About St. Romuald · Wakefield, Rhode Island
Saint Romuald Chapel is a small Catholic beach-side chapel in the Matunuck section of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and the second worship site of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in nearby Wakefield. Built in 1907 as a summer mission chapel for the Irish Catholic cottagers of South County, it has grown from a half-length, unheated structure into a year-round worship site serving both seasonal and full-time residents. Today its rustic wooden interior, salt-air chapel bell, and view of the Point Judith Lighthouse give Saint Romuald a distinctive character that sets it apart from the parent parish's stone church up the road in Wakefield.
- Established
- 1907
- Patron
- Saint Romuald (Ravenna, c. 950 – Val di Castro, June 19, 1027), founder of the Camaldolese Benedictines
- Rector
- Rev. Albert D. Ranallo (Pastor since October 1, 2022; solemnly installed by Auxiliary Bishop Robert C. Evans on November 20, 2022)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Providence
Why belong here
Saint Romuald Chapel offers the rare experience of a small, sea-breezy Catholic community that has gathered around a 1907 mission chapel for more than a century. The same clergy and staff who minister at the parent church, Saint Francis of Assisi in Wakefield, serve Saint Romuald, and the wider parish offers RCIA, faith formation K-6, Confirmation, First Communion, Vacation Bible School, Eucharistic Adoration, a parish choir, Bible study, a St. Vincent de Paul conference, Men of St. Joseph, a Prayer Shawl Ministry, and a busy Social Outreach program. For cottagers, year-round neighbors, and visitors to Matunuck Beach, Saint Romuald is the parish's warm, walkable 'hearth' — a place where the bell on the chapel competes with the Point Judith foghorn on Sunday morning.
Mass times at St. Romuald
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:00 pm at Saint Francis Church, 114 High Street, Wakefield (the parish's primary reconciliation time; Saint Romuald Chapel itself is not a standing reconciliation site per the published schedule).
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered as a ministry of the parish; specific Saint Romuald hours are not published. Contact coordinator Cynthia Dufficy ([email protected]) or the parish office at 401-783-4411 for the current schedule.
Saint Romuald Chapel — A Second Worship Site in Matunuck
Saint Romuald Chapel is the second of two worship sites that together make up Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. While Saint Francis Church sits as a historic stone church just outside downtown Wakefield, Saint Romuald is a quaint, beach-side chapel down the road in the Matunuck summer colony, and the same clergy and staff of Saint Francis Parish serve both. Its address is 61 Atlantic Avenue, Matunuck (South Kingstown), and in many ways the chapel is the parish's most distinctive feature — the focal point of summer worship since 1907, and increasingly a year-round parish home.
- 61 Atlantic Avenue, Matunuck, South Kingstown, RI
- Built 1907 as a mission of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish
- Served by the same clergy and staff as Saint Francis Church
History of the Chapel
In the early 1900s, the inconvenience of a horse-and-buggy ride into Wakefield for Sunday Mass led summer families to petition the bishop for a local Catholic chapel in Matunuck. The present Saint Romuald Chapel was built in 1907 as part of the parish of Saint Francis of Assisi. The original structure measured only half the length of today's nave, and because there was never a resident custodian, summer residents themselves set up for Mass, cleaned the sanctuary, dressed the altar, set out flowers, washed and ironed linens, and scheduled altar boys. As the summer population grew, a new wing was added in the 1940s. A heating system was installed in the 1970s, and a 2002 renovation added wooden pews, a new organ, and carpeted aisles while keeping the chapel's rustic feel.
- 1907 — Original chapel built as a summer mission
- 1940s — New wing added as the summer population grew
- 1970s — Heating system installed, enabling year-round Sunday Mass
- 2002 — Renovation: wooden pews, new organ, carpeted aisles
Architecture and Atmosphere
Saint Romuald is described by the parish itself as a 'simple country place' that still feels rustic and prayerful. The 2002 renovation kept the country character while modernizing essentials: handsome wooden pews, a new organ, a quiet and efficient heating system, and carpeted aisles. The open, light-filled interior sits close to the ocean, and the chapel's bell occasionally rings out on the sweet salt air of Matunuck, sometimes in friendly competition with the foghorn from the Point Judith Lighthouse.
- Wooden pews installed in 2002
- New organ installed in 2002
- Carpeted aisles added in 2002
- Heating system added in the 1970s
Patron — Saint Romuald of Ravenna
The chapel is named for Saint Romuald of Ravenna (c. 950 – June 19, 1027), an Italian Benedictine monk and ascetic who founded the Camaldolese order, in which eremitical life is combined with life in community. He is honored in the Roman calendar with an optional memorial on June 19, the day of his death. The parish thus bears the name of one of the great monastic reformers of the early second millennium.
- Founder of the Camaldolese Benedictines (Hermits)
- Born c. 950 in Ravenna; died June 19, 1027 at Val di Castro
- Feast day: June 19 (Optional Memorial in the Roman calendar)
Clergy, Staff, and Pastoral Leadership
Saint Romuald Chapel is served by the same pastoral team that ministers at Saint Francis Church. The current pastor is Father Albert D. Ranallo, who was installed on November 20, 2022 by Auxiliary Bishop Robert C. Evans, and who also serves the Diocese of Providence as Director of Chaplaincy at Rhode Hospital, Director of Pastoral Care at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, and Coordinator of Pastoral Care for Healthcare Facilities. Two pastors emeritus — Father Nicholas P. Smith and Father Henry J. Bodah — remain associated with the parish. The pastoral team is rounded out by Deacon John Dowd and the parish office, faith-formation, confirmation, cemetery, and sextoning staff listed below.
- Rev. Albert D. Ranallo — Pastor (since 2022)
- Rev. Nicholas P. Smith — Pastor Emeritus
- Rev. Henry J. Bodah — Pastor Emeritus
- Deacon John Dowd — Deacon Assistant
- Christina Imondi — Office Manager
- Jamie Friel — Faith Formation Coordinator (Grades K-6)
- Cheryl Xavier — Confirmation Coordinator
- Robert J. Moniz — Cemetery Manager
- Robert J. Kelly — Parish Sexton
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs a full catechetical program for children and adults that serves both worship sites. Children in Grades K-6 attend the Faith Formation Program, with First Communion and Confirmation as the two landmark sacramental years. RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) welcomes adults into full communion with the Catholic Church, and the parish also runs an annual Vacation Bible School. Adult enrichment includes Bible Study, a Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting, a Women's Sharing / Prayer Group, and the parish library.
- Faith Formation Program (Grades K-6) — Jamie Friel
- First Communion Program
- Confirmation Program — Cheryl Xavier
- RCIA — Pat Lefoley, [email protected], 401-339-3858
- Vacation Bible School (annual)
- Gospel Weeklies
- Adult Education & Bible Study — Sean O'Donnell, [email protected]
- Parish Library
Music and Liturgical Ministries
The parish music program includes the St. Francis Choir and an organ program under Music Director Paula Fontes. Liturgical roles are filled by lay parishioners — Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Readers, and Greeters — coordinated in large part by Deacon John Dowd. The parish also publishes funeral-music suggestions and a wedding-music planning resource to help families prepare for the Church's rites.
- St. Francis Choir / Organ — Paula Fontes, 401-783-4411
- Altar Servers — Deacon John Dowd
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Readers (Lectors)
- Greeters — Deacon John Dowd
- Funeral Music Suggestions (published on parish site)
- Wedding Music Planning (published on parish site)
Parish Life, Devotions, and Prayer Groups
Beyond the Sunday schedule, Saint Francis of Assisi Parish (and by extension Saint Romuald Chapel) hosts a deep devotional life. Eucharistic Adoration is offered as a regular devotion, Divine Mercy Cenacle and Stations of the Cross feed the spiritual appetite, and a Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting gives the parish a midweek touchpoint. Two long-standing prayer groups — Men of St. Joseph and the Women's Sharing / Prayer Group — give men and women of the parish their own communities. A Prayer Shawl Ministry, a Welcome Ministry for newcomers, and an Event Committee / Hospitality team knit the parish together socially.
- Eucharistic Adoration — Cynthia Dufficy, [email protected]
- Divine Mercy Cenacle
- Stations of the Cross (seasonal)
- Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting — Deacon John Dowd
- Men of St. Joseph — Mark Castro, [email protected]
- Women's Sharing / Prayer Group — Susan Corner, [email protected]
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Welcome Ministry — Kendra Pitkin, [email protected]
- Event Committee / Hospitality — Ellen Schwab, [email protected]
Outreach, Social Justice, and Service
Outreach is a major pillar of the parish's identity. The local St. Vincent de Paul conference in Wakefield (401-871-8936) provides direct aid to neighbors in need; the parish partners with Catholic Social Services of Washington County (401-783-3149) and runs its own Social Outreach and Dinner Table programs. The parish also hosted an annual Mass of Thanksgiving to God for All Essential Workers, celebrated at Saint Francis Church, which honors first responders, healthcare workers, military personnel, and transportation workers.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — Wakefield, 401-871-8936
- Catholic Social Services of Washington County — 401-783-3149
- Social Outreach — Dana Hawkins, [email protected]
- Dinner Table — Eve Sweeney, [email protected]
- Annual Mass of Thanksgiving to God for All Essential Workers
- Open Basketball Nights — Joe Degnan
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments. Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick are arranged through the parish office; Reconciliation is heard Saturday 3:30–4:00 pm at Saint Francis Church. The parish also maintains a ministry to the Sick and Homebound, and Father Ranallo's diocesan role as Coordinator of Pastoral Care for Healthcare Facilities gives the parish a strong link to hospital chaplaincy (Rhode Hospital, Our Lady of Fatima).
- Baptism — by appointment through the parish office
- First Communion — parish First Communion Program
- Confirmation — parish Confirmation Program
- Marriage — by appointment through the parish office
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:30–4:00 pm, Saint Francis Church
- Anointing of the Sick / Pastoral Care of the Sick and Homebound
St. Francis Cemetery
The parish operates the historic St. Francis Cemetery at 114 High Street, Wakefield, which includes the original Old Saint Francis burial ground — a small, stone-wall-enclosed Irish Catholic cemetery just south of the town hall, with burials dating back to 1855. Burial lots and cremation lots are available for purchase; the cemetery office can be reached at 401-782-2711 ([email protected]). Visitors should note that no animals are allowed in the cemetery.
- St. Francis Cemetery, 114 High Street, Wakefield, RI
- Cemetery office: 401-782-2711 / [email protected]
- Manager: Robert J. Moniz
- Includes the original Old Saint Francis Catholic burial ground (est. 1855)
- No animals permitted in the cemetery
Visiting Saint Romuald Chapel
Saint Romuald Chapel is at 61 Atlantic Avenue in Matunuck, South Kingstown, RI — a short drive from Saint Francis Church in Wakefield. From Route 1, take Matunuck Beach Road and turn left onto Atlantic Avenue; the chapel is on the right. It is best to confirm summer or winter Mass times before visiting, since the schedule is seasonal: from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, Saturday evening and both Sunday Masses are celebrated, while in the off-season only the 10:00 am Sunday Mass is offered. For confession, visitors should plan to stop at Saint Francis Church on Saturday afternoon, and for the latest parish news the weekly bulletin is posted at stfranciswakefield.com.
- Address: 61 Atlantic Avenue, Matunuck, South Kingstown, RI 02879
- From Route 1: take Matunuck Beach Road, turn left onto Atlantic Avenue
- Seasonal schedule — confirm before visiting
- Confession at Saint Francis Church, 114 High Street, Wakefield
- Parish office: 401-783-4411 / [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Albert D. Ranallo2022–present
Installed as pastor on November 20, 2022 by Auxiliary Bishop Robert C. Evans. Previously served as pastor of St. Ann's Parish and as assistant pastor at St. Augustine Parish in Providence.
- Rev. Nicholas P. Smith
Pastor Emeritus, listed on the parish bulletin staff block.
- Rev. Henry J. Bodah
Pastor Emeritus, listed on the parish bulletin staff block.