History of St. William's Church

Background

During the first three decades of the 1900s, the need was becoming great for Catholics of Tewksbury to have a place to worship, and in December of 1934 permission was given from Rome to establish a Parish in Tewksbury. The Archbishop of Boston, William Cardinal O'Connell, gave approval and signed "The Decree for the Establishment of Tewksbury Parish" on August 7, 1935. It went into effect on Sunday, August 11, 1935. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate were given permission and they accepted the challenge to conduct the parish. A contract between the Archbishop of Boston and the Superior General of the Oblates, which took effect on September 24, 1935, was signed. It "grants in perpetuity to the aforesaid Congregation of Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Parish of Tewksbury, Massachusetts."

William Cardinal O'Connell

The Boundaries are Set

The boundaries of the newly formed Parish encompassed the entire town of Tewksbury, except for Andover Street and the territory Northwest of Andover Street. The people in the northwest corner of Tewksbury were permitted to attend the Immaculate Conception Church in Lowell as it was the nearest and most convenient church for them. The Catholic Parishes that bordered on Tewksbury were: Immaculate Conception, Lowell, established in 1869; Sacred Heart, Lowell, established in 1884; St. Augustine, Andover, established in 1866; St. Thomas, Wilmington, established in 1919; St. Andrew, North Billerica, established in 1868. Three out of the five Parishes were conducted by the Oblates. The Novitiate was still the center of worship, and to help the overcrowding, permission was given on December 27, 1935, to hold services in the Town Hall.

A Church and a Pastor of Our Own

Permission was granted on July 16, 1937, to purchase land for the Church by the Provincial of the Eastern Province of the Oblates, Father James T. McDermott, O.M.I. A letter written to Father Sullivan dated August 28, 1937, from Father McDermott said, "I believe the architect should plot the whole site, showing locations for all future buildings: the church, the rectory for the priests of the parish and the chaplains of the State Hospital, the convent, school and playground. This should be done even though it would take 50 years to carry out the whole program, so that there will be no regret at any future time."

Rev. Denis Sullivan, O.M.I.

Transferred from the Immaculate Conception Church in Lowell to become the first pastor was Father Denis Sullivan, O.M.I. His first task was to suggest a name for the new parish. The first two names proposed were Little Flower and Our Lady of Lourdes. On July 23,1937, St. William's was accepted as the name of the new Tewksbury Parish. The Church was named after St. William of York, the Patron Saint of William Cardinal O'Connell, then Archbishop of Boston, in honor of the spiritual and financial support he extended during the construction of the new parish. Cardinal O'Connell was well-known for his wise use of the funds given him to administer. His name-saint, St. William of York, William Fitzherbert, was a 12th century nobleman, monk, and Archbishop of York in England. He died suddenly in 1154 and was canonized in 1227. St. William's feast day is fixed at June 8.

Funding for the New Church and Finding a Site

At that time plans began for the raising of funds to purchase land for a church and rectory. Cooperation came from townspeople and from former parishioners who became friends of Father Sullivan during his pastorships in Lowell. Father Sullivan was searching for just the right location. Finally a site located on Main Street adjacent to the Novitiate was chosen because of its most central location and availability for everyone. The boundaries joined the two properties together, reinforcing the bond that existed between the Catholics and the Novitiate. This site was also only a short distance from Tewksbury Hospital, where the Oblates continue to serve the spiritual needs of the patients. After the parish was established and the church was built, there still remained a close bond between the Catholics of Tewksbury and the Oblates at the Novitiate.

Our New Church

In mid-1938, Father Sullivan requested permission from the Archbishop to begin the building of the new church. He felt the people and those who resided here during the summer months would give more generously if building operations were in progress. No need for a rectory was expressed at this time as living quarters were adequate at the Novitiate. Permission was granted within the month and construction began immediately. On November 24, 1938, the laying of the cornerstone took place. St. William's Church was formally dedicated on August 20, 1939, and served 250 families.

Laying the Cornerstone of St. William's

St. William's Church, 1939

St. William's Continues to Grow

Rev. Clement Flynn, O.M.I.

Father Clement I. Flynn, O.M.I., Pastor of St. William's in 1942, purchased the St. Mary's property in South Tewksbury for the Oblates. St. Mary's was renovated and became a Mission Chapel of St. William's. Masses continued on Sunday mornings and nuns from Sacred Heart Church in Lowell were transported to St. Mary's to teach Catechism. All the sacraments were performed at St. William's. During the summer months, a small motion picture theater in McLarenville (South Tewksbury) held one Mass on Sundays for summer residents.

The debt on the land for the church was paid in August 1948 when Father James B. McCartin, O.M.I., was Pastor. He purchased land in 1949 for the convent (now the parish center) and the school. In the Fall of 1954 a fund was begun for the future building of a school and a convent.

On September 29, 1957, construction for the school was started, followed shortly after by construction of the convent, which housed the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, New York, who staffed the school.

Rev. James B. McCartin, O.M.I.

Rev. William Lantagne, O.M.I.
Under the pastorate of Father William Lantagne, O.M.I., the building program of the school and convent for the parish was achieved. Dedication ceremonies took place on November 3, 1958, for the school and convent and was officiated by his Excellency, Jeremiah Minihan, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of Boston.

The rectory was completed in 1959.

As the growth of Catholic families increased, two new Catholic Parishes were created. Both comprised parts of Tewksbury: St. Dorothy's, Wilmington, established in 1954, and St. Robert Bellarmine's, Andover, established in 1961. A decision by His Eminency, Richard Cardinal Cushing, limited parish lines by a decree which became effective on November 21, 1961. Today these are the existing boundaries of St. William's Parish.

The First 25 Years' Celebration

In 1964 the 25th Anniversary was celebrated on the grounds of the Novitiate with a large attendance for this happy occasion. The Pastor, Rev. Garrett F. Barry, O.M.I., celebrated with assistance from the Most Rev. Francis J. McSorley, O.M.I., Vicar Apostolic of Jolo, Sulu, Phillipines Islands. A reception for His Excellency was attended by many.

Most Rev. Francis J. McSorley and
Rev. Garrett F. Barry, Pastor

St. William's Expands Again

Tewksbury was experiencing a rapid growth rate and, even with the new reduced church boundaries, the impact was being felt by St. William's Parish. Approximately 75% of the population of Tewksbury was Catholic and fell within the Parish boundaries.

Masses held at the church were no longer capable of accommodating any more parishioners. The Novitiate and Tewksbury Hospital still held Masses, but the seating was inadequate at St. William's Church. It was also decided at that time in 1969 to eliminate the Mass at the Novitiate.

It was time for expansion of the church, which had a seating capacity of about 350. Permission for expansion had been sought repeatedly from the early 1960s and was refused every time. During the 1960s double Masses were being held, and by 1975 thirteen Masses were held each weekend. That was more than any other parish in the Archdiocese offered! By 1976 St. William's had grown to 2100 families.

The need at hand was urgent and the only solution was an addition to the Church. It was feasible at that time without putting the Parish into financial debt. On July 15, 1976, Pastor Father Patrick Hollywood, O.M.I., requested permission to construct an addition to St. William's Church and it was approved that same month. The need to alleviate the overcrowded conditions resulted in a Pledge Drive to raise the necessary funds for an addition to our church.

In 1978, the St. Mary's and St. Joseph's Chapels and renovations to the lower church were completed. On Monday, April 24, 1978, His Eminence Humberto Cardinal Mederios, Archbishop Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston, celebrated the pontifical Mass of Thanksgiving rededicating St. William's Church. The seating capacity after the expansion of the Church is 700.

Fr. Hollywood Greets
Parishioners After Mass

Janet Lambert Moore's Sketch of the New St. William's Church (1978)

The First 50 Years' Celebration

On September 28, 1985, St. William's Church celebrated its 50th Anniversary. His Eminence, Bernard Cardinal Law, officiated at a Celebration Mass which was followed by a 50th Anniversary Dinner Dance.

Cardinal Law Concelebrates
the 50th Anniversary Mass

Cardinal Law Meets With
Parishioners After the Mass

During the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Parish, the term of pastorship had expired for Fr. Joseph Blaney, O.M.I., and the position was turned over to Fr. George Croft, O.M.I. It was if we had come full cycle as Fr. Blaney was transferred to the Immaculate Conception Church in Lowell from where, 50 years before, Fr. Denis Sullivan, O.M.I., had come to be the first Pastor of the newly established Catholic Parish of Tewksbury.

St. William's Continues to Grow and Prosper

During the 1980s, our Pastor, Fr. Joseph Blaney, along with the Tewksbury Interfaith Choir, initiated an religious and cultural interchange program with Tewkesbury, UK, our twin city. Exchange visits and choir performances were held both here and in England.

With the support of Fr. George Croft, O.M.I, the first Family Picture Album was published in 1987 with a follow-up album being published in 1993 under the Pastorship of Fr. Gerald Flater, O.M.I. These albums represent the love, commitment, and spirit that has characterized St. William's through the years.

Fr. George Croft, O.M.I.

Fr. Gerald Flater, O.M.I.
Under the direction of Fr. Gerald Flater, Spirit Sunday has been observed on Pentecost Sunday each year since 1992 to demonstrate that that love, commitment, and spirit lives on in the Parish.

In 1993 an addition to the office and reception areas of the rectory was completed.

The "Open Scroll," a quarterly newsletter written by the priests of the Parish and mailed to each family, was initiated in 1995 to reach out to every member of our parish family, to proclaim God's Word, to share the Good News of His love for us, and to live out The Gospel in our daily lives through service to Him and to each other.

To deepen our spiritual commitment, the Friday Holy Hour and the Monthly (Second) Tuesday Evenings of Prayer began in 1996.

And to bring us up to date, "The Church of St. William, Tewksbury, MA," appears on the World Wide Web in 1997.

On October 5, 1997, Rev. William O'Donnell was formally installed as the 12th Pastor of St. William's Church in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

Fr. Walsh, Bishop McNamara,
and Fr. O'Donnell Relax After
Fr. O'Donnell's Installation Mass
as the 12th Pastor of St. William's Church on October 5, 1997

Through the years with the help and guidance of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, St. William's Parish has become a loving and caring community, aware of its responsibilities to God and to each other, especially to those in need. We have grown to 3300 families, all one family of worshipers in the body of Jesus Christ, in which all members are an integral and vital part.

Spirit Sunday at St. William's Church

Pastors of St. William's Church, Tewksbury

1935-1940	Rev. Denis Sullivan, O.M.I.
1940-1941	Rev. John Doherty, O.M.I.
1941-1947	Rev. Clement Flynn, O.M.I.
1947-1955	Rev. James B. McCartin, O.M.I.
1955-1963	Rev. William Lantagne, O.M.I.
1963-1969	Rev. Garrett Barry, O.M.I.
1969-1973	Rev. John Hynes, O.M.I.
1973-1979	Rev. Patrick Hollywood, O.M.I
1979-1985	Rev. Joseph Blaney, O.M.I.
1985-1991	Rev. George Croft, O.M.I.
1991-1997	Rev. Gerald Flater, O.M.I.
1997-Present	Rev. William O'Donnell, O.M.I.

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