrington)
- Diocese: Manchester (Roman Catholic)
- Deanery: Seacoast
- Est. 2009 as merged parish
History of St. Mary Church
St. Mary traces its roots to 1826, when Dover's small Catholic community gathered for worship in private homes and the local Court House. Father Charles Dominic Ffrench, an Irish Dominican stationed in Portland, Maine, bought a lot at Third and Chestnut Streets from the Cocheco Manufacturing Company in January 1828 for $300, laid the cornerstone in May 1828, and saw Bishop Benedict Fenwick dedicate the simple wooden Gothic church as St. Aloysius on September 26, 1830. The neighborhood was known locally as 'Dublin' for its Irish mill workers. In 1870 the parish began building a new brick church on the same lot; a Halloween fire destroyed the original wood church, and the brick replacement was completed in 1872 and renamed St. Mary's. St. Mary's celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1980, and in 2009 became part of the merged Parish of the Assumption.
- 1826: Catholics meet in private homes and the Court House
- 1828: Fr. Ffrench buys Chestnut & Third St. lot for $300
- 1830: Bishop Fenwick dedicates St. Aloysius
- 1870: Halloween fire during construction of new brick church
- 1872: Brick church completed and renamed St. Mary's
- 1947: Diamond Jubilee — tower simplified
- 1980: 150th anniversary celebrated
- 2009: Merged into Parish of the Assumption
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
The parish runs a Faith Formation program for children and youth, complemented each summer by Vacation Bible School. Registration is open for the 2026 VBS season for both child participants and adult volunteers. The parish also points families to Saint Mary Academy and Saint Thomas Aquinas High School as affiliated Catholic schools in the Dover area.
- Faith Formation / Religious Education
- 2026 Vacation Bible School — child and volunteer registration open
- Saint Mary Academy (parish-affiliated school)
- Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
Clergy & Staff
The Parish of the Assumption is served by two priests and three deacons, with offices at 150 Central Avenue, Dover. Rev. Agapit Jean Jr. serves as pastor; Rev. George Mattathilani serves alongside him. The three deacons of the parish are Deacon Arnold Gustafson, Deacon James Wilton, and Deacon David Deutsch.
- Pastor: Rev. Agapit Jean Jr.
- Rev. George Mattathilani
- Deacon Arnold Gustafson
- Deacon James Wilton
- Deacon David Deutsch
Sacraments & Parish Records
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments. Records of baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, marriage, and death from the former St. Mary, St. Joseph, and St. Charles Borromeo parishes were transferred at the 2009 merger and are preserved at the Parish of the Assumption office in accordance with canon law. Holy Day schedules and other sacramental information are listed on the parish website and updated through the parish calendar.
- Baptism, Confirmation, First Eucharist, Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick (by appointment)
- Reconciliation (see schedule)
- Historical sacramental records preserved at the parish office
Visiting & Contact Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at (603) 742-4837 or visit the parish website at poadovernh.org. The parish office and St. Joseph Church are located at 150 Central Avenue, Dover, NH 03820. St. Mary Church itself stands at the corner of Chestnut and Third Streets in downtown Dover — the same lot purchased by Father Ffrench in 1828.
- Parish office: 150 Central Avenue, Dover, NH 03820-4090
- Phone: (603) 742-4837
- Website: poadovernh.org
- Facebook: /ParishoftheAssumption
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles Dominic Ffrench (OP)1828–1830
Dominican friar from Galway, Ireland; bought the Chestnut & Third St. lot, laid the cornerstone, built the original St. Aloysius church
- Rev. Michael Healy1830–1831
Early pastor of St. Aloysius
- Rev. Constantine Lee1833–1834
Early pastor of St. Aloysius