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Notre Dame Church

61 Marcy Street
508-765-0601

Mission Statement
We, the Catholic Church of Notre Dame , called to Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and nourished by Word and Eucharist, commit our time, talent, and treasure to the growth of God's Reign in our world.

Parish History
Notre Dame Parish was founded on November 29, 1869. Under the leadership of its first pastor, Rev. M.F. LeBreton, a large wooden church was completed on Pine Street in time for the Christmas Mass of 1870. The Parish grew very fast due to the large influx of emigrants from the farms of Canada to the mills of Southbridge.

In the late 1880's, its second pastor, Msgr. Georges E. Brochu, started raising funds for a larger church. In 1895 the Marcy Estate at the corner of Main and Marcy Streets was purchased as the site for the new Notre Dame Church. Msgr Brochu died in 1904 before realizing his dream of a new church.

The third pastor, Rev. Louis O. Triganne (later Msgr.), initiated the plans for the church. He retained the services of Joseph Venne of Montreal as architect and the Roman artist Gonippo Raggi as artist-decorator. The church was built of white marble bricks which were originally intended as tombstones for the Spanish -American war. It has a red Spanish tile roof, and measures 190 feet in length. The nave is 78 feet across and the transept is 123 feet long.

The construction began on March 25, 1911, the feast of the Annunciation. The church was dedicated on July 2, 1916, the feast of the Visitation.

Notre Dame was consecrated in a 3 1/2 hour ceremony by Bishop John J. Wright, first Bishop of Worcester, on October 11, 1950, the feast of the Maternity of the Virgin Mary. The consecration of a church is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon it. Its purpose is to proclaim the consecrated edifice as a most fitting, permanent place of worship, and a church so honored is an outstanding temple of God.


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