About The Conversion of St. Paul · Barton, Vermont
The Conversion of St. Paul is a Roman Catholic church in the village of Barton, Vermont, set in the Northeast Kingdom along the state's northern border. Founded in 1893 and built in its present form in 1903, the parish is named for the biblical Conversion of St. Paul — a story mirrored by the parish's own history, when in 1878 a Congregationalist meetinghouse was purchased and 'converted' into a Catholic church. Today the church operates as one of three worship sites of Most Holy Trinity Parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, sharing pastoral ministry with St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Orleans and St. John Vianney in Irasburg. The hilltop church is known for its stained-glass window of St. Paul writing above the altar and the saint's crest above the rear entrance.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- The Conversion of St. Paul (St. Paul the Apostle)
- Rector
- Fr. Gregory Caldwell
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
Why belong here
The Conversion of St. Paul is the Barton worship site of Most Holy Trinity Parish, a small but active Catholic community in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom that pairs a historic 1903 church with a parish Catholic school. Weekday and Sunday Masses are offered in English, with regular Thursday confessions, First Friday and Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration, and a tradition of practical charity through the Helping Hands and Hearts ministry, which since 2003 has provided food, fuel, gas, furniture, rides, and holiday dinners to neighbors in need across Barton and surrounding towns.
Mass times at The Conversion of St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM (St. Paul's, Barton)
- Confession also available by appointment — call or email the parish office
Adoration times
- First Fridays 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM (following the 8:30 AM school Mass)
- 4th Tuesdays 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (with Rosary and Hymns for each decade)
Welcome to Most Holy Trinity Parish
Most Holy Trinity Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in northern Vermont that brings together three country churches with regular weekend Masses: St. John Vianney in Irasburg, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Orleans, and the Conversion of St. Paul in Barton. Together the parish serves Catholics across the Northeast Kingdom with daily Mass, the sacraments, religious education, and a long-running outreach to neighbors in need.
History of the Conversion of St. Paul
Catholic life in Barton began with the first Mass celebrated in town in 1851; after 1854 priests from Stanstead and St. Johnsbury alternated visiting the area. When Newport's Catholic parish was established in 1873, Barton became one of its missions and Mass was said in the Barton Academy hall. In 1878 the parish bought a Congregationalist church whose builders had just completed a new one, and the 'conversion' of that building to Catholic use inspired the parish's official name, the Conversion of St. Paul. The parish was formally founded in 1893. Its first resident pastor, Rev. Joseph Turcot, built the present church on a hill overlooking the village; it was completed and blessed by Bishop John Michaud on May 24, 1903, when the parish counted 60 families and an average Sunday attendance of about 300. Above the altar is a stained-glass window of St. Paul writing, and his crest at the rear of the church reminds the faithful to go out and spread the Gospel.
- First Mass in Barton: 1851
- First church purchased (former Congregationalist): 1878
- Parish formally founded: 1893
- Present church completed and blessed: May 24, 1903
- First resident pastor: Rev. Joseph Turcot
The Three Churches of Most Holy Trinity Parish
Within the combined parish each church keeps its own building, address, and weekend schedule. Most Holy Trinity Parish operates St. John Vianney in Irasburg, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Orleans, and the Conversion of St. Paul in Barton as a single pastoral family.
- St. John Vianney — 85 Creek Rd, Irasburg, VT 05845
- St. Theresa of the Child Jesus — 44 East St, Orleans, VT 05860
- Conversion of St. Paul — 85 St. Paul Lane, Barton, VT 05822
Helping Hands and Hearts Outreach Ministry
Founded in 2003, Helping Hands and Hearts is the parish's signature charity in the Barton area, coordinated by parishioners Cathy Reinstein and Nancy Rodgers of St. Paul Church. The ministry responds to emergency and urgent needs — food, gas, heating fuel, rides, furniture, and other necessities — for anyone in need in Barton and the surrounding towns. It has donated gas cards to people traveling for medical appointments, school supplies and sleds to St. Paul School, and complete Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to families in need. Funding comes from donations, a fall rummage sale, and funeral luncheons.
- Started in 2003 by Most Holy Trinity Parish
- Coordinated at St. Paul Church by Cathy Reinstein and Nancy Rodgers
- Serves Barton, Glover, Orleans, Irasburg, Albany, Brownington, Westmore, and Sutton
- Supported by donations, a fall rummage sale, and funeral luncheons
St. Paul's Catholic School
St. Paul's Catholic School sits next to the Conversion of St. Paul Church on St. Paul Lane and serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The school shares the parish's mission of forming young people in Christian values and a desire to make a positive difference in the world, set in the outdoor setting of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.
- Grades: Pre-K through 8th grade
- Location: adjacent to St. Paul Church, 85 St. Paul Lane, Barton
- Motto/mission: instill Christian values and a desire to make a positive difference
Religious Education
Most Holy Trinity Parish offers a Religious Education program for parish children and families across its three churches, complementing the Catholic elementary school on the Barton campus.
Parish Staff
The parish is served by a pastor and a small lay staff who handle administration, communications, music, and safe-environment coordination. Questions about St. Paul's Catholic School are routed to the school's own contact page.
- Fr. Gregory Caldwell — Pastor ([email protected])
- Madeleine Roy — Administrator / Parish Secretary
- Music Director — parish staff
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Turcotfirst resident pastor (early 1900s)
First resident pastor of the Barton parish; built the current church, completed May 24, 1903 and blessed by Bishop John Michaud, with 60 families and an average Sunday attendance of about 300.