About St. Paul · Cambridge, Massachusetts
St. Paul's Parish is a historic Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Boston situated in the heart of Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The community is actually three intertwined ministries united under the patronage of St. Paul: the parish church itself at Quincy Square (Bow and Arrow Streets), the Harvard Catholic Center (the Catholic chaplaincy for Harvard students since 1893), and St. Paul's Choir School — the only Catholic boys' choir school in the United States, founded in 1963 and housed in the same complex. The parish welcomes undergraduates, graduate students, Harvard faculty, local families, and visitors from around the world into a daily rhythm of Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration, and choral liturgy rooted in the Church's sacred-music tradition.
- Established
- 1875
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. William T. Kelly, S.T.D.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Paul's offers something rare: a single parish where you can encounter the breadth of the Catholic intellectual, liturgical, and devotional tradition in one place. Sunday and weekday Masses are sustained by the Choir of Boys and Men from St. Paul's Choir School — the only Catholic boys' choir school in America — singing a treasury of chant and sacred polyphony. The parish also houses the Harvard Catholic Center and Catholic chaplaincies to more than 500 undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty, making it a uniquely intergenerational community. With daily Mass, weekly confession (including a Thursday afternoon session during the academic term), and Eucharistic adoration three days a week, anyone — student, young family, or longtime Cambridge resident — can plug in immediately.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM (in the confession room in the back corner of the church)
- Thursday 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM during the academic term (in the booth on the left side of the church)
- By appointment — contact one of the priests or the parish office at [email protected] / 617.491.8400 x303
Adoration times
- Friday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (in the main church at Bow & Arrow Streets)
- Monday 6:30 PM (Chapel of the Women Doctors of the Church)
- Wednesday 6:30 PM (Chapel of the Women Doctors of the Church)
About the Parish
St. Paul's Parish, Harvard Square is one unified Catholic community made up of three interlocking ministries: the parish church itself, the Harvard Catholic Center (chaplaincy for Harvard and nearby academic institutions since 1893), and St. Paul's Choir School (the only Catholic boys' choir school in America, founded 1963). The parish mission is to 'invite more people to be drawn by God's beauty, nourished by the truth of Christ, and strengthened to do every good work for others in the Lord.' It currently serves several hundred Sunday Mass attendees — including students, faculty, local families, and visitors from around the world — alongside 100–150 weekly participants in Harvard Catholic programming.
- Three ministries under one roof: Parish + Harvard Catholic Center + St. Paul's Choir School
- Daily Mass Monday–Saturday and four Sunday Masses (plus a 5 PM Mass during the academic term)
- Sunday 11 AM and weekday 12:10 PM liturgies sung by the Choir of Boys and Men
Our History
The parish was planted in 1873 by Father Manasses P. Dougherty — the 'Founder of Churches' of Boston-area Catholicism — to serve the Irish-Catholic immigrants who had moved into West Cambridge and Harvard Square. After worshipping for two years in a former Congregational meeting house, the parish was formally erected in 1875; a grammar school run by the Sisters of St. Joseph opened soon after. By 1889 the original chapel was too small, the parish had purchased the Bow and Arrow Street property, and in 1915 construction of the present Italian Romanesque church began under parishioner-architect Edward T. P. Graham. The cornerstone was laid November 12, 1916; after World War I delays, the first Mass was celebrated at Easter 1923 and the church was dedicated by Cardinal O'Connell on October 13, 1924.
- 1873 — original chapel purchased (Shepherd Congregational meeting house)
- 1875 — parish formally erected; grammar school opened under Sisters of St. Joseph
- 1916 — cornerstone laid for the present church by Fr. John J. Ryan
- 1923 — first Mass on Easter Sunday
- 1924 — church dedicated October 13 by Cardinal O'Connell
The Choir School & Sacred Music
St. Paul's Choir School (SPCS), founded in 1963 by Gregorian-chant scholar Dr. Theodore Marier in response to the Vatican's 1958 instruction De musica sacra, is the only Catholic boys' choir school in the United States. It enrolls musically talented and academically qualified boys in grades 3–8 for full-time study. The Choir of Boys and Men from St. Paul's sings the 11 AM Sunday Mass during the school term and the 12:10 PM weekday Mass Tuesday through Friday, drawing on Gregorian chant and the Church's treasury of sacred polyphony. The school has released multiple recordings — including the chart-topping 'Ave Maria' and 'Christmas in Harvard Square' — and has toured Italy, singing at Santa Maria Maggiore, San Carlo al Corso, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican's General Audience, and San Marco in Venice.
- Founded 1963 by Dr. Theodore Marier and Msgr. Augustine F. Hickey
- Music directors: Theodore Marier → John Dunn (1986–2010) → John Robinson (current)
- Boys grades 3–8; rigorous academic + ABRSM music curriculum
- Returned to the name 'St. Paul's Choir School' on its 50th anniversary (2013)
Harvard Catholic Center
The Harvard Catholic Center is the Catholic chaplaincy for Harvard University undergraduates, graduate students, and professional-school students, and has existed under St. Paul's auspices since 1893, when the Harvard Catholic Society was founded. It shares both the physical campus and pastoral identity of the parish, offering Sunday and daily Masses especially suited to students, retreats, talks, small groups, the Harvard Catholic Forum speaker series, and one-on-one pastoral care. The current chaplaincy team is led by Senior Chaplain / Pastor Fr. William T. Kelly, Graduate Chaplain Fr. George S. Salzmann, O.S.F.S., and Undergraduate Chaplain Fr. Nathaniel Sanders, with Deacon Tim O'Donnell serving as Executive Director of the Forum.
- Catholic chaplaincy for Harvard since 1893
- Three priests serving full-time: Pastor/Senior Chaplain, Graduate Chaplain (OSFS), Undergraduate Chaplain
- Harvard Catholic Forum — speaker and lecture series
Architecture & Building
The present church is an Italian Romanesque brick building designed by parishioner Edward T. P. Graham, a Harvard graduate and winner of the very first Harvard Traveling Fellowship to Rome and Paris. Graham used Verona's Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore and the Torre del Commune as direct inspirations. The west transept is dedicated to St. Patrick in honor of the Irish Catholic founders. The church is part of the Harvard Square Historic District. In 1991 the parish school — long housed on the same site — was torn down under then-pastor Fr. John P. Boles and replaced with the current attached multi-purpose building that today contains the rectory, parish offices, the Choir School, and the Harvard Catholic Center.
- Architect: Edward T. P. Graham, Harvard Class — first Rome Fellowship winner
- Style: Italian Romanesque; brick exterior
- Member of the Harvard Square Historic District
Mass & Sacraments
The parish celebrates daily Mass Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM and 12:10 PM, and Saturday morning at 9:00 AM (federal holidays are served by a 9 AM Mass only). Sunday Masses are at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, and 11:00 AM, with a Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM and a 5:00 PM Sunday Mass added during the academic term. Confessions are heard Saturday 3:00–4:30 PM and Thursday 1:30–3:30 PM (in the academic term), and by appointment. Eucharistic Adoration is offered Friday 11 AM to 12 PM in the main church, and Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM in the Chapel of the Women Doctors of the Church. Low-gluten hosts are available; speak to a priest before Mass.
- Daily Mass — Mon–Fri 8 AM & 12:10 PM; Sat 9 AM
- Sunday Mass — 7:30, 9:30, 11:00 AM (5 PM during term)
- Confession — Sat 3–4:30 PM (and Thu 1:30–3:30 PM in term)
- Adoration — Fri 11 AM–12 PM (main church) and Mon/Wed 6:30 PM (Women Doctors of the Church Chapel)
Pastoral Staff & Clergy
Pastoral leadership is shared between the parish and the Harvard Catholic chaplaincy. Fr. William T. Kelly (an alumnus of St. Paul's Choir School) has served as Pastor and Senior Chaplain since April 25, 2016. Fr. Nathaniel Sanders is Parochial Vicar and Undergraduate Chaplain; Fr. George S. Salzmann, O.S.F.S. (an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales with a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard Medical School) is Graduate Chaplain. Deacon Tim O'Donnell serves as Executive Director of the Harvard Catholic Forum.
- Pastor & Senior Chaplain: Fr. William T. Kelly, S.T.D.
- Parochial Vicar & Undergraduate Chaplain: Fr. Nathaniel A. Sanders
- Graduate Chaplain: Fr. George S. Salzmann, O.S.F.S.
- Deacon: Tim O'Donnell (Harvard Catholic Forum)
Parish Staff & Councils
Lay staff and parish councils carry out the day-to-day life of the parish and advise the pastor on spiritual and temporal matters. The Parish Pastoral Council helps develop and support ministries; the Liturgical Committee coordinates the celebration of the sacraments with the Choir School; and the Finance Council oversees temporal affairs.
- Douglas Lee — Manager of Finance and Operations
- Nancy Nicolaou — Administrative Coordinator
- Anneliese Amburn — staff
- Grace Lin — Pastoral Associate and OCIA Coordinator (x329)
- Kristin Tucker — Director of Faith Formation K–6 and Confirmation 7 & 8 (x304)
- Brandon Straub — Director of Music
- Douglas Zack — Director of Advancement
- Liturgical Committee chaired by Deacon Tim O'Donnell
Religious Education & OCIA
Faith Formation for children in grades K–6 and Confirmation preparation for grades 7 & 8 are led by Kristin Tucker (617.491.8400 x304). The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) — for unbaptized adults, those baptized in another Christian tradition, or baptized Catholics seeking full communion — is coordinated by Grace Lin, Pastoral Associate (617.491.8400 x329). Adults interested in becoming Catholic or completing their initiation are invited to contact the parish for the schedule of inquiry gatherings and sacramental preparation.
- Faith Formation K–6 — Kristin Tucker
- Confirmation preparation 7 & 8 — Kristin Tucker
- OCIA (adult initiation) — Grace Lin
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Manasses P. Dougherty1873–1877
Founder; purchased the original Shepherd Congregational meeting house for $20,000 and began Masses in 1873. The parish was formally erected in 1875. Often called the 'Founder of Churches' in the Boston area.
- Rev. John J. Ryanearly 1900s–1920s
Pastor who laid the cornerstone of the current Italian Romanesque church on November 12, 1916.
- Rev. John P. Bolesby 1991
In 1991 directed the demolition of the old school and the construction of today's multi-purpose building housing rectory, offices, Choir School and Harvard Catholic Center. Later became an Auxiliary Bishop of Boston.
- Rev. William T. Kelly, S.T.D.April 25, 2016 – present
Alumnus of St. Paul's Choir School; previously served at Sacred Heart (East Boston), St. Paul's (Hingham), St. John's Seminary, and St. Mary's (Dedham).