About St. Patrick · Natick, Massachusetts
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish at 44 East Central Street in historic downtown Natick, Massachusetts, part of the Natick Catholic Community along with St. Linus Church. The parish community of St. Patrick was founded in 1856 by Father John Walsh to serve the growing Irish-Catholic population of Natick, and the present-day granite-and-brick Gothic church was built between 1892 and 1902 under Father Delaney's leadership. Today the parish falls under the Archdiocese of Boston and is cared for by a collaborative pastoral team led by Fr. Chip Hines (Parish Administrator), with daily and Sunday Masses celebrated in English, weekly confession, perpetual daytime adoration in the chapel, and a robust Faith Formation program for Grades 1 through 10.
- Established
- 1856
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Chip Hines (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Patrick's offers the fullness of Catholic life in historic downtown Natick — daily Rosary and morning Mass Monday through Friday, three Sunday Masses in English, Saturday Vigil Mass, Saturday confession, and an Adoration Chapel open daily from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. A multi-staff Faith Formation program walks children and teens from Grade 1 through Confirmation (Grade 10), and ministries serve youth, young adults, and families across the parish. Visitors will find a warmly welcoming, sacrament-focused community rooted in the immigrant Catholic heritage of 19th-century Natick.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM at St. Patrick Church
Adoration times
- Adoration Chapel open daily 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Our History
St. Patrick's Parish was founded in 1856 by Father John Walsh to serve the growing Irish-Catholic population of Natick. In its first 34 years the parish worshipped in a former Universalist meetinghouse, then under Father Delaney built the present Gothic church on East Central Street between 1892 and 1902 — a project that tripled its original budget. Records of that decade-long construction effort survive through cornerstone documents, local newspaper accounts, and the parish's own archives.
- 1856 — Parish founded by Fr. John Walsh; first church purchased from the Universalist Society
- 1890 — Fr. Walsh dies; Fr. Delaney becomes second pastor at age 39
- May 29, 1892 — Cornerstone (Quincy granite) laid; copper time-capsule sealed inside
- June 18, 1893 — First Mass celebrated in the completed basement level
- October 12, 1902 — Upper church finally completed and opened, total cost ~$200,000
- Architect: James Murphy of Boston; stained glass: Mayer Company (NY/Munich)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at the Natick Catholic Community supports parents as the primary educators of their children and aims 'to teach as Jesus taught.' Three two-year programs walk children from Grade 1 through Confirmation in Grade 10, combining classroom experience, service outreach, and family enrichment events.
- Grades 1–5 — Sadlier 'Christ In Us' program; class options Sunday 10:00–11:00 AM (St. Linus) or Monday 4:30–5:30 PM (St. Linus)
- Grade 6 — Confirmation Prep with parents
- Grades 7–10 — Confirmation program (two-year; Archdiocese lowered Confirmation age to Grade 8)
- First Eucharist — Grade 2 (requires completion of Grade 1 year)
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
Faith Formation Staff
Faith Formation at the Natick Catholic Community is staffed by a Pastoral Associate/Director of Faith Formation together with coordinators for each grade band, a Youth Minister, and an Administrative Assistant — shared across the St. Patrick and St. Linus parishes.
- Ms. Jennifer McKiernan — Pastoral Associate & Director of Faith Formation
- Ms. Caitlin D'Alessio — Faith Formation Coordinator, Grades 1–5
- Mrs. Dawn Sullivan — Confirmation & Confirmation Prep Coordinator (Grades 6–10) & Teen Youth Minister
- Mrs. Rose Schneider — Faith Formation Administrative Assistant
- Mr. Joe Webb — Coordinator of Young Adults
Pastoral & Administrative Staff
The Natick Catholic Community is led by Fr. Chip Hines, Parish Administrator, assisted by two Parochial Vicars and a full team of lay staff who together run liturgy, music, faith formation, business, and communications across both parishes.
- Rev. Chip Hines — Parish Administrator
- Rev. Michael Alfano — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. J. Thomas Gignac — Parochial Vicar
- Mr. William Sawyer — Office and Operations Manager
- Mrs. Paula O'Brien — (Liturgy/Music role)
- Mr. Bill Healey — Business Manager (508-907-6220)
- Mrs. Victoria Gaspar — Office Manager (508-907-6220)
- Mrs. ___ — Office and Communications Coordinator
- Custodian
Music & Liturgy
Liturgy and music are coordinated at the parish level by a Director of Liturgy & Music (Paula O'Brien), supported by choirs whose ministry provides 'reverent, beautiful music' for Masses at St. Patrick and St. Linus. A Coordinator of Young Adults also helps integrate younger parishioners into liturgical life.
- Director of Liturgy & Music — Mrs. Paula O'Brien
- Parish choirs singing at weekend Masses
- Annual Living Stations of the Cross performed by middle-school students
Youth & Young Adults
Beyond the formal Confirmation program, the parish maintains a Teen Youth Minister and a Coordinator of Young Adults, giving teens and young adults dedicated points of contact for faith, fellowship, and service.
- Teen Youth Minister — Mrs. Dawn Sullivan (also Confirmation coordinator)
- Coordinator of Young Adults — Mr. Joe Webb
- Middle-school Living Stations of the Cross
Sacraments & Devotions
The full sacramental life of the Church is offered through St. Patrick's: Reconciliation on Saturday afternoons, weekday and Sunday Mass, First Eucharist and Confirmation preparation, as well as the devotion of the Rosary before weekday Mass and Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel.
- Eucharist — daily and Sunday
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM
- First Eucharist & Confirmation preparation programs
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Rosary — Mon–Fri 7:30 AM before Daily Mass
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel — 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Walsh1856–1890
Founder and first pastor of St. Patrick's Parish; purchased the first church building from the Universalist Society.
- Rev. Delaney1890–
Second pastor; at age 39 launched and oversaw the building of the present Gothic church over roughly a decade.