In July 2017, Saint Joseph’s Parish, Chester, VT was combined with St. Mary’s Parish, Springfield, VT. Together we seek Christ’s salvation through the Sacraments, service to others, and education in our faith, under the pastorate of Father Peter Y. Williams.

St. Joseph the Worker Church

Saint Joseph The Worker Parish was established August 30, 1946.  The first Mass in the (old) Saint Joseph’s Church was celebrated on June 29, 1947 by Father Ed Buckley.  This building is now The Buckley Center, the parish hall.

On May 22, 1969 the present Church was dedicated and a Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated by Bishop Robert Joyce.

Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church

In 1855, Father Charles O’Reilly was placed in charge of Catholics in Windham County, which stretched from Ludlow to St. Johnsbury. He also ministered to the Catholics in Springfield. The first Mass in Springfield was celebrated in the home of Thomas Sexton in 1856.

In 1872, the Diocese of Burlington acquired from the Town of Springfield a former school at the corner of School and Mount Vernon streets, which became the first Catholic church in the town. Catholics had to wait until 1901 for their first resident pastor, Father Richard Cahill.

Mrs. Francis Brown sold the Woolson Building and Woolson Garage to the Diocese of Burlington in 1926, under the pastorate of Father George M. Hagan. The Woolson Building has been in use as our rectory since that time, though the Woolson Garage was dismantled long ago.

Construction of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church began in April 1930, and the Vermont marble structure was dedicated on November 5, 1930.

In 1937, Msgr. Peter A. Nolin began his 32-year tenure as pastor, the longest in Springfield’s history.

The Sisters of Victory Noll arrived in 1952 to serve as the parish’s catechists, remaining until 1972.

The Nolin-Murray center was built under the pastorate of Father James Murray and completed in 1971. Father Murray served the Catholics of Springfield from March 20, 1969 until his retirement in 1981.

Holy Family School was opened on September 7, 1999, under the pastorate of Father James Shea. The school began with 33 children in grades K-3. The first principal was Kim Kiniry, and classes were held throughout the Pleasant Street buildings owned by St. Mary’s. Father Joseph Romano joined us as our pastor from June 2001 to April 2003, with the primary goal of building a school structure. Ground was broken on April 10, 2003, on land behind the Nolin-Murray Center.

Father Peter Williams became our pastor on April 22, 2003, and instituted our Perpetual Adoration Chapel on August 15, 2005. He has worked with great success to sustain and strengthen our community here at the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church. Everyone has a place here, so come and join us!

Nolin-Murray Center

The Nolin-Murray Center was built under the pastorate of Father James Murray in 1971. It was built to become St. Mary’s social and education center, with a main hall upstairs and four classrooms downstairs.

In 1999, the church opened Holy Family School with grades K-3, adding one grade per year until 2002, when it reached K-6. In 2003 the parish built an addition to house the growing school, which then closed in 2006.

The parish now rents the lower level to various groups, continuing to use the top floor for parish and community events.

St. Joseph’s Chapel

Saint Joseph’s Chapel was established in 1950.  The present building underwent much refurbishing and was put in use in 1965.  The Rev. Joseph Pray celebrated the first Mass in the newly completed St. Joseph’s Chapel in 1969. 

Saint Joseph’s Chapel was closed in October, 2017. Rev. Monsignor John J. McDermott, J.C.L., the Vicar General of the Diocese, was the principal celebrant. Fr. Maria Lazar, the pastor of St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls, concelebrated this final Mass on October 21, 2017.