About St. Patrick (All Saints Parish) · Newcastle, Maine
St. Patrick's Church in Newcastle, Maine is one of the seven worship sites of All Saints Parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. Perched on Academy Hill Road above the Damariscotta River on the old road to Damariscotta Mills, it is the oldest surviving Roman Catholic church building in New England (foundation laid 1807, completed 1808) and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The parish was organized in 1796 by Irish immigrants James Kavanagh and Matthew Cottrill, making it one of the earliest Catholic congregations in the state, and was merged with five neighboring parishes on July 1, 2009 to form All Saints Parish. Today it remains an active weekend and weekday Mass site serving the Newcastle, Damariscotta Mills, and Damariscotta communities, with a Saturday vigil and Sunday Mass, weekday noon Masses, and an adjacent historic cemetery.
- Established
- 1796 (parish organized); 1808 (church completed/consecrated)
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Philip A. Tracy
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
Why belong here
St. Patrick's offers a rare opportunity to worship in the oldest surviving Roman Catholic church building in New England, surrounded by its original 1808 altar, plank pews, and a Paul Revere-cast bell. As a worship site of All Saints Parish, it draws on the staff and ministries of a large, active multi-site Catholic community — including daily and weekend Mass, Saturday confessions, Faith Formation for children and youth led by Sarah Buchwalder, OCIA for adults seeking membership in the Church, Extraordinary Ministers who bring Communion to the homebound, and the parish's signature 'Pay it Forward' social-justice outreach. Its hilltop setting overlooking the Damariscotta River at Damariscotta Mills is a peaceful, off-the-beaten-path retreat for both longtime local families and seasonal visitors to the mid-coast.
Mass times at St. Patrick (All Saints Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (at St. Patrick's, before the 4:00 PM vigil Mass)
- Wednesday — as requested
- Confessions also available by appointment by calling St. Patrick's Church office at 207-563-3240
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered parish-wide on Thursdays at St. Mary's Church (8:00 AM Mass followed by Adoration until 9:30 AM); check the parish bulletin for the current weekly schedule at St. Patrick's specifically.
About St. Patrick's Church
St. Patrick's Church in Newcastle, Maine is one of seven worship sites of All Saints Parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. It sits on Academy Hill Road above the Damariscotta River on the old road from Newcastle to Damariscotta Mills, and is the oldest surviving Roman Catholic church building in New England. It remains an active weekend and weekday Mass site for local parishioners and for the many families who visit the mid-coast region.
- Worship site of All Saints Parish, Diocese of Portland
- Address: 380 Academy Hill Road, Newcastle, ME 04553
- Phone: 207-563-3240
- Website: allsaintsmaine.com/st-patricks
History of St. Patrick's
The parish was organized in 1796 by Irish immigrants James Kavanagh and Matthew Cottrill of County Wexford, who had come through Boston before settling at Damariscotta Mills around 1801. The first Mass in the district was celebrated in the summer of 1798 by Father Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus on his way back to Boston from his missionary labors among the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Indians. A small wooden chapel, St. Mary's of the Mills, was built the same year and served the faithful until 1808, when the present brick church — foundation laid in 1807 — was completed and consecrated. Bricks were hauled across the frozen Damariscotta Lake by oxen in winter, and limestone for the mortar was imported from Ireland. The architect, Nicholas Codd, was reputed to have been shanghaied from Ireland especially for the project. The spire was added in 1866. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In 2013, parishioners and local donors raised approximately $320,000 for roof, masonry, and window restoration, completed in 2022. On July 1, 2009 the parish was merged with five others to form All Saints Parish.
- Parish organized 1796 by Kavanagh and Cottrill
- First Mass 1798 by Father Cheverus
- Foundation laid 1807, completed 1808
- Architect Nicholas Codd (reputedly shanghaied from Ireland)
- Spire added 1866
- NRHP listed April 23, 1973
- Restoration completed 2022 ($320,000 raised)
- Merged into All Saints Parish July 1, 2009
Architecture & Notable Features
The church is of early Federal / Colonial design, a rectangular brick building with a gabled roof and a projecting square tower topped by a two-stage steeple (the spire added in 1866). Walls are of solid brick, 1-1/2 feet thick, set on granite block. The interior retains original fixtures — floors, pews, and the unique tomb-form French altar at which Father Cheverus offered Mass, an early-18th-century piece similar to one in the crypt of Holy Cross Cathedral in Boston. Carved crosses over the windows and a dove painted on the ceiling above the sanctuary are the original decorations; the doorways flanking the altar display the harp, heraldic symbol of Ireland. The star on the outside of the building, repeated over the sacristy doors, is unique to buildings designed by Codd.
- Architectural style: Federal / Colonial
- Solid brick walls 1-1/2 feet thick on granite block
- Original French altar (used by Bishop Cheverus)
- Two original 1808 plank pews still in use
- Star motif unique to Codd-designed buildings
- Doorway carvings of the Irish harp
The Paul Revere Bell
St. Patrick's belfry houses a bell cast by Paul Revere & Sons, donated by parish co-founder Matthew Cottrill. One of only 93 bells cast by Revere, it is believed to be the only Catholic church in New England with a Revere bell. The Maine Historic Preservation Commission and the parish history both highlight it as a singular artifact of the building.
- Cast by Paul Revere & Sons
- Donated by Matthew Cottrill
- One of only 93 Revere bells
- The only Catholic church in New England with a Revere bell
All Saints Parish Worship Sites
Since the 2009 merger, St. Patrick's has been one of seven worship sites of All Saints Parish, sharing clergy and staff with sister churches across mid-coast Maine. Each site retains its own schedule and identity while drawing on the parish's pooled resources.
- St. Patrick, Newcastle (1798) — 380 Academy Hill Road
- St. Mary, Bath (1849) — 144 Lincoln Street
- St. John the Baptist, Brunswick (1877) — 39 Pleasant Street
- St. Ambrose, Richmond (1889) — 29 Kimball Street
- Our Lady Queen of Peace, Boothbay Harbor (1928) — 82 Atlantic Avenue
- St. Charles Borromeo, Brunswick (1930) — 132 McKeen Street
- St. Katharine Drexel, Harpswell (2001, seasonal) — 419 Mountain Road
Parish Staff & Clergy
All Saints Parish is served by Pastor Rev. Philip A. Tracy and two Parochial Vicars from the Society of African Missions, Rev. Patrick Machayi, SMA and Rev. Peter Shaba, SMA, along with three Deacons. Faith Formation for St. Patrick's Pre-K through Grade 5 and Youth Ministry for Grades 6–12 are coordinated by Sarah Buchwalder (207-563-3240). Parish-wide faith formation for the Bath/Brunswick cluster is led by Amy Ford.
- Pastor: Rev. Philip A. Tracy
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Patrick Machayi, SMA
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Peter Shaba, SMA
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Amandus Sway, AJ
- In Residence: Rev. Fredrick H. Morse
- Deacons: John M. Murphy, Thomas J. Blatz, Robert Curtis
- Faith Formation at St. Patrick's: Sarah Buchwalder
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith Formation is designed to foster a relationship with Jesus through shared experiences and growing understanding of the Catholic tradition across a lifetime. Programs at All Saints Parish include adult Bible study, formation for youth from preschool through high school, Children's Liturgy of the Word, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), and Catholics Returning Home. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation (YR-1 and YR-2) uses Advent and Lenten kits from Faith and Family Collective, and MagnifiKid! subscriptions. At St. Patrick's specifically, Sarah Buchwalder coordinates Pre-K through Grade 5 faith formation as well as Grades 6–12 youth ministry.
- Pre-K through Grade 5 at St. Patrick's — Sarah Buchwalder (207-563-3240)
- Youth Ministry Grades 6–12 at St. Patrick's — Sarah Buchwalder
- Adult Bible Study
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Catholics Returning Home
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- YR-1 & YR-2 Sacrament Prep for First Communion and Confirmation
Eucharistic Ministry & Pastoral Care
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion serve at Mass and bring the Eucharist to the homebound, the sick, and those in skilled nursing or senior care facilities — a ministry that has been particularly important in the wake of the pandemic. Those discerning a call to this ministry are asked to contact Fr. Philip Tracy at 725-2624. Funeral planning is also supported through the parish offices.
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist at Mass
- Communion visits to the homebound, sick, and those in skilled nursing/senior care
- Anointing of the Sick (by request through the parish office)
- Funeral planning assistance
Parish Outreach & Social Justice
All Saints Parish supports a range of outreach efforts, including the Foundation for Children in Need (serving the poor in the villages of India, sponsoring 1,500 children and college students and 100 elderly), and a Social Justice and Peace Commission led through St. Charles and St. John's that distributes 'Pay it Forward' bags — small kits of non-perishable items that parishioners can keep in their cars to offer those in need. The parish also participates in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, including a 2026 Eucharistic procession through Brunswick led by Bishop Ruggeri.
- Foundation for Children in Need (India mission)
- 'Pay it Forward' bags from the Social Justice and Peace Commission
- National Eucharistic Pilgrimage participation
- Parish-wide fellowship events (coffee socials, family gatherings)
St. Patrick's Cemetery
The parish cemetery adjoins the church on Academy Hill Road. Among those buried there are Andrew Jackson, an Irish immigrant to Boston and the first convert in the family of co-founder James Kavanagh, along with his son John. The cemetery is on the side consecrated as you exit the church to the left, and remains an active parish cemetery served by All Saints Parish.
- Located adjacent to the church on Academy Hill Road
- Burial site of Andrew Jackson and his son John (Kavanagh family)
- Active parish cemetery under All Saints Parish