About St. Mary (St. Paul the Apostle Parish) · Bangor, Maine
St. Paul the Apostle Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Portland (Maine) that unites six historic worshipping churches — St. John (1832), St. Mary (1872), St. Gabriel (1850), St. Teresa (1896), St. Joseph (1926) and St. Matthew (1968) — across Bangor, Brewer, Hampden and Winterport. The parish was formally constituted under the patronage of St. Paul the Apostle in 2009, bringing together generations of Catholic heritage that reach back to the early 1800s when Irish and French-Canadian immigrants began settling the greater Bangor area. Today the parish is led by Rev. Msgr. Andrew Dubois and serves a wide geographic region with daily Masses in English and a monthly Spanish Mass at St. Teresa Church in Brewer.
- Established
- 1872
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Andrew Dubois
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland (Maine)
Why belong here
St. Paul the Apostle Parish offers an unusually rich Catholic experience for the greater Bangor region, with six historic worship sites — from the 1855 Gothic Revival St. John Church on the National Register of Historic Places, to the modern tent-shaped St. Mary's with its tent-topped sanctuary and rescued stained glass — meaning newcomers can find a Mass time and style that fits their week at almost any hour. The parish runs daily Masses in English at multiple churches, a monthly Spanish Mass (Misa en Español) at St. Teresa's in Brewer, an active Faith Formation program for children through Grade 5 with sacrament preparation, the Pre-K–Grade 8 All Saints Catholic School on two campuses, public and registered hours of Eucharistic Adoration, and outreach through Catholic chaplains serving St. Joseph Hospital and Northern Light EMMC.
Mass times at St. Mary (St. Paul the Apostle Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 3:00 PM–3:45 PM at St. Teresa's Church (Brewer)
- Wednesday 4:30 PM–5:15 PM at St. Matthew's Church (Hampden)
- Saturday 2:00 PM–3:00 PM at St. John's Church hall (Bangor)
- Saturday 3:15 PM–3:45 PM at St. Joseph's Church (Brewer)
Adoration times
- Monday 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Tuesday 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Thursday 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Friday 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Additional hours open to registered adorers; for information call 217-6740
Our History — Six Churches, One Parish
St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Bangor, Maine, was canonically formed in 2009 as a merger of six long-standing Catholic congregations that trace their roots back to the early 1800s. The cluster's anchor church, St. John, was founded in 1832 and built in Gothic Revival form in 1855 under the direction of Fr. Johannes Bapst, SJ, while St. Gabriel's in Winterport dates to 1850 and St. Mary's in Bangor to 1872. Over the next century St. Teresa (1896, Brewer), St. Joseph (1926, Brewer) and St. Matthew (1968, Hampden) joined the network before the parishes were consolidated under the patronage of St. Paul the Apostle — the Apostle to the Gentiles — an especially fitting patron for a community built by successive waves of Irish, French-Canadian and other immigrant Catholics. The parish retains all six historic worship sites, each with its own schedule and devotional life.
- St. John Church — 1832 — 217 York Street, Bangor
- St. Gabriel Church — 1850 — 435 South Main Street, Winterport
- St. Mary Church — 1872 — 768 Ohio Street, Bangor
- St. Teresa Church — 1896 — 425 South Main Street, Brewer
- St. Joseph Church — 1926 — 531 North Main Street, Brewer
- St. Matthew Church — 1968 — 70 Western Avenue, Hampden
- Merger under the patronage of St. Paul the Apostle — 2009
St. Mary Church (1872) — The Cedar Street Fire and the Ohio Street Rebuilding
St. Mary's was carved out of St. John Parish in May 1872, with Rev. John W. Murphy appointed as founding pastor of a territory that originally stretched west of the Kenduskeag Stream and included Hampden, Hermon and Carmel. The cornerstone of the original Cedar Street church was laid on September 15, 1872 by Bishop D.W. Bacon, and Bishop Lynch of Charleston, S.C., dedicated the church on December 8, 1872 — just seven months after construction began. Fr. Murphy's successor, Rev. Michael C. O'Brien (1880), built the rectory, installed the organ and constructed a parish school; stained-glass windows and a tower bell were added between 1908 and 1933, and a major restoration was underway by 1967, culminating in the parish's centennial in 1972.
- Founding pastor: Rev. John W. Murphy (1872–1880)
- Rectory, organ and school built under Fr. Michael C. O'Brien (1880, 21-year pastorate)
- Stained-glass windows and steeple bell installed 1908–1933
- Major restoration begun 1967
- Centennial celebrated 1972
- Rectory fire January 1977
The 1978 Fire and the Tent-Shaped Rebuilding
On the night of February 3, 1978, in sub-zero temperatures, an arsonist destroyed the 105-year-old St. Mary's Church in what is remembered as one of the worst fires in Bangor's history. Miraculously, the crucifix, nave, altar, sacred vessels and several stained-glass windows survived, though the pews were encased in a thick sheet of ice. The next day, the displaced congregation filled the Bangor Auditorium for Mass, an event many credit with beginning the community's healing. Groundbreaking for the new St. Mary's on Ohio Street was held September 9, 1979, with interim Masses at Dow Field; the new church's distinctly modern architecture was deliberately shaped like the desert tents of the Holy Land. The first Mass was celebrated on October 31, 1980 (Vigil of All Saints), and Auxiliary Bishop Edward C. O'Leary formally dedicated the rebuilt church on December 14, 1980.
- Fire on February 3, 1978 — arson, in sub-zero temperatures
- Survived: crucifix, nave, altar, sacred vessels, several stained-glass windows
- Day-after Mass at Bangor Auditorium
- Groundbreaking September 9, 1979 (Ohio Street)
- Interim Masses at Dow Field
- First Mass in new church: October 31, 1980
- Dedication by Bishop Edward C. O'Leary: December 14, 1980
Architecture of the Rebuilt St. Mary
The rebuilt St. Mary Church is a modern building whose signature design gesture is a sweeping tent-like structure — a deliberate reference to the dwellings of the ancient desert-dwelling nomads of the Holy Land and to the Israelites' wandering under Moses. The bell from the original 1872 steeple hangs in the tower at the main entrance, and the original crucifix is suspended above the altar. Restored stained-glass windows from the 1872 church are installed in the rebuilt chapel and sanctuary, with additional windows in the parish office at St. John.
- Modern tent-shaped primary design
- Bell from the original 1872 steeple in the new tower
- Original crucifix above the altar
- Restored stained glass from 1872 windows in chapel and sanctuary
Parish Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The parish is led by Rev. Msgr. Andrew Dubois as Pastor. He is assisted by two Parochial Vicars — Rev. Nyohnunfon N. (Ndukong) Kilian and Rev. Matthew Valles — and two priests in residence from the Society of African Missions (SMA): Rev. Michael Adebote (chaplain at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center) and Rev. Alou M. Pilizue (chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital). Two permanent deacons serve the parish: Deacon Timothy R. Dougherty and Deacon Michael E. Whalen, with Deacon Luis Sanclemente serving as Pastoral Life Coordinator. Lay pastoral staff include Johanna Lake (Principal, All Saints Catholic School), Catherine Taft (Director of Business Administration), Dawn MacKay (Faith Formation Coordinator), Mary Brown (Administrative Assistant), Shannon Fitzpatrick (Receptionist), Kevin Birch (Music Director at St. John), Michael Arell (Music Director at St. Mary), Timothy MacKay (Director of Parish Maintenance) and Dave Lindemann (Director of Mount Pleasant Cemetery).
- Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Andrew Dubois
- Parochial Vicars: Rev. Ndukong Kilian; Rev. Matthew Valles
- In Residence: Rev. Michael Adebote, SMA (Northern Light EMMC); Rev. Alou M. Pilizue, SMA (St. Joseph Hospital)
- Deacons: Timothy R. Dougherty; Michael E. Whalen; Luis Sanclemente (Pastoral Life Coordinator)
- Music Directors: Kevin Birch (St. John); Michael Arell (St. Mary)
- Principal: Johanna Lake (All Saints Catholic School)
Faith Formation, Sacraments and School
The parish's Children's Faith Formation program meets Sundays during the school year at two locations — St. Matthew's Church in Hampden (9:00–10:15 AM, followed by 10:30 AM Mass) and the All Saints St. Mary Campus in Bangor (8:30 Mass at St. Mary's followed by class in the lower level, 9:45–11:00 AM). It supports parents in their role as primary educators by offering catechetical instruction in sacrament preparation, Scripture, doctrine and prayer. All Saints Catholic School, the parish's Pre-K through Grade 8 school, operates on two campuses: St. Mary Campus (Pre-K–Grade 3) at 768 Ohio Street, Bangor (207-947-7063), and St. John Campus (Grades 4–8) at 166 State Street, Bangor (207-942-0955). Dawn MacKay serves as Faith Formation Coordinator, and Johanna Lake as Principal.
- Children's Faith Formation (Pre-K–Grade 5)
- Sacrament preparation for First Eucharist and Confirmation
- Vacation Bible School
- All Saints Catholic School — St. Mary Campus (Pre-K–Grade 3)
- All Saints Catholic School — St. John Campus (Grades 4–8)
Hospital Chaplaincy and Mount Pleasant Cemetery
The parish provides Catholic chaplaincy at two of central Maine's major hospitals: Rev. Alou M. Pilizue, SMA serves as chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor, and Rev. Michael Adebote, SMA serves as chaplain at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center. The parish also operates Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Bangor, one of the area's notable Catholic cemeteries, under Director Dave Lindemann (207-947-4322), with sacramental records for all six former parishes now preserved at the Pastoral Center at 217 York Street.
- Chaplaincy at St. Joseph Hospital — Rev. Alou M. Pilizue, SMA
- Chaplaincy at Northern Light EMMC — Rev. Michael Adebote, SMA
- Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Bangor — Director Dave Lindemann
- Sacramental records at the Pastoral Center, 217 York Street, Bangor
Visiting and Getting Involved
Newcomers and visitors are welcome to attend any scheduled Mass or confession across the parish's six churches. The parish publishes a single combined bulletin covering all six churches, which lists the current week's Mass intentions, parish announcements, and stewardship figures. Those wishing to register as parishioners, schedule a baptism, marriage or funeral, or volunteer with Faith Formation can contact the Pastoral Center at 207-217-6740 or by email at [email protected]. Volunteers are especially needed for Children's Faith Formation (Pre-K–Grade 5) and for the registered hours of Eucharistic Adoration at the Pastoral Center chapel.
- Pastoral Center: 207-217-6740 / [email protected]
- Register as a parishioner through stpaulbangor.me/join-the-parish
- Volunteer for Children's Faith Formation or Adoration
- Daily bulletin published jointly for all six churches
- Livestreams of St. Mary's and St. John's Masses
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John W. Murphy1872–1880
Founding pastor of St. Mary's Parish, appointed when the parish was carved out of St. John's in May 1872. Oversaw construction of the original Cedar Street church; engaged Bangor City Hall auditorium for worship during construction.
- Rev. Michael C. O'Brien1880–c.1901
Succeeded Fr. Murphy in 1880; served 21 years. Built the rectory, installed the organ, built a parish school. During and after his tenure, stained-glass windows were installed and a bell was placed in the tower (1908–1933).
- Rev. Msgr. Edward F. Wardmid-20th century – late 1960s (at St. Mary's)
Pastor of St. Mary's, Bangor. In the fall of 1962 he purchased land on Route 9 in Hampden (house and barn) that would become the foundation for what would be established in 1968 as the parish of St. Matthew.
- Rev. Timothy Nadeauserved as pastor of the St. Paul the Apostle consortium
Pastor of the consolidated St. Paul the Apostle parish (Bangor/Brewer/Hampden/Winterport cluster) before being transferred to Lewiston, Maine. Departure preceded the appointment of Msgr. Andrew Dubois.
- Rev. Msgr. Andrew Duboiscurrent (2026)
Current pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Parish, overseeing all six merged churches.