St. Mary History
(click on pictures for larger image)

The first recorded Mass in Waltham was celebrated on July 4, 1830. The parish was incorporated in 1839. December 8 is our patronal feast day, the celebration of Mary's Immaculate Conception.

The first church was a small structure near the corner of Church and School Streets. The small Catholic community had difficulties at first and dissention caused the bishop to close the church in 1845. With the replacement of the former pastor in 1847, the parish re-opened and thrived under its new pastor, Father Flood, until the building was torched in 1848.

Some thought the "Know-Nothings," a political party prejudiced against Catholics, had done it but the possibility it might have been done by some of the disgruntled former parishioners cannot be ruled out.

The little church was rebuilt and a cemetery established beside it. The cemetery remained in place until the mid-1940's but the church was quickly outgrown and a new brick building was dedicated at 145 School Street in 1858 and was added to in 1877. The capacity at that time was 1400 people and the church today still holds 1000 people without the use of the distinctive balconies. The cemetery was relocated to a much larger site at the edge of town on High Street.

In 1877 Father Timothy Brosnahan was appointed pastor and held that post for 42 years. It was during his tenure that most of the present buildings were built, the two schools established and the present church completed.

Unusual features of the church are the 20 paintings on the ceiling, all but 4 done by a Mr. Schoemaker of Portland, Maine in 1877.

The organ was dedicated on December 17th, 1900 and was almost lost in a 1920 fire which was accidentally started by workmen underneath the church near the organ motor. Fortunately, the pastor was present and called the fire department which managed to save the church.

St. Mary's Parish had a grammar school and a high school. The grammar school moved to the high school building in 1971 and closed with the high school in 1973. The grammar school was razed in 1973 and the high school, with a new building connected to it, was converted in 2000 into 70 one-bedroom apartments for low-income senior citizens.

St. Mary's saw several daughter parishes begin. St. Charles, St. Jude and Our Lady's were all taken from St. Mary's territory. Sacred Heart (Italian) and St. Joseph (French) were also established in the downtown area.

Today, St. Mary's, begun by French Canadian and Irish immigrants, has a multitude of nationalities and ethnic origins within its English-speaking community and, since 1968, has a growing Spanish-speaking community of primarily Puerto Rican, Guatemalan and Mexican backgrounds.

Our tradition of diversity continues; our gratitude to those who went before us lasts forever.