Perched on Cummins Highway at the seam between the Roslindale and Forest Hills neighborhoods of Boston, Sacred Heart and St. Andrew Parish has been a fixture of Catholic life in Suffolk County since 1893. What the parish is known for today is its unusually full weekend Mass schedule - five Masses between Saturday evening and Sunday, celebrated in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole - and an active roster of more than forty lay-run ministries that touches everything from school-age religious education to a parish Boy Scout troop, a winter basketball league, and three choirs.
The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Boston and is guided by a stated mission rooted in the universal call to discipleship: to preach Jesus Christ through preaching, worship, education, service, works of mercy, and evangelization. Parishioners are called to live out the message of Christ in love and service to all the people of the two Boston neighborhoods the parish calls home.
Five Weekend Masses, Three Languages, Two Worship Spaces
The weekend is structured around five Masses, each well attended and serving a distinct community. Saturday Vigil begins at 4:00 p.m. in English in the Lower Church and continues at 7:00 p.m. in Spanish, also in the Lower Church. Sunday's slate opens at 8:00 a.m. with an English Mass in the Lower Church, continues at 10:00 a.m. with an English Mass in the Upper Church, then 12:00 p.m. with a Mass in Spanish in the Upper Church, and closes at 5:15 p.m. with an English Mass in the Lower Church.
Two of the Sunday Masses - the 10:00 a.m. English and the 12:00 p.m. Spanish - are livestreamed each week on YouTube for parishioners at home, those returning to the practice of their faith, and anyone who wants to participate from a distance. Recordings remain available afterward on the same channel.
Through the week, daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in English in the Lower Church. Wednesdays add a 7:00 p.m. Mass in Spanish, also in the Lower Church. The last Tuesday of each month brings a 6:30 p.m. Mass in Spanish, and the first Friday of each month closes the day with an 8:30 p.m. Mass in Haitian Creole.
The Pastoral Team
Father Brian Clary is the pastor, appointed July 1, 2021. A Boston native raised in Quincy, he attended Saint Mary's Parish and Grammar School, was ordained in 1997, and has served parishes across the Archdiocese of Boston - Saint Clare in Braintree, Saint Mary of the Assumption in Brookline, Saint Anselm in Sudbury, Saint Brendan, Saint Anne, and Saint Martin de Porres in Dorchester. He has directed the Archdiocese's Priests' Recovery Program since 2002.
He is joined by Father Gene P. Sullivan as Senior Priest in Residence, Father Succes Jeanty as Parochial Vicar, and Father Elias Ojomah, who serves as Chaplain at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital. Mr. Jesus Quiles ministers as deacon. Mrs. Dorothy D'Amato is the parish's Confirmation and Religious Education Coordinator.
The parish's musical life is led by three choirs. Miss Amanda Sindel-Keswick directs the English Choir, which rehearses Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Upper Church. The Spanish Choir, under the joint direction of Lucy Torrejon and Alfredo Torrejon, rehearses Fridays from 7:00 to 8:45 p.m. in the rectory library. A separate Youth Choir gathers Mondays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Upper Church.
Confession, Adoration, and the Weekly Prayer Rhythm
Confessions are heard in English after the Friday 8:30 a.m. Mass, on Saturdays at 3:00 p.m., and by appointment through the parish office. The sacrament is heard in Spanish after the Friday 8:30 a.m. Mass and by appointment. The Reconciliation Room sits on the Cummins Highway side of the lower church.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the parish's other weekly devotional anchor. Thursday evenings, the lower church opens for adoration from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. On the first Thursday of each month, the period stretches from 9:00 a.m. through 8:30 p.m., giving parishioners most of the day to sit with the Blessed Sacrament.
A Spanish-Speaking Parish Life Across the Week
Spanish-speaking parishioners are served with a parallel week of prayer, formation, and social time. Sunday begins with a 12:00 p.m. Mass in the Upper Church, followed by coffee and conversation at 1:00 p.m. in the Murray Room. Tuesdays bring the Pueblo Fiel prayer group at 6:30 p.m. in the Murray Room and a 7:00 p.m. Mass in the lower church, with Confession and Anointing of the Sick available on the second Tuesday of the month. Wednesdays add a 7:00 p.m. Spanish Mass in the lower church. Thursday evenings include Adoration at 7:00 p.m. and a 6:00 p.m. Spanish choir rehearsal. The Christian Couples Group gathers on the third Friday of the month from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. in St. Theresa House. Saturdays include 10:00 a.m. catechism classes in the parish school, with Baptism classes on the first Saturday and Baptisms celebrated on the third Saturday.
Haitian and International Communities
Beyond the English and Spanish programs, the parish is home to a Haitian community with a Friday evening prayer group from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. in the lower church, led by Michelle and Guerdes Renelique. The first Friday of each month adds the 8:30 p.m. Mass in Haitian Creole. The Ghana Catholic Society meets on the first Saturday of the month from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Murray Room, and the parish's International Group, under Pat Suhrcke, links parishioners from a range of countries into the wider parish family.
Religious Education and Becoming Catholic
The parish's religious education program, CCD, runs in both English and Spanish and serves children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation. Mrs. Dorothy D'Amato directs the program, while Ana Gladys Amaya coordinates the Spanish-language CCD. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is offered for adults who wish to become Catholic or who were baptized but never confirmed; it is led in English by Darlene Webb and in Spanish by Chisel Martinez and Betzayda Acevedo.
Parents of infants attend Baptism classes on the first Saturday of the month, and Baptisms are celebrated on the third Saturday. Children preparing for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist typically complete a multi-year catechesis through the CCD program, and Confirmation preparation is a separate track for teens.
Engaged Couples and Funerals
Engaged couples begin with Pre Cana, directed by Jane Baronas, and the Spanish Marriage Ministry under Elizabeth Santana supports couples in continuing their faith journey together. For families arranging Catholic funerals, the parish shares several downloadable resources - blank Mass programs, scripture readings, funeral planning sheets, and prayers of the faithful - to help the bereaved choose readings and shape the liturgy.
Sacred Heart STEM School
The parish's Catholic school, Sacred Heart STEM School, sits alongside the church on Cummins Highway, with Mrs. Monica Haldiman as principal. The school is a long-standing part of the parish's outreach to families in Roslindale and Forest Hills and is supported through the parish's participation in the Archdiocese of Boston's Inspiring Hope Campaign, which channels funds to parish schools across the archdiocese. The school's STEM focus - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics - gives Sacred Heart students hands-on experience with science labs, robotics, and design challenges alongside a traditional liberal arts and faith-based curriculum.
A Working Parish: Forty Lay-Led Ministries
Parishioners run more than forty named ministries. At Mass, adult and youth altar servers, lectors in both English and Spanish, Eucharistic ministers (including those who bring Communion to the homebound), ushers, welcomers, and counters keep the liturgies running smoothly. Outside the church, the parish runs basketball from September through March, Boy Scout Troop 7 on Tuesday evenings under Kevin O'Leary, Catholic Relief Services outreach under Mary Celeste Brown, the Health Ministry under Caitlin Erwin, and a wide range of small gatherings, prayer circles, and faith-sharing groups. The Finance and Development Committee and the Pastoral Council, with Father Brian Clary as contact, guide the parish's overall direction.
Adaora Nwachukwu oversees Young N Catholic for young adults, and Daiana Soto and Cecila Costanzo lead the Spanish-language youth and young adult ministry. Yamileth Lopez heads the Hospitality Committee for the Spanish-speaking community. Susan Carroll shepherds the youth altar servers. Peter Buck hosts coffee after the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass in St. Theresa House. Rob Grady oversees Saint Vincent de Paul in English, with Yamileth Lopez coordinating the Spanish-speaking conference. John Kerpan coordinates English lectors. Donna O'Connor directs Project Cookie Dough. Mary Celeste Brown is the safe-environment coordinator for Protecting God's Children, the Church's program for the protection of children and vulnerable adults.
Saint Vincent de Paul and Outreach Beyond the Parish
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is the parish's principal outreach arm. The local conference assists neighbors in need and accepts donations through the parish office and online. Externally, the parish maintains ties with the Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus, Capuchin Mobile Ministries, and the Catholic Appeal of the Archdiocese of Boston. The Health Ministry has launched a parish-wide needs assessment, distributed in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, to understand how best to serve parishioners' health concerns.
On the fourth Friday of each month, parishioners visit the Roslindale House for a 1:00 p.m. outreach visit, and the parish participates in the Roslindale Leaders' Meeting, which convenes on the second Thursday of the month at 9:00 a.m. in the Council Room.
The Inspiring Hope Campaign and Accessibility Upgrades
The parish has completed major capital improvements funded in part through the Archdiocese of Boston's Inspiring Hope Campaign. Of the funds pledged to Sacred Heart, a substantial portion stayed with the parish to support both the parish and the school, with the balance directed to the Cardinal's initiatives for Catholic schools and administrative costs.
The most visible improvement: two elevators now serve the building for those who need them, easing access to the upper and lower churches for elderly parishioners, families with strollers, and visitors with mobility needs. Father Brian has noted that the elevator moves slowly and asks parishioners to be patient as the doors open. He has also been open about the parish's financial situation: Mass attendance is climbing, the addition of the Saturday evening Spanish Mass has helped, and weekly offertory is up over the previous year, yet the parish still operates at a substantial deficit and has recently eliminated a staff position while cutting back on weekend office hours and household expenses.
Communication and Faith Resources
The parish keeps in touch with parishioners through Flocknote, sending updates by email and text message. FORMED, the Catholic media platform available through a parish subscription, gives parishioners free access to thousands of Catholic movies, audio talks, and Bible study programs. The parish's online calendar lists upcoming events and the weekly bulletin is published online. A prayer wall accepts online prayer requests from parishioners and visitors. Giving is available online through WeShare Giving, and Sunday homilies and recordings of past Masses are archived on the parish's YouTube channel. Funeral-planning helps are available through the parish office.
Becoming Catholic, Returning, and Registering
Those interested in becoming Catholic join the parish's RCIA process, with separate English and Spanish tracks. Returning Catholics are welcomed back. New parishioners can register through the parish office by phone at 617-325-3322 or by email at sacredheartparish@sh-roslindale.org, or in person at 169 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, MA 02131, where English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole Catholics have gathered each Sunday for more than a century.