About St. Thomas More · North Stonington, Connecticut
St. Thomas More Church (87 Mystic Road, North Stonington, Connecticut) was the first Catholic church built in the town of North Stonington and was long operated as a mission of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Pawcatuck. Founded in the late 1960s to serve Catholic families living too far from Pawcatuck, it was a small cruciform-shaped church on Route 201 that, for nearly six decades, hosted Saturday Vigil Masses and parish life. In 2019 St. Thomas More was formally merged with St. Mary (Stonington Borough) and St. Michael the Archangel into one St. Michael Parish, and following declining Mass attendance and a shortage of priests in the Diocese of Norwich, the decision was made to sell the St. Thomas More property in 2025. The final Mass at St. Thomas More Church was celebrated on January 10, 2026; the surviving worship sites of St. Michael Parish are now St. Mary Church and the rebuilt St. Michael the Archangel Church, both part of the Holy Cross Community in the Diocese of Norwich.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- St. Thomas More
- Rector
- Very Rev. Dennis M. Perkins
- Diocese
- Diocese of Norwich
Why belong here
Although St. Thomas More Church itself held its final Mass on January 10, 2026, the Catholic faithful of North Stonington continue to be served by the merged St. Michael Parish, which worships at St. Mary Church in Stonington Borough and the rebuilt St. Michael the Archangel Church in Pawcatuck. Joining this community means becoming part of a parish with deep roots — St. Michael has ministered in the area since 1830 — and a thriving mission that today includes a parish school (since 1873), religious education, the extraordinary ministry of Holy Communion to the homebound, the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Stonington harbor, and active outreach and sacramental life through the Holy Cross Community.
St. Thomas More Church — A Parish That Has Closed
St. Thomas More Church at 87 Mystic Road was the first Catholic church built in North Stonington, Connecticut, opening in 1967 as a mission of St. Michael Parish in Pawcatuck. After nearly six decades of ministry on Route 201, the parish celebrated its final Mass on January 10, 2026 and the property has been sold. North Stonington Catholics now belong to St. Michael Parish, which worships at St. Mary Church in Stonington Borough and the rebuilt St. Michael the Archangel Church in Pawcatuck.
Origins in the 1960s
The mission began out of pastoral necessity: in the mid-1960s, Msgr. Terence Finnegan counted 210 Catholic families living in North Stonington who belonged to St. Michael Parish in Pawcatuck. The drive for Mass and religious education was a hardship, especially in foul winter weather and during the busy summer season. Ground was broken in April 1966 on the town's first Catholic church, and the first recorded Catholic Mass in the town's history was celebrated there on November 19, 1967.
- 1966: Groundbreaking for the first Catholic church in North Stonington
- 1967: First Mass celebrated on November 19
- Served as a 'mission' of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Pawcatuck
- Cruciform-shaped building sited on Route 201 near major highways
Reorganization and Closure (2019–2026)
In 2019, the three Catholic worship sites of the area — St. Mary in Stonington Borough, St. Michael the Archangel in Pawcatuck, and St. Thomas More in North Stonington — were formally united as a single St. Michael Parish. With declining Mass attendance and a smaller number of active priests available in the Diocese of Norwich, the parish decided in 2025 to sell the St. Thomas More property, and a final Mass was celebrated on January 10, 2026. The parish now gathers at St. Mary and St. Michael the Archangel Churches.
- 2019: merger of St. Mary, St. Michael the Archangel, and St. Thomas More into one parish
- 2025: decision to sell the St. Thomas More property
- January 10, 2026: final Mass celebrated
- Today: St. Michael Parish = St. Mary Church + St. Michael the Archangel Church
The Holy Cross Community
St. Michael Parish, together with St. Patrick Church in Mystic, is part of the Holy Cross Community in the Diocese of Norwich. The community takes its name from Father James Fitton's Mount St. James Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts — a Catholic school later sold to Bishop Fenwick that became the College of the Holy Cross. Father Fitton ministered to the Stonington–Pawcatuck faithful beginning in 1830.
- Parishes: St. Michael (Pawcatuck/Stonington), St. Patrick (Mystic)
- Patron inspiration: Father James Fitton's Mount St. James Academy (now College of the Holy Cross)
- Annual Blessing of the Fleet at Stonington harbor (~70-year tradition)
Clergy & Staff
St. Michael Parish — which now includes the North Stonington Catholics formerly served by St. Thomas More — is led by the pastor and a small team of lay staff. The rectory is at 60 Liberty Street, Pawcatuck, Connecticut.
- Very Rev. Dennis M. Perkins — Pastor (also Vicar for Clergy, Diocese of Norwich)
- Crystal Wilcox — Director of Religious Education
- Amy Babcock — Principal, St. Michael School
- Rectory: 60 Liberty Street, Pawcatuck, CT 06379 — (860) 599-5580
- Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, 8:00 am – 12:00 Noon
Worship & Sacraments
With St. Thomas More now closed, all sacraments and Masses are celebrated at the parish's remaining sites. Current schedules are posted at stmichaelpawcatuck.com.
- Saturday Vigil Mass (St. Michael the Archangel, Pawcatuck): 4:00 pm
- Sunday Masses (St. Michael the Archangel): 7:00 am, 8:30 am, 10:00 am, 11:45 am Traditional Latin Mass
- Weekday Mass (St. Michael the Archangel): 7:00 am, Monday – Friday
- Confession (St. Michael): Saturday 3:00–3:45 pm; Sunday 6:15–6:45 am and 11:15–11:45 am
- Adoration (St. Michael): Monday, Wednesday & Friday 6:00–7:00 am; First Friday of the month 8:30–10:30 am
- Confession (St. Mary): Sunday 7:15–7:45 am
St. Michael School
The parish school, founded by Father Jeremiah Fitzpatrick in 1873 and originally staffed by the Sisters of Mercy, is still a thriving mission of St. Michael Parish. Although the Sisters no longer teach there, the school continues to provide Catholic education in the area — the oldest such school in the region.
- Founded 1873 by Father Jeremiah Fitzpatrick
- Originally staffed by the Sisters of Mercy
- Current principal: Amy Babcock
Religious Education & Ministries
Faith formation and parish ministries support the spiritual life of the merged community. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bring the Eucharist to the homebound and assist at liturgies; parish communications run through Flocknote (text MILO to 84576).
- Director of Religious Education: Crystal Wilcox
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (must be 19+, practicing Catholics, registered in the parish)
- Parish Flocknote — text MILO to 84576 or email the parish secretary
- Annual Blessing of the Fleet with Fishermen's Mass at St. Mary Church
Location, Contact, and Notes for Former St. Thomas More Parishioners
St. Thomas More Church stood at 87 Mystic Road, North Stonington, CT 06359. The St. Thomas More-specific phone number on record is (860) 535-1601; the main St. Michael Parish rectory line is (860) 599-5580. Following the closure of the St. Thomas More site, North Stonington parishioners now gather at St. Mary Church (22 Broad Street, Stonington Borough) and St. Michael the Archangel Church (60 Liberty Street, Pawcatuck).
- St. Thomas More — 87 Mystic Rd, North Stonington, CT 06359 — (closed 2026)
- St. Mary Church — 22 Broad Street, Stonington Borough
- St. Michael the Archangel — 60 Liberty Street, Pawcatuck, CT 06379
- Website: stmichaelpawcatuck.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/stmichaelpawcatuck
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Terence Finneganmid-1960s
Pastor of St. Michael Parish who identified the 210 North Stonington families in his flock and led the effort to build St. Thomas More Church (groundbroken 1966, opened 1967).