About St. Rose of Lima · Chelsea, Massachusetts
St. Rose of Lima is a Roman Catholic parish in Chelsea, Massachusetts, belonging to the Archdiocese of Boston. Founded in 1844 and recognized as the first Catholic church established in Chelsea, the parish serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking community with Masses celebrated in Spanish, English, and Latin. Located at 601 Broadway, the parish offers multiple weekend Masses, daily Masses, Eucharistic adoration, and a vibrant religious education program, all under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Hilario Sañez Jr.
- Established
- 1844
- Patron
- St. Rose of Lima
- Rector
- Rev. Hilario Sañez Jr.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Rose of Lima is a welcoming, multilingual parish at the heart of Chelsea with one of the most generous Mass schedules in the Archdiocese of Boston — twelve Masses a week in Spanish, English, and Latin. A community of Hermanas Misioneras (missionary sisters) lives in the parish, and the staff and faithful support faith formation for children, baptism and marriage preparation, Eucharistic adoration, and outreach to the sick and homebound. Whether you arrive for the 7:00 PM Latin Mass, the Saturday Vigil in English, or one of several Sunday Spanish Masses, you'll find a parish that takes seriously its vocation to serve immigrant Catholics and the broader Chelsea community.
Mass times at St. Rose of Lima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Friday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Every First Friday of the month: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Friday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Parish Identity & Heritage
St. Rose of Lima is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Boston, founded in 1844 — the first Catholic parish established in the city of Chelsea. The parish takes its name from St. Rose of Lima (1586–1617), the Peruvian Dominican tertiary known as the patron of Latin America and of gardeners; her feast is celebrated on August 23. After the original Cottage Street mission chapel proved too small, a new church was built and dedicated in 1865, opening fully in 1866, on the site the parish still occupies today at 601 Broadway.
- Founded: 1844
- Patron: St. Rose of Lima (feast August 23)
- First Catholic parish in Chelsea
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston
Clergy, Religious & Parish Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Hilario Sañez Jr., with Parochial Vicar Rev. Reynaldo Escobar and Deacon Luis Rivera assisting in the regular parish life. Rev. Joseph M. Cao Xuan Canh serves the Vietnamese Apostolate. A community of Hermanas Misioneras — Sor Josefina, Sor Orquidea, Sor Griselda, and Sor Cristina — also lives in and ministers from the parish (617-889-2156). The parish staff includes Parish Secretary Ana Ruiz and Parish Business Manager Yesica Santos.
- Rev. Hilario Sañez Jr. — Pastor
- Rev. Reynaldo Escobar — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Joseph M. Cao Xuan Canh — Vietnamese Apostolate
- Deacon Luis Rivera
- Deacon Alejandro Iraola
- Hermanas Misioneras: Sor Josefina, Sor Orquidea, Sor Griselda, Sor Cristina
- Ana Ruiz — Parish Secretary
- Yesica Santos — Parish Business Manager
Sacraments
St. Rose of Lima prepares parishioners for the sacraments of Christian initiation and life. Families seeking Baptism should call the Rectory for information; couples preparing for Marriage are asked to contact the priest at least six months in advance of the wedding. The priests also make Sick Calls — parishioners are encouraged to notify the parish office when someone is sick at home or in the hospital so that the Anointing of the Sick and Communion can be arranged.
- Baptism — call the Rectory for information
- Marriage — contact priest at least six months in advance
- Anointing of the Sick / Sick Calls — notify the office
- Confession — Tuesday and Friday, and by appointment
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a Religious Education program for children on Saturdays, complementing Catholic school attendance for sacramental preparation. The parish also benefits from the presence of the Hermanas Misioneras and the Camino Neocatecumenal community, both of which offer ongoing catechesis and adult formation. In recent years the parish has participated in the Archdiocese of Boston's Boston Catholic Appeal.
- Religious Education — Saturday program
- Hermanas Misioneras — ongoing catechetical and pastoral presence
- Camino Neocatecumenal — Saturday formation at 7:00 PM
Parish Pastoral Council & Community Life
The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is chaired by Father Hilario Sañez Jr. and includes the vicar, deacon, a missionary sister, and lay representatives from across the parish community. The PPC meets to discern and support the spiritual, charitable, and administrative life of the parish. Annual fundraising activities (such as the 2024 vehicle-and-cash raffle and the Benefactors Memorial Plaque campaign) help sustain parish operations and chapel renovations.
- Chairman: Father Hilario Sañez Jr.
- Members: Fr. Reynaldo Escobar, Deacon Luis Rivera, Sor Josefina Rosario
- Lay members: Julia Chuy, Jorge Chuy, Jaime Aguilar, Rosa Aguilar, Rosaivette Baez, Madalena Reyes, Ramona Rodríguez, Edith Hernández
Visiting & Getting Involved
Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed. The rectory office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and closed on Wednesdays. Newcomers are encouraged to register with the parish by contacting the office; those wishing to volunteer can speak with the priests about ministries such as faith formation, hospitality, choir, fundraising, and visiting the sick.
- Rectory office hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri — 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed Wednesdays)
- Phone: 617-889-2774; Fax: 617-889-2854
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 601 Broadway, Chelsea, MA 02150
- Parish parking — ask Fr. Reynaldo or call the rectory
Historical Foundations
Before 1850, the few Catholics in Chelsea had to travel to East Boston or Salem to attend Sunday Mass. The arrival of Irish immigrants in the 1840s created the critical mass that led Fr. Charles Smith to purchase a house on Cottage Street in 1849 and convert it into Chelsea's first Catholic church and rectory. The parish was canonically established under the name of St. Rose of Lima in 1844.
- 1844 — parish founded
- 1849 — Fr. Charles Smith opens Cottage Street chapel
- 1865 — new church dedicated
- 1866 — church completed and in full use
Parish Schools & the Sisters of Notre Dame
Under Fr. James McGlew (pastor from 1867), St. Rose of Lima became a major center of Catholic education in Chelsea. The Girls School and Convent opened in 1871 under the Sisters of Notre Dame; St. Rose High School graduated its first three young women in 1877. The Sisters of Notre Dame — who had arrived in Massachusetts to address the desperate circumstances of immigrant women — eventually withdrew from the parish in the late 1880s after deciding that teaching boys was inconsistent with their congregation's spirit. A boys' school opened in 1889.
- 1871 — St. Rose's Girls School and Convent opened; Sisters of Notre Dame invited
- 1877 — first St. Rose High School graduation (three students)
- 1889 — boys' school opened; Sisters of Notre Dame subsequently withdrew
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles Smithcirca 1849
Founder; bought a small house on Cottage Street and converted it into Chelsea's first Catholic church and rectory.
- Rev. James McGlewfrom 1867
Built the new St. Rose of Lima Church (completed 1866/dedicated 1865) and established St. Rose's Girls School and Convent (1871) and later the boys' school (1889).