About Sts. Francis Xavier & Paul the Apostle (Our Lady of the Snows Parish) · Milo, Maine
Sts. Francis Xavier & Paul the Apostle is a Roman Catholic mission church located at 128 Riverside Street in Milo, Maine. It is one of three worship sites of Our Lady of the Snows Parish in the Diocese of Portland in Maine, sharing a pastor with the separate St. Agnes Parish in Pittsfield as Cluster 7. The Milo church offers a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM (livestreamed) and a Friday daily Mass at 8:30 AM, along with Friday Eucharistic Adoration and Saturday confessions, serving Catholics in this rural Piscataquis County community.
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier and St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Anthony Lawir
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in Maine
Why belong here
Sts. Francis Xavier & Paul the Apostle offers a small, welcoming Catholic community in rural Piscataquis County, with a Saturday Vigil Mass and a Friday weekday Mass in a peaceful setting on Riverside Street. As part of the Our Lady of the Snows and St. Agnes cluster, the parish combines the personal feel of a mission church with access to wider parish resources like faith formation, OCIA (Order of Catholic Initiation for Adults), Vacation Bible School, FlockNote communications, and a parish library at the central Dexter office. Devotional life includes Friday morning Eucharistic Adoration (7:30–8:30 AM) followed by Mass, and Saturday confessions before the Vigil Mass.
Mass times at Sts. Francis Xavier & Paul the Apostle (Our Lady of the Snows Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM, or by appointment (call 564-2612)
Adoration times
- Friday: 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM (Mass to follow)
Parish Overview & Cluster Identity
Our Lady of the Snows Parish consists of three Catholic churches in Milo, Dover-Foxcroft, and Dexter, Maine. The cluster administrative office is at St. Anne's in Dexter (60 Free Street), with the rectory at St. Thomas Aquinas in Dover-Foxcroft. Sts. Francis Xavier & Paul the Apostle in Milo is one of the parish's mission churches. The cluster shares a pastor with the separate canonical St. Agnes Parish in Pittsfield, and together they are known as Cluster 7 of the Diocese of Portland in Maine.
- Sts. Francis Xavier & Paul the Apostle — 128 Riverside St., Milo, ME 04463
- St. Thomas Aquinas — 43 High St., Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426
- St. Anne — 64 Free St., Dexter, ME 04930
- St. Agnes Parish (separate canonical parish) — 238 Detroit St., Pittsfield, ME 04967
- Cluster administrative office: 60 Free Street, Dexter, ME 04930 / PO Box 193, Dexter, ME 04930
Sacraments & Mass Intentions
Baptism, Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick are arranged by appointment through the parish office (924-7104). Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation takes place through the Faith Formation program. The parish provides downloadable guides for participating reverently in streamed Masses from home, and links to live-streamed Masses from the Diocese of Portland, Bishop Barron's Word on Fire, EWTN, and Ascension Presents.
- Baptism — by appointment, call 924-7104
- Matrimony — by appointment, call 924-7104
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment, call 924-7104
- First Communion & Confirmation — via Faith Formation
- Live-stream resources: Diocese of Portland Facebook, Word on Fire, EWTN, Ascension Presents
Faith Formation
Faith Formation classes meet every Sunday during the school year, with programming at St. Thomas in Dover-Foxcroft at 12:30 PM (held in the CLC building across from St. Thomas Aquinas, except on holiday weekends) and at St. Agnes in Pittsfield after Mass from 9:15–10:30 AM. Families are asked to register even if they cannot regularly attend so the parish can stay in contact. Recommended donations of about $25 per child (or $50 per family) help cover books and materials.
- Sunday classes at St. Thomas (Dover-Foxcroft) — 12:30 PM
- Sunday classes at St. Agnes (Pittsfield) — 9:15–10:30 AM
- Vacation Bible School registration available
- Circle of Grace Safe Environment curriculum integrated
- Protecting God's Children / VIRTUS required for adult volunteers
OCIA (Order of Catholic Initiation for Adults)
The OCIA program (formerly RCIA) is a no-commitment educational process that begins each September. It is open to adults seeking Baptism, Christians from other denominations seeking full communion with the Catholic Church, baptized Catholics who have not yet received Confirmation and Eucharist, and any Catholic wishing to deepen their doctrinal knowledge. The parish describes Christian initiation as 'ongoing conversion,' a process of turning toward God's presence.
- Open to all adults inquiring about the Catholic faith
- Adults seeking Baptism
- Christians entering into full communion
- Baptized Catholics completing Christian Initiation (Confirmation/Eucharist)
- Catholics seeking deeper doctrinal formation
- Begins in September — contact the parish office
Parish Library & Apologetics
A Parish Library is open to anyone, offering books and media at the Parish Office, 60 Free Street in Dexter, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The parish also recommends a free Apologetics app answering more than 160 frequently asked questions on faith and morals (a print edition is available on Amazon as 'Summa Apologetica').
- Parish Library at 60 Free St., Dexter
- Open Mon–Thu, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Free Apologetics app (160+ FAQs on Catholic faith and morals)
Parish Communications (FlockNote)
FlockNote is the cluster's primary tool for communicating parish events, faith formation updates, and last-minute notifications. Parishioners can sign up by texting 'olots' to 84576 or by registering online through the parish website.
- Text 'olots' to 84576
- Online registration via the parish website
Safe Environment & Volunteer Requirements
All parish volunteers who have contact with children or vulnerable adults must attend one Protecting God's Children (PGC) training session and remain in compliance with the Diocese of Portland's Safe Environment Office by reading the monthly VIRTUS bulletins. Those without email can request printed copies through the cluster office.
- Protecting God's Children (PGC) one-time training required
- Monthly VIRTUS bulletins to remain in compliance
- Sign-up via the VIRTUS website or call the cluster office (924-7104)
- Circle of Grace curriculum for child safety education
Parish Staff
The cluster is led by a pastor shared with St. Agnes Parish and supported by a deacon, a bookkeeper, a religious education coordinator, and a secretary.
- Rev. Anthony Lawir — Pastor
- Deacon David Denbow
- Bookkeeper
- Ann Goulette — Religious Education Coordinator
- Jill Gisselere — Secretary
- Melissa Wanat — Secretary (Retired)
Contact & Visiting
Cluster office hours are Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The mailing address for the cluster is PO Box 193, Dexter, ME 04930. New parishioners are invited to fill out the parish registration form and drop it off at the parish office, place it in the collection basket, or mail it to the main office.
- Main Office: 60 Free St, Dexter, ME 04930
- Phone: (207) 924-7104
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon & Thu, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Mailing Address: PO Box 193, Dexter, ME 04930
- Parish registration form available on website