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In 1845, to satisfy the spiritual needs of a small
but growing Catholic population of the greater Randolph area, Father
Bernard Carraher, Pastor of St. Mary Church, Quincy, purchased land
on North Main Street and laid the foundation, physically and spiritually,
for St. Mary Church. Also in that year Father Carraher purchased land
on North Street establishing St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery. It
was in 1850 that the Church structure was built and on July 14th of
that year was dedicated to St. Mary by Bishop Fitzpatrick. In 1851
Father John Roddan purchased a home and became the first resident Pastor.
St. Mary Parish served the Catholic population of Weymouth in the mission
church of St. Francis Xavier from 1855-1863.
In 1929, a pivotal year
for St. Mary’s, the Pastor, Father Madden
had the wood frame church removed from the foundation to make way for
a larger, granite structure. The stock market crash and depression
kept St. Mary Church a basement church for the next sixty years.
St.
Mary School (grades 1 – 8) was dedicated and opened in 1962,
staffed by the Sisters of Charity of Halifax. The school closed in
1980 due to declining enrollment. It has since been used as the Parish
Religious Education Center, and, in recent years, 2/3 of the school
has been leased to The Learning Center for Deaf Children in Framingham.
In
1983, Father William F. Calter, the Pastor, began formal
plans for the construction of the upper Church. December 16, 1989 was
an exciting and emotional day for St. Mary parishioners, especially
the older ones, as His Eminence Bernard Cardinal Law celebrated Mass
and dedicated the Parish’s beautiful new church.
In 1992 Father
Richard L. Harrington became our Pastor. The years since 1992 have
seen the establishment of an enthusiastic Pastoral Staff,
Parish Pastoral Council, Finance Council and over 200 lay persons involved
in various Ministries, Commissions, and Councils all of which reflect
the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of our parish.
In the years 2000-2001
St. Mary Parish saw changes taking place in our Church – a New
Altar, Ambo and Repository of the Blessed Sacrament. Though these are
new, the beautiful mosaics from the previous
Main Altars were preserved in the New Altar and Ambo and Repository
of the Blessed Sacrament and inlaid in the Church Wall.
Air-conditioning
was completed in 2001 allowing us to celebrate Mass comfortably in
our main church. In 2002 the mortgage on our beautiful,
new church was retired, a significant accomplishment.
In 1850 a wooden
Church structure was dedicated to St. Mary. In 1989 a new Church
structure of steel and brick was dedicated. In 2000-2001
in an interior which now unites the old and the new, in a new Sanctuary
which provides the space for a worshipful celebration of Word and
Eucharist, the People of St. Mary Parish are united in the Holy
Spirit with those
parishioners of the last 160+ years. We joyfully continue our Mission
to bring Christ to the People of God in the future as a vibrant
Catholic Faith Community. |