Two Churches, One Parish on Parsons Boulevard
Mary's Nativity - St. Ann Parish holds two historic church buildings within a few blocks of one another in central Flushing, both served by a single rectory and the same clergy. The main church, Mary's Nativity Church, stands at 46-02 Parsons Boulevard. St. Ann Church, the second worship site, sits at 58-02 146th Street. A third working property, the Mary's Nativity Parish Center at 146-99 Jasmine Avenue, hosts Religious Education classes, the Golden Age Club, parish fundraisers, and post-Mass gatherings for devotional societies.
The parish belongs to the Diocese of Brooklyn, and the relationship between the two churches shows up in their distinct temperaments. Mary's Nativity is the busier of the pair, with weekend Masses in English, Spanish, and Chinese. St. Ann is the home of the earliest morning Masses, the Monday novena tradition, and the Urdu Mass celebrated on the first and third Sundays. Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Brooklyn came to Mary's Nativity Church not long ago to bless a newly installed statue of Mary that replaces one destroyed by a vandal, a moment that brought the parish together.
Mass in Five Languages
The weekly schedule is shaped by the languages of Flushing itself. On Sundays at Mary's Nativity Church, English Mass is offered at 10:30 am, Spanish Mass at noon, and Chinese Mass at 3:00 pm. Across the way at St. Ann Church, the day begins with Chinese Mass at 7:00 am, English Mass at 9:00 am, and a Tagalog or Urdu Mass at 5:00 pm (Urdu on the first and third Sundays, Tagalog on the second).
Weekday mornings offer parallel English Masses at both churches, 8:30 am at St. Ann and 9:00 am at Mary's Nativity, with a Chinese Mass added on Mondays at 11:00 am at Mary's Nativity. Saturday mornings provide two more English Masses, at 8:30 am at St. Ann and 9:00 am at Mary's Nativity. The 5:00 pm Saturday vigil Mass at Mary's Nativity shifts into Tagalog on the second Saturday of the month to serve the Filipino Apostolate.
Mass follows the traditional Catholic order: the Liturgy of the Word, with readings from Scripture, a homily, and recitation of the Creed, followed by the Liturgy of the Eucharist, with the consecration of bread and wine and the distribution of Holy Communion. Visitors who are not Catholic, or who are not prepared to receive, are welcome to come forward in line for a blessing; crossing one hand over the opposite shoulder signals this to the priest.
Four Ethnic Apostolates
The Mass schedule is sustained by four parish apostolates that organize spiritual life around the parish's language communities. The Chinese Apostolate supports the regular Chinese Masses at both churches and provides fellowship for Chinese-speaking parishioners of every generation. The Filipino Apostolate gathers every second Saturday after the Tagalog Mass, marks feast days such as San Lorenzo Ruiz with parish-wide celebrations, and keeps ties among Filipino Catholic families in the area. The Pakistani Apostolate anchors the Urdu Mass celebrated twice a month at St. Ann Church. The Spanish Apostolate is the newest of the four, having hosted its first Mass in Spanish at Mary's Nativity Church in July 2025.
Confession, Adoration, and the Sunday Word
Confessions are heard on Saturdays from 4:00 to 4:45 pm at Mary's Nativity Church; appointments can be made through the rectory at other times. Both churches host a monthly Holy Hour with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: Mary's Nativity on the second Wednesday of the month at 9:30 am, and St. Ann on the third Thursday of the month at 9:00 am. On Mondays, immediately after the 8:30 am Mass at St. Ann Church, parishioners pray the Miraculous Medal Novena followed by the Novena to St. Ann, two devotions that have continued at the parish for many years.
Parishioners who want to dig deeper into the Sunday readings before Mass gather online. The Sunday Scripture Reflection Group meets virtually on Thursday mornings at 11:00 am, breaking open the readings that will be proclaimed at Sunday Mass and looking for ways to apply them to ordinary life. The group runs through the spring.
Servers, Lectors, and Ministers of Hospitality
Children in grades 4 through 8 may serve at Mass as Altar Servers, leading processions, holding the sacramentary, helping with incense, and assisting the priest at the preparation of the bread and wine. Servers commit to no more than one Mass per week.
Adults who want to proclaim the Word at Mass serve as Lectors after attending an all-day workshop offered by the Diocese; the role requires a clear, audible voice and a willingness to read before a full church. Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist assist the priest by distributing Holy Communion or offering the Precious Blood during Mass. They must have received the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation and complete the same diocesan workshop before being installed.
Ushers, called Ministers of Hospitality, greet worshippers at the door, help with seating at weekend Masses, take up the collection, and answer questions from visitors and newcomers. Behind the scenes, the Altar Society cares for the altar linens, while St. Matthew's Guild counts the collection with strict confidentiality and prepares deposits for the parish accounts. The Parish Council and the Finance Committee (the latter required by the Diocese of Brooklyn) round out the parish governance structure.
Religious Education for Children
The parish operates a Religious Education program for children whose families worship in English, Spanish, or Chinese. Classes meet on Monday evenings during the school year in the school building on Jasmine Avenue, with the third-floor classrooms opening at 5:45 pm and lessons beginning promptly at 6:00 pm. Families register each year, with a Parent Conference at the start of the program to introduce the catechists and distribute the year's materials.
Children preparing for First Communion, Confirmation, or other sacraments typically take part in this program as part of their preparation. The rectory office handles registrations and provides details on each year's schedule, including a separate track online for returning students.
Seniors, the Sick, and the Bereaved
The Golden Age Club brings together parishioners 50 and older for fellowship, travel, and educational sessions on topics that matter to seniors. The club meets each Wednesday at 1:00 pm in the Parish Center, takes a break in January and February, and carries a small annual fee with a modest per-meeting contribution. New members are always welcome.
For parishioners who can no longer attend Mass, the Homebound Ministry coordinates visits by Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist who bring Holy Communion to the sick and the housebound. The ministry is expanding its outreach as the surrounding neighborhood ages, providing a regular point of contact between the wider parish and those unable to join the Sunday assembly.
The Ministry of Consolation helps families at the other end of life: parish members contact the families of the deceased, help them plan the Mass of Resurrection, and attend the liturgy itself to sing and pray alongside the mourners.
Outreach Through St. Vincent de Paul
The parish is home to a local conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the international Catholic charity founded under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frederic Ozanam. The society offers tangible assistance to neighbors in need on a person-to-person basis. The parish hosts a monthly clothing pickup on the last Saturday of the month from 9:00 am to noon in the parking lot behind Mary's Nativity Church off Parsons Boulevard. New volunteers are always welcome.
Devotional Societies
Two parish societies keep older Catholic devotional traditions alive. The Sacred Heart League gathers on the first Friday of every month, beginning with the 9:00 am Mass and continuing with refreshments and fellowship in the Parish Center. The league meets from September through June.
The Rosary Altar Society meets on the first Sunday of the month from September through June, gathering in the Parish Center immediately after the 10:30 am Mass to pray the Rosary together. The society adds a special Living Rosary in May and October, when the devotion brings the parish's Marian spirituality into focus.
Becoming Catholic
Adults who want to become Catholic, or Christians from other traditions seeking full communion with Rome, walk through OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. For the unbaptized, the process leads to the sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist - typically received at the Easter Vigil. Catholics returning to the practice after some time away are also welcome to take part. Classes meet weekly over several months, with each candidate paired with a sponsor who walks the journey with them.
Those interested are invited to speak with one of the priests after Sunday Mass or to call the rectory office to learn the schedule for the next OCIA group.
Sacraments and Joining the Parish
Baptisms are celebrated at Mary's Nativity Church, in English on the second Sunday of the month at 1:30 pm and in Spanish on the third Sunday of the month at 1:30 pm. Families begin by calling the rectory to arrange an interview. Marriages require at least six months of advance planning, an interview with the priest, and participation in a diocesan marriage preparation program. Anointing of the Sick can be arranged by calling the rectory office; priests visit the sick at home or in the hospital.
Becoming a registered parishioner is the simplest path into the full life of the parish. Members receive pastoral care from the priests, can obtain a Sponsor Letter of Eligibility when called to serve as a godparent or Confirmation sponsor, are eligible to receive a year-end statement of giving for tax purposes, and are added to parish mailing lists. Registration information is held in confidence. Sunday Mass is livestreamed from Mary's Nativity Church for those unable to attend in person, and online giving is available through the parish's GiveCentral page.