Today we’ve added six new volumes to Massachusetts: (Image-Only) Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900 from Blessed Sacrament (Walpole), St. Brigid (Lexington), and St. Mary (Holliston). This update adds over 600 new pages to browse.
Early Catholics in Walpole traveled to various towns in the southern portion of the Archdiocese to hear Mass. In 1872, Father Gouesse came to Foxborough and Walpole and helped fully establish the church in Walpole. St. Francis was the first church built in Walpole; the first Mass in the sanctuary was said in 1882. By the 1910s, the Catholic population had grown enough that they needed a bigger church, which would become Blessed Sacrament.
The Lexington parish began as a mission of St. Peter’s in Cambridge, then became a mission of Arlington. In 1865, a building was bought to serve as the first Catholic church in Lexington. In 1886 St. Brigid’s became their own parish.
Early Catholics in the Holliston area traveled to Milford and Hopkinton to worship. St. Mary in Holliston became its own parish in 1870.
We’d like to thank volunteers Eileen McCarthy, Ross Weaver, Max Agigian, and Kim Bonner for their help making this update possible.
If you need help navigating this collection, please consult our how-to video. The new volumes are listed below:
Blessed Sacrament (Walpole) Baptisms, Marriages, and Confirmations, 1872-1900
Blessed Sacrament (Walpole) Marriages, 1896-1900
St. Brigid (Lexington) Baptisms, 1886-1900
St. Brigid (Lexington) Marriages, 1886-1900
St. Mary (Holliston) Baptisms, 1870-1900
St. Mary (Holliston) Marriages, 1871-1900
Please note: This database is available to all NEHGS members. Learn more about becoming a NEHGS guest member (free).