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.

Our Parish History continues to build on the strength of the past and the vision of the future. We work with the Archdiocese to assure a healthy future for the Catholic community in Randolph. The Parish staff ministers together aim to set an example of Christian living. There is vitality evident in our liturgies, sacramental celebrations and social outreach. We are a vital part of a rejuvenated Interfaith Association, which unites us with all the religions of our town. Each Pentecost we celebrate the cultures from around the world that grace our parish and community. There may be 30,000 people living in Randolph, but our goal is to convince them that “there is only one of us”.