About St. Mary · West Warwick, Rhode Island
St. Mary Church in Crompton (West Warwick, Rhode Island) is the oldest Catholic church building still in use in the Diocese of Providence, with its cornerstone laid on October 15, 1844 and first Mass offered on January 4, 1845 by Father James Fitton. Originally dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, it grew from a small 30-by-50-foot wood-frame church built largely by Irish and English Catholic textile workers into the 'Mother Church of the Pawtuxet Valley.' On July 1, 2019, declining Mass attendance led the Diocese of Providence to merge St. Mary's into SS. John and James Parish, with St. Mary's now serving as a mission church under a single pastor, Rev. Nicholas T. Fleming. The modest white belfry still overlooks the village from Crompton Hill, hosting the Extraordinary Form daily Mass and Monday/Tuesday adoration and confession.
- Established
- 1844
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel (originally dedicated); commonly known as St. Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Nicholas T. Fleming, STL
- Diocese
- Diocese of Providence
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers a rare thing in southern New England: a chance to pray in the oldest Catholic church building still in use in the Diocese of Providence, a small white belfry on Crompton Hill where Irish, Italian, French-Canadian, and Central-European Catholic families have worshipped since 1844. The mission church keeps the Extraordinary Form of the Mass in daily celebration (Monday–Saturday at 8:00 am), with extended Monday adoration from 8:30 am through 8:00 pm and shared Confession evenings with SS. John and James — a quiet, traditional rhythm suited to the historic space. Parishioners also benefit from being part of the larger merged Saints John and James & St. Mary Mission community, with its St. Vincent de Paul Society, Knights of Columbus Council #7238, Ladies of St. Anne, Parish Prayer Network, cemetery apostolate, and religious education program.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 7:00–8:00 pm at St. Mary Church (during adoration)
- Tuesday 7:00–8:00 pm at SS. John and James Church
- Saturday 3:30–4:10 pm at SS. John and James Church
Adoration times
- Monday 8:30 am–8:00 pm at St. Mary Church
- Tuesday 8:30 am–1:00 pm at St. Mary Church
History of St. Mary's — Mother Church of the Pawtuxet Valley
St. Mary's is the oldest Catholic church building still in use in the Diocese of Providence, with its cornerstone laid October 15, 1844 and first Mass celebrated January 4, 1845 by Father James Fitton. The parish grew from English and Irish Catholic immigrants drawn to work at the Crompton Print Works, and by 1875 had spun off four daughter churches — SS. Peter and Paul in Phenix, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph in Crompton, and St. Catherine in Apponaug — earning it the title 'Mother Church of the Pawtuxet Valley.' After a devastating 1926 fire the church was rebuilt and reopened on Easter 1927, and in 1980 the building was lifted, slightly repositioned, and given a new foundation and parish hall.
- Cornerstone laid October 15, 1844; first Mass January 4, 1845
- Originally dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 20, 1845 by Bishop Tyler of Hartford
- Fire August 6, 1926; rebuilt and reopened Easter Sunday, April 17, 1927
- 1980s renovation lifted the building and added a parish hall
- 175th anniversary celebrated May 5, 2019 with Bishop Thomas J. Tobin
- Merged into SS. John and James Parish effective July 1, 2019
Founding Figures
Two laypeople in particular are credited with the parish's birth. Michael Carroll, a native of Ballybay, County Monaghan, Ireland, traveled by horse and buggy to Boston to bring Father James Fitton to the Pawtuxet Valley to celebrate Mass in his home. Mary Doran, wife of calico printer Paul Doran at Crompton Print Works, purchased the hilltop acre on which the church stands and is herself buried in the parish cemetery behind it.
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
St. Mary Mission hosts the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (Traditional Latin) every weekday and Saturday at 8:00 am. Weekend Masses for the merged parish are celebrated at SS. John and James Church (20 Washington Street): Saturday Vigil at 4:30 pm, Sunday 6:30 am (Extraordinary Form), and 8:00 am and 10:30 am (Ordinary Form). Holy Day Masses are at 8:00 am at St. Mary's and 7:00 pm at SS. John and James.
- Daily & Saturday Mass — 8:00 am, Extraordinary Form, St. Mary's
- Saturday Vigil — 4:30 pm, Ordinary Form, SS. John and James
- Sunday — 6:30 am (EF), 8:00 am and 10:30 am (OF), SS. John and James
Parish Staff & Office
The merged Saints John and James & St. Mary Mission is staffed by Pastor Rev. Nicholas T. Fleming, Business Manager Paul Merola, Administrative Assistant Karen Veltri, Maintenance Mike Osenkowski, Religious Education Coordinator Deborah Doyle, Prayer Ministry Marcelline Zambuco, Ladies of St. Anne (Dillia Sylvester), and parish historians JoAnne Carlton (St. Mary Cemetery) and Jackie Henderson (St. Joseph Cemetery).
- Rev. Nicholas T. Fleming, STL — Pastor
- Paul Merola — Business Manager
- Karen Veltri — Part-Time Administrative Assistant
- Mike Osenkowski — Maintenance
- Deborah Doyle — Religious Education Coordinator
- Marcelline Zambuco — Prayer Ministry
- Dillia Sylvester — Ladies of St. Anne
- JoAnne Carlton — St. Mary Cemetery Historian
Ministries, Societies & Outreach
Parishioners can get involved through the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Knights of Columbus Council #7238 (which donated $1,365 to the West Warwick Assistance Agency from its March 2025 pasta dinner), Ladies of St. Anne, Religious Education, the Parish Prayer Network prayer line, and the cemetery apostolate for St. Mary's, St. Joseph, SS. Peter and Paul, and Notre Dame cemeteries.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society (contact: Paul or Karen via the parish office)
- Knights of Columbus Council #7238
- Ladies of St. Anne (Dillia Sylvester, 401-828-6790)
- Religious Education / Faith Formation (Deb Doyle, [email protected])
- Parish Prayer Network (ext. 7)
- St. Mary Cemetery office — JoAnne Carlton, 401-934-1355
Sacraments
Parishioners can arrange Baptisms through the parish office (a coordinator is listed on the contact page), as well as Marriages, First Holy Communion preparation, Reconciliation (see confession schedule), and Communion Calls / Anointing of the Sick for the homebound. Emergency sacramental needs can be directed to the rectory at 401-821-7661.
- Baptism Coordinator — through parish office
- Marriage preparation
- First Holy Communion
- Reconciliation (see confession times)
- Communion Calls / Anointing of the Sick
Contact, Office Hours & Location
Parish offices are at 20 Washington Street, West Warwick, RI 02893, with hours Mondays and Tuesdays 9:30 am–3:00 pm, Wednesdays 9:30 am–1:00 pm, Thursdays closed, and Fridays 9:30 am–12:00 pm. The historic St. Mary's Mission church itself sits on Church Street in the Crompton village, on the hilltop often described as the exact geographical center of Rhode Island.
- Parish Office: 20 Washington Street, West Warwick, RI 02893
- St. Mary's Mission: 70 Church Street (a.k.a. 68 Church Street), West Warwick, RI 02893
- Phone: 401-821-7661 · Fax: 401-826-7274
- Office hours: Mon & Tue 9:30 am–3 pm; Wed 9:30 am–1 pm; Fri 9:30 am–12 pm; Thu closed
- Email: [email protected] (office); [email protected] (pastor); [email protected] (Religious Ed.)
175th Anniversary & Sacred Heart Shrine
On Sunday, May 5, 2019, the parish commemorated its 175th anniversary with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, accompanied by bagpipes and a Knights of Columbus honor guard. After Mass the bishop blessed and dedicated a new outdoor Sacred Heart of Jesus shrine built with the support of Anniversary Donors, who are honored on a plaque on the reverse side of the shrine. The event also served as a farewell to longtime pastor Father Douglas J. Spina, who had served the parish since 2012.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Daniel Kelly1850 (first resident pastor)
Succeeded nine months later by James Gibson.
- Rev. James Gibson1850–1892
Yankee convert; long tenure during which sanctuary, transepts, bell tower, parsonage, parish hall, cemetery improvements, brass band, temperance society, and four branch churches were established.
- Rev. Barton Daggettappointed 1942
Resumed physical improvements to the parish after a roughly fifty-year gap.
- Rev. Douglas J. Spina2012–June 2019
Saw the 175th anniversary Mass in May 2019 and the blessing of a new Sacred Heart shrine; retired and moved to Arizona.
- Rev. Nicholas T. FlemingJuly 1, 2019–present
First pastor of merged Saints John and James & St. Mary Mission; previously assistant pastor at SS. John and Paul in Coventry.