Immaculate Conception Church Portsmouth NH
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Who we are
Immaculate Conception Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire is a Christian congregation serving the Portsmouth community and encouraging others through a life-changing Christian journey.
We seek to serve God by working for justice and peace, respect and learn from all the great faith traditions and desire to be known by the love we have for one another.
We seek to serve God by working for justice and peace, respect and learn from all the great faith traditions and desire to be known by the love we have for one another.
Street Address
98 Summer St
Portsmouth,
NH
03801
United States
Phone: (603) 436-4555
Fax: (603) 433-4401
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Church Pastor
Rev. Gary J. Belliveau
Pastor
98 Summer St
Portsmouth,
NH
03801
United States
Phone: (603) 436-4555
Fax: (603) 433-4401
Download Pastor Rev. Gary J. Belliveau vCard
Click here to contact Rev. Gary J. Belliveau
Denomination
Roman Catholic
Affiliations
Church Website
Immaculate Conception Church on Social Media
Leadership
Leader Name:
Rev. Gary J. Belliveau
Leader Position:
Pastor
Formal Title:
Leader Address:
Phone:
Fax:
(603) 433-4401
Leader Email:
Click here to contact Rev. Gary J. Belliveau
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Pastor Rev. Gary J. Belliveau
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Administration
Admin Name:
Virginia McDonough
Admin Position:
Administrative assistant
Admin Address:
2075 Lafayette Road
Portsmouth
New Hampshire
03801-5697
Portsmouth
New Hampshire
03801-5697
Phone:
Fax:
(603) 433-4401
Admin Email:
Click here to contact Virginia McDonough
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Immaculate Conception Church Mass Times
Mass Times
Mon-Sat: 8:00AM (preceded by Morning Prayer at 7:40)
Sat.: 4:00PM, Sun.: 8:30AM, 10:30AM, 4:30PM
Spanish Mass, Sunday 2:00PM
(Depending on the availability of a Spanish speaking priest.)
Confessions
After daily Mass
Sat. 3:00PM, Sun. 3:45PM
Eucharistic Adoration
Thursday 8:30AM – 5:00PM
Monday-Saturday 7:00 — 7:55AM
Open for Prayer
Daily, 7:00AM – 8:00PM
It's been more than 5 years since the last mass times update. Please make sure to contact the church to confirm mass times.
Please contact the church to confirm Mass Times or SUBSCRIBE to updates below
Mon-Sat: 8:00AM (preceded by Morning Prayer at 7:40)
Sat.: 4:00PM, Sun.: 8:30AM, 10:30AM, 4:30PM
Spanish Mass, Sunday 2:00PM
(Depending on the availability of a Spanish speaking priest.)
Confessions
After daily Mass
Sat. 3:00PM, Sun. 3:45PM
Eucharistic Adoration
Thursday 8:30AM – 5:00PM
Monday-Saturday 7:00 — 7:55AM
Open for Prayer
Daily, 7:00AM – 8:00PM
It's been more than 5 years since the last mass times update. Please make sure to contact the church to confirm mass times.
Please contact the church to confirm Mass Times or SUBSCRIBE to updates below
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Immaculate Conception Church Portsmouth Photos
Immaculate Conception Church - Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Ash Wednesday 2019
Easter Mass, 2018
Christmas Mass 2018
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Immaculate Conception Church History
A brief history of Immaculate Conception Parish and Church:
As the first parish in Portsmouth – originally known as St. Mary’s – Immaculate Conception has also been labeled the “mother church” of St. Catherine of Siena and St. James parishes, which were established in the 1950s.
The first Masses in Portsmouth were celebrated in 1833 in the Dominick Peduzzi home above Mr. Peduzzi’s Confectionery store located on the corner of High and Congress streets. The first regular Catholic services were celebrated by Fr. Constantine Lee, and by 1836, Portsmouth was organized as a mission of St. Aloysius Church of Dover, of which Fr. Lee was pastor.
Early in the 1850s, the congregation was on the order of 300 parishioners. St. Mary’s was established as a parish in 1851, with Fr. Charles McCallion as its first pastor. The parish acquired a parcel of land known as “Circus Field on Mason’s Hill” at the corner of Summer and Chatham streets. A simple church was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin on October 8, 1852. It was destroyed in a suspicious fire November 27, 1871. A brick church (not the current one) was built and dedicated April 9, 1874, and renamed Church of the Immaculate Conception. At this time, it was part of the Diocese of Portland (Maine) and in 1884, transitioned to the Diocese of Manchester (New Hampshire) when the latter diocese was established.
Early parishioners sought to give their children an experience of quality education within the atmosphere of a community rooted in strong morals and lived faith. A school had been built at 202 State Street in 1869, but the land was sold in 1873 to help fund construction of the first brick church. In 1885, land adjoining Immaculate Conception church on Austin Street was purchased, on which was built St. Patrick School, which served the children of our parish and beyond. It was staffed by the Sisters of Mercy, and school enrollment was 290. We are excited to have recently completed construction on Banfield Road for a new school, St. Patrick Academy, which opened in May 2018.
By the early 1930s, the 1874 brick church was found to be structurally weak and too small to meet the needs of the growing parish. Demolition of that church and construction of the present-day church occurred in 1933-34. However, the stained glass windows of the old church were preserved and installed in the new one. During that period, weekday Masses were celebrated in the school hall, and Sunday Masses in the Knights of Columbus Hall and in the Portsmouth Theater. The new church opened for Easter 1934, and was formally dedicated October 21, 1934. At this time, the parish numbered 906 families with 3,261 members; school enrollment was 444.
During and after World War II, Portsmouth’s population grew tremendously. The school was overcrowded, and so a two-story annex was built in 1949 on what is now the rear parking lot of the church. And with the church no longer able to accommodate all worshippers, a new parish, St. Catherine of Siena, was established in 1951 on Woodbury Avenue on land purchased by, and presented to, St. Catherine as a gift from Immaculate Conception. Continued growth in Portsmouth resulted in the establishment of St. James the Greater parish on Lafayette Road in 1958.
As the first parish in Portsmouth – originally known as St. Mary’s – Immaculate Conception has also been labeled the “mother church” of St. Catherine of Siena and St. James parishes, which were established in the 1950s.
The first Masses in Portsmouth were celebrated in 1833 in the Dominick Peduzzi home above Mr. Peduzzi’s Confectionery store located on the corner of High and Congress streets. The first regular Catholic services were celebrated by Fr. Constantine Lee, and by 1836, Portsmouth was organized as a mission of St. Aloysius Church of Dover, of which Fr. Lee was pastor.
Early in the 1850s, the congregation was on the order of 300 parishioners. St. Mary’s was established as a parish in 1851, with Fr. Charles McCallion as its first pastor. The parish acquired a parcel of land known as “Circus Field on Mason’s Hill” at the corner of Summer and Chatham streets. A simple church was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin on October 8, 1852. It was destroyed in a suspicious fire November 27, 1871. A brick church (not the current one) was built and dedicated April 9, 1874, and renamed Church of the Immaculate Conception. At this time, it was part of the Diocese of Portland (Maine) and in 1884, transitioned to the Diocese of Manchester (New Hampshire) when the latter diocese was established.
By the early 1930s, the 1874 brick church was found to be structurally weak and too small to meet the needs of the growing parish. Demolition of that church and construction of the present-day church occurred in 1933-34. However, the stained glass windows of the old church were preserved and installed in the new one. During that period, weekday Masses were celebrated in the school hall, and Sunday Masses in the Knights of Columbus Hall and in the Portsmouth Theater. The new church opened for Easter 1934, and was formally dedicated October 21, 1934. At this time, the parish numbered 906 families with 3,261 members; school enrollment was 444.
Immaculate Conception Church Historical Photos
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"Yes, Lord"
"Yes, Lord! Jesus, I give all of this to you. Jesus," I just started out a dream for my neighbourhood. "I didn't ask you to make me a messenger to the world. I just wanted to love my neighbours. But Jesus, here it is. Here's my future, here's my loneliness, here are all the pressures, here are the criticism", and I gave Him everything. And I told Him to take me again and I would try to make "Yes, Lord" the continuing motto of my life..
Immaculate Conception Church listing was last updated on the 21st of March, 2019
