About St. Thomas More · Somerset, Massachusetts
St. Thomas More is a Roman Catholic parish in Somerset, Massachusetts, in the Diocese of Fall River. Originally a mission church of St. Patrick's in Somerset village, it was canonically erected as a separate parish in 1949 and grew quickly enough that its present church was built in 1965–66 and dedicated on November 6, 1966 by Bishop James Louis Connolly. Since October 1, 2022, St. Thomas More has been one of three worship sites of the newly formed Our Lady of Peace Parish (alongside St. Patrick in Somerset and St. Louis de France in Swansea). Sunday Mass at St. Thomas More is celebrated at 9:00 AM, with weekday Mass and confessions handled at the partner sites.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- Saint Thomas More
- Rector
- Rev. Timothy P. Reis
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
St. Thomas More is the Somerset worship site of Our Lady of Peace Parish — a Catholic community that worships at three churches (St. Thomas More, St. Patrick, and St. Louis de France) and shares priests, faith formation, and ministries across them. Sunday Mass at St. Thomas More is celebrated at 9:00 AM, and the parish offers the full sacramental life — baptism, marriage preparation, RCIA, Holy Communion brought to the homebound, and reconciliation — with weekday Masses and confessions at the St. Louis de France site. Religious education for the merged parish is based at St. Thomas More, with dedicated music directors, Eucharistic Ministers, and a welcoming territorial-parish tradition that goes back to 1949.
Mass times at St. Thomas More
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM at St. Louis de France Church, 56 Buffington Street, Swansea
- By appointment with the pastor
History of St. Thomas More Parish
The Saint Thomas More Parish in Somerset began as a mission of Saint Patrick's in Somerset village, with the chapel planned during the tenure of St. Patrick's pastor Rev. Thomas C. Doherty (1930–1938). In 1949 the chapel was canonically erected as a separate parish. Bishop James Cassidy soon added a wing to accommodate rapid growth, but by 1960 the parish had again outgrown its space. In June 1964, Rev. Howard A. Waldron was transferred from Our Lady of Victory in Centerville with a mandate to build a new church; construction began in spring 1965 and the completed building was dedicated on November 6, 1966 by Bishop James Louis Connolly. The parish has served over 3,500 souls as a territorial parish and, since October 1, 2022, has been one of three worship sites of the merged Our Lady of Peace Parish.
- Origin: mission of St. Patrick's, Somerset village
- 1949: canonically erected as separate parish
- 1965–1966: present church built under Fr. Howard A. Waldron
- November 6, 1966: dedicated by Bishop James Louis Connolly
- October 1, 2022: merged into Our Lady of Peace Parish
Our Lady of Peace Parish (Merged Community)
Effective October 1, 2022, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., suppressed St. Thomas More, St. Patrick, and St. Louis de France as separate parishes and erected the new Our Lady of Peace Parish. All three church buildings remain open. Daily Mass is offered at St. Louis de France; weekend Masses are celebrated at all three sites; and religious education is housed at St. Thomas More. The parish office is at 386 Luther Avenue, Somerset.
- Worship sites: St. Thomas More (Somerset), St. Patrick (Somerset), St. Louis de France (Swansea)
- Pastoral plan approved by Bishop da Cunha; founding pastor Rev. David A. Costa
- Parish office: 386 Luther Avenue, Somerset
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Thomas More is served as part of Our Lady of Peace Parish by a pastor, a deacon, a pastoral associate, three Dominican weekend assistants from Providence College, and lay staff in administration, faith formation, music, and facilities.
- Rev. Timothy P. Reis – Pastor
- Rev. Deacon Robert Craig – Parish Deacon
- Sister Kathleen (Kathee) Corrigan, S.U.S.C. – Pastoral Associate
- Rev. Kenneth Sicard, O.P.; Rev. Gabriel Pivarnik, O.P.; Rev. James Quigley, O.P. – Weekend Assistants
- Wendy Thibault – Administrative Assistant
- Anne Cabral – Faith Formation (per 2024 bulletin); previously Michael Fitzpatrick
- Heidi Dion & Frank Wilhelm – Music Directors
- Bill Mathieu, Tony Silvia, Eduardo Vieira – Parish Facilities
Sacraments
The parish offers the full sacramental life. Baptism is scheduled monthly by calling the rectory. Couples must begin marriage arrangements at least eight months in advance. Eucharistic Ministers bring Holy Communion weekly to parishioners who are ill, elderly, or homebound. The RCIA program welcomes adults inquiring about the Catholic faith as well as baptized Catholics preparing to receive Holy Communion and Confirmation.
- Baptism – scheduled monthly
- Marriage – 8 months advance notice
- Anointing / Communion of the Sick – call the rectory
- RCIA – call the rectory to inquire
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education for Our Lady of Peace Parish is based at St. Thomas More, which the Fall River Herald News noted has 'ample classroom space and a large hall.' The program serves children in grades 1 through 9 and is staffed by a director of religious education. A separate phone line (508-679-1236) and email ([email protected]) are dedicated to faith formation.
- Grades 1–9 faith formation based at St. Thomas More
- Faith Formation phone: (508) 679-1236
- Faith Formation email: [email protected]
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music at the parish is led by directors Heidi Dion and Frank Wilhelm. Eucharistic Ministers assist at Mass and serve the homebound weekly as part of the parish's pastoral care outreach.
- Music Directors: Heidi Dion and Frank Wilhelm
- Eucharistic Ministers (incl. visits to the homebound)
New Parishioners, Giving & Office
New parishioners are welcomed to introduce themselves and register; registration forms are located at the entrance of the church. The parish offers an E-Giving electronic donation program as an alternative to envelope giving, with sign-up available via the website or the parish office. Rectory office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
- New parishioner registration at church entrance
- E-Giving electronic contribution program
- Rectory office: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–3:30 PM
- Rectory fax: (508) 567-5177
Diocese & Wider Church
St. Thomas More is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River, which covers southeastern Massachusetts and includes the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. The diocese is led by Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., who issued the decree merging St. Thomas More, St. Patrick, and St. Louis de France into Our Lady of Peace Parish effective October 1, 2022.
- Diocese of Fall River
- Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D.
- Decree of merger issued September 2022; effective Oct. 1, 2022
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor William H. Harrington1949 –
First pastor of St. Thomas More Parish.
- Rev. Joseph K. Welsh
Late pastor; succeeded Monsignor Harrington.
- Rev. Howard A. WaldronJune 1964 – November 1978
Transferred from Our Lady of Victory, Centerville; given the mandate to build the present church, completed and dedicated Nov. 6, 1966.
- Monsignor John J. Regan1978 –
Succeeded Father Waldron on his retirement.
- Monsignor Henry T. Monroe
Succeeded Monsignor Regan.
- Monsignor John J. Steakem– October 2000
Late; died in office October 2000.
- Rev. Michael K. McManus2000 – 2001
Filled in after Monsignor Steakem's death.
- Rev. Edward J. ByingtonJune 2001 – June 2006
Retired June 2006.
- Monsignor Edmund J. FitzgeraldJune 2006 – June 2019
Retired June 2019.
- Rev. David A. CostaJune 26, 2019 –
Became founding pastor of merged Our Lady of Peace Parish on Oct. 1, 2022.
- Rev. Timothy P. Reis
Listed as current pastor in parish bulletin (July 2024), succeeding Fr. Costa as pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish.