About St. Peter (Dorchester) · Dorchester, Massachusetts
St. Peter Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Boston located in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Celebrated from its present church on Bowdoin Street, the parish is part of the Dorchester Catholic 'Tri-Parishes' collaboration alongside St. Patrick (Roxbury/Dorchester) and Holy Family (Dorchester). It serves an urban, multi-ethnic faith community and currently celebrates Mass in English and Portuguese (Cape Verdean), reflecting the Cape Verdean Catholic heritage that is central to its worship life today. The tri-parish is staffed by Capuchin Franciscans serving alongside the pastor and dedicated lay staff.
- Established
- 1872
- Patron
- St. Peter (Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. John A. Currie
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston (Central Region Vicariate II, formerly Central Region Vicariate)
Why belong here
St. Peter offers a warm, urban Catholic home in the heart of Dorchester where English and Cape Verdean Portuguese are spoken at the altar and around the parish. The parish forms part of the Dorchester Catholic tri-parish collaboration with St. Patrick and Holy Family, sharing an experienced Capuchin Franciscan staff, religious education, and a tri-parish business office — so newcomers can plug into a tight-knit network of ministries, sacraments, and community outreach rooted in more than 150 years of worship on Bowdoin Street.
Mass times at St. Peter (Dorchester)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment — call the St. Patrick Rectory at 617-445-7645 (tri-parish office)
History of St. Peter Parish
St. Peter's story begins in 1872, when Bishop John Joseph Williams of Boston appointed the 28-year-old Fr. Peter Ronan to found a new parish on Bowdoin Street at Eaton Square. The young priest famously rejected the bishop's ready-made plans and brought in the celebrated architect Patrick Keeley. Over the next four decades Fr. Ronan built the Gothic Revival church, rectory, convent, school, and a mission that grew into St. Paul's Parish, before handing on a thriving community in 1917. Successors Joseph Anderson, Richard Haberlin, and James H. Doyle carried the parish through the 20th century into the present day of the Dorchester Catholic tri-parishes.
- 1872 — Parish founded; Fr. Peter Ronan appointed
- 1873 — Cornerstone laid
- 1884 — Upper church dedicated (Feb 18)
- 1886 — Brick rectory finished (Keeley design)
- 1891 — Grand square tower and side turret completed
- 1893 — St. Margaret's set off from St. Peter
- 1896–1898 — Parish school built (architect W.H. McGinty)
- 1902 — St. Leo's set off from St. Peter
- 1906 — New four-story brick convent built
- 1908 — St. Paul's Mission becomes a separate parish
- 1917 — Fr. Joseph Anderson succeeds as second pastor
The Church Building
St. Peter's present church is a landmark of American Gothic Revival architecture. The pudding-stone walls rise over a Quincy- and Cape Ann-granite trim, while the 1891 square tower — once visible for miles — still defines the Dorchester skyline. The three-story brick rectory on the west side of the church was also designed by Patrick Keeley (1886), and the renovated Percival Cottage next door (once home to the captain of the USS 'Constitution') served for years as the parish convent and school sisters' residence.
- Architect: Patrick Keeley (Irish-American Gothic Revival master)
- Construction: 1873 cornerstone; upper church dedicated Feb 18, 1884
- Tower and side turret completed 1891
- Materials: pudding-stone from the parish site, Quincy & Cape Ann granite
- Rectory: three-story brick, 1886 (also by Keeley)
- Higgins-Ronan Hall/Parish school: 1898, architect W.H. McGinty
- New four-story brick convent: 1906
Mass & Sacraments
St. Peter celebrates the Eucharist in English and Portuguese (Cape Verdean), making the parish a spiritual home for Dorchester's Cape Verdean Catholic community. Reconciliation and other sacraments are arranged through the tri-parish rectory at St. Patrick. A monthly Holy Hour is held at St. Patrick's on the first Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM, and the Triduum liturgies are celebrated jointly by the tri-parishes.
- Saturday 4:30 PM — Portuguese
- Sunday 9:00 AM — English
- Sunday 11:30 AM — Portuguese
- Reconciliation: by appointment, call 617-445-7645
- Monthly Holy Hour: First Thursday, 6:30 PM at St. Patrick's
Clergy, Staff & Music
The Dorchester Catholic tri-parishes are led by Pastor Rev. John A. Currie with the assistance of Capuchin Franciscan (OFM Cap) vicars and supporting clergy. Lay staff manage the tri-parish business office on Bowdoin Street, and St. Peter's music ministry is directed by Mr. Jose Pina.
- Rev. John A. Currie — Pastor
- Rev. Claudino Teixieira Vieira, OFM Cap — Vicar
- Rev. Samuel Lima Gomes, OFM Cap — Vicar
- Rev. António Fidalgo Barros, OFM Cap — Vicar
- Rev. John Bolduc, SM — Vicar
- Mr. Richard Gribaudo — Business Manager
- Mr. Jose Pina — Music Director, St. Peter
- Mrs. Melissa DaSilva — Administrative Assistant
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education and sacramental preparation for the children of St. Peter's (and the wider tri-parishes) is coordinated centrally; families should call the rectory at 617-445-7645 for the current program schedule.
- Religious Education for children
- Sacramental Preparation (First Communion, Confirmation)
- RCIA in English for adults seeking Baptism or Confirmation — call 617-445-7645
Visiting & Contact
St. Peter's main entrance is reached by the steep stone steps that lead up from Bowdoin Street at Eaton Square, with the parish business office a short distance away at 278 Bowdoin Street. Visitors are warmly welcomed at any of the scheduled weekend Masses and may arrange appointments for confession, baptisms, weddings, and pastoral care through the tri-parish rectory at St. Patrick's (10 Magazine Street, phone 617-445-7645).
- Address: 311 Bowdoin Street, Dorchester, MA 02122
- Tri-parish business office: 278 Bowdoin Street (617-265-1132, fax 617-265-0463)
- St. Patrick Rectory: 10 Magazine Street, Roxbury (617-445-7645)
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://dorchestercatholic.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Peter Ronan1872–1917
Founder and first rector; hired Patrick Keeley to design the church; built school, convent, and mission St. Paul's (later a separate parish).
- Rt. Rev. Joseph Anderson1917–1927
Second pastor.
- Rt. Rev. Richard Haberlin1927–1959
Third pastor.
- James H. Doyle1959–
Fourth pastor.
- Rev. John A. Currie
Current pastor of the Dorchester Catholic tri-parishes (St. Patrick, St. Peter, Holy Family).