About St. Mary - St. Catherine of Siena (Charlestown) · Boston, Massachusetts
St. Mary – St. Catherine of Siena is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Charlestown, Massachusetts, formed in 2006 from the merger of two older parishes: St. Catherine of Siena on Vine Street and St. Mary's on Warren and Winthrop Streets. It is part of the Charlestown Catholic Collaborative together with neighboring St. Francis de Sales Parish, under the pastor Fr. John Sheridan. The parish worships in the later of Patrick Keely's masterpieces — the 1887–1893 Gothic church of St. Mary's on Warren Street, with its hammer-beam oak ceiling, Franz Mayer & Co. stained glass, and Rockport granite façade — while also using the adjacent St. Catherine of Siena Chapel for daily Mass. Rooted in Charlestown's Irish-immigrant community going back nearly two centuries, the parish combines a young, growing congregation with deep architectural and devotional heritage.
- Established
- 1828 (St. Mary's); 2006 (merged parish)
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Catherine of Siena
- Rector
- Fr. John Sheridan
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston (Metropolitan)
Why belong here
St. Mary – St. Catherine of Siena is a young, growing parish that still lives inside one of Patrick Keely's most beautiful late-Gothic churches — a place where Irish-Catholic Charlestown has prayed since 1828. Sunday Masses are offered at 8:00 am, 11:00 am, and 6:00 pm, Saturday Vigil at 4:00 pm, plus a full schedule of weekday Masses in the intimate St. Catherine of Siena Chapel. The parish runs an active Social Ministry (including the Harvest on Vine Food Pantry at 49 Vine St.), a St. Vincent de Paul conference that administers the Reverend Henry M. Gallagher Scholarship for local college students, faith formation K–8, Confirmation and RCIA/Adult Confirmation programs, Hispanic Ministry, a Music Ministry, and the parish Nurse Ministry — so there's a real way to plug in whether you're a newcomer, a young family, or a longtime neighbor.
Mass times at St. Mary - St. Catherine of Siena (Charlestown)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM (St. Mary's Church)
Parish Identity & History
St. Mary – St. Catherine of Siena is the 2006 merger of two of Charlestown's oldest Catholic parishes and one of the most architecturally distinguished church buildings in the Archdiocese of Boston. The original Parish of St. Mary's was founded by Bishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick in 1828 on Old Rutherford Avenue, and weathered the violent anti-immigrant Know-Nothing movement of the 1840s and 1850s. The present St. Mary's church on Warren Street — a Patrick Keely Gothic Revival masterpiece built 1887–1893 — houses an ornate interior with a hammer-beam oak ceiling carved by Keely himself, stained glass by Franz Mayer & Co., and Stations of the Cross by Joseph Sibbel.
- Original parish established 1828 by Bishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick
- Present church cornerstone laid October 29, 1887 by Fr. John McMahon
- First Mass in the basement celebrated May 26, 1889
- Funeral of poet John Boyle O'Reilly held here August 13, 1890
- Merged with St. Catherine of Siena in 2006; St. Catherine's building closed 2008
Buildings & Architecture
The parish's principal church is St. Mary's at 55 Warren Street, a Gothic Revival building of Rockport granite with brick trim designed by Patrick Keely. Inside, the hammer-beam oak ceiling with carved angels, Franz Mayer & Co. stained glass, the Keely/Houghton altar, and the Sibbel Stations of the Cross make it one of the most photographed parish interiors in Boston. Daily Mass is celebrated in the more intimate St. Catherine of Siena Chapel on the adjacent corner of Warren and Soley Streets, and the parish offices are at the Parish Center & Eucharistic Center, 46 Winthrop Street.
- St. Mary Church — 55 Warren St. (Patrick Keely, 1887–1893)
- St. Catherine of Siena Chapel — Warren & Soley Sts.
- Parish Center / Eucharistic Center — 46 Winthrop St.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs Religious Education for grades K–8, an annual Confirmation program directed by Cynthia Markey, and RCIA / Adult Confirmation classes. First Communion and Confirmation each have their own preparation cycles and special celebration days in the spring.
- Religious Education K–8
- Confirmation program (Cynthia Markey, Director)
- RCIA and Adult Confirmation
- Baptism Preparation classes (monthly)
- Spiritual Committee and Wedding Committee
Liturgical Ministries & Music
Parishioners serve as Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, and members of the Music Ministry and Worship Committee. The Director of Music is John Anthony Volpe. The Worship Committee helps shape the parish's liturgical life alongside the priests.
- Altar Servers
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Lectors
- Music Ministry / Choir — John Anthony Volpe, Director of Music
- Worship Committee
Social Ministry & Outreach
The Social Ministry is a centerpiece of parish life, anchored by the Harvest on Vine Food Pantry at 49 Vine Street. The parish also runs a St. Vincent de Paul conference (which administers the Reverend Henry M. Gallagher Scholarship for college students), a Social Justice Committee, a Family Ministry, and the St. Francis Hall Committee. A Parish Nurse Ministry, directed by Maureen Collier, RN BSN, supports parishioners' health needs.
- Harvest on Vine Food Pantry — 49 Vine St., 617-990-7314, [email protected]
- St. Vincent de Paul Society / Reverend Henry M. Gallagher Scholarships (applications due June 30)
- Social Justice Committee
- Family Ministry
- Parish Nurse Ministry (Maureen Collier, RN BSN)
- Hispanic Ministry (Blanca Paz)
Parish Life & Councils
Day-to-day operations are led by Fr. John Sheridan (Pastor), with James Santosuosso as Finance & Operations Manager, Thomas J. MacDonald as Social Ministry Director, Dianne Ludy as Administrative Assistant, and a Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and Stewardship Committee overseeing the work of the parish. The Collaborative Pastoral Council includes members from both Charlestown parishes; recent St. Mary – St. Catherine representatives include Richard Gould, Matt Rita, Ari Senerchia, Marian Tse, Maryann Broderick, and Michael Rush.
- Pastor: Fr. John Sheridan
- Finance & Operations Manager: James Santosuosso
- Social Ministry Director: Thomas J. MacDonald
- Administrative Assistant: Dianne Ludy
- Pastoral Council, Finance Council, Stewardship Committee
Clergy in Residence
In addition to the pastor, the parish is blessed with the presence of two clergy in residence who assist with the liturgical and pastoral life of the collaborative.
- Fr. Anthony Nweke, C.S.Sp. (Clergy in Residence)
- Msgr. Felix Ojimba (Clergy in Residence)
Good Shepherd School
The parish community is closely tied to Good Shepherd School at 20 Winthrop Street (617-242-8800), a Catholic elementary school serving Charlestown families and serving as one of the parish's drop-off/donation locations.
- Good Shepherd School — 20 Winthrop St., 617-242-8800
Becoming a Parishioner & Getting Involved
Newcomers are warmly welcomed and encouraged to register either online or at the Parish Center at 46 Winthrop Street. The parish especially asks that those requesting sacramental sponsor letters be registered and active members. To become more involved, parishioners are invited to speak with Fr. John after Mass or call the office at 617-242-4664 about any of the many ministries, councils, or volunteer opportunities listed above.
- New parishioner registration forms available on stmarystcatherine.org and at 46 Winthrop St.
- Sacramental sponsor letters require active parish registration
- Online giving and online banking options available
- Volunteer opportunities through Liturgical, Faith Formation, Social Ministry, and Council ministries
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Patrick F. Lyndonby 1853
Charlestown pastor during the 1853 nativist riots over Hannah Corcoran.
- Rev. William Byrne1874–1881
Became vicar general of the diocese in 1878; left in 1881 to become president of Mount St. Mary College, Emmitsburg, MD.
- Fr. John McMahon1887–
Laid the cornerstone of the present St. Mary's on October 29, 1887; chose Patrick Keely as architect; brother of Bishop Lawrence Stephen McMahon of Hartford.