About St. Rocco · Johnston, Rhode Island
St. Rocco's Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Thornton village of Johnston, Rhode Island, served by the Diocese of Providence. The parish traces its origins to 1903, when the Missionaries of St. Charles — Scalabrinians — were sent to minister to Italian immigrant families settling in the Providence suburbs, and grew around its present church at 927 Atwood Avenue, dedicated by Bishop Russell McVinney on June 17, 1951. Effective July 1, 2018, St. Rocco's Church merged with St. Brigid Church (now its mission church), forming today's St. Rocco's Parish, whose liturgical life still includes a bilingual Italian/English Sunday Mass, a weekly novena to St. Rocco, St. Anthony and St. Jude, and the beloved Annual Feast & Festival in honor of its patron.
- Established
- 1903
- Patron
- St. Rocco (San Rocco / St. Roch)
- Rector
- Reverend Giacomo Capoverdi
- Diocese
- Diocese of Providence (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Rocco's is a deeply rooted Italian-American parish where the Scalabrinian tradition of welcoming immigrants is still lived out today. Weekday and Sunday Masses are offered in both English and a bilingual Italian/English celebration each Sunday at 8:00 AM, while the parish's weekly novena to St. Rocco, St. Anthony and St. Jude and its Saturday Eucharistic Adoration sustain a vibrant devotional life. Active lay ministries — the Women's Guild, Legion of Mary, Holy Name Society, Parish Outreach food pantry, Knights of Columbus Council #03547, altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers, and a parish school and religious education program — give every family a place to serve, and the multi-day Annual Feast & Festival each August draws thousands to celebrate faith, food and community together.
Mass times at St. Rocco
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 11:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
- Anytime by appointment — call the Rectory Office at (401) 383-5004
Adoration times
- Every Saturday morning, 8:30 AM – 12:00 Noon
History of St. Rocco's Parish
St. Rocco's was founded in 1903 in the Thornton section of Cranston (now part of Johnston) to minister to Italian Catholic immigrants moving out of Providence, and was placed in the care of the Missionaries of St. Charles — the Scalabrinians, a religious order devoted to migrants. The parish grew with the Italian-American community, and a new, larger church at 927 Atwood Avenue was designed by Providence architect Oreste Di Saia and dedicated by Bishop Russell McVinney on June 17, 1951. In 1963, the parish opened St. Rocco's School, and in 2012, after 109 years of continuous Scalabrinian ministry, Father Angelo N. Carusi was installed as the first diocesan pastor.
- 1903 — Founding of the parish under the Scalabrinians (Missionaries of St. Charles)
- 1951 — Present church dedicated by Bishop Russell McVinney on June 17
- 1963 — St. Rocco's School opened
- 2012 — Scalabrinians conclude 109 years of ministry; Father Angelo N. Carusi installed as pastor on the Feast of St. Rocco
- June 24, 2012 — Chapel to Blessed John Baptist Scalabrini dedicated
- July 1, 2018 — St. Rocco's Church merged with St. Brigid Church to form St. Rocco's Parish (St. Brigid as mission church)
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Rocco's is led by its pastor with the help of a deacon, parish secretary, religious education director, school principal and music director.
- Rev. Angelo N. Carusi — Pastor ([email protected], 401-383-5004)
- Rev. Mr. Robert P. Troia — Deacon
- Mrs. Stephanie Fava — Parish Secretary ([email protected])
- Mr. Christopher A. Caramello — Organist / Music Director ([email protected], 401-692-5270)
- Mrs. Megan Reitz — Director of Religious Education ([email protected], 401-944-6040)
- Mrs. Melissa D'Amico — Principal, St. Rocco's School ([email protected])
- Mrs. Marcia Montecalvo — Assistant Principal, St. Rocco's School ([email protected])
Novena & Devotions
Devotional life at St. Rocco's centers on its patron saint and on the Blessed Sacrament, with weekly novenas and Saturday adoration in addition to the Mass schedule.
- Tuesday Evening Novena — 6:00 PM: Rosary, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and Novena Prayers to St. Rocco, St. Anthony and St. Jude
- Saturday Eucharistic Adoration — 8:30 AM to 12:00 Noon
- Annual Feast & Festival in honor of St. Rocco (August, with Triduum Masses at 7:00 PM, candlelight procession of the Blessed Mother, Feast Mass, procession, and Blessing & Distribution of the St. Rocco Bread)
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, First Eucharist, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick and Christian burial. Sacramental preparation includes required classes, sponsor certificates and active parish membership.
- Baptism — 1st Sunday of the month after the 10:00 AM Mass; baptism classes every other month at 7:00 PM in the school music room; birth certificate and sponsor forms required
- Confirmation — parish preparation program
- First Holy Communion — through Religious Education and St. Rocco's School
- Marriage — contact the Rectory at least one year in advance; parish offering of $400; music arranged through Christopher Caramello
- Anointing of the Sick — please notify the Rectory when a parishioner is homebound, hospitalized or in a nursing home
- Funerals — traditional services arranged through the parish
Faith Formation: Religious Education & St. Rocco's School
Faith formation at St. Rocco's takes place both in the parish's formal Catholic school and in its Office of Religious Education (CCD), housed at 931 Atwood Avenue. Together they serve the sacramental and academic formation of the parish's children.
- Office of Religious Education — 931 Atwood Avenue; Director: Mrs. Megan Reitz (401-944-6040, [email protected])
- St. Rocco's School — 931 Atwood Avenue; opened 1963; Main Office 401-944-2993
- Principal — Mrs. Melissa D'Amico ([email protected])
- Assistant Principal — Mrs. Marcia Montecalvo ([email protected])
- Advisory Board — advises the Pastor and Principal on school administration
- Baptism Classes — held every other month in the school's music room at 7:00 PM
Organizations, Ministries & Outreach
St. Rocco's has a deep bench of lay organizations that support the parish liturgically, spiritually, socially and charitably, and that bring parishioners together across generations.
- St. Rocco Church Women's Guild — meets 2nd Wednesday at 6:45 PM in the school music room; runs the annual Giving Tree and supports the Annual Feast
- Legion of Mary — visits the sick, elderly and homebound; meets Fridays at 8:00 AM in the Rectory Conference Room
- Holy Name Society — parish men 18+; cares for the St. Francis Garden; supports the Annual Feast
- Parish Outreach — operates the parish food pantry and prepares baskets for those in need
- Knights of Columbus Council #03547 'Bishop John B. Scalabrini' — 1231 Plainfield Street, Johnston; meets 2nd & 4th Wednesdays at 7:30 PM
- Liturgy Committee — meets 2nd Wednesday at 6:00 PM in Café Rocco
Liturgical Ministries
Lay faithful assist at Mass and other liturgies as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Ushers, Altar Servers and Choir members. Deacon Robert P. Troia serves as Spiritual Director of the parish liturgical ministers.
- Spiritual Director — Deacon Robert P. Troia
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion & Lectors — coordinated by Mrs. Stephanie C. Fava
- Ushers — coordinated through the parish office
- Altar Servers — children in grades 4–8; training and scheduling through Mrs. Stephanie Fava
- Choir — directed by Christopher Caramello ([email protected], 401-692-5270)
The Annual Feast & Festival in Honor of St. Rocco
Each August, around the August 16 feast day of St. Rocco, the parish hosts its multi-day Feast & Festival — a four-day celebration that combines solemn Catholic devotion with Italian-American food, music and carnival. The spiritual centerpiece is a three-day Triduum of Masses at 7:00 PM, a candlelight procession in honor of the Blessed Mother, and the Feast Mass with procession, followed by the Blessing and Distribution of the St. Rocco Bread. Roughly 125 volunteers keep the festival running, serving an estimated 15,000 visitors annually with homemade Italian specialties, games of skill and chance, a straw draw, religious articles, candles in honor of St. Rocco, a beer garden, doughboys and midway rides.
- Triduum Masses — Monday through Wednesday at 7:00 PM
- Candlelight Procession of the Blessed Mother — Wednesday evening
- Feast Mass — Sunday morning at 11:00 AM, followed by procession and Blessing & Distribution of St. Rocco Bread
- Carnival under the tent — Thursday evening through Sunday evening, with Rockwell Amusements rides
- Italian food by the Women's Guild and other volunteers — meatballs, sausage, gravy, doughboys
- Straw Draw, Religious Articles booth, Major Donor and Raffle Tickets, Beer Garden
Architecture of the Church
The current church, designed by Providence architect Oreste Di Saia and dedicated in 1951, fuses traditional Italian Renaissance brick forms with Art Deco influences and is renowned for its stained-glass windows.
- Architect — Oreste Di Saia, Providence
- Dedicated — June 17, 1951 by Bishop Russell McVinney
- Style — Italian Renaissance Revival with Art Deco influences; campanile
- Interior — arcaded aisles, flat paneled ceiling, warm color palette
- Stained glass — unified program by Guido Nincheri in the modern manner; brilliant color set against clear glass
Visiting, Contact & Directions
St. Rocco's welcomes visitors and new parishioners. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM (closed Fridays). Confession can be arranged at any time by appointment through the Rectory.
- Parish Office — 927 Atwood Avenue, Johnston, RI 02919
- Phone — (401) 383-5004
- Office Hours — Monday–Thursday, 8:00 AM–3:00 PM
- From Northern Points — I-295 South to Exit 4, left onto Plainfield Pike; church ~1.5 miles ahead on the left at Atwood Avenue
- From Southern Points — I-295 North to Exit 4, right onto Plainfield Pike; same route
- Parking — two spacious on-site lots (used for the Annual Feast & Festival)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Missionaries of St. Charles — Scalabrinians (collective pastoral administration)1903 – June 30, 2012
Scalabrinians served the parish continuously from its founding in 1903; concluding pastors included Fathers Michael Tarro, Charles Zanoni and Mario Titotto. The order ended its ministry on June 30, 2012 after 109 years.
- Rev. Angelo N. CarusiJuly 1, 2012 – present
First diocesan priest to serve as pastor of St. Rocco's in more than a century; installed by Bishop Robert Evans on the Feast of St. Rocco, 2012.