About St. Rose (North American Martyrs Parish) · East Hartford, Connecticut
North American Martyrs Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in East Hartford, Connecticut, in the Archdiocese of Hartford. It was formed on June 29, 2017, by merging three longstanding local parishes — St. Mary's, St. Rose, and St. Isaac Jogues — and was further enlarged on July 1, 2024, when St. Edmund Campion Parish was merged into it. The parish takes its name from the eight Jesuit missionaries — the North American Martyrs — who were canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930. Worship today centers on two surviving churches: St. Mary's Church (the parish offices on Maplewood Avenue) and St. Christopher Church (on Brewer Street), with Masses celebrated in English and Spanish, an active food bank, a clothing bank, a women's guild, youth and religious-education programs, a Hispanic ministry, music ministry, and the parish-run St. Mary's Bingo.
- Established
- 2017
- Patron
- The North American Martyrs (the eight Jesuit missionaries of the 17th century, canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930). The constituent churches are dedicated to St. Mary, St. Rose of Lima, St. Isaac Jogues, and St. Christopher.
- Rector
- Rev. Timothy E. Ryan
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Hartford
Why belong here
North American Martyrs is a multicultural Roman Catholic community where newcomers can worship in either English or Spanish, with daily Mass, a full weekend schedule, Saturday confessions, and a Spanish-speaking priest available before every Spanish Mass. The parish feeds East Hartford through the long-running St. Mary's Food Bank (since 1975), the Clothing Bank, and the combined St. Christopher / South Congregational Food Pantry, and welcomes families into Religious Education, Youth Ministry, Music Ministry, the Lazarus Ministry, and the Women's Guild. Anyone looking for an active, bilingual parish that takes seriously both the Sacraments and outreach to neighbors in need will feel at home here.
Mass times at St. Rose (North American Martyrs Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
- A Spanish-speaking priest is available 30 minutes before all Spanish-speaking Masses
Welcome & Parish Identity
The parish website opens with the words 'All Are Welcome,' describing North American Martyrs Parish as a community in the Roman Catholic tradition that strives to continue the ministry of Jesus through worship, education, healing, and outreach. The multicultural makeup of the parish is named explicitly as a source of great pride, with worship offered in both English and Spanish across two churches in East Hartford.
History
North American Martyrs Parish was canonically erected on June 29, 2017, by combining St. Mary's (founded 1873), St. Rose of Lima (founded 1920), and St. Isaac Jogues (mission since 1944, dedicated 1964). The Ghanaian community at St. Isaac Jogues separated to form the St. Isaac Jogues Ghanaian Catholic Quasi-Parish on January 1, 2019. On July 1, 2024, Archbishop Leonard P. Blair's decree merged St. Edmund Campion Parish into North American Martyrs under Canons 121 and 515 §2, closing St. Rose and Our Lady of Peace and leaving St. Mary's and St. Christopher as the two surviving worship sites.
St. Mary's Church (1873) — The Mother Church
Founded by Bishop Francis P. McFarland in 1873 to serve Catholics on the east side of the Connecticut River; the first wooden church was dedicated in 1877 on Main Street. By 1923 the parish numbered 2,700, swelled by Italian, Irish, and French-Canadian immigrants. A school was built under Father Thomas Drennan in the late 1920s, staffed by ten Sisters of Mercy. Father John W. Dial, appointed pastor in 1959, replaced the old plant with the distinctive star-shaped church at North Main Street and Maplewood Avenue that still serves today. St. Mary's rectory became the offices of the merged parish.
St. Rose of Lima Church (1920–2024)
Originally a daughter parish of St. Mary's. St. Rose School added kindergarten and first grade in 1987 and closed in 2010 due to declining enrollment. As Hispanic Catholics from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru made East Hartford their home, a Spanish Mass was added in 1997, a second followed quickly, and Spanish-speaking parochial vicars Father Ivan Ramirez (2010–2013), Father Carlos Echavarria (2013–2015), Father Michael Santiago (2015), and Father Gustavo Lopez (2015 onward) grew the community. Under Father John P. Rohan in 2004, St. Rose joined St. Isaac Jogues and St. Mary's in the Catholic Communities of East Hartford North cluster. St. Rose's farewell Mass was held June 23, 2024, before its closure under the 2024 merger decree.
St. Isaac Jogues Church (1944/1964–2018)
Born in wartime: Father Austin Munich, pastor of St. Rose, began saying Mass in the Mayberry Village community building on Cannon Road on Christmas Day 1944. The mission church was dedicated on May 2, 1964, by Archbishop Henry J. O'Brien — the first church in New England built of precast 'tilt-up' concrete panels, with a handcrafted walnut altar, a jeweled cross of 88 gems, and murals of the sacrifice of Isaac and of St. Isaac Jogues. Full canonical status came in 1965, the year Father Munich died. After joining the 2017 North American Martyrs merger, the church separated on January 1, 2019 to become the St. Isaac Jogues Ghanaian Catholic Quasi-Parish.
St. Christopher Church
St. Christopher originated as a mission of neighboring Blessed Sacrament Church. Father Henry J. Murphy, pastor of Blessed Sacrament, acquired a three-acre tract on Brewer Street Extension (former Shannon farmland and a wartime NIKE missile site) in 1952 and built a church and rectory. St. Christopher became an independent parish on September 16, 1965, by decree of Archbishop O'Brien, with Father Murphy as first pastor and Harold J. Smith and Cornelius J. Scollan as first trustees. In 2017 it merged with Our Lady of Peace and Blessed Sacrament into St. Edmund Campion Parish; Blessed Sacrament was soon sold to the Town of East Hartford and converted into a senior center. On July 1, 2024, St. Christopher became part of North American Martyrs Parish and remains an active worship site.
2024 Merger Decree
On July 1, 2024, Archbishop Leonard P. Blair decreed under Canons 121 and 515 §2 the merger of St. Edmund Campion Parish into North American Martyrs Parish. The combined parish inherited four sacred edifices — St. Rose, St. Mary's, Our Lady of Peace, and St. Christopher — but St. Rose and Our Lady of Peace were designated 'sacred places of divine worship … without regularly scheduled Masses.' Religious-education programs were combined on January 14, 2024, and began meeting in the former St. Rose School building. The decree specifically notes that the Spanish-speaking community 'is the fastest growing part of the new proposed juridic entity.'
Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Timothy E. Ryan, with Parochial Vicar Rev. Eric Zuniga serving the Spanish Ministry and Deacon Philip Gosselin assisting. Parish staff includes Judy Craig (Director of Religious Education), Leo Forte (Religious Education Assistant), Michael Zappala (Music Director), and parish secretaries Lucie Almeida, Adrienne McLean, and Beatriz Frausto-Maldonado.
Ministries
Parish life centers on liturgy, formation, and outreach. Programs include Religious Education, Youth Ministry, Music Ministry, the Spanish Ministry, the Lazarus Ministry, Home Visitation & Healthcare, Stewardship, the Women's Guild, and the parish's charitable arms: the St. Mary's Food Bank (since 1975), the St. Christopher / South Congregational combined food pantry, and the Clothing Bank.
- Religious Education
- Youth Ministry
- Music Ministry
- Spanish Ministry
- Lazarus Ministry
- Home Visitation & Healthcare
- Stewardship
- Women's Guild
St. Mary's Food Bank
Established in 1975, the food bank at St. Mary's Hall (30 Maplewood Avenue) is stocked by volunteers from donations and Foodshare purchases, and distributes food to clients. It is open Tuesday and Friday 11:30 am – 1:00 pm, and prepares and delivers holiday baskets to needy families. To volunteer or donate, call the parish office at 860-289-7916.
Clothing Bank
The parish clothing bank operates out of the St. Mary's Parish Center, 30 Maplewood Avenue (use the side door labeled 'Clothing Bank'). It serves anyone in the community who needs clothing, with dedicated volunteers running the operation.
St. Christopher / South Congregational Food Pantry
A combined food pantry run jointly by volunteers from St. Christopher Church and South Congregational Church for over 35 years. It serves income-eligible Connecticut residents (most clients live in East Hartford), is open 2–3 Tuesdays per month from 12:00 to 1:00 PM (dates published in the parish bulletin), and provides special Thanksgiving and Christmas offerings. No appointment is needed; clients may come once every 30 days. Food donations are accepted at St. Christopher Church or at the pantry.
Women's Guild
The Women's Guild enriches the lives of the women of the parish personally and spiritually. Meetings are at 6:30 pm in St. Mary's Hall on the first Monday of the month, September through May (no meetings in January or February). Annual activities include a September opening Mass and social, no-sew blankets for the East Hartford Shelter (November), a Christmas pot-luck party with collection for the shelter, two bake sales (Palm Sunday and the weekend before Thanksgiving), a Communion Breakfast, a May closing banquet, and ongoing collections for Riverside Health & Rehab, the Early Childhood Learning Center, and Silver Lane School. Officers include President Mary Beth Walter, Recording Secretary Irene Sullivan, Corresponding Secretary Janet Romayko, Treasurer Adrienne McLean, and committee chairs for Baking & Hospitality, Bake Sales, Telephone, Membership, Communion Breakfast, Missions, Retreat, and Ways & Means. Dues are $10/year.
St. Mary's Bingo
St. Mary's Church Hall at 30 Maplewood Avenue hosts Bingo every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening. For full information visit easthartfordbingo.com or call 860-291-0056.
Locations & Visiting
Parish offices and St. Mary's Church share 15 Maplewood Avenue, East Hartford, CT 06108 (parish hall / food bank / clothing bank at 30 Maplewood Avenue). St. Christopher Church is at 538 Brewer Street, East Hartford, CT 06118. The general parish phone is 860-289-7916. The parish also offers Text-to-Give by texting an amount to 860.300.3436, integrated with its online giving system.
Support the Parish
Parishioners and visitors can support North American Martyrs through Online Giving on the parish website, Text-to-Give (860.300.3436), and by volunteering with the food bank, clothing bank, Women's Guild, or parish ministries. The weekly bulletin and parish calendar are published on the website.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John P. Rohan2004
Guided St. Rose into the Catholic Communities of East Hartford North cluster with St. Isaac Jogues and St. Mary's.
- Fathers Ronald Osbourne and Robert Kwiatkowski1989–
Became co-pastors of St. Rose on February 10, 1989.
- Father Ivan Ramirez2010–2013
First Spanish-speaking parochial vicar at St. Rose.
- Father Carlos Echavarria2013–2015
Spanish ministry at St. Rose.
- Father Michael Santiago2015
Spanish ministry at St. Rose.
- Father Gustavo Lopez2015–present
Spanish ministry at St. Rose / North American Martyrs.