About St. Patrick · Jaffrey, New Hampshire
St. Patrick Parish is a Catholic community in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, located at 89 Main Street in the eastern portion of the Cheshire County township. Established as a parish in 1885 and now part of the Diocese of Manchester (Monadnock Deanery), the parish worships in a striking rural-Gothic fieldstone church dedicated in 1917. It is led today by Rev. Wilfred Deschamps as pastor and is served by Deacon Dennis Marquis, sharing clergy with Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Greenville. The parish is rooted in the missionary journey of Irish and French-Canadian families who began gathering for Mass in 1869 and has been the spiritual home of generations of Jaffrey Catholics ever since.
- Established
- 1885
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Wilfred Deschamps
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester (Monadnock Deanery, Cheshire County)
Why belong here
St. Patrick's offers a small-town Catholic community with deep roots in Jaffrey — generations of the same families still worship alongside newer arrivals — under the pastoral care of Rev. Wilfred Deschamps and Deacon Dennis Marquis. Parishioners can participate in a range of lay-led groups, including the Knights of Columbus Our Lady of Monadnock Council 8544, a Divorced and Separated Group, parish outreach, and pro-life and crisis-pregnancy support. The parish is also tied into the wider regional Catholic Faith Formation Center at the Clairvaux Center in Keene, and its rural-Gothic fieldstone church — with its Celtic crosses, pegged beams, stained glass and Stations of the Cross — gives the parish a distinctive setting for weekday Mass, daily Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, and sacramental life.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 1st Saturday at 8:30 am
- By appointment — call the Rectory
Adoration times
- Thursday 5:45 pm – 7:00 pm (Eucharistic Adoration)
Welcome and Mission
The parish's stated purpose is that 'The Parish Community of Saint Patrick's, Jaffrey, New Hampshire, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and through personal prayer strives to create an atmosphere that encourages all people to expand their participation in this Catholic community and to grow in their knowledge and love of God. It is our vision to reach all with the Good News of Christ and the Church.' Visitors are welcomed to register at the Rectory or in the Sacristy, and online bulletins (current and past) are made available via a Catholic Links link at the bottom of every page.
- Mission Statement: evangelization through personal prayer and expanded lay participation
- Weekly bulletins published online (last 12 issues, with email-subscribe option)
- New parishioner registration at the Rectory or Sacristy
History of St. Patrick Parish
Catholic missionary visits to Jaffrey began in 1869 with Father Daniel W. Murphy traveling from Keene. East Jaffrey became a mission of St. Peter's, Peterborough in 1874, served by Rev. John Holahan. The parish was canonically erected in 1885 — the same year as the erection of the Diocese of Manchester — with Rev. Patrick J. McEvoy as first pastor. The original lumber church was dedicated by Bishop Bradley in 1888, and the present rural-Gothic fieldstone church followed in 1917 under Bishop Guertin's dedication. By its 1985 centennial, fourteen pastors had served the parish; the centennial history was transcribed by Rev. Louis A. Langevin.
- 1869 — First Mass celebrated in Jaffrey Center Engine House
- 1871 — Railroad reaches East Jaffrey
- 1874 — East Jaffrey becomes mission of St. Peter's, Peterborough
- 1884 — Diocese of Manchester erected by Pope Leo XIII
- 1885 — St. Patrick Parish canonically established
- 1888 — First church dedicated by Bishop Bradley
- 1891 — Parish cemetery land purchased
- 1917 — Present fieldstone church dedicated Sept. 3 by Bishop Guertin
- 1980 — Sisters of Mercy arrive to direct St. Patrick School
- 1985 — Centennial of the parish
Architecture of the 1917 Church
Designed by Mr. Untersee, the present St. Patrick Church is a rural-Gothic fieldstone edifice 107 feet long and 57 feet wide, with a 57-foot tower and six Celtic crosses topping the roof and tower. Unusually, the interior beams, rafters and wall supports were affixed with wooden pegs rather than nails, and Mr. Untersee personally supervised construction. The church seats almost six hundred and was later beautified with donated memorial stained-glass windows and hand-carved Stations of the Cross.
- Architect: Mr. Untersee
- Style: rural-Gothic
- Dimensions: 107 ft long × 57 ft wide; tower 57 ft
- Construction: fieldstone exterior, pegged (not nailed) timberwork
- Capacity: ~600 seats
- Dedicated September 3, 1917 by Bishop Guertin
- Interior: memorial stained-glass windows, hand-carved Stations of the Cross
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently led by Rev. Wilfred Deschamps as pastor, with Deacon Dennis Marquis assisting. The staff directory lists a pastoral associate, an office manager who also serves as Safe Environment Coordinator, and an administrative assistant. The parish shares clergy with Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Greenville, and the Carmelite Fathers of St. Joseph Monastery in Peterborough continue to assist when needed.
- Rev. Wilfred Deschamps — Pastor
- Deacon Dennis Marquis
- Mrs. Laurie M. Mathieu — Pastoral Associate
- Mrs. Maria Chamberlain — Office Manager & Safe Environment Coordinator
- Mrs. Roberta Letourneau — Administrative Assistant
- Shared clergy with Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Greenville
- Assisted by Carmelite Fathers of St. Joseph Monastery, Peterborough
Sacraments
St. Patrick's celebrates the full sacramental life of a Catholic parish. Baptisms are arranged through the Rectory; marriages require six months' notice and active membership of the Catholic party in the parish; the Anointing of the Sick is available on request; and Reconciliation is offered on the first Saturday of the month and by appointment.
- Baptism — register at the Rectory or Sacristy
- Marriage — arrange with the priest six months in advance
- Anointing of the Sick — call the office to schedule
- Reconciliation — 1st Saturday 8:30 am, or by appointment
Parish Ministries and Organizations
Lay life at St. Patrick's is anchored by the Knights of Columbus Our Lady of Monadnock Council 8544 (chartered January 4, 1984) and its 4th Degree Assembly of St. Patrick (chartered April 9, 1988), which meet in the Council Chamber in the basement of the church. A Divorced and Separated Group meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, September through June. Parishioners also support the parish's pro-life couple and broader parish outreach efforts.
- Knights of Columbus Council 8544 — Grand Knight John Stone; 3rd Degree meetings 3rd Wednesday, 7:00 pm, in the Council Chamber (basement)
- Assembly of St. Patrick, 4th Degree — meetings 4th Wednesday of each month
- Divorced and Separated Group — 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 6:30–8:00 pm (Sept–June)
- Pro-Life Couple — Dan and Laurie Mathieu, 899-5440
- Parish Outreach — Mary or Al Roma, 899-3086
Aid and Support Resources
The parish connects people in need to local Catholic and crisis-pregnancy resources, including a 24-hour Birthright hotline and the Pregnancy Resource Center. Regional faith formation is handled through the Catholic Faith Formation Center at the Clairvaux Center in Keene.
- Birthright Hotline — (800) 550-4900
- Pregnancy Resource Center — (603) 358-6460, 161 Main St, Suite 118, Keene, NH (open Mon–Fri 10 am–5 pm)
- Catholic Faith Formation Center — Clairvaux Center, 161 Main St, Suite 200, Keene, NH 03431, (603) 352-7662
Catholic Knowledge and Faith Resources
The parish website features a substantial 'Catholic Knowledge' section aimed at deepening faith, with material on 'How to Be a Better Catholic,' basic and advanced apologetics (192 Q&A topics drawn from Fireside Catholic Press and Midwest Theological Forum/Ignatius Press), and curated Catholic media links. The site also makes the online weekly bulletin readily accessible.
- How to Be a Better Catholic
- Apologetics — Basic (Fireside Catholic Press, Scripture-based)
- Apologetics — Advanced (Midwest Theological Forum / Ignatius Press)
- Catholic Media & Info — curated recommendations
- Online weekly bulletins — last 12 issues available
Visiting and Contact
St. Patrick's is located at 89 Main Street in Jaffrey, New Hampshire (parish/church) with the rectory/office also on Main Street. Visitors and newcomers are asked to register at the Rectory or in the Sacristy. Bulletin announcements and 'What's New' updates are posted on the parish website.
- Address — 89 Main Street, Jaffrey, NH 03452
- Phone — (603) 532-6634
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — http://www.stpatricksjaffrey.com/
- Knights of Columbus site — http://kofc.stpatricksjaffrey.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick J. McEvoy (also McAvoy)1885–1891
First pastor; built the original church, dedicated 1888 by Bishop Bradley; purchased the parish cemetery plot in Cheshire before his transfer to Wilton.
- Rev. Edward J. Furlongc. 1891–c. 1906
Came from Dover; served the longest pastorate in parish history, 15 years; oversaw construction of the present rectory and welcomed the parish's first associate pastor.
- Rev. Francis O. O'Neil1897–
First associate pastor of the parish, newly ordained from the Sulpician Seminary in Montreal.
- Rev. Herbert A. Hennonfrom 1912
Replaced Father Bernardin in 1912, during the construction of the new fieldstone church.
- Rev. Richard A. Smithfrom 1977
Fourteenth pastor as of the 1985 centennial history; assisted by Deacon Philip Petit and Sr. Lorrain Lapete, with help from the Carmelite Fathers of St. Joseph Monastery, Peterborough.