A Catholic Family in the Heart of Granby

Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish sits at 256 State Street in Granby, Massachusetts, where it has welcomed worshippers since its colonial-style church was blessed and dedicated in May 1951. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Springfield and serves roughly 2,500 households across Granby and neighboring towns. Its identity is rooted in devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of her Immaculate Heart, a theme that runs through everything from the parish's mission statement to its monthly prayer services and pro-life work.

The parish is a community of tradition and steady rhythms: daily Mass each weekday morning, two Sunday Masses, a Saturday Vigil, weekly Confessions, a Wednesday-evening choir rehearsal, and a Sunday-morning faith formation program for children. Beyond the sanctuary, the parish grounds include a pavilion, gardens, a grotto to Mary, and five acres of recreational land that have hosted parish festivals for decades.

From Mission Church to 75th Anniversary

The story of Immaculate Heart of Mary goes back to 1925, when a Catholic parish was formed in Belchertown and the Granby faithful became a mission of that church. By the late 1920s, Mass was being celebrated every Sunday in Kellogg Hall, and a group called the Welcome Society formed to bring a permanent parish into being. They purchased land for the future church from the Durant farm.

In 1949, founding pastor Father Andrew Sullivan laid the cornerstone of a church built in the colonial style by parishioners with strong support from their Granby neighbors. The stones themselves came from field walls that had fenced Granby farms since colonial days. Stained glass windows, donated by parish families, depict the five Sorrowful Mysteries and the five Glorious Mysteries. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve of 1950 was the first celebration of the Eucharist in the still unfinished building; the completed church was blessed and dedicated the following May. Father George Friel arrived in December 1951 as the parish's first resident pastor and oversaw the construction of the rectory, completed in 1953. For many years, priests from St. Hyacinth's College and Seminary, a Franciscan house that operated in Granby, assisted at weekend Masses.

Father Friel served until his death in 1970, when Father John Shea was assigned. Parishioners raised funds in 1977 to purchase a parcel behind the church for recreation, and a bequest from the estate of Mary E. Griffin in 1978 financed a pavilion named in her honor along with a storage building. In 1981, a parish fund drive replaced the electronic carillon in the bell tower, an instrument notable for its authentic English bell tone that rings the Angelus at morning, noon, and evening and plays a series of Christian hymns. The carillon was updated again in 1996. The parish marked its 75th anniversary in recent years with a special celebration and a video remembrance titled Real to Reel.

Mass Times, Confessions, and the Liturgical Week

Worship is at the center of parish life. The weekend schedule begins Saturday afternoon with Confessions from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m., followed by the Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m. Sunday Masses are celebrated at 8:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Thursday at 8:30 a.m., and Holy Days are marked with Masses at 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Confessions are also available by appointment.

The parish describes itself as a welcoming community family of God whose life-giving source and center is the celebration of the Eucharist. Following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, parishioners seek to witness to the life and mission of Christ by serving the parish, the diocese, and the wider community. The Eucharist is celebrated in English and follows the liturgical norms of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Building, the Bell Tower, and the Parish Grounds

The church itself is colonial in design, built of fieldstone from Granby walls and fitted with stained glass windows donated by families of the parish. The bell tower houses an electronic carillon whose English-tone bells mark the hours of the day and the Angelus. Inside, a "Giving Tree" memorial hangs on the left wall, its leaves, acorns, foundation stones, and small trees inscribed in honor of living and deceased loved ones.

Beyond the church, the parish campus includes the Parish Center in the lower church, the Rectory, the Religious Education office in the lower rectory, and two storage buildings. The Mary E. Griffin Pavilion stands on five acres of recreational land behind the parking lot and is regularly used for parish events. The Building and Grounds ministry tends the gardens around the church, Mary's Grotto, and the rectory, and handles light maintenance on the buildings. The pavilion and Parish Center are also available for rental for outside events.

Faith Formation for Children and Adults

Religious education for children takes place on Sunday mornings, with drop-off between 8:50 and 9:05 a.m., classes running until around 10:00 a.m., and pick-up from 10:00 to 10:10 a.m. Parents bring students to the Parish Center, where catechists and aides teach grades K through 5. Volunteers are needed as hall monitors, catechist aides, office helpers, and "Arise Angels" who pray for the program. The parish partners with Edge - Life Teen for its middle-school youth ministry.

Adult Faith Formation, branded "Explaining the Faith," meets twice a month for group lectures, film presentations, and question-and-answer sessions with Fr. Michael Goodreau. The goal is to integrate everyday life experience with knowledge of the Catholic tradition and a Christian conscience. Subjects are announced from the ambo at weekend Masses.

Liturgical Ministries Inside the Sanctuary

Immaculate Heart of Mary relies on a wide circle of lay liturgical ministers. Lectors proclaim the readings at each Mass and, in the absence of a psalmist or deacon, also lead the Responsorial Psalm and the Prayer of the Faithful. They are scheduled on a rotating basis, one or two times per month, and receive ongoing training in proclamation.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist the priest with distributing the Eucharist and, with the priest's permission, also bring Communion to the homebound. Ministers sit with the assembly and approach the altar at the appropriate time, distributing the host with the words "Body of Christ." Schedules rotate every three to four months.

Altar Servers assist the priest at every weekend Mass, processing in at the head of the entrance and recessional, preparing the altar, offering the water and wine, and ringing chimes at the appointed moments. Servers must have received the Sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist; unconfirmed youths may also serve.

The Music Ministry is a multi-generational group that serves all Masses and other liturgies. The choir rehearses every Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. No prior experience is required, vocal training is provided, and instrumentalists of all kinds are welcome. Michael Sampson serves as Choir Director and Organist alongside organist Terri Lambert.

Sacristans care for the altar, the sanctuary, the sacred linens, and the seasonal decoration of the church, all on volunteer teams that commit roughly 20 minutes to an hour and a half per turn. Ushers are the first face visitors meet. Scheduled two to four per Mass, they arrive 30 minutes early to unlock doors, light candles, distribute bulletins, supply masks, wheelchairs, and hearing devices when requested, and assist anyone who has difficulty walking to receive Communion.

Mary's Heart for Jesus and Mary's Heart for Life

Two prayer and advocacy ministries are named for the parish's patroness. Mary's Heart for Jesus Prayer Ministry gathers monthly for a prayer service that includes a reflection, the Peace Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, and Benediction. During Lent the group prays the Stations of the Cross and sponsors a day retreat at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, open to the whole parish.

Mary's Heart for Life Ministry focuses on the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. The ministry raises awareness about abortion, physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, and end-of-life issues, with a primary focus on the unborn. Monthly prayer services include a reflection, the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, Eucharistic Adoration, and Benediction. Members take part in the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil, Respect for Life marches, tours of pregnancy help centers, and diocesan pro-life dinners and breakfasts.

Outreach, Warm Meals, and the Wider Community

The Outreach Committee designs projects and events to lift up both parishioners and the wider Granby community. Past and ongoing efforts include a Ukrainian Refugee Relief Drive that shipped medical and hygiene supplies to refugee camps in Poland, a Fuel Relief Fund raffle that distributed firewood money to parishioners struggling with heating costs, free coffeehouse-style musical variety shows in the Parish Hall, an annual Children's Easter Egg Hunt on the Saturday before Easter, and the search for cultural grants to fund future events. The committee meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Rectory meeting room and is open to all parishioners.

Warm Hearts / Warm Meals has been part of the parish for more than thirteen years. Each first Sunday of the month, volunteers prepare and deliver warm meals to elderly residents of Granby and South Hadley who participate in Meals on Wheels during the week. The meals are prepared in the Parish Hall kitchen on Sunday mornings and are ready for delivery by 11:00 a.m., with each delivery route taking about 45 minutes. Volunteers are needed for route coordinating, food shopping, baking, packaging, and kitchen help.

Parish Life and the Men and Women's Club

The Men and Women's Club is the oldest continuing organization of the parish, formed even before the church was constructed. Open to all men and women of the parish, the club meets once a month for about an hour and a half and supports parish life through fellowship and fundraisers such as Breakfast with Santa, the St. Patrick's Day Dinner, the SummerFest at the Pavilion, the Veterans Day Dinner, holiday bazaars, craft fairs, Change for the Children, and special youth scholarships and activities.

Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and Money Counters

The Pastoral Council is a consultative body of parishioners, along with the pastor, who represent parish organizations and help set priorities. It meets on the third Thursday of each month, excluding July, August, and December, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Rectory Meeting Room, and meetings are open to all parishioners as observers.

The Finance Council advises the pastor on the stewardship of human resources, facilities, and finances, prepares and approves the annual budget, and oversees safeguarding of assets and physical properties. Members are appointed by the pastor.

A separate team of Money Counters takes turns counting and depositing collections from holy day and weekend Masses, usually on Monday mornings in the Rectory, with a move to Tuesday when a Monday holiday intervenes. They also provide clerical support to the parish secretary.

Giving: 120 Club, Auto Pay, PayPal, and the Beacon of Faith Campaign

The parish supports itself through several giving channels. The 120 Club is the parish's largest fundraiser: 120 members each contribute $5 per week for 20 weeks, with weekly drawings of $100 and a grand-prize drawing at the end that pays one $1,000 winner and six $500 winners. The cycle runs twice a year.

Recurring auto-pay giving can be set up directly through a parishioner's online bank account, free to both giver and parish. One-time and special donations can be made through PayPal. Planned Giving is also available, allowing parishioners to incorporate charitable gifts into their estate planning. The Beacon of Faith Campaign is the parish's current capital initiative, alongside the long-running Giving Tree memorial program.

Pastoral Staff

Father Michael Goodreau is the parish's pastor. A native of Wilbraham, he was baptized at Immaculate Conception Church in Indian Orchard and grew up attending Mass with his family, especially his grandmother. After earning an associate's degree from Holyoke Community College and a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he spent nearly twenty years in customer service training and location management with F.L. Roberts before completing his priestly studies at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston. He was ordained on August 15, 2020, served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Joseph's Parish in Pittsfield, and was assigned to Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Deacon Paul Mazzariello was ordained on May 14, 2005, and joined Immaculate Heart of Mary that year. A Springfield native and Cathedral High School graduate with a Bachelor of Science from Western New England College, he and his wife Carole have three children and two grandchildren. He also serves as chaplain to the inmates at the Hampden County Sheriff's Department in Ludlow.

Deanna Haas serves as Office Manager. A longtime Granby resident and 1987 graduate of Granby Jr Sr High School, she came to the parish in February 2021 after raising two children with her husband Tim. Tessa Cote is the Facilities Manager. Together with the parish's choirs and musicians, the staff keeps the day-to-day life of the parish running.

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart

The parish's patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is more than a name. According to the parish's own history, devotion to the Heart of Mary grew up in parallel with devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, becoming more prominent through the work of St. John Eudes in seventeenth-century France. The apparitions at Rue du Bac to Catherine Labouré in 1830 and the establishment of a society dedicated to the Immaculate Heart at Our Lady of Victories in Paris in 1836 carried the devotion into wider Catholic practice, especially after the apparitions at Fatima.

For Immaculate Heart of Mary, the devotion centers on Mary's perfect love for God, her motherly love for Jesus, and her compassionate love for each person. Honoring her Immaculate Heart is understood as another way of honoring Mary as the Mother of God, recognizing her holiness and her cooperation in her Son's redemptive mission. The aim is to unite believers to God through Mary's heart, an act of consecration and reparation made through Mary and subordinate to consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A prayer to Mary asking for her intercession is part of the parish's devotional life.

Visiting Immaculate Heart of Mary

The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and can be reached at (413) 467-9821 or at parishihmgranby@gmail.com. Inquiries about Faith Formation can be sent to ihmgfaithformation@gmail.com. New parishioners are invited to register through the parish's online census form. Confessions are heard on Saturdays from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. or by appointment, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation is also available at other times by calling the office.

Worship is centered in the colonial-style church on State Street, where the bell tower's carillon rings the Angelus and the stained glass windows depict the Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries. Whether one comes for the Vigil Mass on Saturday, the early Sunday morning liturgy, the later Sunday family Mass, or a weekday morning Mass, the parish gathers around the Eucharist as the source and center of its life together.