About St. Rita · Warwick, Rhode Island
St. Rita Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Oakland Beach neighborhood of Warwick, Rhode Island, part of the Diocese of Providence. Founded in 1935 as an independent parish but rooted in a Catholic mission in Oakland Beach that dates back to 1904, St. Rita today shares a pastor and a single parish website with its sister parish, St. Timothy's. The church welcomes worshippers with a Saturday Vigil Mass, Sunday Mass, a Friday daily Mass, a monthly First Friday Latin Mass, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in its 24-hour chapel, and active ministries including OCIA, SPRED, a food pantry, and a Flame of Love prayer group.
- Established
- 1935
- Patron
- St. Rita of Cascia
- Rector
- Father Dean Perri
- Diocese
- Diocese of Providence
Why belong here
St. Rita offers something increasingly rare: a perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel open 24 hours a day (access by calling the rectory), paired with a warm, small-parish sense of community in the Oakland Beach neighborhood. Add a rich liturgical life — Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass, a Friday morning daily Mass with Rosary, a monthly First Friday Latin Mass, the Divine Mercy Chaplet every Friday afternoon, First Friday devotions, and First Saturday confessions — and you have a parish that takes prayer seriously. Outreach runs through a parish food pantry (Groceria) and SPRED Special Religious Education alongside youth faith formation and OCIA, making St. Rita a fitting home for families, retirees, and anyone devoted to the Eucharist and St. Rita of Cascia's intercession for impossible causes.
Mass times at St. Rita
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (call the rectory at 401-738-1800)
- First Saturday of the month, 6:30 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.
- After the First Friday 5:00 p.m. Latin Mass at St. Rita's
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration at the St. Rita Adoration Chapel (24 hours/day) — call the rectory office at 401-738-1800 for access
- First Friday Adoration: 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., followed at 7:00 p.m. by the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Consecration to the Sacred Heart and Benediction
Parish History
St. Rita's origins lie in a Catholic mission started in 1904 by Father Thomas J. Fitzpatrick from Our Lady of Mercy Church in East Greenwich for Catholics in the Warwick area. Summer Mass was first celebrated in the Union Chapel at Buttonwoods, then in 1911 moved to the home of John Tatly at Mohawk and Oakland Beach Avenue. Local men donated lumber, stone, and labor to build a long wooden church that Father Peter J. Malone dubbed the 'Nine-Days Wonder.' The current church was designed by Rhode Island architects Murphy, Hindle and Wright (cornerstone laid August 1913; completed 1914 at a cost of $15,000) and dedicated to St. Rita of Cascia. St. Rita's was incorporated in 1939 and is recognized by GCatholic with a 1935 founding date — a milestone celebrated May 4, 2025 with the parish's 90th Anniversary Mass.
- 1904: Mission started from Our Lady of Mercy, East Greenwich by Fr. Thomas J. Fitzpatrick
- 1911: Original wooden 'Nine-Days Wonder' mission church built on Oakland Beach Avenue
- 1913: Cornerstone of present church laid by Fr. Peter J. Malone
- 1914: Current church completed (Murphy, Hindle & Wright architects; Charles Girouard, builder; $15,000)
- 1935: Parish canonically established (per GCatholic)
- 1939: Articles of Incorporation filed with the State of Rhode Island
- May 4, 2025: 90th Anniversary Mass and dinner-dance at Crowne Plaza
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
St. Rita celebrates the regular Mass schedule shown on the parish website. The Sunday obligation is fulfilled at the 5:30 p.m. Saturday Vigil or the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass, with a Friday morning daily Mass at 8:00 a.m. (Rosary at 7:35 a.m.). Holy Days are marked at noon at St. Rita's, and the parish offers a distinctive monthly First Friday Latin Mass at 5:00 p.m. followed by confessions. The neighboring sister parish, St. Timothy's, celebrates additional Sunday Masses and weekday Masses that parishioners can readily attend.
- Saturday Vigil — 5:30 p.m.
- Sunday — 10:30 a.m.
- Friday Daily Mass — 8:00 a.m. (Rosary 7:35 a.m.)
- First Friday Latin Mass — 5:00 p.m.
- Holy Day — 12:00 noon
- Rosary before daily Mass — 7:35 a.m., Mon–Sat
Sacraments
The parishes of St. Rita and St. Timothy collaborate on sacramental preparation. Baptisms are usually celebrated on the Third Sunday of the month at St. Timothy's by prior arrangement with the rectory. The Faith Formation Office coordinates Religious Education and OCIA (RCIA) for both parishes. Pastoral care extends to those who cannot join the assembly, with Communion Calls to the homebound and to those in nursing homes.
- Baptism — Third Sunday at St. Timothy's (call rectory)
- First Communion / Confirmation — through Faith Formation (401-921-0712)
- OCIA (RCIA) — Deacon Ken Andrade (401-738-9079, Mon–Thu 9 a.m.–1 p.m.)
- Marriage — call the rectory to arrange
- Communion Calls and Anointing of the Sick — for the homebound/nursing homes; call 401-739-9552 (Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–4 p.m.)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation is run jointly across the two parishes under coordinator Mrs. Ginny Conway, with the Faith Formation Office reachable at 401-921-0712 and an RCIA / Religious Education line at 401-738-9079 (Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). SPRED (Special Religious Education), led by Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Gail Schoeninger at St. Rita, ministers to adults and children with developmental disabilities. Summer faith formation for children is provided through the annual Vacation Bible School — for example, August 3–7, 2026 at St. Timothy's.
- Youth Faith Formation — Mrs. Ginny Conway
- OCIA / RCIA — Deacon Ken Andrade
- SPRED (Special Religious Education) — Robert & Gail Schoeninger
- Vacation Bible School — annual summer program (2026: Aug 3–7 at St. Timothy's)
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music is led at St. Rita's by Music Director Mrs. Marcia Beagan, with Mrs. Lori Ann Dunn serving as Music Director at St. Timothy's. Sacristans and other liturgical support include Ms. Linda Ferri as Weekend Sacristan at St. Timothy's and Mr. David Delsanto as Sacristan/Maintenance at St. Rita's. The parish website encourages parishioners to join choirs or serve as liturgical ministers by contacting the parish office.
- Music Director (St. Rita) — Mrs. Marcia Beagan
- Music Director (St. Timothy) — Mrs. Lori Ann Dunn
- Sacristan/Maintenance (St. Rita) — David Delsanto
- Weekend Sacristan (St. Timothy) — Ms. Linda Ferri
Outreach: Groceria Food Pantry & Charitable Works
St. Rita's Groceria food pantry is one of the parish's signature acts of mercy — helping neighbors in the Warwick community who face food insecurity. Volunteers and donations keep the pantry running, and parishioners are invited to participate. SPRED Special Religious Education extends the parish's reach to families of children and adults with developmental disabilities. Pastoral visitors bring Communion to the homebound and to those in nursing homes.
- Groceria Food Pantry — coordinated by Linda Ferri; call 401-738-1800
- SPRED (Special Religious Education)
- Communion Calls to the homebound and to local nursing homes
Prayer Groups & Devotional Groups
The Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Prayer Cenacle, supported by Deacon Ken Andrade, brings together parishioners and neighbors from both parishes on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 1:00 p.m. in the Monsignor Carlin Center at St. Timothy's Church. New members are always welcome. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed publicly every Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at St. Rita's.
- Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary — 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 1:00 p.m., Monsignor Carlin Center (St. Timothy's); contact [email protected] or 401-739-9552
- Divine Mercy Chaplet — every Friday at 3:00 p.m. at St. Rita's
- First Friday Devotions — Sacred Heart Litany, Consecration, Benediction
- Rosary — 7:35 a.m. before daily Mass
Parish Staff & Volunteers
St. Rita and St. Timothy share staff under the direction of Father Dean Perri, Pastor. Deacon Ken Andrade assists pastorally with OCIA and the Flame of Love prayer group. The offices are served by an accountant, two secretaries, facilities and maintenance teams, music directors, sacristans, and volunteer catechists and ministry leaders.
- Father Dean Perri — Pastor
- Deacon Ken Andrade — Deacon Assistant, OCIA, Flame of Love
- Mrs. Ginny Conway — Youth Faith Formation Coordinator
- Mrs. Marcia Beagan — Music Director (St. Rita)
- Mrs. Lori Ann Dunn — Music Director (St. Timothy)
- Linda Ferri — Secretary (St. Rita) & Groceria Food Pantry
- Joan Smith — Secretary (St. Timothy)
- Miss Katherine Harrington — Accountant
- Mark Smith — Facilities Manager (St. Timothy)
- David Delsanto — Sacristan/Maintenance (St. Rita)
- Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Gail Schoeninger — SPRED
Visiting & Joining the Parish
St. Rita and St. Timothy together describe their mission as 'to be a parish family — a family of believers — one with the Lord and one with each other,' striving to have a warm, open and inviting atmosphere for everyone from children to seniors. New parishioners can register via the Parish Registration Form on the parish website, and the Faith Formation Office and rectory are happy to help families find ministries, sacramental preparation, and devotional opportunities. Online giving is available through the parish eServicePayments portal.
- Parish Registration — form available on the parish website
- Online giving — http://www.eservicepayments.com
- Office hours — St. Rita: Tue–Fri 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; St. Timothy: Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–12 noon & 1–4 p.m.
- Mailing address — 722 Oakland Beach Avenue, Warwick, RI 02889
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Thomas J. Fitzpatrickfrom 1904
Pastor of Our Lady of Mercy, East Greenwich; started Catholic missions in the Warwick/Oakland Beach area in 1904.
- Reverend Peter J. Maloneby 1911
Pastor of Our Lady of Mercy and in charge of missions at Buttonwoods, Apponaug and Oakland Beach; commissioned the building of the present church with architects Murphy, Hindle and Wright (1913–14).
- Reverend John W. Marrensummer 1911
Young, recently ordained; assisted at the Oakland Beach mission and resided in a rented dwelling near the church in 1912.
- Reverend James B. O'Briensummer 1911
Co-assistant with Fr. Marren on the early Oakland Beach mission.
- Reverend Peter P. Keeleyby 1917
Pastor of St. Catherine's (Apponaug), under whose charge the mission was when the wooden church was doubled in 1917.
- Father Dean Perricurrent
Current pastor of the linked parishes of St. Timothy's and St. Rita's.