About St. Pius X · Essex Center, Vermont
St. Pius X is a Roman Catholic parish in Essex Center, Vermont, one of two parishes — along with Holy Family–St. Lawrence in Essex Junction — that together form the Essex Catholic Community under the pastoral leadership of Edmundite Father Charles Ranges, S.S.E. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Burlington and serves worshipers at 20 Jericho Road with a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, and a Wednesday evening Mass. The parish is named for Pope St. Pius X, whose statue and a display of second-class relics (pieces of his apparel) are venerated in the church, and whose feast day on August 21 is marked with a parish picnic. The parish is known locally for its active outreach: a Christmas Giving Tree, food baskets, support for Dismas House and Essex Eats Out, a prayer shawl ministry, a Meal Train for new parents, and an interfaith disaster-response team called FIAT (Faith in Action Team).
- Patron
- Pope St. Pius X
- Rector
- Fr. Charles Ranges, S.S.E.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
Why belong here
St. Pius X offers a warm, mid-sized Catholic home in the heart of Essex Center, with daily and weekly Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Sundays after the 9:30 a.m. Mass until 5 p.m., and Saturday confessions. Parishioners are welcomed into a wide range of ministries — faith formation for children and adults, a Meal Train for new parents, a Christmas Giving Tree and food-basket drive, a prayer-shawl ministry, and an interfaith disaster-response team (FIAT) — and the pastor frequently emphasizes the Corporal Works of Mercy. The parish shares its sacramental and pastoral life with Holy Family–St. Lawrence Parish in Essex Junction as the Essex Catholic Community, giving newcomers two worship sites and a broad calendar of service opportunities.
Mass times at St. Pius X
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (St. Pius X)
- By appointment — call Fr. Ranges at 802-878-5331
Adoration times
- Sunday 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM (following the 9:30 AM Mass) at St. Pius X Church
About St. Pius X Parish
St. Pius X is one of two parishes — together with Holy Family–St. Lawrence in Essex Junction — that make up the Essex Catholic Community, a single pastoral family led by Edmundite Father Charles Ranges, S.S.E. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Burlington and worships at 20 Jericho Road in Essex Center. It is named for Pope St. Pius X, the 'pope of the Eucharist' who lowered the age of First Communion to the age of reason and who was canonized in 1954; the church honors him with a wall statue and a cabinet of second-class relics of his apparel, and marks his August 21 feast day with an annual parish picnic.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is pastored by Edmundite Father Charles Ranges, S.S.E., who also serves Holy Family–St. Lawrence Parish across town. The Essex Catholic Community staff is shared between the two parishes and is listed on the community's staff page.
- Fr. Charles Ranges, S.S.E. — Pastor (Edmundite)
- John McMahon — Faith Formation Director (802-878-5331 ext. 2)
- Josh McDonald — Parish Administrative Assistant (802-878-5331)
- Margaret Judge — Office Manager / Accountant, Emergency Aid coordinator
- Emma Goff — Coordinator of Religious Education (St. Pius X)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith Formation is coordinated community-wide through John McMahon (Faith Formation Director) and Emma Goff (Coordinator of Religious Education at St. Pius X). The parish offers catechetical programming for children and adults, sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation, and ongoing adult religious-education opportunities, all part of the Essex Catholic Community's broader synod-driven plan to strengthen faith formation, retreats, and family catechesis.
- Children's faith formation and sacramental preparation
- Adult religious-education opportunities
- Family religious education
- Retreats and Bishop Barron's ENGAGE programs
Outreach and Corporal Works of Mercy
Outreach is a centerpiece of parish life. 'You can see that our parishioners are generous and are motivated by their Christian faith to reach out to those in need,' Fr. Ranges told the diocesan magazine, adding that he encourages this activity because it is part of the Corporal Works of Mercy. The community runs emergency aid and a food shelf (coordinated by office manager Margaret Judge), supports the Dismas House for former prisoners and the Essex Eats Out meal program, and conducts an annual Thanksgiving food drive and Christmas Giving Tree / food-basket program coordinated at St. Pius X by Kevin Walker, which provides gifts for children and a holiday turkey meal for families in Essex, Jericho, and Westford.
- Emergency aid / food shelf
- Christmas Giving Tree and Food Basket Program (Kevin Walker, St. Pius X)
- Thanksgiving Food Drive
- Support for Dismas House (former prisoners)
- Support for Essex Eats Out meal program
- Christmas baskets for shut-ins and nursing-home residents
- Prayer shawl ministry
- Serve Our Neighbor Days
FIAT — Faith in Action Team (Disaster Response)
FIAT (Faith in Action Team) is the Essex Catholic Community's pre-registered crisis-volunteer network. Parishioners fill out a form sharing their strengths and talents; FIAT then matches community talent with non-profit organizations in advance of the next disaster, so that when an emergency occurs, response can be activated quickly. Contact information is kept confidential and parishioners can opt out at any time.
- Build community-level support to mitigate disaster
- Reduce the gap between a disaster striking and a response mobilizing
- Restore communities faster through long-term recovery commitments
- Connect local talent to existing response organizations
- Identify and close gaps in services, communication, and coordination
Meal Train Ministry for New Families
The Meal Train Ministry was created by Emma Goff to connect with families at baptismal preparation and to provide meals during the first weeks after a new child arrives. Volunteers can prepare a homemade meal, drop off food from a local restaurant, or gift a restaurant gift card; families can choose two weeks of daily meals or four weeks of every-other-day meals. The ministry is paired with monthly gatherings intended to build a supportive community for families with young children.
- Tied to baptismal preparation as a welcoming outreach
- Volunteer options: homemade meal, restaurant food, or gift card
- Flexible timing for the family
- Pairs with monthly young-family gatherings
Devotions and Prayer Groups
Beyond weekend Mass and Sunday Adoration, the Essex Catholic Community offers ongoing devotions. The Padre Pio Prayer Group meets the second Saturday of each month at Holy Family Church, beginning with the Rosary at 8:00 AM followed by 8:30 AM Mass, with special prayers for Padre Pio's intercession and teaching on his life and spiritual gifts. The parish also participates in the Diocese of Burlington's 'Year with the Saints' series.
- Padre Pio Prayer Group — 2nd Saturday, 8:00 AM Rosary, 8:30 AM Mass at Holy Family Church
- Sunday Eucharistic Adoration 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM at St. Pius X
- Year with the Saints series (Diocese of Burlington)
- Prayer shawl ministry
Community Life and Fellowship
Fellowship is part of the weekly rhythm. A 'Monthly Fellowship and a Meal' takes place on the 2nd Friday of each month at 5:30 PM in the Holy Family Parish Hall; meals are free to all (donations appreciated), with in-person dining and take-out available. The community also runs a quarterly ECC bulletin newsletter and encourages parishioners to register for the Essex Catholic Community's Flocknote to receive Bishop Barron's ENGAGE materials and parish news.
- Monthly Fellowship and a Meal — 2nd Friday, 5:30 PM at Holy Family Parish Hall
- Quarterly ECC bulletin newsletter
- Flocknote sign-up (text ECCVT to 84576 or visit essexcatholiccommunityvt.flocknote.com)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the standard Catholic sacraments and provides preparation programs through Faith Formation. A Baptism Form is available on the parish website; families are encouraged to contact the parish office for baptismal preparation, which is also the entry point for the Meal Train Ministry.
- Baptism (Baptism Form online; contact parish office)
- First Communion preparation through Faith Formation
- Confirmation preparation through Faith Formation
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — call Fr. Ranges at 802-878-5331
The Essex Catholic Community and the Diocese
St. Pius X is one half of the 'Essex Catholic Community,' a unified pastoral entity with Holy Family–St. Lawrence Parish in Essex Junction. The two parishes are only about a mile and a half apart and have shared a pastor, faith-formation director, and ministries for years; parishioners describe the eventual merger as 'a non-event' because collaboration was already deep. The community operates within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington and is currently implementing a 3-year synod-driven plan focused on evangelization, parish vibrancy, communications, sacramental instruction, family religious education, retreats, lay ministry, youth liturgy, and social action.
- Essex Catholic Community = St. Pius X (Essex Center) + Holy Family–St. Lawrence (Essex Junction)
- Shared pastor: Fr. Charles Ranges, S.S.E. (Edmundite)
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
- Active 3-year Synod action plan
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at 802-878-5997 or 802-878-5331, email [email protected], or visit the community website at essexcatholic.vermontcatholic.org. The mailing address is 20 Jericho Road, Essex, VT 05452; the physical address is 20 Jericho Road, Essex, VT 05451.
- Phone: 802-878-5997 (parish) / 802-878-5331 (Fr. Ranges)
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: essexcatholic.vermontcatholic.org
- Address: 20 Jericho Road, Essex, VT 05451 / 05452