About St. Mary · Taunton, Massachusetts
St. Mary Parish in Taunton, Massachusetts was the first Catholic parish in the city, founded in 1830 by Irish Catholic immigrants who had come to Taunton to work in its textile and silver industries. Its monumental Gothic Revival church — designed by Brooklyn architect Patrick C. Keely and completed in 1868 — was the third church building on the site and remains a defining landmark at the corner of Broadway and Washington Street, just north of Taunton Green. The parish was the mother church from which all other Taunton Catholic parishes descended. After structural deficiencies forced the church to close in November 2023, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., issued a decree (effective September 15, 2025) suppressing St. Mary Parish and merging its pastoral care into the Taunton Catholic North collaborative alongside St. Anthony and St. Jude the Apostle parishes, both in Taunton.
- Established
- 1830
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. William (Bill) Rodrigues (Pastor of Taunton Catholic North collaborative — St. Anthony, St. Jude and former St. Mary parishes)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
St. Mary was the mother parish of all Catholic life in Taunton, and its people are now part of the warm, multilingual Taunton Catholic North collaborative that worships in English, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. The parishes offer weekend and daily Mass across St. Anthony and St. Jude churches, a single collaborative Faith Formation program for grades 1–9, a free Saturday Meal Ministry at St. Jude Hall, and a permanent diaconate and parish staff ready to walk with families through every sacrament and stage of life. Even though the historic 1868 St. Mary's church is now closed and the parish formally suppressed, the community of faith continues at St. Anthony and St. Jude, with all of St. Mary's sacramental records and pastoral care preserved there.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Mary Parish, Taunton
St. Mary's was founded in 1830 by fifteen Irish employees of the Taunton Print Works who had been gathering for Mass in private homes. A small wood-frame church was built in 1832 on the present rectory site; it burned in 1856 and was rebuilt, then later moved to East Taunton (where it became St. Charles Hall) to make way for the 1903 rectory. The present stone Gothic Revival church, designed by Brooklyn architect Patrick C. Keely, was completed in 1868 as the parish's third sanctuary. As Taunton's first Catholic parish, it is the mother congregation of every other Catholic parish in the city.
- Founded 1830 by Irish Catholic immigrants
- First wood-frame church, 1832
- Church rebuilt after 1856 fire
- Present Gothic Revival church completed 1868 by Patrick C. Keely
- Mother church of all Taunton Catholic parishes
The 1868 Church and St. Mary's Complex
The third St. Mary's church is a massive Late Gothic Revival stone structure with buttressed walls, quoined corners, a square front tower and a gable-roofed nave with clerestory. The full complex — church, rectory, school and convent — sits at the intersection of Broadway and Washington Street, just north of Taunton Green, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
- Church, 1868 — Patrick C. Keely, architect
- Rectory, 1903 — D.J. Sullivan, contractor (Flemish Gothic brick)
- School, 1907 — Maginnis, Walsh & Sullivan, architects (Collegiate Gothic brick)
- Convent, 1912 (mansard-roofed brick)
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, July 5, 1984 (NRHP #84002211)
Taunton Catholic North Collaborative
Since June 2019, St. Mary has been part of a three-parish collaborative with St. Anthony and St. Jude the Apostle, both in Taunton, known as Taunton Catholic North. The collaborative shares a single office (at St. Anthony Parish Center, with parking off Washburn Street), a single Faith Formation program, and a single pastoral team under Fr. Bill Rodrigues.
- Formed June 2019
- Member parishes: St. Anthony, St. Jude the Apostle, and former St. Mary
- Collaborative office at St. Anthony Parish Center
- Office hours 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM; phone 508-824-3333; email [email protected]
Suppression of St. Mary Parish (2025)
St. Mary's Church was closed in November 2023 because of structural deficiencies and safety concerns. After engineering assessments estimated more than $10 million in required repairs, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., announced in July 2025 that the parish would officially close and issued a formal decree of suppression effective September 15, 2025. Pastoral and spiritual care of St. Mary's parishioners is now provided by the priests of St. Anthony and St. Jude; the Diocese is actively seeking a buyer who will honor the historical value of the 1868 church.
- Church closed November 2023 due to structural deficiencies
- Public closure announced by letter July 16, 2025
- Decree of suppression issued by Bishop da Cunha, effective September 15, 2025
- Care of parishioners transferred to priests of St. Anthony and St. Jude
- Diocese exploring sale of the historic church building
Pastoral Staff and Office
The collaborative is led by Fr. Bill Rodrigues, Pastor, and served by three permanent deacons and a parish staff. Office hours are 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM at the St. Anthony Parish Center.
- Fr. Bill Rodrigues — Pastor (Ext. 1)
- Rev. Deacon José H. Medina — Permanent Deacon
- Rev. Deacon Philip Bedard — Permanent Deacon
- Rev. Deacon José Medeiros — Permanent Deacon (Retired, but active)
- Bonny Ferry — parish office (Ext. 4)
- Cheryl Cunha — parish office (Ext. 5)
- Regina Medina — parish office (Ext. 3)
- Tom Mills — Maintenance Manager
Faith Formation (Religious Education)
Taunton Catholic North runs a single, combined Faith Formation program for children in grades 1 through 9. Classes for grades 7–9 meet in the Religious Education Building at St. Jude; lower-grade classes meet at St. Anthony Parish Center. The program includes participation in Sunday Mass.
- Grades 1–6: Jane Santos, Faith Formation Coordinator — 508-824-4545
- Grades 7–9: Beth Hoye, Catechetical Leader — 774-226-9696, [email protected]
- Office hours: Mondays and Thursdays, 8:00 AM – Noon
- Email: [email protected]
Outreach: Meal Ministry
The collaborative runs a free lunch Meal Ministry serving the wider Taunton community every Saturday at St. Jude Hall. Volunteers are always needed; those interested can call the parish office at 508-824-3333.
- Free Saturday lunch
- Served at St. Jude Hall ("Grab and Go")
- Volunteers welcomed — call the office