A Brief History of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Sharon, Massachusetts (1846 – 2023)
 

Through the mid-19 ^th century, as the number of Catholics increased in Sharon so did their desire to celebrate Mass locally. As early as 1846, a small number of Catholics had petitioned Boston’s Bishop Fitzpatrick to have Mass celebrated in this area.  In response, priests came from as far away as Waltham and Lowell to preside at Masses in private Sharon homes. In 1869, local Catholics raised $1,196 to build the tiny Chapel of St. Aloysius at 176 Pond Street, which became a mission church of Immaculate Conception Parish in Stoughton. (This building still exists as a private residence.)  But by the late 1880’s, the community in Sharon had outgrown this small space.   

Due to strong local disapprobation of Catholicism amongst the large majority of townspeople, who were strict Protestants, land for the Cottage Street site of the new church building was acquired by a third party, believed to have been a Miss Catherine O’Leary, who then donated the site to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.  Construction of our Cottage Street church began in 1891. For a while it was known as the new St. Aloysius, but by 1894 the name was changed to Our Lady of Sorrows.  However, we remained a mission of Immaculate Conception parish. 

On June 27, 1906, Our Lady of Sorrows became an independent parish of about 350 parishioners with Father George A. Costello as our first Pastor.  Father Costello’s parents built the rectory and also the barn, which initially stabled the pastor’s horse. However, the barn went on to serve many disparate purposes before becoming The Bullock Center in 2004.  In the church, the upper section of the large stained glass window behind the altar is dedicated to Fr. Costello’s parents. (The lower section was added in 1985 in memory of the Curley family.)  

Father John T. O’Brien, Father Costello’s successor as a pastor, made changes to both the exterior and interior of the church. The two original side entrances were closed, forming two alcoves which now form the outer walls of the Reconciliation room on the south and the alcove on the north which houses the large crucifix. Father O’Brien also added an unsightly portico in front of the main entrance as a buffer against storms. In the interior, side altars were built, and the present stained glass replaced the original clear glass in the exterior windows.

By the 1920’s, Sharon, with its reputation for clean air, had become a center for the treatment of tuberculosis.  Also, Sharon became a popular place to spend the summers.  Thereafter, in the 1940s through the 1960s, there was a large influx of people who became year-round residents.  Accordingly, the demographic of the town changed from mostly Protestant to largely Jewish.  Over the decades, we Catholics have been a small but important minority in the town.

Father Michael Madden, who became pastor in 1926, encouraged devotion to St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, also known as The Little Flower, who had died from tuberculosis and was highly revered following her canonization in 1925. A statue of St. Theresa stood for years in one of the church’s rear alcoves, and novenas continued well into the 1940’s in conjunction with the date of her saint day. Liturgies were also enhanced by the Estey organ which was donated by the Hurley family in 1928.

In 1929, Fr. Madden oversaw some of the church’s most significant interior renovations to that point in time, many prompted by structural problems. They included the installation of the side columns to support a new steel superstructure overhead and the complete reconstruction of the ceiling, including the tie rods. Because of gradual weakening of the roof, the steeple, which may also have been damaged in a storm, was removed and never replaced.

In the 1930’s, the new pastor Fr. Jeremiah J. Herlihy introduced May Processions. A statue of Mary was carried from an alcove in the rear of the church through the gardens that twenty years later would give way to the necessity of parking lots. In 1948, the Pieta which is now in the front of the Church was dedicated in memory of Sgt. Warren Hickey, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Hickey of Sharon, and who was killed in World War II.  On the other side of Cottage Street, the barn at the end of the rectory driveway was remodeled as a meeting place and named Our Lady’s Hall.  It became known as “the old hall” after O’Connell Hall was built and named.

When Father Richard McShane was appointed pastor in 1950 there were some notable changes to the church exterior. The makeshift, shed-roofed shelter that had been erected over the front steps in the late teens was replaced with the new, fully enclosed entrance that we have today, in harmony with the overall design of the church. The two forward side doors were also added for both safety and convenience. 

In 1962 Father Daniel O’Connell was appointed pastor. His pastorate spanned the years of the Second Vatican Council.  In response to the teachings of Vatican II, the parishioners of Our Lady of Sorrows formed a parish council consisting of lay people. In 1980 the structure of this council was updated in conformity with an instruction issued by Cardinal Medeiros.  In the early 1970’s the new parish hall was built with the generosity of our parishioners.  After Father O’Connell passed away in 1975, this hall was named O’Connell Hall in his memory.

In 1978, Father Robert Bullock was appointed our pastor. He is well remembered for his work with campus ministry and with Jewish-Christian and interdenominational relations, including the organization “Facing History and Ourselves”.  Father Bullock vitalized the organization of the local Sharon clergy of all denominations and faiths. He continued his ecumenical and interfaith ministry with his outreach to numerous people and groups in Sharon, in the Archdiocese of Boston and around the world.  Also, he was instrumental in the redecoration of the interior of the church in conformity with the norms established by the Second Vatican Council.  This work, which included the active participation of numerous parishioners, was begun in 1981 and completed for Christmas 1985.  Father Bullock was an avid reader in the areas of faith, creed, religious practice and psychology. Also, he was instrumental in bringing Deacon Michael Iwanowicz to our parish, as well as weekend associates Father Frank Clooney, SJ, and Father Kevin Spicer, CSSC.  Whenever Mike’s name came up in conversation, Fr Bob would exclaim, “He is “ExTRORdinary!” because every time that Fr Bob would find a book or article, it would seem that Mike had already read and studied it.  Father Bob was also an avid runner, and while pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows parish he completed the Boston Marathon twice.  He also led thirteen trips to the Holy Land in the company of his rabbinic friends.  When Father Bullock passed away in 2004, “the old hall” was renamed “The Bullock Center” in his memory.  There is a great deal of his work which is not mentioned here. 

Since Fr. Bullock's passing, the Our Lady of Sorrows community has been led by a number of priests of great faith, including Fr. Scott Euvrard, Fr. Chip Hines, Fr. Vinnie Doolan, Fr. Frank Daly, and Fr. Bob Cullen. We welcomed Fr. John Chen as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows in June 2023.