About St. Philip (Good Shepherd Parish) · Lyman, Maine
St. Philip Church in Lyman, Maine, is one of five worship sites of Good Shepherd Parish, a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Portland that serves the towns of Saco, Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach, Biddeford Pool, and Lyman. Built up from earlier parish life in the Saco–Biddeford area, Good Shepherd Parish was canonically formed in 2008 to consolidate ministry across the cluster and today offers weekend Mass at St. Philip on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. The Pastoral Center for the whole parish is located at Most Holy Trinity Church, 271 Main Street, Saco, while St. Philip continues its quiet country presence on Goodwins Mills Road.
- Established
- 1973
- Patron
- St. Philip
- Rector
- Rev. Timothy J. Nadeau
- Diocese
- Diocese of Portland in Maine
Why belong here
St. Philip offers the simple, prayerful rhythm of a small New England Catholic church — Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning Mass in English, regular Saturday confessions, and a direct connection to the larger life of Good Shepherd Parish and its schools, faith-formation programs, and outreach. Worship here is rooted in the community of Lyman while still linking parishioners into a vibrant cluster that includes St. James School (PreK–8) in Biddeford, the OCIA process, youth ministry from middle school through college, the Food Ministry diaper drives supporting mothers in need, and active fellowship groups like Forever Young and the Young Adult Group.
Mass times at St. Philip (Good Shepherd Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (at St. Philip)
- By appointment — call the parish office at (207) 282-3321
Good Shepherd Parish and Its Five Churches
St. Philip Church is one of five worship sites of Good Shepherd Parish, a Catholic community that serves the Saco–Biddeford–Old Orchard Beach–Lyman corridor in York County, Maine. The other sites are St. Joseph Church (178 Elm Street, Biddeford; parish dates to 1870), Most Holy Trinity Church (271 Main Street, Saco; 1916), St. Margaret Church (6 Saco Avenue, Old Orchard Beach; 1926), and the seasonal St. Brendan Chapel (40 Lester B. Orcutt Boulevard, Biddeford Pool; 1917) which opens only from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The Pastoral Center for the entire parish sits at 271 Main Street, Saco, ME 04072, and that address is the parish's official mailing address.
- St. Joseph Church — Biddeford, weekend Mass Sun 7:00 AM and 11:00 AM
- Most Holy Trinity Church — Saco, weekend Mass Sat 4:00 PM and Sun 5:30 PM
- St. Margaret Church — Old Orchard Beach, weekend Mass Sat 6:00 PM and Sun 9:00 AM
- St. Philip Church — Lyman, weekend Mass Sat 4:00 PM and Sun 9:00 AM
- St. Brendan Chapel — Biddeford Pool, Sunday 9:30 AM seasonally (Memorial Day–Labor Day)
History of St. Philip Parish
Catholic families in rural Lyman were organized into St. Philip Parish in 1973, when the Diocese of Portland established the community to serve this stretch of York County west of Biddeford. The present church building on Goodwins Mills Road was completed and dedicated in 1981, and St. Philip parish life grew steadily over the next two decades, anchored by longtime pastor Fr. Thomas Lee (1985–2003). In 2008, in the face of declining clergy numbers and rising maintenance costs across Maine, the Diocese brought St. Philip together with St. Joseph, Most Holy Trinity, St. Margaret, and St. Brendan into the new Good Shepherd Parish. Today St. Philip continues as a smaller worship site within that larger parish family.
- 1973 — St. Philip Parish is established for Catholic families in Lyman
- 1981 — Present church building completed on Goodwins Mills Road
- 1985–2003 — Fr. Thomas Lee serves as pastor (later removed from ministry during a diocesan investigation)
- 2008 — Good Shepherd Parish is created by the Diocese of Portland, uniting St. Philip with four neighboring churches
- 2009–2010 — Wave of statewide parish consolidations extends the Good Shepherd community further
Pastoral Staff and Administration
Good Shepherd Parish is led by a pastor and two Dominican parochial vicars, supported by two deacons, school and faith-formation directors, and parish-office staff. The Pastor of record across all five worship sites — including St. Philip — is Fr. Timothy J. Nadeau. The parochial vicars are both members of the Order of Preachers: Fr. Joseph Osunde, O.P., and Fr. Felix Udolisa, O.P. Deacon Kevin Jacques serves as Director of Pastoral Life and Deacon Rick Huot is assigned to the parish. The parish office can be reached at (207) 282-3321 during office hours, Monday through Friday.
- Pastor: Fr. Timothy J. Nadeau
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Joseph Osunde, O.P.
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Felix Udolisa, O.P.
- Deacon Kevin Jacques — Director of Pastoral Life (active)
- Deacon Richard (Rick) Huot (assigned)
- Director of Pastoral Administration: Amy Loring
- Director of Business, Buildings and Grounds: Michael Provencher
- Director of Faith Formation: Melissa Tardif (formerly Mirjana Northrop)
- Bookkeeper: Tracy Tibbetts
- Bookkeeping Assistant: Theresa Troegner
- Parish Communications: Christine Madden
- Receptionist: Helen McCormick
- St. James School Principal: Dr. Timothy Kane
Faith Formation, OCIA, and Sacraments
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation for the entire parish takes place across the cluster, with Sunday classes, family retreats, and two-year preparation tracks for First Communion and Confirmation. Youth over the age of eight who are unbaptized join a specially adapted Journey Program, and the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA) meets on Thursday evenings at St. Joseph Church. Sacramental records for Good Shepherd Parish — including baptisms, marriages, and confirmations celebrated at St. Philip — are kept at the Pastoral Center in Saco.
- Faith Formation classes (Elementary and Sacramental Prep)
- Confirmation preparation (two-year program)
- OCIA for adults — Thursdays at 6:30 PM, St. Joseph Church
- First Communion preparation (two-year program starting in Grades 1–2)
- Children's Sacramental Retreats (photos and group events each spring)
- Sacramental records held at the parish Pastoral Center, 271 Main St., Saco
Youth, Young Adult, and Family Life
Good Shepherd Parish invests heavily in the next generation through its youth programs. The middle-school program meets Sunday evenings from 6:30–8:00 PM at Most Holy Trinity, while the high-school program meets at the same time across the cluster. Nicole Guerra serves as Junior High Youth Minister, and in 2025 the parish posted a full-time opening for an Assistant Director of Youth and College Ministry to liaise with St. James School and the University of New England (UNE). A Young Adult Group (St. Joseph's & St. Margaret's) meets monthly, and family events like the Playground Meet Up at St. James School and the annual Faith & Family Night at Hadlock Field draw parishioners of all ages.
- Middle School Youth — Sun 6:30–8:00 PM at Most Holy Trinity
- High School Youth — Sun 6:30–8:00 PM
- Junior High Youth Minister — Nicole Guerra
- Young Adult Group — St. Joseph's & St. Margaret's
- Faith & Family Night at Hadlock Field (summer community event)
- Playground Meet Up at St. James Catholic School
Outreach and Parish Life
Outreach is woven into the everyday life of the parish. Food baskets are kept at the front and back of every church, and parishioners are regularly asked to drop off snack items and fresh fruit for school pantries at St. James School. In January 2022, the parish collected 7,150 diapers during its 'Mary, Mother of God' Diaper Drive, which were distributed to social-service agencies in Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Lyman. The parish also hosts the 'Saco Seekers' AA meeting at Most Holy Trinity Hall each Saturday at 1:00 PM, an outreach of welcome to those in recovery.
- GSP Food Ministry — baskets at every church, supports St. James School pantries
- Mary, Mother of God Diaper Drive (January, annual)
- Saco Seekers AA — Saturdays 1:00 PM at Most Holy Trinity Hall, Saco
- Catholic Appeal — annual diocesan appeal
- Lenten Haddock Suppers — Fridays in Lent at Most Holy Trinity Hall, benefiting St. James School
Fellowship and Senior Ministry
Older parishioners are well cared for through Forever Young Ministry, a long-standing social gathering that meets the third Friday of each month at Most Holy Trinity in Saco for 11:00 AM Mass followed by a light lunch and entertainment. The 'Deal Me In' program offers cards, board games, puzzles, and refreshments in a handicap-accessible hall; it is free and open to the whole community. Worldwide Marriage Encounter gatherings are also promoted in the parish bulletin, reinforcing marriage as a vocation in the life of the church.
- Forever Young Ministry — third Friday of each month, Most Holy Trinity
- 'Deal Me In' — cards, board games, puzzles, refreshments
- Handicap-accessible hall
- Worldwide Marriage Encounter — promoted in parish bulletin
Music, Liturgy, and Holy Week
Music is an important part of parish life, especially during the Church's high seasons. A combined Holy Week Choir drawn from across the parish rehearses on Thursday evenings from 6:30–8:00 PM at St. Joseph Church in Biddeford, leading music for the Triduum liturgies at the parish's main churches. Helene Fortier serves as Director of Music for the cluster. Sunday and daily Mass settings are celebrated in English, with the seasonal addition of a 9:30 AM Sunday Mass at St. Brendan Chapel from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
- Holy Week Choir — Thursday rehearsals 6:30–8:00 PM at St. Joseph Church
- Director of Music — Helene Fortier
- Seasonal summer Mass at St. Brendan Chapel (Memorial Day–Labor Day)
St. James School
Good Shepherd Parish operates St. James School, a PreK through Grade 8 Catholic school at 25 Graham Street, Biddeford. The school is part of the parish's mission of 'integral formation of students,' and offers enrichment activities including developing a middle-school lacrosse team for grades 7 and 8 that invites home-schooled parish families to play. The Haddock Suppers each Friday during Lent at Most Holy Trinity Hall are a major fundraiser for the school, with adults $12 and students $8 (sit-down or take-out, 4–6 PM).
- St. James School — 25 Graham Street, Biddeford, ME 04005
- PreK through Grade 8
- Principal: Dr. Timothy Kane
- Phone: (207) 282-4084
- Middle-school lacrosse team (grades 7–8)
- Lenten Haddock Suppers — Fridays 4–6 PM at Most Holy Trinity Hall
Visiting St. Philip — Practical Info
St. Philip is the smallest and most rural of the five Good Shepherd worship sites. Anyone planning a wedding, baptism, funeral, or other sacramental celebration should call the central parish office in Saco at (207) 282-3321 so the parish staff can coordinate the church, paperwork, and any required preparation. Daily Mass is celebrated at the parish's other sites in Biddeford and Saco; consult the parish website or weekly bulletin for the current weekly schedule, livestream links, and any holy-day additions.
- Parish Office (Pastoral Center): 271 Main Street, Saco, ME 04072-1510
- Phone: (207) 282-3321
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://goodshepherdparish.us
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Bulletin and live-streamed Sunday Mass linked from the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas Lee1985–2003
Long-time pastor of St. Philip Parish, remembered by parishioners for daily Mass and parish fund-raising; removed from ministry in 2003 during a diocesan investigation.