Today we’ve added six new volumes to Massachusetts: (Image-Only) Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900 from Mary Immaculate of Lourdes in Newton and St. John the Evangelist in Wellesley. This update adds over 800 new pages to browse.
The early history of these two parishes is intertwined. Before St. Mary’s was established in Newton’s Upper Falls, Catholics in both these areas attended St. Patrick’s in Watertown. In the 1860s, St. Mary’s (which would become Mary Immaculate of Lourdes) began to coalesce as a mission. In 1870 it became its own parish. St. John the Evangelist began as a mission of St. Mary’s. Initially, the building in which the Catholics worshiped was in Newton’s Lower Falls, but when they gathered the funds to purchase their own church, and become a parish, the new church was located in Wellesley.
The boundaries between the Newton area parishes were confusing and contentious–in both parishes there is a volume which begins with a description of parish boundaries. To learn more, see page A of St. John the Evangelist (Wellesley) Baptisms, 1890-1900 and pages A and B of Mary Immaculate of Lourdes (Newton) Baptisms, 1871-1872.
Newton itself consists of thirteen different villages. Here is a list of the Catholic churches in Newton that are currently available on our website, including the village in which they are located:
St. Bernard–West Newton, Mary Immaculate of Lourdes–Upper Falls, Our Lady Help of Christians–Newtonville, Sacred Heart–Newton Centre
Note: The volume Mary Immaculate of Lourdes (Newton) Baptisms, 1893-1900 is already on our site–it was part of a previous update.
We’d like to thank volunteers Eileen McCarthy, Bill Wolfendale, Max Agigian, Colleen Alm 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:
Mary Immaculate of Lourdes (Newton) Baptisms, 1871-1872
Mary Immaculate of Lourdes (Newton) Baptisms, 1871-1893
Mary Immaculate of Lourdes (Newton) Marriages, 1871-1900
St. John the Evangelist (Wellesley) Baptisms, 1890-1900
St. John the Evangelist (Wellesley) Confirmations, 1892-1900
St. John the Evangelist (Wellesley) Marriages, 1890-1900
Please note: This database is available to all NEHGS members. Learn more about becoming a NEHGS guest member (free).