A 1870 Catholic Parish on East Main Street in Mystic

St. Patrick Catholic Church sits at 32 East Main Street in Mystic, Connecticut, where Catholics have gathered since Bishop Francis P. McFarland and Father Patrick Lawler dedicated the parish on October 30, 1870. The Stonington Mirror reported that nearly 2,000 people attended the dedication ceremony. Trustees of the Westerly and Stonington churches arrived in a barouche and escorted the bishop and priests to the new building, where Father James Reynolds led about 130 children and youth awaiting Confirmation out to meet the bishop at the top of the hill on the Stonington side. After processing down the east aisle, around the church, and up the west aisle, the bishop pronounced the building dedicated to the worship of God under the name and patronage of St. Patrick. At that time the Catholic population numbered 450 souls.

The parish describes itself today as a welcoming Roman Catholic community that puts faith in God into action. It belongs to the Diocese of Norwich, and the prayers and ministry of the parish are rooted in the full sacramental and devotional life of the Roman Catholic Church.

Sunday Mass and the Live Stream

Sunday worship is offered twice each weekend at St. Patrick. The Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 5:00pm. On Sunday morning, Mass is offered at 8:30am and 10:15am. All Sunday Masses are livestreamed from the parish, and recordings are kept so that anyone who misses Mass or has trouble with the stream can watch later. Father Kevin M. Reilly, the pastor, records homilies after each Sunday Mass and posts them by Sunday so parishioners can revisit them throughout the week. The homilies are indexed by the liturgical year, with entries for the Sundays of Ordinary Time, Easter, Pentecost, the Ascension, the Most Holy Trinity, and the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Daily Mass, Confession, and Adoration

Weekday Mass is celebrated four mornings a week at St. Patrick: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 12:05pm. The church is otherwise quiet on Wednesdays and Saturdays for daily Mass. On Holy Days, Mass is offered at 12:05pm and again at 7:00pm in the evening.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays from 4:00pm to 4:40pm and on the First Monday of every month from 5:00pm to 6:00pm. Confessions can also be arranged by appointment by calling the parish office.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place on the First Friday of every month, beginning right after the 12:05pm Mass and continuing until 1:30pm, and on the First Monday of every month from 5:00pm to 6:00pm. The parish also publishes a full version of the Stations of the Cross online, with text and audio prayers for each of the fourteen stations drawn from the devotional first published in Italian by St. Alphonsus Liguori in 1761.

The Seven Sacraments

St. Patrick prepares parishioners for the full sacramental life of the Church.

• Baptism is celebrated for infants and young children by contacting the parish office. The parish grounds the sacrament in the Catechism's description of baptism as birth into the new life in Christ and entry into the Church, the Body of Christ.
• Reconciliation is offered through the regular confession schedule and by appointment, with the sacrament understood as the forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism.
• First Communion is offered to children who are seven and older, in second grade. Preparation is woven into Faith Formation sessions together with separate family sessions scheduled through the year, with the Eucharist described as the heart and the summit of the Church's life.
• Confirmation is offered to young people who are fourteen and older, in ninth grade, with preparation taking place during regular Faith Formation classes. The parish teaches that Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace and imprints an indelible spiritual character on the soul.
• Marriage arrangements begin at least one year before the wedding date through a wedding application form. Weddings are normally scheduled on Fridays between 2:00pm and 4:00pm, or on Saturdays before 2:00pm. The parish does not accommodate weddings after 2:00pm on Saturdays or anytime on Sundays. Couples are provided with a Wedding Application, a Liturgy Worksheet, a Music Guidelines sheet, and a checklist of arrangements.
• Anointing of the Sick is offered to those who are ill or suffering, with the parish office available to arrange the sacrament. The parish teaches that by the sacred anointing and the prayer of the priest, the whole Church commends those who are sick to Christ.
• Funerals are arranged through the parish office, which can also help families select funeral music from the parish repertoire.

Faith Formation for Children

Faith Formation at St. Patrick is open to students in grades 1 through 9. Until the new parish center is complete, classes meet at Precious Memories Place, 168 Greenmanville Avenue in Mystic, on Sundays from 5:00pm to 6:00pm, with the program beginning in mid-October. A registration form is available for new families, and parents are encouraged to contact the parish office to enroll. First Communion and Confirmation are prepared for within these classes, with separate family sessions scheduled throughout the year to support parents in their role as the primary teachers of the faith.

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults

Adults who are unbaptized, baptized Christians who would like to become Catholic, or Catholics seeking full initiation prepare through OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). Adult formation at the parish is directed by Rick Georgetti, who can be reached through the parish office. The most recent group of new Catholics includes Pritpal Ghag and members of the Tafro family, who are pictured with their sponsors and the Director of OCIA.

The Outreach Committee: Food, Meals, and Welcome Baskets

One of the most active arms of parish life is the Outreach Committee, which carries out three ongoing efforts.

The Food Drive makes weekly deliveries to Catholic Charities in New London and to the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center. Items collected include canned meat and fruit with pull tabs, cereal, peanut butter, oatmeal, baby food, granola bars, and children's snacks. Donations can be left in the parish center on weekday mornings or in the basket by the front entrance of the church.

The New London Meal Center is served by the parish on the Second Tuesday of each month, when volunteers prepare a taco salad dinner for the community between 4:00pm and 6:30pm. Volunteers are welcome to help cook and serve, and the effort is organized by Trina Vargas.

The Welcome Committee reaches out to new parishioners and also works with the New London Homeless Hospitality Center and Safe Futures of New London to assemble Welcome Home baskets of household items for people transitioning into new apartments. Mike Hewitt and Patricia Menno-Coveney coordinate this ministry.

Coffee, Donuts, and the Sense of Family

On the First Thursday of every month at 10:00am, the parish hosts Coffee and Connections, a social hour open to all ages where parishioners can meet one another. A Coffee and Donuts gathering also follows each Sunday Mass. Together these events reflect the parish's stated vision of strengthening the sense of family and affirming that each person is precious and valued.

The Parish Center and the Forward in Faith Campaign

The parish is in the midst of a capital campaign called Forward in Faith, with a goal of $4,235,000 to build a new parish center. Monthly updates from the Building Committee describe the progress of emptying the existing center, preparing bid documents, and soliciting construction company quotations. Renderings, a floor plan, a cost estimate, and a presentation from October 2020 are published for parishioners to review, and contributions can be made through a dedicated online giving page. Until the new center is finished, Faith Formation classes are meeting at the temporary location on Greenmanville Avenue.

Ministries and Parish Life

Parishioners can join a long list of ministries that support worship and community life, including Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, Ministry to the Sick and Homebound, Music Ministry, Baptism Preparation, Ushers, Altar Servers, the Pro-Life ministry, ACTS Retreats, the Donut and Coffee Hour, Garden Maintenance, Sanctuary Care, the Rosary, and Facilities.

Other parish organizations include the Daughters of Isabella, the Knights of Columbus, Scouting, Crop Walk (a community hunger walk), an Art Festival Parking Lot Fundraiser, the Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets, and the Christmas Giving Tree. Throughout the year, the parish gathers for an Easter Alleluia party, a Parish Fair, a 50s Sock Hop hosted by the Daughters of Isabella, a Noank Mystic Community Band concert, and other events. A Wednesday evening Bible Study meets from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at St. Mary Church in Groton.

Pastoral Staff and Office Hours

The parish is led by Father Kevin M. Reilly as pastor. Richard Schumacher serves as Minister of Music and Joshua Ziemski as Organist. The parish office, located at 32 East Main Street, is open Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00am to 3:00pm, and is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The mailing address is St. Patrick Church, 32 East Main Street, Mystic, CT 06355, and the parish can be reached by telephone at 860-536-1800 or by email at secretary@saintpatrickmystic.org.

A Vision of Putting Faith into Action

St. Patrick's stated vision is to be a welcoming Roman Catholic community that puts faith in God into action, affirms each person is precious and valued, strengthens the sense of family, nourishes the spirit, and enables its members throughout their journey through life to live as best as possible in God's sight. The parish lives this out through Sunday and daily Mass, the celebration of the seven sacraments, formation for children and adults, and a robust outreach ministry that serves neighbors in Mystic, Stonington, Pawcatuck, and the wider New London area.