Our History

Established in 1831, St. Patrick Parish is the oldest Catholic Parish in Greater Lowell and the third oldest in the Archdiocese of Boston.

Since its establishment, St. Patrick’s has stood tall in the heart of the Acre neighborhood as a community committed to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, beyond a history of serving Irish and French parishioners, the parish offers native language pastoral care to communities of Hispanic, Vietnamese and Burmese Catholics. St. Patrick’s is a stable and historic example of God’s presence amidst an ever-evolving neighborhood landscape.

For the full parish history, click the link below:
190 Years Of Service

• On April 19, 1868, Father Andre’ Garin, O.M.I., offered the first Mass for Lowell’s burgeoning French Canadian Catholic population in the lower level of the St. Patrick’s. It was that Mass that lead Lowell’s French speaking community to form St. Joseph Parish on Lee Street
• On August 31, 2004, Nuestra Senora Del Carmen Parish, Lowell (Hispanic) joined with St. Patrick’s
• Recently, Lowell’s newest immigrant community, the Burmeese, have found a home at St. Patrick