St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Woburn, MA

St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Woburn, MA

Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. The hope is to provide a window into these organizations allowing those who might not other wise venture in to appreciate these thoughtful, often intimate groups in our midst. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work.

This post is unique in that my only photos are from the interior of the church. I attended a 4:00 pm Mass and the lighting wasn't conducive to getting good exterior photographs. A sketch of the exterior of the building can be found on Woburn Catholic Collaborative's webpage. 


Horn of Plenty on display for the Thanksgiving Holiday

Building  & History

St. Anthony's was started in 1908 as a mission of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish which is still located in Woburn center. The brick and limestone structure, described as Italian Romanesque architecture on Saint Charles's history page, was built over 1927 through 1928. 

From the roadside I had anticipated St. Anthony's to be more contemporary, however it has ornate, traditional stained glass windows, and large columns that line the sanctuary which embody the Romanesque character. The interior is largely off-white, and a parquet style wood floor beneath the pews is a unique touch. The organ resides in a curved balcony above the entrance. It appears to specifically for this purpose as opposed to an area of extra seating (typically no longer used) which is often seen in early 20th to late 19th century Catholic Churches of New England.


The Mass

The Mass was traditional, very well attended, and a cantor lead the parish in the selection of music/ responsory hymns that framed the homily and the Holy Communion. Mass closed with a prayer led by Father Thomas Powers, where support was asked from St. Michael.

Also of interest is a write-up in the bulletin about prayers for those who have died, and an explanation of purgatory. It describes purgatory as a process rather than a place. It explains that when people pass away, they go through a transformation, cleansing themselves of remaining fear or sin and self-centeredness in light of the redemption of Christ.  

Outreach/Activities

Saint Anthony's webpage links to a Catholic Social Justice site where various resources to combat poverty, racism, and other social ills are listed, as well as various written pieces or news links. The Saint Anthony/ Woburn Catholic site also lists various resources for religious education including a calendar of events. The bulletin mentions an upcoming parish pilgrimage to Lourdes that Fr. Powers will be attending.


Text and photographs by George Parks
Sources are embedded in links



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