WARREN — Blink and you risk missing it. Cruise through the East Bay along Route 114 and all you need is a momentary daydream or other brief distraction to overlook Warren. Squeezed by the Palmer and Warren Rivers to the west and Massachusetts border to the east, the town gets further pinched between Barrington to the north and Bristol to the south. Within only six square miles of land, unassuming Warren nevertheless fits snugly into its tight quarters. Consequently, this tiny town of little more than 11,000 residents, cached in the smallest county in the smallest state in America, often goes unnoticed.
For instance, had you passed by St. Mary of the Bay in the late afternoon of August 15, on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you’d have had no idea that the 10th Bishop of Providence, Most. Rev. Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., was inside celebrating Mass, the first event in a year-long calendar of festivities marking the church’s 175th anniversary. No grand signage adorned the exterior, nor any collage of archival photos decorating the inside. Just a small commemorative logo printed on a framed sheet of paper sitting on a table in the vestibule gave any indication that this marked the start of something special.
“I went through the archives at the chancery, reading through the articles and all the different historical records that are there about your parish,” the bishop told St. Mary of the Bay’s packed pews during his homily. “There’s a stack of really interesting writing all about your parish, about you, and your history. It’s wonderful.”
And yes, it’s both instinctive and altogether appropriate on such an auspicious occasion to look back at how St. Mary of the Bay began in 1851, when the U.S. was just 75 years old. At how it survived a devastating fire 30 years later, and underwent a number of renovations and reconstructions over the following century. The parish website meticulously chronicles its history, which will be properly celebrated over the coming 12 months.
For the time being, though, St. Mary of the Bay’s present-day congregation seems more focused on appreciating the here-and-now, while anticipating the future of their beloved church.
“I haven’t experienced a community of faith like this one since I was a child, and back then I was too young to understand how special and rare this is,” remarks Christine Hawkinson. Raised in Providence, Hawkinson later moved out of state for college and work. She returned 12 years ago to be closer to her now-deceased parents, who had moved to Warren and become members of St. Mary of the Bay. Hawkinson not only joined the community, but also quickly involved herself in several of its apostolates—the food pantry, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, parish retreat committee, women’s ministry, and others.
“Each of these apostolates,” she continues, “and the people I serve alongside, enrich my faith and brings me closer to God. His Spirit is so clearly visible in the growth of the youth ministries, the engagement of the lay people in parish life, and in the friendships that have formed. I feel blessed to be part of such a warm, welcoming, community.”
What’s more, even when Warren and its inhabitants have just cause to draw attention to themselves, they frequently demur.
Father Joseph R. Upton, Ph.D., pastor of St. Mary of the Bay Parish, ensures the operations of the busy parish run smoothly while also being very approachable to his parishioners, who refer to him simply as “Father Joe.”
Because Warren is so geographically small, St. Mary of the Bay draws not only from within town, but also from communities beyond in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. Many parishioners are older, long-term members. For younger ones, this church is the only one they’ve ever known. Still more fall somewhere in between, perhaps having reached midlife (or later) after experiencing church life elsewhere. Maybe they strayed from the faith before finding their way here.
Whatever their situation, they usually get —and stay—fully involved in parish life because it feels to them like a second home. Like Hawkinson and so many of her fellow St. Mary of the Bay parishioners, Theresa DeRiso, one of two parish trustees and a lifelong member, serves in numerous other capacities.
“It’s where we find deep comfort, peace, and joy, as well as strength when life’s challenges inevitably come our way,” DeRiso declares. “In every season, this church has been the foundation of our faith and a calm, safe, welcoming place in any storm—a place where we can rest, relax, and begin again.”
Laureen Berglund only joined St. Mary of the Bay two years ago when she and husband Mark moved to Bristol. Affiliated previously with several other parishes, she maintains, “I’ve never found a community as warm and welcoming as St. Mary of the Bay, where I feel like we are truly a parish family. We truly connect with one another on a deeper spiritual level and pray for one another. And it’s clear that the source of this community spirit is Father Joe and his leadership team. My husband isn’t even Catholic and hasn’t often attended Mass with me at other parishes. But he comes just about every week to St. Mary of the Bay because he connects with Father Joe’s messages. I know the Holy Spirit is presently working mightily at St. Mary of the Bay as our parish family grows.”
As evidence of that growth, Mary Ann Allen points to the 139 new households St. Mary of the Bay added last year. Not even three years into her own membership, Allen now serves as director of St. Mary of the Bay Connects, the ministry that welcomes newly registered individuals and families. “We have a great foundation here, and with Father Joe and his vision here. I know this parish will be very resilient and carry on. The demographics are so unlike any other parishes. There’s a lot of youth here.”
Take the Smith siblings, for example. Rowan, age 14, and younger sister Baker (11) are altar servers and pantry volunteers. Youngest brother Silas (7) also helps in the parish pantry. Their parents, Andrew and Jennifer, have been at St. Mary of the Bay for the past 20 years, are highly involved, and have bequeathed that love of service to their children.
“As soon as you set foot in the building, you feel like you belong,” remarks Rowan. “I imagine that has been the same through the church’s history, that the people always welcomed you in. For 175 years, I think the people are what has made St. Mary of the Bay a special place, and they will continue to do so.”
That sense of optimism about the church’s future extends to young parents like Matt Rooney, who just turned 40 this year.
“You look around and you see younger families,” said Rooney. “You see the church filling up over the five years that I’ve been here. Masses are getting more and more crowded. I’m seeing more and more new faces, more and more new people, and I think that it will continue. I don’t know if we’re bucking the downward trend or what, but certainly this parish will be here for more anniversaries, more milestones.”
Joy Jennings agrees. As St. Mary of the Bay’s Spiritual Life Coordinator, she points out that the church is not just the 175th anniversary, but also another special occasion. “That is,” she explains, “the warm welcome and steady growth which people have experienced here in recent years. Long-time parishioners and newly arrived members are encouraged and empowered to lead and partake in ministries that address the needs of our society today.
“We don’t just go to church here from week to week. We have become a church filled with new life and rededication to what it means to be Catholics in service to others. The Gospel is brought to life here, in a way that is alive, active, and ever new. We celebrate the old, through continuation with the new — a double celebration of all we have been, and all that we continue to be.”
Worthy, certainly, of a yearlong celebration. Anything less would fail to suffice for the people of this parish. Which may help explain why they remain fully focused on the present. Realizing how special this moment is, they don’t want to blink and miss it.
