St. John the Evangelist is a Roman Catholic parish at 20 Church Street in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Its parish life is known for Mass and daily prayer, formation for children and adults, fellowship across generations, Marian devotion, and service to people in need. An upper church, lower chapel, parish library, classrooms, and parish hall give this work a strong local setting.
Sunday Mass and the Weekly Prayer Rhythm
Sunday worship includes a 10:00 a.m. Mass and a 6:30 p.m. Mass. Grade 10 students join the 6:30 p.m. celebration of the Sunday Liturgy after class, and coffee hours follow the 10:00 a.m. Mass in the parish hall. The lower chapel is the setting for daily Mass. Saturday confession is offered from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m., and Fr. Richard E. Cannon is also available by appointment.
The rest of the week follows a steady devotional pattern:
- Rosary is prayed at 8:15 a.m. Monday through Friday and at 7:15 a.m. Saturday in the lower chapel.
- The Rosary is also prayed at 3:00 p.m. every Sunday at St. John's Cemetery on Mount Auburn Street.
- Parishioners are invited to Mass, Adoration, Holy Hours, and prayer before the tabernacle, including the chance to light a votive candle.
- The Knights of Columbus pay for and provide transportation to Mass for people who need it.
The parish office at 20 Church Street handles registration and can be reached at 508-435-3313. Online giving is available through WeShare.
Adoration and Mercy in the Lower Chapel
Eucharistic Adoration takes place Tuesday from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Monday's Divine Mercy Prayer Group gathers from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and prayers for family and country. Thursday's 6:30 p.m. Holy Hour for the Conversion of Sinners includes the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and prayers for conversion and the dying.
Two monthly observances deepen this rhythm. On the third Thursday at 7 p.m., Fr. Cannon leads a Holy Hour for Priests with exposition, a Rosary, meditation, petitions, the Chaplet for Priests, and Benediction. On the first Friday at 7 p.m., a Reparation Mass honoring the Sacred Heart is offered in the lower chapel.
Deacon Guy also leads a Monday Night Rosary on Zoom at 7 p.m. About 30 people from different parishes and towns join the roughly 30-minute prayer, with a different Rosary Mystery each week and volunteers leading the Mysteries.
The Sacraments at the Center of Parish Life
St. John's shares the faith of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church and recognizes the seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Holy Orders.
- Baptisms are held on the second and fourth Sundays at 11:30 a.m. in the upper church.
- High school students prepare for Confirmation through religious education, while adults preparing for Confirmation speak with Fr. Cannon.
- The Eucharist is taught as the source and summit of the Christian life. Parish guidance says practicing Catholics receive Communion in a state of grace, children may receive it after confession and preparation for First Communion, and communicants fast for one hour.
- Fr. Cannon hears confessions on Saturday and offers the Anointing of the Sick to those preparing for surgery or seriously ill.
- Marriage preparation begins with the parish, and weddings are scheduled at least six months ahead.
- Holy Orders continue the mission entrusted by Christ to the apostles, and the priest acts in the person of Christ.
Learning the Faith Across Every Generation
Fr. Cannon's Adult Catechism Class meets weekly on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the parish library. It is open to new converts, people considering the Church, and those who want to grow in their knowledge of the faith. St. John's recognizes parents as the first and foremost educators of their children's faith, with parish religious education designed to support them. Volunteer catechists teach age-appropriate material in line with the National Catechetical Directory.
- Grades 1-6 meet Sunday from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m., Monday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. for Grade 6.
- Grade 7 meets twice a month on Tuesday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. from October through April, connecting basic beliefs with the beginning of Confirmation preparation.
- Grades 8 and 9 meet twice a month on Monday from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. from October through April.
- Grade 10 meets monthly on Sunday from 5:15 to 6:20 p.m. from October through April, then attends the 6:30 p.m. Mass.
The two-year Confirmation program reviews the core beliefs of the Catholic faith, emphasizes group fellowship, and offers the Sacrament of Penance during Advent or Lent. Each candidate completes two service projects, and the program includes a retreat in February or March. Confirmation is received in March or April. Grade 7 asks students to connect their beliefs with the world beyond the church and consider how they can share their faith with others, while the Grade 10 classes examine the impact of Confirmation on candidates' lives.
Summer Bible Adventure provides a summer program, and children in fourth grade or higher may become altar servers after training. They assist the priest at one or two Masses each month and meet occasionally with the pastor to discuss standards.
Those serving in the parish also complete required formation. Protecting God's Children is a one-time, three-hour session for adult volunteers about recognizing and preventing child abuse. CORI background checks are completed annually, and the Archdiocese of Boston volunteer code of conduct is completed once. Lectors proclaim the two readings at Mass, introduce the celebration, and often lead the Prayers of the Faithful. Their training includes meeting with the pastor and receiving practical instruction from the lector coordinator.
Young Adults, Women, and Family Nights
St. John's Young Adults serves Catholics in their 20s and 30s across MetroWest, offering fellowship, support in pursuing holiness, and a particular welcome to new converts. The women's group meets on the first and third Wednesdays near the parish offices and lower chapel. Participants study the faith, share their journeys, and pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. All women are welcome to drop in.
Family Night brings families together for popcorn, a film, a project, and time together in the parish hall. The hall has television screens, a sound system, tables and chairs, and an air-popper. Youth Ministry organizes gatherings for younger parishioners, while the parish choir provides music for worship and community events. Bernadette Nadeau directs the music ministry.
A Table in Worcester and Care for Hopkinton
On the last Friday of each month, parish volunteers prepare, cook, and serve dinner at Mustard Seed Soup Kitchen in Worcester. The kitchen provides a hot meal for nearly 200 homeless and needy people of all ages. The work is divided among meal preparation from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., oven monitoring from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., and service from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. No experience cooking for large groups is required. Volunteers meet at the parish center, load the food into cars, travel together to Worcester, and serve the meal. Monthly financial donations from St. John's help make the hot meal possible.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides person-to-person service to people who are needy or suffering. Its work includes a food pantry, clothing donations, housing assistance, visits to people who are lonely, and moral encouragement. The society focuses primarily on Hopkinton residents while assisting neighboring towns case by case. During Thanksgiving, turkeys and monetary donations go to St. Joan of Arc Parish in Worcester. During Thanksgiving and Christmas, the society provides meals and holiday gifts to Hopkinton families. Its monthly meeting is held at 6:30 p.m. in the parish library.
Knights of Columbus, Bishop Rice Council 4822 of Ashland and Hopkinton, organize family events, help people in need, serve as greeters, and support transportation to Mass. St. John's Pro-Life Initiative, Called to the Gospel of Life, emphasizes prayer for the legal protection of the unborn, the sanctity of marriage and family, and the dignity of every human life. Parishioners pray the Rosary outside Planned Parenthood in Worcester, and the initiative connects people with crisis-pregnancy and post-abortion healing resources.
Mission Beyond the Parish
The Parish Global Mission Apostolate educates parishioners about the challenges faced by people living in poverty in developing countries and encourages practical involvement. Its annual projects include child sponsorship during Lent, a bike collection in September and October with Bikes Not Bombs, and the Giving Tree during Advent. Sponsorship has supported education costs, including tuition, books, uniforms, school supplies, teacher salaries, classroom renovations, and a furnished nursery school. Donated bicycles benefit communities in the developing world and Boston teens through the Earn-a-Bike and Girls in Action programs.
The Advent Giving Tree focuses on Catholic missionaries and organizations while encouraging parishioners to offer financial help, prayers, and expressions of gratitude. Apostolate members welcome ideas for projects and opportunities to help with individual or shared efforts.
Bells, Hymns, and the Angelus
The belfry gives the parish a distinctive musical rhythm. Hymns play at noon and 5 p.m. each day, while the Angelus bells ring at noon to call people to prayer. The repertoire includes Panis Angelicus, Salve Regina, I Sing the Mighty Power of God, Let All Things Now Living, All Things Bright and Beautiful, For the Beauty of the Earth, Daily, Daily Sing to Mary, Dona Nobis Pacem, Faith of Our Fathers, and The King of Love. The Angelus prayer is given in English and Latin. The parish also shares music through its YouTube channel, including Salve Regina.
Upper Church, Lower Chapel, and Parish Hall
Inside the upper church, the Fourth Station of the Cross depicts Jesus meeting his afflicted mother. A statue of the patron, St. John the Evangelist, shows him writing his Gospel with a quill and scroll while the eagle, his symbol, carries his words with wings. In the lower chapel, St. Anthony adores the Christ Child who has sprung from the Bible, and the Blessed Mother appears with a rosary and scapular. The lower chapel also serves as the setting for daily Mass, confession, Adoration, Holy Hours, and other prayer gatherings.
The parish library holds Bibles, Catholic Catechisms, and writings of the saints, as well as the room used for Fr. Cannon's Adult Catechism Class. The adjoining parish hall and classrooms support religious education, coffee hours after the 10:00 a.m. Mass, Summer Bible Adventure, Family Nights, and other gatherings. St. John's Cemetery on Mount Auburn Street is another place of prayer, with a Sunday Rosary at 3:00 p.m.
Together, these ministries shape St. John the Evangelist as a Hopkinton parish rooted in worship, formation, family life, Marian prayer, and care for people in need.