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Saint Matthew the Evangelist Parish
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Coming Soon...
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Saint Andrew Church
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Saint Andrew Church (45 Talbot Avenue, Billerica, MA 01862)
Established 1868
The history of the Catholic Parish of Saint Andrew in North Billerica reveals wonderful indications of the self sacrificing cooperation of the people through the years. You’ll see a culture of people grounded in their faith coming together to build up the Church in their community as it was in their distant homeland. Through the tumultuous times of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Catholics of Billerica have persevered. They focused their energy in and around their parish—the center of their lives.
The old church on Rogers Street in the late 1800’s. The stained glass window of the Holy family still exists in today’s church.
Fr. Garin from the Oblate Fathers Before Saint Andrew Parish was established, many Irish people, made the trek to New England in order to seek jobs in the nearby Talbot and Faulkner mill complexes. They brought with them few material possessions, but they did bring with them a sound and living faith. These faithful had to walk about five miles to the nearest Catholic church in Lowell to worship. In 1868, the remarkable Father Andre Garin of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate established a mission parish for the town of Billerica. He helped the small congregation arrange to buy the now-abandoned Universalist church. After the purchase, they moved it to Mill Street, now known as Rogers Street, and placed it under the patronage of the Apostle Saint Andrew. In the end, $4000.00 had been spent; but the people finally had their own church.
Saint Andrew Parish was in the care of the Oblate Fathers for fourty years. They would come from Lowell, at least once a month, to celebrate Mass and handle pastoral matters. Some of these priests served for but a few months, while others remained for several years. In 1890, Father James Maloney, O.M.I. realized the need for enlarged facilities to accommodate the increased number of parishioners. His program of renovation and expansion was carried out with the physical as well as the financial help of the people. The dedicated people completed a renovation that increased the size of the church by one third.
By 1913 the parish, which consisted of the entire town of Billerica, had grown enough to be taken over by the Archdiocese of Boston. Father David Murphy was its first diocesan pastor. With the help of the altruistic parishioners, he set out to build a new rectory at 45 Talbot Avenue, closer to the main roads into Billerica center. By 1921 a new, church was built next door to accommodate the burgeoning parish. This is the location of the existing church today.
In 1938, it was decided that a mission church was also needed for the center of town. The old Baptist Church on Concord Road was purchased. It eventually was raised to the status of parish in 1945 and named in honor of Saint Theresa.
Saint Andrew interior in 1969 Saint Andrew interior 1970’s-1990’s The rectory on Talbot Ave in 1969
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St. Mary Church
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St. Mary Church (796 Boston Rd, Billerica, MA 01821)
Prior to 1914, Pinehurst, as many other areas of the town of Billerica was primarily a summer cottage settlement. At the time there was one Catholic Church in town, Saint Andrew in North Billerica. With the growing number of Catholics in the southern part of Billerica, it was necessary for the parish of St. Andrew to become the mother Church as a mission later known as St. Mary of the Pines.
During the 1920’s and early 1930’s the growth of Pinehurst increased dramatically. This was due in part to economic factors and the gradual shift away from cities. Many families transformed their summer homes into year-round residences. Additionally, Catholics in Burlington and the Nuttings Lake area traveled to Pinehurst for Sunday Mass. The facilities of the little mission church were increasingly inadequate. Between 1914 and 1928 weekly Mass in Pinehurst was celebrated in various temporary sites.
In 1928, permission was sought and granted to begin construction on a permanent church building on property owned by the Archdiocese on the corner of Boston Road and Cook Street. Here Mass was celebrated and religious education classes were conducted in the lower level of the church of Saint Mary, still a mission of Saint Andrew.
Again, as the Catholic population continued to grow, and the demands of the mother church and the mission increased, in 1937 Cardinal O’Connell raised the Mission of Saint Andrew to the Parish of Saint Mary. By that time parishioners had completed the project of furnishing the interior of the upper church.
Saint Mary, newly established as a parish, soon became a mother church as well. In 1945 this mission of Saint Mary became the parish of Saint Margaret on Winn Street in Burlington.
By 1966, the number of Catholics in Saint Mary Parish warranted an addition to the original structure. Plans were completed that year to add what is now known as “the wing.” Air conditioning and carpeting were soon added. In 1992, renovations were made to the original church interior, with the expansion of the sanctuary area to include new positioning of the tabernacle and the baptistery, new carpeting, and sound equipment. In recording any history, facts and dates are important, but they never tell the entire story.
In 2012, St. Mary celebrated it's 75th anniversary with a Mass and reception. Priests formerly assigned to St. Mary returned for this special occassion. In 2014 the parishes of Billerica formed a collaborative - the Catholic Community of Billerica, working together to grow the church in Billerica, provide Faith Formation to children, and strengthen the community of parishioners.
In 2020, the parishes of Billerica merged to become St. Matthew the Evangelist Parish. During 2020 - late 2021, the world was in the midst of a pandemic (COVID-19). During this time, Masses were broadcast as strict restrictions were in place - including a lifting of the Sunday Obligating form the Cardinal for a period of time. This pandemic had a large effect of Mass attendance and parish finances,
In 2021, the decision was made after consultation with parish councils and parishioners, to relagate St. Mary Church to profance use (not for religious use). The Final Mass at St. Mary was celebrated on October 31, 2021, with the church being relegated on November 1, 2021. The church proerty on the corner of Boston Road and Cook Street will be sold. Bishop Hennessey said it the best during the closing Mass - the church has served the people of Pinehurst well and fufilled her mission.
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St. Theresa of Lisieux Church
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St. Theresa of Lisieux Church (466 Boston Road, Billerica, MA 01821)
In the early nineteenth century, Billerica was a typical Yankee farming town. In November of 1868 a mission church was started in North Billerica, which became known as St. Andrew. By the time the Archdiocese took over in 1913, the church had become too small to accommodate the growing population and a mission church was established in 1927 and construction was completed with its first Mass at the new St. Mary Parish in 1937. The Catholic population increased rapidly and by 1938 it was obvious that East and Central Billerica would need a parish of its own. A fund drive was held and on June 7, 1939 the white church on Concord Road (formerly owned by the Baptist Community) would be purchased. The church continued to be a mission church of St. Andrew Parish until 1945 when Cardinal Richard Cushing appointed Reverend Daniel O’Keefe pastor of the newly established St. Theresa Parish. Fr. O’Keefe, upon his arrival had a church, but no rectory. He lived on Concord Road across the street from the church. In September, the house next door was purchased for $9,000.
By 1953, church enrollment continued to grow and Mass attendance became so large that there was standing room only. Time had come for a new church. Committees were formed and fundraiser began. Finally in 1959, the culmination of years of planning, meetings and activities came to the end with the ground breaking and construction of a new church on Boston Road – the present day St. Theresa.
In August of 1974, two major moves were made. First the rectory that had served so well was now too small. With activities ever multiplying, larger living quarters were needed and office space and meeting rooms were in demand. The old church on Concord Road was still used for meetings, but the purchase of the home at 80 Concord Road would be the new rectory.
By 1978, the fourth pastor, Rev. Henry Ronan arrived. Uppermost in his priorities was the Faith Formation (Religious Ed, CCD program). At this time there were approximately 3000 families. The former church on Concordc Road became known as “the hall” and the former rectory was used for CCD offices and classes. Most often the classes were held in the homes of parishioners.
Soon it was evident that a new parish center was urgently needed. A committee was formed for the construction of the parish center that would hopefully accommodate the needs of the parish. There was a large area behind the church and consideration was given to building a rectory adjacent to the new hall or moving the present rectory building to this spot. Those ideas were tabled but the construction for the parish hall proceeded. It was October 1986 when the hall was officially dedicated.
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