About St. Thomas the Apostle · Peabody, Massachusetts
St. Thomas the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish in Peabody, Massachusetts, part of the Archdiocese of Boston and united in a pastoral collaborative with St. John the Baptist Parish ("Two parishes with one mission: to bring Jesus Christ to all!"). The parish serves a faithful made up of English-, Spanish-, and Portuguese-speaking Catholics — Mass is celebrated in all three languages, with a Sunday Brazilian Mass at 11:30 AM, a Sunday Hispanic Mass at St. John's at 11:30 AM, plus a daily 7:00 PM Spanish Mass. The original St. Thomas the Apostle Church building sits at 260 North Street in Salem on the Salem/Peabody line; the parish office and most parish life are run from 3 Margin Street, Peabody (978-531-0224).
- Established
- 1927
- Patron
- St. Thomas the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Andreas R. Davison
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
St. Thomas the Apostle welcomes Catholics from three language communities under one roof — English, Portuguese (Brazilian), and Spanish — with Mass celebrated in all three every Sunday, plus weekday Masses and Eucharistic Adoration. The parish is part of the Peabody Catholic Parishes collaborative with St. John the Baptist, sharing clergy, a faith formation program that runs from Grade 1 through Confirmation (Grades 8+), youth ministry, men's and women's ACTS retreats, and ministries in music, hospitality, and outreach. A new commercial kitchen has just been completed in the school gym as the parish prepares to mark its 100th anniversary in 2027, and parishioners are invited into a clearly active, multigenerational Catholic life on the North Shore.
Mass times at St. Thomas the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM (at the church where the 4:00 PM Vigil Mass is being celebrated)
- Daily 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM at St. John the Baptist, Upper Church
Adoration times
- 1st Friday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, St. Thomas Chapel (followed by Brazilian Adoration/Devotion 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM)
- Sunday–Saturday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM, St. John's Upper Church
About the Parish
St. Thomas the Apostle is one of two parishes in the Peabody Catholic Parishes collaborative (alongside St. John the Baptist, founded 1871), led by Pastor Fr. Andreas R. Davison. The two parishes share one mission: 'to bring Jesus Christ to all.' St. Thomas itself was founded in 1927 and its present church dedicated in 1931, making the parish a nearly century-old fixture of Catholic life on the Route 114 corridor between Peabody and Salem. Together the two parishes run a school, religious education, music and youth programs, and outreach to Brooksby Village.
- Two parishes, one mission: St. John the Baptist & St. Thomas the Apostle
- Parish founded 1927; church dedicated 1931
- Approaching 100th Anniversary (2027)
History & Centennial Preparation
The parish was created in 1927 within the Archdiocese of Boston to serve Catholics in the southern Peabody / northern Salem area, and the current St. Thomas the Apostle Church (260 North Street, on the Salem/Peabody line) was dedicated in 1931. In a January 2026 parish-wide letter, Pastor Fr. Andreas R. Davison announced that the parish is preparing to celebrate its 100th Anniversary and listed several renewal projects, beginning with a new commercial kitchen in the school gym and the possibility of repainting the interior of the church to refresh the sacred space. The parish has begun a monthly additional collection to fund these milestone efforts.
- Parish founded 1927; church dedicated 1931 (Archdiocese of Boston list of churches)
- 100th Anniversary preparations underway (announced January 2026)
- New commercial kitchen built in the school gym at St. Thomas
- Possible interior repainting of the church as part of anniversary projects
Clergy & Staff
The pastoral team serves both parishes in the Peabody Catholic collaborative, Saint John School, and Brooksby Village. Pastor Fr. Andreas R. Davison is assisted by two parochial vicars — Fr. Paul G. McManus for Hispanic Ministry and Fr. Antonio L. Dos Santos for Brazilian Ministry — and by Deacons Leo Martin and Jesús M. Peña. A lay staff team runs faith formation, liturgy and music, finance and operations, and administrative support; Andrew Genovese serves as Pastoral Assistant / Director of Faith Formation across both parishes.
- Rev. Andreas R. Davison — Pastor
- Rev. Paul G. McManus (Padre Paúl) — Parochial Vicar, Hispanic Ministry
- Rev. Antonio L. Dos Santos (Pe. Antonio) — Parochial Vicar, Brazilian Ministry
- Deacon Leo Martin
- Deacon Jesús M. Peña
- Andrew Genovese — Pastoral Assistant / Director of Faith Formation
- Charlene Carrier — Confirmation, Faith Formation (Grades 8+)
- Tracy Palen — Finance & Operations Manager
- Danise Mendonça — Administrative Assistant / Bulletin Editor
- Janet O'Connor — Administrative Assistant
- Kim Araiza — Music Director (English)
- Giuliano Martins — Music Ministry (Brazilian)
- Raisa Ferreras — Music Ministry (Hispanic)
- Lucy Cortez — Spanish Religious Education
- Maria O'Toole — St. Thomas Liturgy Coordinator
- Brooksby Catholic Ministry: 978-536-7947
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is run jointly for the two parishes out of the collaborative's religious education program. Grade-school faith formation (Grades 1–8) and Confirmation preparation (Grades 8+) are staffed by Andrew Genovese (Director of Faith Formation) and Charlene Carrier. The parish also runs Brazilian Faith Formation (Grades 1–10) and Hispanic Religious Education / Sacramental preparation. Parents with children needing catch-up sacraments are encouraged to contact the parish office; a January 2026 bulletin invited seventh- and eighth-grade and high-school students to a new youth ministry gathering with prayer, games, pizza, and a movie.
- Grades 1–8 Religious Education (Andrew Genovese, 978-826-7524)
- Grades 8+ Confirmation (Charlene Carrier, 978-826-7515)
- Brazilian Faith Formation, Grades 1–10 (Parish Office 978-531-0224)
- Hispanic Religious Education (Fr. Paul McManus, 978-531-0002)
- Youth Ministry gatherings for 7th–12th graders
Music & Liturgy
Music ministry is organized by language community under overall Music Director Kim Araiza. Giuliano Martins leads the Brazilian (Portuguese) music ministry, Raisa Ferreras leads the Hispanic (Spanish) music ministry, and Maria O'Toole coordinates liturgy at St. Thomas. The parish is also preparing for an organ concert at St. John the Baptist Church (a recent event listed on the parish calendar), reflecting an ongoing tradition of congregational and choral music across the collaborative.
- Kim Araiza — Music Director
- Giuliano Martins — Brazilian Music Ministry
- Raisa Ferreras — Hispanic Music Ministry
- Maria O'Toole — St. Thomas Liturgy Coordinator
Sacraments
Baptisms, Confirmation, First Communion, Reconciliation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick are all celebrated through the parish office. Baptism schedules are clearly defined by language community, and baptism preparation is handled by parish staff. To schedule a baptism, parishioners are asked to call Danise Mendonça at 978-826-7532, leaving a name and best contact number.
- Baptism (English): 1st Sunday of each month at 2:00 PM at St. Thomas
- Baptism (Brazilian): 3rd Saturday of each month at 10:30 AM at St. Thomas
- Baptism (Hispanic): every Saturday at 4:00 PM in the Chapel at St. John's
- Baptism scheduling: Danise Mendonça, 978-826-7532
- Confirmation preparation for Grades 8+
- Marriage, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick by appointment
Parish Life, Retreats & Outreach
Beyond the regular schedule, the parish runs men's and women's ACTS retreats (SJST Men's ACTS Retreat April 16–19, 2026; SJST Women's ACTS Retreat March 12–15, 2026 at St. Thecla Retreat House), supports parish Thrift Shops (a way for teens to earn service hours), and reaches out to Brooksby Village residents through Brooksby Catholic Ministry. The collaborative also participates annually in the Catholic Appeal, the Archdiocese of Boston's central fund that supports parishes, schools, and communities throughout the archdiocese.
- SJST Men's ACTS Retreat (annual)
- SJST Women's ACTS Retreat (annual)
- Parish Thrift Shops (service hours opportunity)
- Brooksby Catholic Ministry (978-536-7947)
- 2025 / 2026 Catholic Appeal participation