Mary Immaculate of Lourdes Church, formerly referred to as St. Mary's, is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Boston located in Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts. The fourteenth and current pastor is Fr. Charles Jeremiah Higgins. The parish is known locally for its rich liturgical life, and in particular as one of the few Boston parishes to offer the Tridentine Mass. The church forms part of the Newton Upper Falls Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

History Early years The first permanent congregation, consisting mainly of Irish factory workers, was led as time allowed by the priests of St. Mary's parish in Waltham, with greater regularity from 1844 onward."History of the Archdiocese of Boston 1604-1943" vol. ii p. 273 the priest Bernard Flood was appointed missionary to the Newton congregation in 1852, and around this time funds began to be collected for the purpose of constructing a church. Sunday services were infrequent until about the year 1860, when the congregation abandoned the Cahill home and began to meet in the nearby Elliot Hall in High Street. In 1867 John McCarthy succeeded Flood and immediately began to plan the construction of a church; the congregation numbered about 300 by this time.The Catholic Church of New England by James S. Sullivan M.D. (1895) pp. 640-643

St. Mary's Church

By 1864 a plot of land had been purchased on the east side of Chestnut Street"A History of the Archdiocese of Boston 1604-1943" vol. iii p. 276 and soon after a wood frame gothic church called St. Mary's was built. In 1870, St. Mary's was made its own parish.

Martin O'Brien succeeded Dolan in October, 1885. O'Brien was responsible for the purchase of more adjoining land. He was pastor until his death in 1890.The Catholic Church of New England by James S. Sullivan M.D. (1895) pp. 640-643 By the time of O'Brien's death separate parishes were established for Newton Lower Falls and Newton Centre."A History of the Archdiocese of Boston 1604-1943" vol. iii p. 276

Danahy

Timothy J. Danahy became pastor of St. Mary's upon the death of O'Brien in November 1890.The Catholic Church of New England by James S. Sullivan M.D. (1895) pp. 640-643 Danahy, whom an official diocesan history describes as "a pronounced example of the strong and original characters to be found among the pastors of the 'old school,'""A History of the Archdiocese of Boston 1604-1943" vol. iii p. 276 was born on December 8, 1846 in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. His family emigrated to America during the years of the potato famine and settled in Roxbury, where Danahy received his early education. He studied for the priesthood at Holy Cross College and St. Joseph's Seminary and College and was ordained on December 22, 1877. Following assignments in South Boston and Quincy, he was made pastor of St. Mary's in 1890.The Catholic Church of New England by James S. Sullivan M.D. (1895) pp. 640-643Danahy's obituary described him as "a disciplinarian at all times, strict to himself and those around him, and at all times a student."The Boston Globe, November 5, 1923

Mary Immaculate of Lourdes church

Danahy oversaw the construction of a new gothic chapel for the mission of St. Joseph's in Needham, which at that time was a dependency of Saint Mary's.,"A History of the Archdiocese of Boston 1604-1943" vol. iii p. 317 At the time of the construction of the new church, the congregation numbered approximately 1,500 people."A History of the Archdiocese of Boston 1604-1943" vol iii. p. 698

21st Century In 2004 the Archdiocese of Boston placed Mary Immaculate on the list of churches designated for possible closure In 2006 the archdiocese said it might keep it open and close another church instead.

Architecture

The church is designed in the Romanesque style with Italianate features. The church was designed by architect Edward T. P. Graham and has frescoes by Gonippo Raggi.

References

External links https://www.maryimmaculateoflourdesnewtonma.org/