About St. Patrick · Lawrence, Massachusetts
St. Patrick Parish is a historic, trilingual Catholic parish in South Lawrence, Massachusetts, founded in 1872 to serve the Irish Catholic community that had grown on the south bank of the Merrimack River. Today it is one of the largest and most diverse parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston, with weekend Mass celebrated in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The parish runs the Cor Unum Meal Center (which serves over 250,000 free meals a year to the hungry of Lawrence), sponsors Lawrence Catholic Academy on Parker Street, and is known across the Merrimack Valley for combining vibrant liturgy with outreach to the poor.
- Established
- 1872 (as independent parish; mission church from 1869/1870)
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Reverend Paul B. O'Brien
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Patrick's is one of the few parishes in the Merrimack Valley where a single Sunday brings together English, Spanish, and Vietnamese communities around the same altar — about 5,000 people worship across the weekend Masses. It is also a parish that visibly serves the city beyond its walls: the Cor Unum Meal Center on Salem Street feeds more than a quarter-million people a year, the parish sponsors Lawrence Catholic Academy (PreK–Grade 8), and ministries reach out to the sick, the homebound, the incarcerated, unmarried couples preparing for the sacrament of marriage, and to local families in need through the parish Saint Vincent group and the Giving Tree. If you are looking for a Catholic church in Lawrence where you can grow in faith, raise your children in Catholic education, and put that faith into concrete action for the poor, St. Patrick's is built for exactly that.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 - 3:45 pm (English) — upper church
- Friday 6:00 - 6:45 pm (Spanish) — lower church
Parish History
St. Patrick's story begins in 1868, when Father James Taaffee, O.P., pastor of Immaculate Conception, bought land at South Broadway and Salem Street for a new mission church in South Lawrence. A wooden church was built by Father William Orr, with the first Mass celebrated on Christmas Day 1869 and the church dedicated in honor of St. Patrick on March 17, 1870. Father James Murphy was installed as the first resident pastor in 1872, making St. Patrick's an independent parish covering South Lawrence and North Andover. Through more than 150 years and nine pastors, the parish has grown from an Irish-immigrant foundation into a trilingual, multicultural community that anchors Catholic life on the south side of the Merrimack River.
- 1868 — land purchased by Father Taaffee
- 1869 — first Mass on Christmas Day
- 1870 — church dedicated in honor of St. Patrick (March 17)
- 1872 — St. Patrick's established as independent parish
- 1881 — foundations laid for the present brick church
- 1894 — upper church dedicated (June 17)
- 1906 — St. Patrick School opens with Sisters of Charity of Halifax
- 1966 — damaging fire leads to new side entrances and an elevator
- 1987-88 — Marian shrine built in parking lot during Marian Year
- 2001 — Father Paul B. O'Brien installed as pastor
- 2006 — Cor Unum Meal Center opens on Salem Street
- 2010 — Lawrence Catholic Academy founded on former school site
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Father Paul B. O'Brien, with Father Alonso E. Macias as Parochial Vicar and Rev. John Dello Russo, O.S.A., assisting on weekends. Two deacons — George Escotto and Julio J. Sanchez — assist at the liturgy. Lay staff include Bernie Choiniere (Music Director), Diane Jarvis (Administrator of Religious Education), Mrs. Enny Santos (Business Manager), Mr. Joseph McDermott, Jr. (Operations Manager), Mrs. Jannette Bloise (Parish Secretary), Mr. Michael Garrihy, Mrs. Joanne Morrow, and Mr. and Mrs. Hosffman and Guadalupe Ospino (Hispanic Apostolate Directors, with Mrs. Guadalupe Ospino reachable in Spanish at the parish office number).
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious Education at St. Patrick's is the presentation of the doctrine and tradition of our Catholic faith, designed to enhance the foundation that parents give their children. The goal is to teach as Jesus taught — to help children establish a personal and loving relationship with Christ at the heart of the program. Classes are offered in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, with provisions for children and adults with disabilities.
- Religious Education Program (English / Spanish / Vietnamese)
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- RCIC — Rite of Christian Initiation of Children
Liturgical Ministries and Music
Musicians and servers play a vital role in the parish's trilingual liturgy. The Adult Choir sings in English, the Spanish-language Coro leads the 12:30 pm Sunday Mass, the Vietnamese Choir leads the 3:00 pm Sunday Mass, and the Children's Choir sings at a Sunday morning Mass. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion distribute the Eucharist at Mass and bring it to the sick, homebound, hospitalized, and those in nursing homes. Altar Servers (third grade and above, after First Communion) minister at all weekend Masses and major feasts. Funeral Servers assist at Funeral Masses, and the Altar Guild cares for sacred vessels, vestments, and linens.
- Adult Choir (English)
- Coro (12:30 pm Spanish Mass)
- Vietnamese Choir (3:00 pm Mass)
- Children's Choir
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Mass, homebound, hospital, nursing home)
- Altar Servers (grade 3+, after First Communion)
- Altar Guild
- Funeral Servers
Hispanic Apostolate and Spanish-Language Life
The Hispanic Apostolate is one of the three major pastoral arms of St. Patrick's. Its directors, Hosffman and Guadalupe Ospino, lead a wide network of Spanish-speaking ministries including Sunday Mass at 8:30 am and 12:30 pm, daily Mass on Tuesday and Friday evenings at 7:00 pm, and Spanish Confessions on Friday evenings. Equipo San Pablo plans and evaluates the Apostolate's activities; the Comite de Actividades Marianas organizes feasts of Our Lady of Divine Providence, Our Lady of Altagracia, and Our Lady of Guadalupe. The parish also runs a communal-weddings project that prepares couples living together to receive the sacrament of marriage, sometimes celebrating five or seven weddings together.
- Sunday Masses at 8:30 am and 12:30 pm (Spanish)
- Weekday Mass on Tuesday and Friday at 7:00 pm (Spanish)
- Confessions on Friday 6:00–6:45 pm, lower church
- Equipo San Pablo — Hispanic Apostolate leaders
- Comite de Actividades Marianas
- Cofradía del Sagrado Corazón (Friday 6:00 pm, before Mass)
- Coro (12:30 pm Sunday Mass)
- Circulo de Oración
- Visitas a las Carceles (prison visitation)
- Communal Weddings project
Vietnamese Apostolate
St. Patrick's is one of the few parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston offering a regular Vietnamese-language Sunday Mass, celebrated at 3:00 pm each Sunday. The Vietnamese Choir provides music for this Mass, and Religious Education is available in Vietnamese.
- Sunday Mass at 3:00 pm (Vietnamese)
- Vietnamese Choir
- Religious Education in Vietnamese
Outreach and Charity
Outreach to the hungry, the poor, and the vulnerable is central to parish identity. The Cor Unum Meal Center, located at 191 Salem Street, serves more than 250,000 free, restaurant-quality meals a year, 365 days a year — guests are welcomed, seated at tables, and served by volunteers. The parish Saint Vincent group provides food, medicine, shelter assistance, household items, and transportation to those in most need through monthly food collections and financial donations. The Giving Tree, an Advent outreach project, provides clothing for hundreds of children in need during the Christmas Season. The Christian Visitation Committee cares for the spiritual needs of the sick and elderly through visits and Anointing-of-the-Sick Masses.
- Cor Unum Meal Center — 191 Salem Street, Lawrence, MA — (978) 688-8900
- Parish Saint Vincent group
- Giving Tree (Advent clothing outreach)
- Christian Visitation Committee (sick, homebound, nursing-home visits)
- Extraordinary Ministers bringing Communion to the sick and homebound
- Charismatic Prayer Group
- Visitas a las Carceles (prison visitation, Spanish)
Cor Unum Meal Center
The Cor Unum Meal Center opened in September 2006 under the leadership of Father Paul B. O'Brien to address what he called 'the reality of hunger' in Lawrence — at the time, three out of four children in the city under 18 were at risk of hunger. Guests are seated restaurant-style at eight-person tables and served free, hot, nutritious meals by volunteer staff. The Cor Unum building, constructed on the site of a former parish parking lot, houses a state-of-the-art kitchen, dining room, food pantry, and storage rooms. Up to 75% of children in Lawrence are at risk for hunger on any given day. The center serves 365 days a year. Its construction was funded by a $1.5 million build and $500,000 in operating funds raised through the Archdiocese of Boston, the 'Labels are for Jars' campaign (backed by Father O'Brien's former Harvard roommate, Conan O'Brien), corporations, foundations, and individuals.
- Opened September 2006
- Serves more than 250,000 free meals per year
- Open every day, 365 days a year
- Located at 191 Salem Street, Lawrence, MA 01843
- Phone: (978) 688-8900
- Restaurant-style dining; volunteers of all ages prepare and serve meals
Lawrence Catholic Academy
Lawrence Catholic Academy is a city-wide Catholic elementary school serving approximately 450 children from Prekindergarten (age 3) through grade eight. It opened in September 2010 on the site of the former St. Patrick School at 101 Parker Street, formed by the consolidation of St. Patrick School in Lawrence and Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Methuen. The academy operates under its own Board of Trustees rather than as a single parish school, with the Catholic Schools Foundation awarding scholarships to roughly 90 percent of its students. The original St. Patrick School peaked at 458 students in 2004; the merger was a deliberate response to six years of declining enrollment across Lawrence's Catholic schools.
- Founded 2010 through merger of St. Patrick School (Lawrence) and Our Lady of Good Counsel School (Methuen)
- PreK (age 3) through Grade 8
- Approximately 450 students
- Located at 101 Parker Street, Lawrence, MA 01843
- Phone: (978) 683-5822; Fax: (978) 683-1165
- Governed by its own Board of Trustees
Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils
Two consultative bodies support the pastor. The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is the consultative body that assists and supports the pastor in the leadership of St. Patrick Parish — a means by which the pastor hears the voice of the community and discerns pastoral needs and ways to address them. Members are nominated and elected by all members of the parish each spring. The Parish Finance Council advises the pastor on the financial aspects of parish life, assesses budget and staffing needs, and formulates, monitors, and communicates the annual budget of income and expenditures.
- Parish Pastoral Council — nominated and elected each spring
- Parish Finance Council — annual budget, staffing, financial advice to pastor
Devotions and Prayer Life
Beyond the regular Mass and confession schedule, the parish sustains a rich Marian and devotional life. The Cenacle of the Marian Movement of Priests meets on the first Saturday of each month at 3:15 pm in the lower church, invoking the Holy Spirit, reciting the Rosary, praying for the Holy Father, meditating on passages from Fr. Stefano Gobbi's 'To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons,' and making the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Comite de Actividades Marianas plans Marian feasts in Spanish, and the Cofradía del Sagrado Corazón meets every Friday at 6:00 pm in the lower church before the 7:00 pm Spanish Mass. A Marian shrine stands in the parking lot behind the church, built during the 1987-88 Marian Year.
- Cenacle of the Marian Movement of Priests — first Saturday, 3:15 pm, lower church
- Marian Shrine in the parking lot (built 1987-88)
- Cofradía del Sagrado Corazón — Friday 6:00 pm, before Spanish Mass
- Charismatic Prayer Group
- Comite de Actividades Marianas — feasts of Our Lady of Divine Providence, Our Lady of Altagracia, Our Lady of Guadalupe
Sacramental Guidelines and Sacramental Life
The parish publishes Sacramental Guidelines to help families prepare for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick. Children's baptismal robes are sewn by the Friends of Saint Anne, who pray for each child as they sew. Couples living together can prepare for marriage through the Hispanic Apostolate's communal-weddings project. The Christian Visitation Committee organizes special Masses with the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and distributes holiday gifts to the sick and homebound.
- Baptism — Friends of Saint Anne sew baptismal robes
- First Communion and Confirmation through Religious Education
- Marriage — preparation available; communal weddings for couples living together
- Anointing of the Sick — Masses organized by Christian Visitation Committee
Contact, Directions, and Facilities
Parish offices are at 118 South Broadway, Lawrence, MA 01843 (phone 978-683-9416, fax 978-681-5808), in the tan building next to the large red-brick church. The parking lot is behind the church, reached by turning onto Salem Street from Route 28 (Broadway). Detailed directions are published on the parish website from I-495 and I-93 in both directions. The Cor Unum Meal Center has its own building at 191 Salem Street, and Lawrence Catholic Academy is housed in the former St. Patrick School building at 101 Parker Street.
- Parish Office: 118 South Broadway, Lawrence, MA 01843 — (978) 683-9416 — Fax: (978) 681-5808
- Cor Unum Meal Center: 191 Salem Street — (978) 688-8900
- Lawrence Catholic Academy: 101 Parker Street — (978) 683-5822
- Hispanic Apostolate (Español): Sr. Guadalupe Ospino — (978) 683-9416
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend James Murphy1872-1881
First resident pastor; established the parish.
- Reverend Daniel S. Healy1881-1882
Began the new church building.
- Reverend Michael T. McManus1882-1900
Oversaw dedication of lower church (1880s), building of rectory (1884), and dedication of upper church (June 17, 1894).
- Reverend John J. Gilday1900-1933
Opened St. Patrick School in 1906 with Sisters of Charity of Halifax; built convent, second school building, and girls' high school.
- Monsignor Edmund D. Daly1933-1957
Led the parish through the Great Depression and WWII; Holy Name Society grew to 1,200.
- Monsignor Joseph P. Burke1957-1976
Acquired former Methodist church on Parker Street as parish center; rebuilt after 1966 fire; implemented Vatican II.
- Reverend Eugene P. Curtin1976-1991
Purchased neighboring property for parish center; built Marian shrine in 1987-88 Marian year.
- Reverend George F. Carlson1991-2000
- Reverend Paul B. O'Brien2001-present
Harvard graduate; expanded the parish into a trilingual (English/Spanish/Vietnamese) congregation; opened Cor Unum Meal Center in 2006; helped launch Lawrence Catholic Academy in 2010.