About St. Theresa Church · Rye Beach, New Hampshire
St. Theresa Catholic Church is a year-round Roman Catholic parish serving the seacoast community of Rye Beach, New Hampshire, in the Diocese of Manchester (Seacoast Deanery). It is named for St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the "Little Flower of Jesus," and lives out her spirituality of "not great deeds, but great love." The parish is currently pastored by Rev. Gary J. Kosmowski, who also serves as pastor of nearby Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Church in Hampton. Worship is centered on a granite church built in 1947, famous for its Charles J. Connick stained glass windows, and supported by faith formation, outreach, and Eucharistic adoration ministries.
- Established
- 1947 (first Mass); established as a year-round parish in 1979
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the Little Flower of Jesus)
- Rector
- Rev. Gary J. Kosmowski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester (Seacoast Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Theresa offers a warm, traditional Catholic home on the New Hampshire seacoast with two weekend Masses, daily weekday Mass, Friday Eucharistic Adoration, Saturday confession, and a live-streamed liturgy for those at home or away. Families are supported by sacramental preparation, the children's 'His Little Way' ministry, youth faith formation, and a youth track to the Steubenville Conference, while adults can grow through Bible study, the Men's Ministry, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. A vibrant outreach arm — including the St. Vincent de Paul Community Kitchen in Hampton and a parish knitting ministry that makes baptismal lap robes and hats — invites every parishioner to put faith into action.
Mass times at St. Theresa Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (in the church, before the 4:00 PM Vigil Mass)
Adoration times
- Friday 9:00–10:00 AM (Eucharistic Adoration)
Parish History: From Summer Mission to Year-Round Parish
For forty summers, St. Theresa was not a parish at all but a mission served by rotating priests of the Diocese of Manchester. Catholics of Rye, Rye Beach, and surrounding seacoast towns first gathered for Mass in the small hall above the Rye Beach Post Office, and later for three years in the recreation hall of the Appledore Inn — where a generous non-Catholic owner, Mrs. Mathilde Kirkegaard, regularly drove flowers up from Massachusetts to adorn the altar. The Diocese of Manchester, under Bishop Matthew F. Brady, purchased the Central Road site in 1945 for $3,000 and broke ground in June 1946. The first Mass was celebrated on June 22, 1947, and Bishop Brady formally dedicated the granite church on July 13, 1947. As permanent residents grew in number, Bishop Brady's successor elevated St. Theresa to a year-round parish in 1979, with Rev. John V. Moran installed as its first resident pastor on September 4 of that year.
- Mission era Masses held above the Rye Beach Post Office and at the Appledore Inn
- Site purchased by the Diocese of Manchester in 1945 for $3,000
- Cornerstone laid by Bishop Brady, June 1946; church completed October 1947
- First Mass: June 22, 1947; formal dedication: July 13, 1947
- Made a year-round parish in 1979 by the Diocese of Manchester
Building the Church
The church was built of random granite blocks to suit its New Hampshire seacoast setting. The architect was John P. Heffernan of Boston and the builder was Walsh Brothers, also of Boston. The original plan called for a small bell tower, but with an eye on the church one day serving year-round, the tower was redesigned to house the chimney for the new heating boiler — a pragmatic decision that paved the way for St. Theresa's later transition to a full parish.
- Random granite-block construction
- Architect: John P. Heffernan (Boston)
- Builder: Walsh Brothers (Boston)
- Bell tower repurposed as a chimney to allow year-round heating
The Connick Stained Glass Windows
The visual heart of St. Theresa is its stained glass program by the celebrated Charles J. Connick Associates of Boston, donated by former Massachusetts Governor Alvin T. Fuller and Mrs. Fuller. The set was formally dedicated by Bishop Brady at an 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday, July 13, 1958 — eleven years to the day after the church's own dedication. It includes a rose window over the altar (Christ the King enthroned, bearing scepter and orb), a rose window over the entrance showing St. Thérèse in Carmelite robes with crucifix and red rose attended by angels, and eleven groups of side windows totaling forty panels that trace the Life of Christ from the Annunciation through the Ascension.
- Designer: Charles J. Connick Associates of Boston
- Donors: Hon. Alvin T. Fuller (former Governor of Massachusetts) and Mrs. Fuller
- Dedicated July 13, 1958 by Bishop Matthew F. Brady
- Two rose windows (over altar and over entrance) and 11 side window groups (40 panels)
- Side window sequence follows the Gospel (north) and Epistle (south) sides
Our Patron: St. Thérèse of Lisieux
The parish takes its name from St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the French Carmelite nun known as "the Little Flower of Jesus." The parish mission statement — drawn from her spirituality — is that what matters in life is "not great deeds, but great love." The rose window over the church's entrance depicts her in Carmelite robes with her traditional attributes: the crucifix and a red rose, the flower she promised to let fall as a "shower of roses" after her death.
- Feast day: October 1
- Emblem: red rose and crucifix
- "Little Way" of small, loving acts inspires parish life
The Rectory (815 Central Road)
Directly across the street from the church stands the parish rectory at 815 Central Road, the former home of the Swan sisters, who wanted their house to go to the Church. Since St. Theresa became a year-round parish in 1979, this private home has served as the residence of each pastor and as a quiet seashore retreat for visiting priests.
St. Theresa Leadership
The parish is led today by Rev. Gary J. Kosmowski, who became St. Theresa's full-time pastor in 2017 and also serves as pastor of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Church in Hampton. He is assisted by a priest in residence and a permanent deacon, supported by a parish staff including the office contact Lucy Heguy.
- Rev. Gary J. Kosmowski — Pastor (since 2017)
- Rev. Bartholomew Okonkwo — Priest in Residence
- Deacon Stephen Kaneb — Permanent Deacon
- Lucy Heguy — Parish Office
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Theresa's faith formation programs exist to help children, young adults, and adults develop a loving relationship with God and to live as Catholic disciples and witnesses. The parish supports parents as the primary educators of the faith, teaches the Great Commandment, encourages daily prayer, prepares children and families for the Sacraments, and fosters a strong sense of belonging to the parish family through Sunday Mass and parish life.
- His Little Way — children's ministry for ages 4–7 (1st & 3rd Sundays, 9:00–9:45 AM, Sept–May)
- Youth Faith Formation (Life Long Faith Formation) — sacramental prep and ongoing catechesis
- Sacramental Preparation: Reconciliation (Grade 2+), Confirmation & First Eucharist (Grade 3+)
- Steubenville Youth Conference — annual youth retreat trip
- Adult Bible Study
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Adult Formation & Small Groups
Adults have several ways to grow in faith at St. Theresa. The parish offers an ongoing Adult Bible Study, a Men's Ministry, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults for those discerning full communion with the Catholic Church. A Catholic Resources page on the parish website links members to free and member-supported Catholic media, including the FORMED digital platform (parish access code) and Formed.org resources.
- Adult Bible Study
- Men's Ministry
- RCIA
- FORMED digital library access for parishioners
Outreach Ministries & Service
Putting faith into action is central to parish life at St. Theresa. Outreach is coordinated by the parish and welcomes both parishioners and community members. Particular attention is given to the St. Vincent de Paul Community Kitchen in Hampton, where St. Theresa volunteers help cook and serve meals four evenings a week, and to a parish knitting ministry that lovingly crafts baptismal items for the parish's newest members.
- St. Vincent de Paul Community Kitchen, Hampton — meals served Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 5:00–6:30 PM (volunteer coordinator: Lisa, 603-929-4427)
- Knit/Crochet Together — Sundays 11:00 AM in the Parish Center and Tuesdays 9:00 AM downstairs; makes lap robes and hats for baptized babies; yarn and instructions provided
- Outreach coordinator: Anne Hoeing ([email protected])
Sacraments at St. Theresa
St. Theresa prepares parishioners of all ages to receive the Sacraments. Children typically celebrate First Reconciliation in Grade 2 or older, and First Eucharist and Confirmation in Grade 3 or older, following the parish's two-year Sacramental Preparation track. The parish also welcomes inquiries about Baptism, Marriage, and adult initiation through RCIA — contact the Parish Office or email the parish staff to begin.
- Baptism — contact the Parish Office; baptismal items handmade by the Knit/Crochet ministry
- First Eucharist — Grade 3 and older, after Sacramental Preparation
- Reconciliation (First Penance) — Grade 2 and older
- Confirmation — Grade 3 and older, after Sacramental Preparation
- Marriage — contact the Parish Office
- RCIA — adult initiation
Joining & Supporting the Parish
Newcomers can register online through the "Join Our Parish" page on the parish website. The parish also publishes an annual Fiscal Report ('24) and offers online giving through its website for those wishing to support the mission of St. Theresa. The Msgr. Moe Scholarship Fund honors the memory of Monsignor Lavigne, the parish's beloved second pastor.
- Online parish registration
- Online giving via the parish website
- Fiscal Report '24
- Msgr. Moe Scholarship Fund
Plan Your Visit
St. Theresa sits on Central Road in the village of Rye Beach, NH — directly across the street from the rectory at 815 Central Road. Weekend Masses are at the easy-to-remember times of Saturday 4:00 PM and Sunday 8:00 & 10:00 AM, with confession offered beforehand at 3:00 PM Saturday. If you can't be there in person, the parish live-streams its liturgies on the website, and bulletin announcements, holy day schedules, and formation sign-ups are posted under each menu page. Call (603) 964-6440 or email the parish office for pastoral needs; the office is staffed Monday through Friday.
- Address: 820 Central Road, PO Box 482, Rye Beach, NH 03871
- Phone: (603) 964-6440
- Email: Parish Office — [email protected]
- Confession: Saturday 3:00 PM
- Live-stream Masses via sainttheresachurchrye.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John V. Moran1979–1999
St. Theresa's first resident pastor; arrived September 4, 1979 and offered the first daily Mass the next morning; retired June 1999 after nearly 20 years.
- Rev. Msgr. Maurice D. "Moe" Lavigne1999–2017
Manchester native; studied at St. Francis Seminary, Loretto, PA (from 1962); ordained May 18, 1968; previously pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Manchester; ordained Monsignor by Bishop Peter A. Libasci in spring 2017; died September 23, 2017.
- Rev. Gary J. Kosmowski2017–present
Became full-time pastor in 2017; also serves as pastor of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Church in Hampton, NH.
- Msgr. Edward A. Clark, PA, VGuntil 1979
Rector of the St. Theresa summer mission under the Diocese of Manchester before the parish became year-round.
- Msgr. Thomas S. Hansberry, PA, VGuntil 1979
Rector of the St. Theresa summer mission alongside Msgr. Clark.