About St. Nicholas Parish - St. Anthony of Padua Church · Shirley, Massachusetts
St. Nicholas Parish - St. Anthony of Padua Church is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Boston located at 12 Phoenix Street in Shirley, Massachusetts. The parish was originally founded in 1905 as St. Anthony of Padua to serve the French-Canadian Catholic community of Shirley, and today it forms one half of the Nashoba Valley Catholic Collaborative together with St. Mary Parish in Ayer (established 1858). The collaborative was formally organized in 2017, and on July 1, 2023, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley merged the two parishes into a single new entity, St. Nicholas Parish of Ayer-Shirley, with Father Joseph J. D'Onofrio appointed as its first pastor. The parish serves a multi-ethnic, rural community in the Nashoba Valley of north-central Massachusetts and continues to celebrate Mass, sacraments, adoration, and faith formation at St. Anthony's church in Shirley.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph J. D'Onofrio
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Nicholas Parish welcomes parishioners into a small, multi-ethnic Catholic community in the rural Nashoba Valley, where worship at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Shirley is celebrated with a simple, faithful rhythm of weekend and weekday Masses, weekly adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and Saturday confession. The parish runs a Life-Long Faith Formation program for children and adults, supports sacramental preparation, and gathers for community fundraising through the Fatima Club and ongoing outreach — making it an easy place for newcomers to be known, to serve, and to grow in faith.
Mass times at St. Nicholas Parish - St. Anthony of Padua Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (St. Anthony Church)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (St. Anthony Church)
- Friday 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM (St. Anthony Church)
Parish History
St. Anthony of Padua Parish was established in 1905 when a committee backed by the Saint Jean Baptiste Society — Michael Gionet, Xavier Boucher, and Abel Morin — petitioned the Archbishop for a Catholic parish in Shirley. Father Joseph Côté was the first priest assigned; he built the church, acquired the rectory, and bought more than six acres of cemetery land from Shaker Elder John Whiteley for $100. The parish joined the 2006 Nashoba Valley pastoral cluster with four neighboring parishes, became part of the Nashoba Valley Catholic Collaborative in 2017, and was merged with St. Mary of Ayer on July 1, 2023 into the new St. Nicholas Parish of Ayer-Shirley under the Archdiocese of Boston.
- Founded 1905 by French-Canadian Catholic faithful
- First pastor: Father Joseph Côté
- Cemetery land purchased 1905–1906 from Shaker Elder John Whiteley
- Joined Nashoba Valley Cluster, 2006
- Nashoba Valley Catholic Collaborative formed, 2017
- Merged into St. Nicholas Parish (Ayer-Shirley), July 1, 2023
Nashoba Valley Catholic Collaborative
Since 2017, St. Anthony of Padua has been joined with St. Mary Parish in Ayer under the Nashoba Valley Catholic Collaborative, a single pastoral structure with one Pastor, one Finance Council, and one Parish Council serving two canonically separate parishes. The collaborative describes itself as a 'multi-ethnic, socially, culturally, and educationally diverse faith community' of two rural archdiocesan parishes serving the towns of the Nashoba Valley.
- Established 2017 by the Archdiocese of Boston
- Comprises St. Mary (Ayer, est. 1858) and St. Anthony of Padua (Shirley, est. 1905)
- Shared Pastor, Finance Council, and Parish Council
- Father Edmond M. Derosier served as the collaborative's first pastor
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish operates a Life-Long Faith Formation program for parishioners of every age, directed by Ms. Marianne Cooper. Children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation, as well as adults preparing for the sacraments through the RCIA process, are served through this ministry.
- Life-Long Faith Formation (children and adults)
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
- Adult sacramental preparation (RCIA)
- Faith Formation Office: contact Ms. Marianne Cooper through the parish office
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for and celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments. Reconciliation is offered publicly each Saturday before the Vigil Mass, and other sacraments are arranged through the parish office.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- First Holy Communion — through Faith Formation
- Confirmation — through Faith Formation
- Marriage — contact the parish office for preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturdays 3:00–3:45 PM at St. Anthony Church
Parish Staff
The parish is staffed by the pastor, a permanent deacon, an administrative assistant, an operations manager, and a faith-formation director. The Boston Catholic Directory lists Rev. Joseph J. D'Onofrio as pastor, Deacon Michael J. Markham, Ms. Mary Hamblett (Administrative Staff), Mr. David LaFleur (Operations), and Ms. Marianne Cooper (Faith Formation).
- Pastor — Rev. Joseph J. D'Onofrio
- Deacon — Deacon Michael J. Markham
- Administrative Staff — Ms. Mary Hamblett
- Operations — Mr. David LaFleur
- Faith Formation — Ms. Marianne Cooper
Fatima Club & Parish Fundraising
The Fatima Club is the parish's community fundraising arm, supporting ministries and parish needs at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Shirley and across the collaborative.
Get Involved & Outreach
The parish website highlights a 'Get Involved' section inviting parishioners to participate in ministries and outreach opportunities. A Sunday Mass is livestreamed on Facebook Live at 9:00 AM each week for the homebound and broader community.
- Ministries and outreach opportunities
- Sunday Mass livestreamed on Facebook Live at 9:00 AM
- Online giving through the parish 'Give' page
Saint Anthony's Cemetery
Saint Anthony's Cemetery sits on more than 6.14 acres on Shaker Road in Shirley, purchased in the parish's first years for $100 from Elder John Whiteley of the Shakers. According to parish history, the land had been a horse-race track; the first adult buried there was John Bulger, and the earliest recorded death date is 1906. The cemetery is listed on the Massachusetts Historical Commission records as MACRIS SRL.802 and continues to serve local Catholic families.
- Located on Shaker Road, Shirley
- 6.14 acres, purchased for $100 from Shaker Elder John Whiteley
- First interment: John Bulger; earliest death date 1906
- Listed as MACRIS SRL.802 by the Massachusetts Historical Commission
Visiting Shirley & Whiteley Park
St. Anthony of Padua Church sits on Phoenix Street in Shirley, Massachusetts, immediately next to Whiteley Park — a small veterans' memorial park named for John Whiteley, the last Shirley Elder of the Shirley Shaker community.
Contact, Address & Giving
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by phone, email, or in person. The mailing address is PO Box 595, Shirley, MA 01464-0595. The collaborative's administrative office is at 31 Shirley Street, Ayer, MA 01432. Online giving is available through the 'Give' link on the parish website.
- Phone: 978-772-2414
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://nashobacatholic.org
- Mailing: PO Box 595, Shirley, MA 01464-0595
- Parish office: 31 Shirley Street, Ayer, MA 01432
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Côté1905–
First priest assigned to the newly founded St. Anthony of Padua Parish; built the church, acquired the rectory, and purchased the cemetery land from Elder John Whiteley.
- Rev. Edmond M. Derosier2006–2023
Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua in Shirley and St. Mary in Ayer; led the 2006 Nashoba Valley Cluster and was named pastor of the 2017 Nashoba Valley Catholic Collaborative; granted senior-priest status July 1, 2023.
- Rev. William P. Sexton
Listed as Pastor of Saint Nicholas, Ayer (Shirley) in the Boston Catholic Directory; a longtime St. Mary's parishioner who was ordained May 2017 and reassigned to Marshfield in July 2023.
- Rev. Joseph J. D'Onofrio2023–
Appointed first pastor of the newly created St. Nicholas Parish (Ayer-Shirley) effective July 1, 2023.