Saint Joseph Parish, Wakefield, Massachusetts

Saint Joseph Parish, Wakefield, MA

The purpose of this blog is to explore different churches and to learn about my community in the process. In this activity I am re-exposing myself to religion after an absence, and also learning about the diversity within faiths, between denominations, and potentially eventually between religions as well. 

Saint Joseph Parish demonstrates that you should never judge a book by its cover. Having been raised Catholic, I generally feel I know what to expect, and I can say Saint Joseph Parish surprised me in several ways, largely by putting contemporary spin on tradition.

The Building & History:

The current church, despite supporting a parish that is 164 years old, is very modern. This church was completed and dedicated in 1980 a few years after a prior building had burned down in 1977. A picture of the former church courtesy of the Beebe Library, can be found here. It looks like a sad architectural loss to the community as the image suggests a magnificent wooden structure that emulated the grand gothic, cross shaped cathedral structures of Europe.

The new church's less vertical structure may not have the same wow factor, however in the spring, it has lovely landscaping and flowering trees that definitely keep it an important influence in the character of Wakefield Center. The modern St Joseph's was designed with contemporary needs in mind. It boasts an impressive sound system which reverberates off of large expanses of illuminated off-white walls and ceilings, coupled with light woodwork making the space bright and warm. The pews fan out away from the alter, creating an amphitheater style layout. The alter and tabernacle are attractively flanked with plants which included bamboo trees, adding to the contemporary aesthetic. Stained glass windows which appear small, dark and indistinguishable from the exterior, glow brightly inside appearing to show the stations of the cross, with a modern design. 

The Parish:

Saint Joseph Church is larger than any I've attended in the area (seats 750), and very well attended. The large church was largely filled at the 11:00 am mass, and from a video (see link supplied below) a 9:00 am also was quite full. I suspect the creativity of Father Ron, and the spirit of this Parish goes a long way to maintaining this clearly vibrant community. Attendance spanned generations as well. 

Saint Joseph Parish welcomes people to join it and has various resources listed on its website to assist. They recognize that both non-Catholics, as well as Catholics who have left the faith may desire to return. One resource for returning Catholics is a link to an organization called Catholics Come Home.

Mass & Sermon:

Father Ron Barker, who sports sandals beneath his cassock, appears to add a personal style to his masses that are strong on the structure that any Catholic will be familiar with. Hymns seemed to be a bit more contemporary in style from what I recollect typically hearing. A large, well practiced choir led the parish through the songs over the sound system, giving the impression that everyone present was singing. Father Ron connected intimately with the parish in various ways, including some light hearted remarks, which are clearly appreciated. One such moment was reminding everyone that they couldn't have chocolate this Valentines day because it is Ash Wednesday, which was met by chuckles and laughter. 

Father Ron's 11:00 AM mass included a sermon where he stated that everyone is searching for Jesus, whether they are aware of it or not. That people long to be helped, and are searching for meaning. Available through St. Joseph's website, I was surprised to see that an earlier mass had entirely different readings. The mass is recorded in entirely and available through a video courtesy of the church. (I get the sense this video links to the most recent 9:00 am mass, therefore it will likely not link to the February 4, 2018 mass long-term) I quickly stepped through this to see how it compared to my own experience. While the hymns also were contemporary, a band performed instead of a choir. Most notably was the incorporation of children performing readings, and additionally the invitation of children to form a circle around Father Ron for the sermon, so he could dedicate attention to them. Despite being Catholic, I can say I don't ever remember seeing this in a Catholic mass, and I thought it was a very nice touch. 

Fr. Ron took time to pray for certain individuals, and mention a handful of various parishioners. In particular he noted some parishioners who were in the military, and expressed thankfulness for those who had returned home safely.

The lightest moment of the mass was the inclusion of Caleb, the parish dog. Caleb is a curly white haired, incredibly adorable dog who has an official page on the website. Inside the bulletin is a Caleb picture reminding people to read the Bible. I was wondering if the New England Patriots were going to be mentioned at some point, and sure enough Caleb was the star of this moment. At the invitation of Father Ron at the end of mass Caleb trotted down the aisle wearing a Patriots shirt. Father Ron said, "if the Patriots are going to win spin in a circle," which of course Caleb did to the amusement of the parish.

Oh well, I guess we can't win them all.

What the parish does: 

Most notable is probably St. Joseph Elementary School that the parish is affiliated with. The school building dates to 1924 and is on the National Register of Historic Places, largely because it is an example of Gothic Revival architecture. 

The parish is very active in various charitable causes. The website lists Giving Tree, Knitting and Praying, My Brother's Table, St Joseph Table, St. Vincent de Paul, and Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry among several Charitable Ministry activities. St. Joseph Table provides meals for those in need every 2nd Friday and 4th Wednesday of the Month. The parish also has various programs such as the Homebound and Nursing Home Committee which Eucharist and visitation to people who are confined to hospitals and nursing homes. 

Various social opportunities such as coffee hour after mass exist. Many of these are often charitable activities or fund raisers for various causes. One such activity is a Wine and Whiskey taster on February 10th to raise money for the school.

To conclude,

It tends to be taken for granted just how much value our community faith based organizations add. St. Joseph Parish is an excellent example of how these pillars & foundations make a huge difference both to those involved, as well as others who benefit from their dedication and outreach. 

Text and photographs by George Parks

Sources are embedded in links