About St. Rita · Marion, Massachusetts
St. Rita of Cascia Parish is a Roman Catholic mission-style community in the village of Marion, on Massachusetts' South Coast, within the Diocese of Fall River. Although the parish was formally established in 1972, the church building itself was constructed in 1916 to serve the summer Catholic population of Marion's Sippican Village. Today St. Rita's shares a pastor with neighboring St. Anthony of Padua in Mattapoisett, forming a two-church collaborative parish known as the Parish of St. Anthony – St. Rita. The little brick church is celebrated for its warm woodwork, its 14 large stained-glass windows depicting the life of Jesus (installed 1999–2000), and its quiet coastal New England setting.
- Established
- 1916
- Patron
- St. Rita of Cascia (1381–1457), the 'Saint of the Impossible'
- Rector
- Rev. Paul Fedak
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
St. Rita's is a small, close-knit Catholic community in the heart of Marion's Sippican Village, anchored by a historic 1916 Craftsman chapel graced with fourteen luminous stained-glass windows of the life of Jesus. As part of the Parish of St. Anthony – St. Rita, parishioners enjoy the warmth of a village mission church alongside the full sacramental life, faith formation, choirs, OCIA, St. Vincent de Paul outreach and family programs offered by the collaborative. It's a place to worship, to serve, and to belong — with the bonus of a quiet coastal setting that many summer and year-round families call their spiritual home.
Mass times at St. Rita
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 3:45 PM at St. Anthony's, Mattapoisett (also listed at 3:15 PM in some parish materials)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Blessed Sacrament Adoration on the 1st Friday of each month, with Deacon Tyrone
About St. Rita Parish
St. Rita of Cascia Parish is a small Catholic community in the heart of Marion, Massachusetts, on the state's South Coast. It belongs to the Diocese of Fall River and is currently yoked as a collaborative parish with St. Anthony of Padua in Mattapoisett, sharing one pastor and one Faith Formation program. The parish identifies itself as 'a welcoming faith community, building the Kingdom of God through worshipping the Lord, sharing the Word and generously using our talents and treasures to serve others.' Sunday worship is at 11:30 AM in the Front Street chapel, with a Saturday evening Mass added each summer. New parishioners are warmly invited to register by calling the parish office during office hours or by downloading a registration form.
- Mission: 'building the Kingdom of God through worshipping the Lord, sharing the Word and generously using our talents and treasures to serve others'
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM (closed 12:30–1:30 for lunch and on holidays)
- Parish Office at 22 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett
History of St. Rita's
Marion's Catholic worshippers were originally part of a wider coastal community served from St. Joseph's in Fairhaven. A visiting priest would say Mass on a portable altar, sometimes at the Sippican Hotel Casino, while Catholic employers struggled to get their household staff to church. As the summer Catholic population grew, a mission was established in Marion, and in 1915 the Roman Catholic Bishop of Fall River bought the present lot on Front Street from George P. Hamlin. Architect Matthew Sullivan's Craftsman-style chapel was built in 1916 and remained a summer-only chapel until weatherization in 1940 made year-round worship possible. In 1972 Bishop Daniel Anthony Cronin erected St. Rita's as an independent parish, and today it shares a pastor with St. Anthony of Padua, Mattapoisett.
- 1915 – Bishop of Fall River acquires Front Street lot from George P. Hamlin
- 1916 – Chapel designed by Matthew Sullivan and constructed
- 1940 – Building weatherized, enabling year-round use
- 1972 – Erected as an independent parish by Bishop Daniel Anthony Cronin, S.T.D.
- 1999–2000 – Martino Stained Glass Studio installs 14 life-of-Jesus windows
The Building and Its Stained Glass
St. Rita's is a well-preserved Craftsman-style chapel: a one-story, end-gabled brick building on a poured-concrete foundation with an asphalt-shingle roof. Three front entries are recessed between smooth Tuscan columns and reached by concrete steps with metal handrails. The eaves show long projecting rafter tails and the wood doors display triangular muntin patterns — hallmarks of the Craftsman/Colonial Revival vocabulary. In 1999–2000 Michael Martino of the Martino Stained Glass Studio in Uxbridge designed, created and installed 14 large stained-glass panels depicting the life of Jesus; many incorporate aquatic imagery (fish, waves, shoreline) in tribute to Marion's coastal setting. The building is documented in the Massachusetts Historical Commission inventory as Form B, MRN.195.
- Architect: Matthew Sullivan of Boston
- Style: Craftsman
- Materials: brick, poured concrete, asphalt shingle, wood trim
- Stained glass by Martino Stained Glass Studio, Uxbridge, MA
Our Patron: St. Rita of Cascia
St. Rita of Cascia (1381–1457) is one of the most popular saints in the Catholic Church, widely known as the 'Saint of the Impossible' for the extraordinary favors attributed to her intercession. As a young woman in Roccaporena, Italy, she wanted to enter religious life but obeyed her parents by marrying. Her husband caused her great suffering until his conversion; later he was murdered, and her two sons, bent on revenge, died after she prayed that God take them rather than allow them to commit that sin. Bereft of family, Rita was miraculously admitted to the convent in Cascia, where she lived a life of prayer, penance and charity until her death at age 76. Her feast day is September 29.
- Born 1381, Roccaporena, Italy
- Died May 22, 1457, Cascia, Italy
- Feast Day: September 29
- Title: 'Saint of the Impossible'
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation for both parishes is offered at St. Anthony's in Mattapoisett, directed by Chaplain Mary Arikian. The program runs on a home-study model called 'A Family of Faith' for Grades 1–8, with adults meeting monthly to discuss topics and then teaching the lessons at home. Second graders prepare for First Reconciliation (fall/winter) and First Communion (spring). Confirmation is a two-year program: Confirmation I in 9th grade and Confirmation II in 10th grade, using Ascension's 'CHOSEN' curriculum, with classes held Sunday mornings twice a month, 8:30–10:30 AM. Christian Service is required — 10 hours for 9th graders and 15 hours for 10th graders. Adults seeking to become Catholic are welcomed into the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults).
- Grades 1–8 — 'A Family of Faith' home-study curriculum
- Confirmation I (9th) and Confirmation II (10th) — 'CHOSEN'
- Required Christian Service hours (10 for 9th, 15 for 10th)
- OCIA for adults seeking full initiation
- Office: [email protected] / 508-758-3735
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments. Baptism is scheduled on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, or during Mass on the 3rd Sunday. First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are received in Grade 2; Confirmation is conferred in Grade 10 as the culmination of the two-year program. The sacrament of Marriage requires at least six months of preparation, with the parish committed to being a 'marriage-building parish.' Confessions are heard Saturdays at 3:45 PM (St. Anthony's) or by appointment; the Anointing of the Sick is offered after the 8:00 AM Daily Mass. Holy Orders and Funeral services are available through the parish office.
- Baptism: 2nd & 4th Sundays, and during Mass on the 3rd Sunday
- Reconciliation: Saturdays 3:45 PM, or by appointment
- First Communion: Spring of Grade 2
- Confirmation: Grade 10
- Anointing of the Sick: after 8:00 AM Daily Mass
- Matrimony: 6+ months preparation
Ministries
Parishioners serve in liturgical, musical, educational and outreach ministries. Liturgical roles include Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (at Mass and to the sick/homebound, with weekly visits to Sippican Healthcare in Marion), Lectors, Collectors, and Altar Servers (Grades 3 and up). Music ministry includes Song Leaders, the Parish Adult Choir (rehearsing Wednesdays 7:00 PM, September–Pentecost), and the Children's Christmas Choir for Grades 2–6. The parish also operates an active St. Vincent de Paul Society, with conferences at both St. Rita's and St. Anthony's, and supports Mobile Loaves & Fishes, My Brother's Keeper, and Catholic Charities / Catholic Social Services.
- Liturgical – Extraordinary Ministers, Lectors, Collectors, Altar Servers
- Music – Song Leaders, Adult Choir, Children's Christmas Choir
- Outreach – St. Vincent de Paul, Mobile Loaves & Fishes, My Brother's Keeper, Catholic Charities
- Visits to Sippican Healthcare in Marion each Sunday
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry supports the prayer of the assembly through a blend of vocalists and instrumentalists. Song Leaders provide musical leadership for the 4:30 PM Saturday and 8:00 AM Sunday Masses, accompanied by an organist. The Parish Adult Choir presents choral music with organ/keyboard at the 9:30 AM Sunday Mass and on special feast days; it rehearses Wednesdays at 7:00 PM from September through Pentecost (June), is open to adults and high-school students, and requires no audition. The Children's Christmas Choir (Grades 2–6) sings at the 4:00 PM Children's Mass on Christmas Eve at St. Anthony's. Karen DeVoe is the parish Music Director (508-965-1329).
- Song Leaders – Saturday 4:30 PM & Sunday 8:00 AM
- Parish Adult Choir – Sunday 9:30 AM; rehearsals Wed 7:00 PM
- Children's Christmas Choir – Christmas Eve 4:00 PM
- Music Director: Karen DeVoe, 508-965-1329
Parish Staff
The pastoral team is intentionally small and collaborative. Father Paul Fedak serves as Pastor of the combined Parish of St. Anthony – St. Rita. Deacon Tyrone assists with First-Friday Adoration. Karen DeVoe is Music Director. Mary Arikian serves as Chaplain and Director of Faith Formation, overseeing all religious-education programming for both parishes. Day-to-day operations are handled from the Parish Office at 22 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett.
- Pastor – Rev. Paul Fedak
- Deacon – Deacon Tyrone (Adoration)
- Music Director – Karen DeVoe (508-965-1329)
- Director of Faith Formation / Chaplain – Mary Arikian (508-758-3735)
Joining the Parish
The parish welcomes new members and invites registration by calling the Parish Office at 508-758-3719 during office hours (Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM, closed 12:30–1:30 for lunch and on holidays) or by downloading and mailing in the parish registration form. New families are embraced into a small, walkable village mission that nevertheless offers the full sacramental life, a vibrant Music Ministry, a graded Faith Formation program, OCIA for adults, and meaningful outreach through St. Vincent de Paul and partner agencies.
- Call 508-758-3719 during office hours
- Download the parish registration form from the website
- Mail or drop the completed form at Mass
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Paul Fedak
Current pastor; shares pastoral care of St. Rita's and St. Anthony's, Mattapoisett, as a collaborative parish.