"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."  Ecclesiastes 3:1

A Message from Father Paul Ritt

For the last two months we have invited our parishioners to nominate names for our recently merged parish, keeping in mind the names and traditions of our two churches, and the need to select a parish name that is not widely used in the Archdiocese.  In that span of time, our parishioners submitted over 60 names, a very impressive show of interest and support, to say the least.  

A subcommittee of our Parish Pastoral Council, chaired by our recently retired Director of Parish Ministries Donna Delahanty and comprised of two members from each church (John DiBello and Patty Glennon from SMG, and John Lozada and Eric Rich from OLA), reviewed these nominations and chose 6 of these names to recommend to me. Cardinal Sean asked for 3 suggested names from which he would make the choice, so I sent him the 3 names I thought he was most likely to make the selection.  On the afternoon of August 3, I heard that Cardinal Sean enthusiastically chose "Ave Maria" as the new name of our parish, a name that celebrates the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel to our Blessed Mother at the Annunciation, and incorporates the Latin translation (Maria) of the name of Mary.  So Hail Mary and Maria!

I am grateful to the parishioners of our parish for their thoughtful contributions to this process, our PPC members for their work, and Cardinal Sean for his swift decision on the new name of our parish.  As I have said many times, both churches will retain their current names as we begin our journey as Ave Maria Parish.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley's Decree

Effective July 1, 2020

"I heareby decree the merger of Saint Maria Goretti Parish and Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, both located in Lynnfield, to form one new parish to be temporarily be known as SAINT MARIA GORETTI - OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION PARISH, in Lynnfield, Massachusetts.  The just and serious reasons that motivate this action include the need to have a single faith community, capable of more effectively sustaining itself, evangelizing and sharing the resources of the Lynnfield Catholic Community."

Fr. Paul Ritt's Announcement Regarding Merger of Our Parishes