About St. Theresa · Henniker, New Hampshire
St. Theresa Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the small town of Henniker, New Hampshire, established in 1945 under the Diocese of Manchester. It shares a pastoral team and worship site with neighboring St. Mary Parish in Hillsborough, and the two together are served through the website showerofroses.org. The parish's mission is to convey God's tremendous love, welcoming everyone, with daily and Sunday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, a robust set of lay ministries, and outreach to the wider community of central New Hampshire.
- Established
- 1945
- Patron
- St. Theresa (of Lisieux)
- Rector
- Rev. Marcel Martel
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester
Why belong here
St. Theresa is a welcoming small-town parish where parishioners are known by name and supported through every season of life — from a Prayer Shawl knitted for someone who is ill, to meals delivered by the Little Way Ministry, to Catholic Charities counseling, to a faith formation program that walks families through the sacraments. Sunday Mass, weekday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and Saturday Confession are all offered on-site, and the parish actively partners with neighboring St. Mary Parish in Hillsborough for a fuller schedule of Masses, devotions, and community events.
Mass times at St. Theresa
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (St. Theresa)
- Sunday after Mass at St. Mary
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (St. Theresa)
- First Wednesday of the Month 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM (St. Theresa)
- First Thursday of the Month 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (St. Mary)
History & Identity
St. Theresa Parish was founded in 1945 to serve the Catholics of Henniker and the surrounding Contoocook valley, and it is now twinned with St. Mary Parish in Hillsborough under a single pastoral team. The parish's website, showerofroses.org, takes its name from the 'shower of roses' tradition associated with St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the parish's patron saint.
- Founded 1945
- Patron: St. Thérèse of Lisieux
- Pastoral twinning with St. Mary Parish, Hillsborough
Faith Formation & Family Life
Faith formation for children and families is run through the Family Formation program, coordinated by Florence Osgood. The parish also offers the Alpha Course as an entry point for those exploring the Catholic faith, along with a separate Youth Ministry for older teens.
- Family Formation program
- Alpha Course
- Youth Ministry
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve Mass as Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers, Music Ministers, Greeters, and Usher/Basket Collectors, all organized through the Liturgical Committee.
- Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers
- Music Ministry
- Welcoming Greeters
- Usher/Basket Collectors
Pastoral Care & Outreach
A wide range of lay-led ministries accompany parishioners through every difficulty: prayer shawls are knit and blessed for those who are ill or grieving; Stephen Ministers offer one-on-one counseling in times of grief, crisis, or illness; the Parish Nurse Ministry provides basic healthcare and natural family planning guidance; and the Little Way Ministry coordinates meals, transportation, and chore help for fellow parishioners dealing with illness, injury, accident, or a new baby.
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Stephen Ministry
- Parish Nurse Ministry
- Little Way Ministry
- Martha's Ministry / Bereavement Ministry
- Homebound & Hospital Visits
Seminarian Support
The Seminarian Support Ministry walks with the seminarians of the Diocese of Manchester in a tangible way — sending letters of support and Mass intentions at the start of each school year, Christmas cards with spiritual bouquets, homemade cookies before finals, and gifts of $50 to newly ordained transitional deacons and $100 to newly ordained priests.
- Letters & Mass intentions in September
- Christmas spiritual bouquets
- Easter cookies before finals
- Gift cards for newly ordained deacons and priests
Community Outreach
St. Theresa is one of 13 rotating interfaith host sites for Family Promise of Greater Concord, providing temporary housing and meals to homeless families. Catholic Charities (Bridget Tierney) maintains a presence at the parish for counseling and social-service referrals.
- Family Promise of Greater Concord
- Catholic Charities liaison
Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Marcel Martel, with weekend assistance and hospital chaplaincy from Rev. Maurice Abasilim. Two deacons — Deacon Wayne Bolduc and Deacon Jim Rock — assist at Mass and with parish life. Lay staff include Faith Formation Coordinator Florence Osgood, Administrative Assistant Linda Patterson, St. Theresa Sexton Richard Borges, and Office Assistant Su McKinnon, M.Ed. Pastoral counseling referrals go through Catholic Charities (Bridget Tierney).
- Rev. Marcel Martel, Pastor
- Rev. Maurice Abasilim, Hospital Chaplain & Weekend Assistant
- Deacon Wayne Bolduc
- Deacon Jim Rock
- Florence Osgood, Faith Formation Coordinator
- Linda Patterson, Administrative Assistant
- Richard Borges, St. Theresa Sexton
- Su McKinnon, M.Ed., Office Assistant
- Bridget Tierney, Catholic Charities
Visiting & Contact
The parish office at 158 Old West Hopkinton Road, Henniker, is open Monday through Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (closed Thursday and Friday). To reach the parish by phone call (603) 428-3325; directions from I-89 Exit 5 via Route 202/9 to Old West Hopkinton Road are posted on the parish website and on directory listings.
- Office hours Mon–Wed 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
- Phone (603) 428-3325
- Directions from I-89 Exit 5