ABOUT US

 

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Seekonk, Massachusetts is a Roman Catholic Parish of the Diocese of Fall River,

serving portions of Attleboro, North Seekonk, and North Rehoboth.

The Parish was established in 2010 with the merger of the former

St. Mary's Parish of Seekonk and St. Stephen's Parish of Attleboro.

St. Stephen's Cemetery in the Dodgeville section of Attleboro is

administered by Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish.

STAFF

Reverend Thomas L. Rita, Pastor

Jim Souza and Karen Bergeron, Religious Education

Dianne Blais, Administrative Assistant

Joan Connell, Administrative Assistant

OFFICES

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish Office and Rectory

St. Stephen's Cemetery Office

385 Central Avenue

Seekonk, MA  02771

508-399-8440

Fax: 508-399-7398

olqmseekonk@comcast.net

 

Religious Education Office

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish Center

385 Central Avenue

Seekonk, MA  02771

508-399-7534

 

 

Directions

 

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church

Coyle Drive

Seekonk, MA

 

Coyle Drive is just off Route 152 in North Seekonk

From Downtown Attleboro:  East on Route 152, 4.2 miles on your left

From the Mass./RI line:  West on Route 152, 4.6 miles on your right

 

 

Parish Center, Rectory, Parish and Cemetery Offices

385 Central Avenue (Route 152)

Seekonk, MA

 

From Downtown Attleboro:  East on Route 152, 4.4 miles on your left

From the Mass./RI line:  West on Route 152, 4.4 miles on your right

 

St. Stephen's Cemetery

683 South Main Street (Route 152)

Attleboro, MA

 

From Downtown Attleboro:  East on Route 152, 2.6 miles on your right

From Out Lady Queen of Martyrs Church:  West on Route 152, 1.8 miles on your left

 

 

 

PARISH HISTORY

 

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish was established by Bishop George Coleman in May of 2010 to serve the

Catholic families, primarily in North Seekonk, North Rehoboth and the southeast side of the City of Attleboro. 

At the time of its founding, the parish had slightly more than 2000 families.  The founding pastor was the

Reverend Thomas L. Rita, who previously served as pastor of St. Mary's in North Seekonk.

 

The new parish was founded following several years of pastoral planning to determine how to best serve the

people of the area in light of the shifting demographics and other circumstances in the diocese including a

declining number of available priests.

 

A task force pf parishioners and the priests of the former St. Stephen's Parish in Attleboro and

St. Mary's Parish in North Seekonk recommended the closing of those two parishes and establishment

of a new parish.  The parish name was chosen by Bishop Coleman following a formal suggestion process

among parishioners.  The dedication to Our Lady Queen of Martyrs connects the parish to the former

parishes through Mary (Our Lady) and Stephen (the first Martyr).

 

St. Mary's and St. Stephen's parishes had a shared history extending back for more than 100 years.

St. Mary's was founded in 1906 by the Rev. Samuel Patrick McGee who had been the first full-time

pastor of St. Stephen's parish since 1885.  St. Mary's originally served English speaking Catholics, while

St. Stephen's served the French speaking Catholics of the area.

 

St. Stephen's Cemetery is located on land originally donated to the Catholic Mill workers in 1872 by the

Hebronville Manufacturing Company with the stipulation that it be used for a church and burial ground.

 

The current church building for Our Lady Queen of Martyrs opened as St. Mary's Church in 1957.  The

church replaced a smaller church just over the town line in Attleboro which had served the area for 50 years.

The Parish Center was added in the 1960's, followed by the adjacent Rectory in 1987.

 

 

 

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