St. Paul the Apostle

Welcome and Identity

St. Paul Oratory and the neighboring St. Stanislaus Parish share a rich and storied past. Both were born out of the faith of devoted Catholic immigrants who settled in central Massachusetts, and along Main Street — from Warren Center to the heart of West Warren — the three Catholic churches that recount the story of these Catholic origins still stand. The oratory sees its mission today as building up Christ's Church 'brick by living brick' and inviting new generations into the traditional Latin liturgy and the classical Catholic patrimony of music, art, and catechesis. In the oratory's own words, this is a mission 'to set the world ablaze with God's infinite Love.'

History

Catholic life in Warren grew from immigrant roots in the 19th and 20th centuries. St. Paul Parish was later merged with St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in 2007, with the merged parish responsible for the sacramental registers and physical patrimony of both parishes — including the churches, rectories, and a cemetery. After Pope Benedict XVI's 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, Father Becker, then pastor of St. Paul, began celebrating the Latin Mass there. Following Pope Francis's 2021 Traditionis Custodes, Bishop Robert J. McManus issued a decree dated September 14, 2023, re-designating St. Paul Church as St. Paul Oratory, entrusted to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. At the same time, St. Stanislaus in West Warren — formerly a personal parish for Polish Catholics — was made the territorial parish for the town of Warren. The new apostolate was formally opened on October 15, 2023, with a Solemn Mass celebrated by Canon Matthew Talarico in the presence of Bishop McManus.

Clergy and Staff

The oratory is served by clergy of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, who reside in the St. Paul rectory. Canon Matthew Talarico served as Provincial Superior for the Institute's U.S. province during the establishment of the Warren apostolate in 2023. Father Edward M. Ryan, a retired diocesan priest living in Warren, continues to celebrate Mass in the ordinary form and supply sacramental needs at the sister parish of St. Stanislaus. Deacon Dominick F. DeMartino serves as permanent administrator of St. Stanislaus — the first permanent deacon in the Diocese of Worcester to be assigned as a parish administrator.

• Rev. Canon Pierre Dumain — Rector, St. Paul Oratory
• Rev. Abbé Kevin Kerscher — Clerical Oblate and Sacristan
• Rev. Canon Matthew Talarico — Provincial Superior, Institute of Christ the King (U.S.)
• Deacon Dominick F. DeMartino — Permanent Administrator, St. Stanislaus Parish
• Father Edward M. Ryan — Retired diocesan priest providing sacramental ministry

Saint Thomas Aquinas School

The Institute of Christ the King operates Saint Thomas Aquinas School as a traditional Catholic K-12 school serving families in the Warren area. The school is housed in St. Stanislaus Parish Hall in West Warren. Each school day begins with an 8:00 AM Latin Mass, after which students gather for their classical academic and Catholic formation. Families interested in the school may contact Mr. Steven Rust at 413-436-5056.

• Traditional Catholic K-12 education
• Day begins with 8:00 AM Latin Mass
• Located at St. Stanislaus Parish Hall, West Warren
• Contact: Mr. Steven Rust, 413-436-5056

Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation

St. Paul Oratory follows all diocesan guidelines for faith formation, including safe-environment policies and procedural audits. In addition to its K-12 school, the oratory offers religious education for young people and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for those entering the Catholic Church. Sacramental preparation is integrated into both the parish and school programs.

• Religious education for young people
• Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
• Sacramental preparation in line with diocesan guidelines

The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest

The Institute of Christ the King was founded in the 1980s by Monsignor Gilles Wach, STD, and Father Philippe Mora, STD — ordained priests by Pope St. John Paul II in 1996 — and given canonical erection by Bishop Obamba of Mouila, Gabon, in 1990. Its international seminary and motherhouse are at the ancient Chateau of Gricigliano in Tuscany, Italy, just outside Florence. The Institute is a society of apostolic life of pontifical right dependent on the Holy See, and was formally recognized by Rome. It was invited to the United States in 2008 by then-Bishop Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke of La Crosse; its current U.S. headquarters and namesake national shrine is the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago. The Institute's mission is to draw on the millennial treasury of the Roman Catholic Church — particularly her liturgical tradition, the unbroken line of her saints, and her cultural patrimony in music, art, and architecture — to spread the reign of Christ in all spheres of human life. The Institute operates under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception.

• Pontifical society of apostolic life (1970s-1980s origins; pontifical right since 1990)
• Founded by Msgr. Gilles Wach, STD, and Father Philippe Mora, STD
• Seminary and motherhouse at Gricigliano, Tuscany (Archdiocese of Florence)
• Invited to the United States in 2008 by Bishop Raymond Leo Burke (La Crosse)
• U.S. headquarters: Shrine of Christ the King, Chicago
• Patronage of the Immaculate Conception

Getting Involved and Contact

Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Paul Oratory by mail at PO Box 1027, Warren, MA 01083, by phone at (413) 436-8034, or by email at [email protected]. The oratory invites the faithful to worship with them, to attend the traditional Latin Masses and weekly Holy Hour, and to support its apostolic works — including its K-12 school and its catechetical programs for young people and adults preparing for full reception into the Catholic Church.

• Mail: PO Box 1027, Warren, MA 01083
• Phone: (413) 436-8034
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://warrenmass.org
• Institute information: https://www.institute-christ-king.org/warren-home