St. Monica

Parish History

St. Monica traces its story to the growth of Catholic life along the Merrimack River in the 19th century. Methuen's earliest Catholics worshipped at St. Mary's in Lawrence until Bishop John Bernard Fitzpatrick purchased land in 1846 in anticipation of a local church. After roughly fifty years of planning, the first Catholic church in Methuen — dedicated to St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine — was completed at the corner of Park Street and Broadway and dedicated on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1897, at a cost of about $16,000. For the next twenty years St. Monica remained a mission of St. Mary's in Lawrence before being declared an independent parish in 1917 by Cardinal William O'Connell, with Rev. James J. Farrelly as administrator (later the first Pastor, 1919).

• 1846 — Bishop Fitzpatrick purchases land in Methuen for a future Catholic church.
• 1897 (Easter Sunday, April 18) — First Catholic church in Methuen dedicated to St. Monica.
• 1917 — St. Monica declared an independent parish by Cardinal William O'Connell.
• 1919 — Rev. James J. Farrelly appointed first Pastor of St. Monica Parish.

St. Monica School

Ground was broken in October 1957 for St. Monica School, which opened in September 1959 as a K-8 Catholic school under the direction of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Today the school shares the 212 Lawrence Street campus with the present church and serves Pre-K through Grade 8, continuing the Catholic-identity mission that the founding sisters began.

• Opened September 1959 under the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
• Located at 212 Lawrence Street, Methuen.
• Pre-K through Grade 8.
• Principal: Donna Henderson.

A New Church (1997)

As Methuen grew and the original Park Street church aged, the parish needed a larger, more modern worship space. The present St. Monica Church was dedicated in 1997 at 212 Lawrence Street, on the same campus as the parish school. It continues to serve as the primary worship site for St. Monica parishioners today.

Pastoral Staff & Leadership

St. Monica is served by a collaborative pastoral team shared with St. Lucy Parish. The parish is led by a Pastor (Administrator) and Parochial Vicar, supported by two permanent deacons and a lay staff that runs faith formation, music, business, and parish-office operations.

• Fr. Marcos Peña — Pastor
• Fr. Michael Harvey — Parochial Vicar
• Deacon John Kobrenski — Permanent Deacon
• Deacon John Pierce — Senior Deacon
• Karl Jackson — Director of Parish Life
• Joseph Lundin — Music Director
• Kera Mansour — Business Manager

Faith Formation: RISE Community

RISE is the parish's lifelong faith-formation program. It gathers parishioners of all ages — adults, young adults, and youth — for a simple meal followed by a presentation and discussion (adults) or classroom sessions (youth). Sessions run once a month in two formats: Saturday evening after the 4 pm Mass at St. Lucy's (5–7 pm), or Sunday morning after the 9 am Mass at St. Monica's (10 am–12 pm). RISE is required for families with students preparing for First Communion and Confirmation.

• RISE Community — for adults, young adults, and youth; monthly Saturday or Sunday gatherings.
• RISE Confirmation — 8th grade and up; 14–16 meetings, September–April.
• RISE First Communion — 2nd grade and up; 14–16 Sunday-morning meetings, September–April.

OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)

Adults seeking to enter the Catholic Church, or Catholics preparing to complete the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and/or First Eucharist), do so through OCIA — formerly RCIA. Meetings typically take place twice each month on Sunday mornings, with several liturgical events throughout the year, culminating in reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil. Adult Confirmation and preparation for First Communion for adults also run through this team.

Youth Ministry

St. Monica supports young people of all ages through dedicated programs, supported by adult mentors who help lead small-group faith communities.

• Youth RISE — small-group ministry for high-school students; weekly meetings, retreats, and large-group gatherings September–June.
• Don Bosco Program — middle-school youth ministry meeting Mondays 2–5 pm while school is in session.
• Christ Life / Evangelization Team — parish evangelization ministry with hospitality, facilitator, and leadership roles.

Sacraments

The parish prepares Catholics for and celebrates all seven sacraments. Infant Baptisms are celebrated on the second Sunday of the month at St. Monica and the third Sunday at St. Lucy, with at least six weeks of preparation. First Communion preparation begins as early as Kindergarten. Youth Confirmation is celebrated in 8th Grade and up under current Archdiocesan guidelines; adult Confirmation goes through OCIA. The Anointing of the Sick is available on request.

• Infant Baptism — 2nd Sunday at St. Monica, 3rd Sunday at St. Lucy.
• Adult Baptism & Adult Confirmation — through OCIA.
• First Holy Communion — preparation begins as early as Kindergarten; typically celebrated in 2nd grade.
• Confirmation — 8th Grade and up for youth; OCIA for adults.
• Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:00–3:45 pm and by appointment.
• Anointing of the Sick — by request through the parish office.

Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul

The parish supports the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which operates a food pantry serving neighbors in need. Bulletin notices call attention to current items most needed (such as Hamburger Helper, canned carrots, canned chicken, canned fruit, and canned baked beans).

• St. Vincent de Paul Society food pantry — current needs listed in the weekly parish bulletin.
• Donations accepted at the entrances to St. Lucy Church and at the side door of Gethsemane Chapel at St. Monica.

Get Involved / Volunteering

The parish welcomes volunteers across faith formation, youth ministry, evangelization, baptism outreach, and liturgical life. All adult volunteers working with children must complete a one-time, 3-hour VIRTUS (Protecting God's Children) training session and an annual CORI background check.

• Catechists and Classroom Assistants for RISE Community.
• OCIA Facilitators (under the direction of the OCIA Coordinator).
• Baptism Outreach Team members.
• Youth RISE Mentors.
• Christ Life / Evangelization Team members.

Contact & Office Hours

Parish offices are located at 254 Merrimack Street, Methuen, MA, and serve both St. Monica and St. Lucy parishes. Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm; the office is closed on Wednesdays.

• Address — 254 Merrimack Street, Methuen, MA 01844.
• Phone — (978) 683-1193.
• Email — [email protected].
• Office Hours — Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9:00 am–1:00 pm (closed Wed).