About St. Rose of Lima · Topsfield, Massachusetts
St. Rose of Lima is a Roman Catholic parish in Topsfield, Massachusetts, part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston. It is twinned with neighboring St. Agnes Parish in Middleton and the two share a single pastoral team, website (agnesandrose.org), and Mass/faith-formation schedule. The parish welcomes worshippers of the Tri-Town area (Topsfield, Middleton, and Boxford) with weekend Masses at its church on Park Street, a Monday evening Holy Hour, and a robust religious-education program for children and teens preparing for the sacraments.
- Established
- 1922
- Patron
- St. Rose of Lima
- Rector
- Father Daniel Hennessey
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Rose of Lima offers a small-town Catholic community with the full sacramental life of a parish — daily and weekend Mass, regular confession, weekly Eucharistic adoration, and a thriving family-faith formation program from PreK through Confirmation. Worship is offered with a livestreamed Mass option every weekend for those at home, and the parish's shared ministry with St. Agnes in Middleton means Sunday liturgy, school-aged religious education, and family ministry are all coordinated across the Tri-Town area. Long-tenured parishioners on staff — including Sue Saumsiegle, a lifetime St. Rose parishioner — underscore the parish's strong, multigenerational character.
Mass times at St. Rose of Lima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (St. Rose)
- Friday 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM (St. Rose)
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM at St. Agnes (alternate sacrament site)
- Or by appointment by calling Fr. Dan or Fr. Karlo at 978-887-5505
Adoration times
- Monday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (St. Rose)
- Friday 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM (St. Rose)
About the Parish
St. Rose of Lima is a Roman Catholic parish in Topsfield, Massachusetts, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston. It is partnered with St. Agnes Parish in Middleton — the two share a single pastor (Fr. Daniel Hennessey), parochial vicar (Fr. Karlo Hocurscak), parish staff, and a combined website at agnesandrose.org. Together they serve the Tri-Town area of Topsfield, Middleton, and Boxfield with Sunday Mass, weekday Mass, confession, adoration, sacramental preparation, and ongoing faith formation for all ages.
- Topsfield, MA (Park Street)
- Twinned with St. Agnes Parish, Middleton
- Archdiocese of Boston
History of St. Rose of Lima
The Catholic faithful of Topsfield were first organized into a parish in the early twentieth century, and the current church — a Romanesque Revival-style building on Park Street — was constructed in 1922. The parish was formally recognized for tax purposes by the IRS in March 1946 as St Rose of Lima Church. In more recent decades it has been paired with neighboring St. Agnes in Middleton to form a combined pastoral team.
- 1922 — Romanesque Revival church built on Park Street
- 1946 — Parish's 501(c)(3) tax exemption recognized
- Currently twinned with St. Agnes Parish, Middleton
- Archdiocese of Boston — Cardinal Seán P. O'Mallley's 2024 reforms now shape parish sacramental practice
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The combined St. Agnes–St. Rose religious-education program serves children from PreK through Confirmation, with separate coordinators for the early grades (Erica Yanchus), the middle grades (Melisa Hughes), and Confirmation preparation (Sue Saumsiegle). Sunday morning PreK–Grade 2 classes run during the 9:30 AM family Mass, with kids dismissed to Pathfinders (Children's Liturgy of the Word) during the readings and homily.
- PreK–Grade 2 — led by Erica Yanchus
- Grades 3–6 — led by Melisa Hughes
- Grades 7+ Confirmation — led by Sue Saumsiegle
- Two-year Confirmation program (Year 1 = 7th grade+, Year 2 = 8th/9th grade)
- First Reconciliation retreat (March) and First Communion (May) at St. Rose
Sacramental Preparation
Children typically prepare for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion in second grade, with a required reconciliation retreat in March and First Communion around mid-May (the tentative 2026 First Communion at St. Rose is May 16). Confirmation is now a two-year program beginning in 7th grade and culminating in 8th or 9th grade, in keeping with Cardinal O'Malley's 2024 lowering of the sacramental age.
- First Reconciliation retreat (Grade 2) — March 14, 11:00 AM–1:00 PM at St. Rose
- First Holy Communion (Grade 2) — May 16 at St. Rose (tentative)
- Year 1 Confirmation classes: Sundays 4:45–7:00 PM, including the 6:00 PM Mass
- Year 2 Confirmation classes: Sundays 6:45–8:00 PM, including the 6:00 PM Mass
Adult Faith Formation & OCIA (RCIA)
Adults curious about the Catholic faith — whether unbaptized, baptized Christians seeking full communion, or adult Catholics preparing to receive First Communion or Confirmation — are invited into the parish's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process. The parish office directs inquirers to contact Father Dan to begin.
- OCIA inquiry for unbaptized adults
- Christian adults seeking full communion
- Adult Catholics preparing for First Communion or Confirmation
- Contact: Father Dan — (978) 774-1958
Pastoral Team & Staff
The St. Agnes–St. Rose pastoral team is led by Pastor Fr. Daniel Hennessey and Parochial Vicar Fr. Karlo Hocurscak. The lay staff coordinates faith formation across the grade spans, baptism and family ministry, weddings, business operations, and the parish office. The staff can be reached Mon–Thu, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at (978) 774-1958.
- Father Daniel Hennessey — Pastor
- Father Karlo Hocurscak — Parochial Vicar
- Erica Yanchus — PreK–Grade 2 / First Communion Coordinator
- Melisa Hughes — Grades 3–6 Catechesis Coordinator
- Sue Saumsiegle — Confirmation Coordinator
- Lauren Sullivan — Baptism & Family Ministry Coordinator
- Monica Med — Wedding Coordinator
- Janine — Business Manager
Becoming a Parishioner
Newcomers to the Tri-Town area are warmly invited to register as parishioners. The online registration form lets you select either 'St Agnes Parish, Middleton' or 'St Rose of Lima Parish, Topsfield' in the organization dropdown. Those who are not Catholic but curious about the faith are pointed toward the OCIA process through Father Dan.
- Online new-member registration via agnesandrose.org
- OCIA for non-Catholics and adult Catholics completing sacraments
- Parish office: (978) 774-1958
Visit & Contact
St. Rose of Lima's church is located at 12 Park Street, Topsfield, MA 01983. Visitors can find weekend and weekday Mass times on the Visit page (agnesandrose.org/visit), and Sunday Masses are livestreamed from the same site via the Livestream page for those at home. Phone lines are answered Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM, at the parish office.
- Address: 12 Park Street, Topsfield, MA 01983
- Phone: (978) 887-5505
- Office: (978) 774-1958 (Mon–Thu, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM)
- Visit page: agnesandrose.org/visit
- Livestream: agnesandrose.org/live