About St. Vincent de Paul · Lenox Dale, Massachusetts
St. Vincent de Paul Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the village of Lenox Dale in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. Originally founded in 1904 as a mission of nearby St. Ann Parish in Lenox to serve the immigrant mill workers of Lenox Dale (largely Irish, French-Canadian, Italian and German families), the church was dedicated on November 27, 1904 by Bishop Thomas P. Beavan. It became an independent parish in the early 1910s. Today St. Vincent de Paul is one of three linked parishes — the 'AVP Tri-Parish Community' of St. Ann (Lenox), St. Vincent de Paul (Lenox Dale), and St. Patrick (West Stockbridge) — under one pastor, Monsignor John J. Bonzagni. The parish is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts and gathers for one weekly Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30 PM.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Rector
- Monsignor John J. Bonzagni
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts
Why belong here
St. Vincent de Paul offers a small, close-knit Catholic community rooted in the working-class immigrant heritage of Lenox Dale, where generations of mill families have worshipped together for over a century. As one of three churches in the AVP Tri-Parish Community, it draws on the combined ministries, faith formation, and sacramental life of St. Ann in Lenox and St. Patrick in West Stockbridge, while retaining its own intimate neighborhood presence at 29 Crystal Street. The parish's Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30 PM, easy access to confession by appointment, weekly adoration at St. Ann's Family Center, and the ongoing tri-parish faith formation and sacramental programs make it a welcoming place for both long-time Berkshire Catholics and newcomers.
Mass times at St. Vincent de Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 6:00 PM (immediately after the 5:30 PM Vigil Mass) at St. Vincent de Paul, or by appointment
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM at St. Ann Church (tri-parish option), or by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday, 7:30 AM–12:00 PM at St. Ann Family Center (tri-parish)
History of St. Vincent de Paul Parish
St. Vincent de Paul was born as a mission of St. Ann's in 1903–04 to serve the immigrant mill workers of Lenox Dale. Under the Rev. William F. Grace the church was built and dedicated by Bishop Thomas P. Beavan on November 27, 1904. It became an independent parish in the early 1910s and for most of the 20th century shared a close, intertwined history with St. Ann Parish next door.
- 1903 — Father William F. Grace becomes pastor of St. Ann's and begins work on a Lenox Dale mission church
- November 27, 1904 — St. Vincent de Paul Church dedicated by Bishop Thomas P. Beavan
- Early 1910s — St. Vincent de Paul becomes an independent parish
- 1989 — Yoked with St. Ann's under one pastor, Rev. Daniel B. Brunton
- 2001 — Rev. Christopher J. Waitekus succeeds Father Brunton upon his retirement
- 2015 — Monsignor John J. Bonzagni appointed pastor of the new AVP Tri-Parish Community
The AVP Tri-Parish Community
Since 2015, St. Vincent de Paul has been administered together with St. Ann Parish (Lenox) and St. Patrick Parish (West Stockbridge) under one pastor, sharing Mass schedules, faith formation, sacramental preparation, staff, and the parish office at 134 Main Street, Lenox. The trio is known locally as the 'AVP Tri-Parish Community.'
- St. Ann Parish — 134 Main Street, Lenox (the principal church of the community)
- St. Vincent de Paul Parish — 29 Crystal Street, Lenox Dale
- St. Patrick Parish — 30 Albany Road, West Stockbridge
- Pastor: Monsignor John J. Bonzagni
- Deacons: George Keator, John Zick, Dan Romanello
- Pastor Emeritus: Rev. Daniel B. Brunton
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation in the AVP community is organized centrally through the tri-parish office at the St. Ann Rectory in Lenox. Please contact the parish office for schedules of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick preparation.
- Baptism (infant and adult/RCIA)
- First Holy Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage — contact parish office to begin preparation
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturday 6:00 PM at St. Vincent de Paul, Saturday 3:00 PM at St. Ann's, or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
Faith Formation & Ministries
Faith formation, RCIA, youth ministry, and other catechetical programs are offered tri-parishly so that all families in Lenox, Lenox Dale, and West Stockbridge can share resources. Parish outreach draws on the patron saint's example of charity, and the parish regularly hosts fundraisers and community events in cooperation with the Lenox Dale Fire Company.
- Tri-parish Faith Formation
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Liturgical music / parish choir
- Eucharistic Adoration ministry
- Outreach and charitable works in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul
- Annual block dances and cornhole tournaments with the Lenox Dale Fire Company
Clergy & Staff
St. Vincent de Paul is pastored by Monsignor John J. Bonzagni, who was assigned permanent pastor in December 2015 and who also serves the Diocese of Springfield as Director of Pastoral Planning. He is assisted by three permanent deacons. Father Daniel B. Brunton, who first yoked St. Ann's and St. Vincent de Paul in 1989, remains Pastor Emeritus.
- Pastor: Monsignor John J. Bonzagni (since December 2015)
- Deacon George Keator
- Deacon John Zick
- Deacon Dan Romanello
- Pastor Emeritus: Rev. Daniel B. Brunton
- Parish office staffed Tue–Thu 9:00 AM–3:00 PM at St. Ann Rectory, Lenox
Visiting & Getting Involved
Visitors are warmly welcomed to St. Vincent de Paul's Saturday Vigil Mass or to any of the other AVP parishes' daily or Sunday services. The parish invites Catholics and newcomers to register, join a ministry, or simply attend — the small size of the Lenox Dale church is part of what makes it feel like a true neighborhood parish.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:30 PM at 29 Crystal Street, Lenox Dale
- Sunday Masses are celebrated at St. Ann's (Lenox) at 9:45 AM and 11:15 AM, and at St. Patrick's (West Stockbridge) at 8:30 AM
- Parish office: 134 Main Street, Lenox — open Tue–Thu 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
- Phone: (413) 637-0157 — Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William F. Grace1903–1922
Built St. Vincent de Paul Church in Lenox Dale (dedicated Nov 27, 1904) and the present St. Ann's Church (1911–12); also installed cemetery gate/wall and acquired The Willows rectory.
- Rev. Thomas B. Cunningham1922–
Succeeded Father Grace; demolished the original wooden St. Ann's Church and sold The Willows.
- Rev. Thomas S. Hanrahanby 1970
Celebrated St. Ann's centenary in 1970 and commissioned a 36-page illustrated parish history.
- Rev. Daniel B. Brunton1989–2001
First pastor of the yoked St. Ann–St. Vincent de Paul parishes after the 1989 diocesan reorganization; now Pastor Emeritus. Assisted by Deacon George Keator.
- Rev. Christopher J. 'C.J.' Waitekus2001–2015
Led the three-church AVP community (St. Ann, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Patrick) for fourteen years.
- Monsignor John J. Bonzagni2015–present
Appointed by Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski; also serves as Director of Pastoral Planning for the Diocese of Springfield.