THE HISTORY OF  IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY CHURCH

The growth of Catholicism in Winchendon was concurrent with railroad construction…true in Winchendon as it was in many other New England towns.  The opening of the Cheshire Railroad in 1848 brought Irish Catholic immigrants to Winchendon, and there is basis for the belief that the first Catholic Mass in Winchendon may have been offered in 1846 by Rev. Matthew Gibson of Athol.
 
The first Mass of record in Winchendon was offered in 1847, in a railroad shanty, by a priest believed to be either the Rev. Jeremiah O’Callaghan or Rev. John B. Daly, both of whom were covering Vermont and New Hampshire Missions at the time.  In 1855 the same Rev. Matthew Gibson, by then of Fitchburg, established a mission in Winchendon.
 
During the years that Fr. Gibson served Winchendon, an old barn and a half acre of land were purchased at the corner of Central and Locust Streets, and a chapel, 12 x 20 feet, was set up in this barn.  Fr. Turpin succeeded Fr. Gibson as missionary for the Winchendon Catholics, and he removed the interior of the barn, converting the entire building into a chapel and surmounting it with a cross.  A large window was built over the altar, allowing more light into the building.
 
In 1864, St. Martin’s in Otter River became a parish, and Fr. Turpin was named its pastor and Rev. T. H. Bannon became the missionary for Winchendon.  In 1867 Rev. William Orr took over the Mission and organized a church-building society and had accumulated $2,066.89 before being transferred to Lawrence, Ma. in 1869.  In the ensuing two years Winchendon was served by Rev. Richard Donovan and Rev. Patrick McManus.
 
On July 1, 1871, the first resident pastor was assigned, Rev. Dennis C. Moran.  The newly established parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary included all of Ashburnham, all of Gardner and Westminster, in each of which Missions were established.  It was Fr. Moran who took steps toward the erection of a permanent place of worship in Winchendon.  Under his direction Dr. Robert Geddes, great uncle of Miss Hazel Geddes, acting as agent for the Catholic Bishop of Springfield, purchased for $8,000 the 2 ¼ acres of land at the corner of Spruce and Grove Streets on which this church now stands.
 
The basement of the church was constructed, then roofed over and blessed as The Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.  This basement, measuring 120 x 60 feet, was all the parish could afford in the way of major construction at that time.  The severe depression of that period delayed further progress.
 
In 1880 Fr. Moran was transferred to Adams, Ma. and was succeeded in Winchendon by Rev. John Conway.  Immediately thereafter, the workload was considerably lightened when the Gardner Mission was made a separate parish.  However, the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish still included both Winchendon and Ashburnham.
 
Father Conway improved the basement church: walls were frescoed and side altars and statuary were added.  In 1894, the parochial residence was completed at a cost of $5ooo.
 
On Christmas Eve of 1900, Rev. John P. Hackett became pastor of the parish.  The basement church had, by then, become so deteriorated that it was judged best to erect a new structure from the very foundation.  Plans for the new church were drawn by architect John W. Donahue of Springfield.  The contract for the building was drawn up at a cost of $90,000 and was signed on June 18, 1907.  Parishioners attended services in the Town Hall until the basement of the new church was sufficiently advanced for religious services to be held there.  (December 25, 1908)
 
The upper church was of Tudor-Gothic architecture, made of Otter River brick, laid in Flemish bond, with black lead and wide white mortar joints.  The trimmings were light gray terra cotta.  The church we are in today was dedicated on September 19, 1909 by Rt. Rev. Thomas D. Beaven, Bishop of Springfield.  It had been just two years and three months from signing of the contract until the dedication of the building.  Among invited guests at the dedication of the building were the three Selectmen of the Town, Judge Arthur F. Evans, Judge Frank B. Spalter and Morton E. Converse.
 
During the latter part of the 19^th century, parish membership greatly increased with the arrival of a large number of Catholics of French-Canadian origin, many of whose descendants remain in Winchendon and now make up the largest percentage, membership wise, of the parish.  Other nationalities arrived in their turn, adding their contribution and talents…those of Italian, Polish and Lebanese descent.  While preserving many of their own cherished traditions, language and culture, they have united to further the larger interests, both of their parish and town.  This church is a lasting monument to this spirit of union in diversity.
 
From the turn of the century until 1964, the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary had only three pastors: Rev. John P. Hackett, who served from 1900 until his death in 1935, Rev. Wilfrid A. Tisdell who became Administrator from this date until 1942 and Pastor from 1942 until his retirement in 1961.  The Rt. Rev. David M. Elwood served as Pastor from 1961 until 1968.  Fr. Tisdell, prior to the death of Fr. Hackett, had been curate in the parish for nine years, beginning in 1927.  The total of his years of service to the Winchendon parish was 34.
 
Since 1968, six pastors have served this Parish: Frs. Brousseau, Harty, Gervais, Pelletier, Gamache, Roberge (administraor), LeBlanc, and the present day Pastor is Fr. Michael J. Clements.  They and their associates have contributed immensely, each in his own way, to the progress of the Parish.
 
Msgr. David Elwood, who succeeded to the Winchendon pastorate following Fr. Tisdell’s retirement, found it necessary to make extensive repairs to the exterior of the Church.  Some sixteen thousand new bricks were needed to replace the old brick, which had begun to crumble.  All of the terra cotta, of which the large front window had been constructed, had to be removed and replaced with limestone, a very costly procedure.
 
While in process of reconstructing this large window, it was judged timely to incorporate into it a very beautiful stained glass window, purchased by Fr. Tisdell.  This was done by adding appropriately designed side panels to fill out the entire window.  The result is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful stained glass windows in any church in New England.
 
 
Presented to The Winchendon Historical Society by Lionel Marois, Betty Brehio and Phyllis Kendall on September 13, 1994, updated in 2016.