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Title:	Historic Saint Marys Church Welcomes Visitors Today
Date:	8/1/2023 - 10/31/2023
Address:	Spring Street & Memorial Boulevard West, Newport, RI, 02840
Location:	Newport, RI
Hours:	10 am to 2pm
Cost/Cover:	Free, but donations to support the parish's soup kitchen are gratefuly accepted.
Web Page:	https://www.stmarynewportri.org/
Contact Info:	Write stmarysecretary12@gmail.com or phone (401) 847-0475. (Note: office closed on Fridays)

Details:

Beautiful and historic Saint Mary's Church, home to Rhode Island's oldest Catholic parish, welcomes visitors daily. Thanks to volunteer docents from the parish community, we are able to open the doors for prayer and visitation outside of regularly scheduled services.

The building and grounds will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

Tripadvisor reviewers rate St. Mary's Church as #7 out of 101 "Things to Do in Newport," with 95% giving a rating of either “Excellent” or “Very Good."

Please use the William Street side entrance, accessed from Spring Street. If wheelchair access is required, please use the ramp to the breezeway entrance on William Street, between the red brick rectory and its garage. There is a parking lot adjacent with two handicapped spots.

Weekend Masses at St. Mary's are Saturday at 5:15 pm and Sunday at 8:00 am and 11:00 am, during which time the building will also be opened.

The schedule is subject to change, based on the availability of volunteers. Funerals and weddings may also impact full access to the church.

BRIEF HISTORY
The parish was established in 1828 to serve Newport's growing population of Catholics, many of whom were Irish immigrants working on the construction of nearby Fort Adams. The congregation soon outgrew its first two buildings, which were located at Barney & Mt. Vernon Streets, a short stroll from Washington Square. The Gothic Revival style building you see today at the corner of Spring Street and Memorial Boulevard West was designed by Irish-American architect, Patrick C. Keely. Construction began in August 1848, and in July 1852, the building was dedicated to "The Holy Name of Mary, Our Lady of the Isle." Future president, John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, whose mother and stepfather summered in Newport, were married here on September 12, 1953. Saint Mary's was designated a National Historic Shrine in 1968 and it is was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Today, Saint Mary's is a vibrant Catholic faith community of approximately 1,200 families led by Fr. Mark A. Sauriol, who is also pastor of nearby Saint Augustin's Parish.

Photo credit: IStock.com/raksyBH