About St. Philip (Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish) · Auburn, Maine
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Portland (Maine) that serves the Catholic community of Auburn through two worship sites: Sacred Heart Church at 8 (also given as 24) Sacred Heart Place and St. Philip Church at 2365 Turner Road. Formed in 2008 through the merger of Sacred Heart Parish (founded 1923), St. Louis Parish, and St. Philip Parish (founded 1968), the combined parish continues the legacy of three earlier Auburn parishes that grew from the Irish and French-Canadian immigration of the late 1800s. Today the parish is led by Rev. Robert Lupo and offers a full weekly schedule of English-language Masses, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and a range of family faith formation and fellowship ministries.
- Established
- 2008 (parish formed by merger); constituent churches: Sacred Heart 1923, St. Philip 1968
- Patron
- Immaculate Heart of Mary (patron of the parish); individual churches also honor Sacred Heart and St. Philip
- Rector
- Rev. Robert Lupo
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland (Maine)
Why belong here
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish welcomes Catholics in Auburn with two active worship sites, multiple weekend Masses, daily Mass four days a week, and Saturday confessions, making it easy to fit prayer into a busy week. A genuine family faith formation program runs at both churches, and the parish hosts ministries for every age and stage — Knights of Columbus, a Golden Age (50+) club, a Quilting Group, SPRED sessions for people with intellectual disabilities, a Centering Prayer group, coffee-and-donuts fellowship, pancake breakfasts, and a Divine Mercy Chaplet devotion. It is a parish with deep roots in the Irish and French-Canadian Catholic heritage of Lewiston-Auburn and a living tradition of community life.
Mass times at St. Philip (Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday, 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM at Sacred Heart Church
Parish History
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish was formed in 2008 from the merger of Sacred Heart Parish (founded 1923), St. Louis Parish, and St. Philip Parish (founded 1968). Sacred Heart was the second Catholic parish founded in Auburn, established to minister to a community swelled by Irish and French-Canadian immigration that began in the late 1800s. St. Philip was created by Bishop Peter L. Gerety to serve East Auburn and points north. St. Louis Church closed in 2013, and Sacred Heart and St. Philip continue to serve Auburn today.
- 1923 — Sacred Heart Parish founded
- 1938 — Permanent Sacred Heart Church opened (preceded by 15 years of Mass in a converted stable)
- 1952 — Sacred Heart School opens with Sisters of St. Joseph of Lyon
- 1968 (Sept. 18) — St. Philip Parish founded by Bishop Peter L. Gerety
- 1968 (Oct. 6) — First Mass celebrated in a Summer Street storefront
- 2008 — Sacred Heart, St. Louis, and St. Philip merge into Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish
- 2013 — St. Louis Church closes
- 2023 (Oct. 22) — Sacred Heart celebrates its centennial with Bishop Robert Deeley
Worship Sites
The parish operates two active churches. Sacred Heart Church at 8 Sacred Heart Place (corner of Minot and Western Avenue) is the historic worship site, with a 1938 building that was extensively renovated in the early 1990s — the nave was reversed and the floor was redesigned so that rear pews are now higher for better sanctuary visibility. St. Philip Church, opened in 1968 at 2365 Turner Road, serves East Auburn and points north.
- Sacred Heart Church — 8 Sacred Heart Place, Auburn, ME 04210
- St. Philip Church — 2365 Turner Road, Auburn, ME 04210
- Sacred Heart renovations in early 1990s reversed the nave
Faith Formation & Sacraments
The parish runs a Family Faith Formation program with sessions at both worship sites — Sunday 9:45 AM at Sacred Heart and Sunday 10:30 AM at St. Philip, plus a Tuesday 6:00 PM session at St. Philip. The parish also prepares Catholics for the Sacraments of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation), including the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), and offers a SPRED program (faith formation for persons with intellectual disabilities) at Sacred Heart on Wednesday evenings. Marriage preparation and Anointing of the Sick are available through the parish office.
- Family Faith Formation (Sacred Heart, St. Philip)
- Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)
- SPRED (faith formation for persons with intellectual disabilities)
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
Parish Life & Ministries
Immaculate Heart of Mary is known for its active lay community. Adult fellowship and service groups include the Knights of Columbus (meeting Tuesday evenings at Sacred Heart), the IHM Golden Age [50+] Club, a long-running Quilting Group, and a Centering Prayer circle. The parish also welcomes a Nar-Anon support group and hosts Pancake Breakfasts and Coffee-and-Donuts fellowship after weekend Masses.
- Knights of Columbus — Tuesday 7:00 PM, Sacred Heart
- IHM Golden Age [50+] Club
- Quilting Group — Tuesday 9:00 AM, St. Philip
- Centering Prayer — 2nd & 4th Tuesday, 6:00 PM, St. Philip
- SPRED — Wednesday 6:00 PM, Sacred Heart
- Nar-Anon — Thursday 6:00 PM, St. Philip
- Divine Mercy Chaplet — Sunday 12:00 PM, Sacred Heart
- Coffee & Donuts after Masses at both churches
- Pancake Breakfast
Pastor & Leadership
The parish is led by Rev. Robert Lupo, listed as Pastor by the Diocese of Portland. He succeeds a line of priests who served St. Philip and Sacred Heart across the merger: Msgr. Edmond J. Hache, the founding pastor of St. Philip, was followed by Rev. Louis Berube, and then by Rev. Robert D. Lariviere, who shepherded the parishes into the 2008 merger as Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish.
- Current Pastor: Rev. Robert Lupo
- Founding pastor of St. Philip: Msgr. Edmond J. Hache
- Rev. Louis Berube
- Rev. Robert D. Lariviere
Visit & Contact
Parish office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM (closed Fridays). Visitors and parishioners can reach the office by phone or email, and the parish website lists current Mass, Confession, and event schedules.
- Office: 8 Sacred Heart Place (also referenced as 24 Sacred Heart Place), Auburn, ME 04210
- Phone: (207) 782-8096
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–3:30 PM (closed Fridays)
- Website: http://ihm-auburn.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Edmond J. Hache (later Monsignor)1968–(death)
Founding pastor of St. Philip Church, appointed by Bishop Peter L. Gerety on Sept. 18, 1968
- Rev. Louis Berube
Succeeded Msgr. Hache as pastor of St. Philip
- Rev. Robert D. Lariviere
Served as pastor of both St. Philip and Sacred Heart churches; led the parish into the 2008 merger
- Rev. Robert Lupo
Current pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish (per Diocese of Portland listing)