St. Elizabeth Seton Church
481 Quaker Rd., Box 861
North Falmouth MA 02556
Rectory: (508) 563-7770
Church Hall: (508) 563-7774
Pastor: Rev. John F. Moore
Deacons: Paul K. Roma & Frank D. Fantasia
seton@capecod.net
History Of Our Parish - Our Patroness - Our Parish Organizations - Our Prayer
A Brief History Of Our Parish...
The assembly of Catholic people who reside in North Falmouth,
West Falmouth, and Hatchville areas of Cape Cod, since 1915
have gathered together in two different places of worship -
one a chapel dedicated to Our Blessed Mother, under the title
of The Immaculate Conception, and, since 1977, in a church dedicated
to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Prior to 1915, this whole area and
all the Catholic faithful therein, were within the confines and
the fold of the parish of St. Joseph, Woods Hole. As the number
of Catholics increased, an abandoned summer casino-theatre building
on County Road, Megansett, was purchased and converted into
a place of worship. It became the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception,
where all the faithful residing in this section of St. Joseph's
Parish gathered for Mass and spiritual guidance and refreshment
and their children for religious education. There was no resident
priest, however. The chapel was a mission outpost of St. Joseph's,
Woods Hole, where the pastor resided.
The number of Catholics continued to increase, and in 1977 Bishop
Daniel A. Cronin of the Fall River Diocese, of which Cape Cod
is a part, separated this chapel area from the parish in Woods
Hole, and erected it a parish unto itself. He appointed Father
Joseph L. Powers as its first and founding pastor.
Plans for a new parish church were begun and on June 11, 1977,
Bishop Cronin joyously celebrated the first Mass in the newly-completed
church. In the following month, July 17, 1977, with the assistance
of Bishop Cronin, Father Powers, and many assisting priests, in
the presence of hundreds of happy and grateful parishioners,
His Excellency, Most Reverend Jean Jadot, D.D. Phd., the Apostolic
Delegate to the United States, consecrated this house of God to
the honor, glory and worship of God, under the title of St.
Elizabeth Seton, who had been canonized a saint just two years
before the first American-born citizen to have been so honored.
Since that glorious day and for generations to come-this parish
church of St. Elizabeth Seton has been, and will be, a visible
monument to the love, the sacrifice and the faith of its justifiably
proud parishioners. Under the guidance and inspiration of their
founding pastor, Father Joseph Powers, and the presently presiding
pastor, Father John Moore, the people have supported their church
spiritually and financially to the extent that within the first
fifteen years of its existence, they have also had built a new
and comfortable rectory, or parish house, and have contributed
to the elimination of all indebtedness.
The brilliant stained-glass windows in the nave represent the
Biblical characters and events of Salvation History from Abraham
to the Crucifixion. The windows in the wings of the church,
many of them conceived by Father Powers and custom-made, represent
the Universal Church, the beginnings of St. Elizabeth Seton
Parish, including St. Joseph's, Woods Hole, and the Chapel of
the Immaculate Conception, and representation of St. Elizabeth
Seton herself and of the saints, symbolizing the faith and missionary
works of the Church. All the windows are the artistic work of
the well-known Heimer Studios, Clifton, New Jersey.
Though young in years, St. Elizabeth Seton Church is steeped
in faith and solid in growth. Presently, it is the place of
unity and worship of more than 700 families, and the religious
educational center for some 250 children. Being built on sloping
land, its main door is level with the ground, while the opposite
end of the building reveals a lower floor-with an entrance to
that floor also level with the rear parking lot. That lower
floor contains a large hall with kitchen, storage, offices
and toilet facilities where parish societies and groups hold
their social activities.
Among the parish organizations there are a Women's Guild, a Men's
Club, a Youth Group, a St. Vincent de Paul Society, a Religious
Education Department, a Bible Study, an adult choir, a children's
choir, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Usher-Collectors, a Sanctuary
Society, Bereavement Support Group, Welcoming Committee, Respite
Care Group, and altar servers.
With solid faith, unwavering hope and all-consuming love, will
the growing family that is the parish of St. Elizabeth Seton
continue to work, to pray and to worship together for the glory
of God the praise of His Divine Son and the blessings of His
Holy Spirit.
St. Elizabeth Seton Church is of wood construction over a steel-based
frame. It is built in the shape of a cross, the main entrance
being at the foot of the cross, with the Altar at the top. The
two wings of the cross, as well as the nave of the church, contain
pews seating 650 wor shippers. On each side of the main door
on the outside of the church hang the coats-of-arms of Pope
Paul VI and Bishop Daniel Cronin, during whose Pontificate and
Bishopric the church was built. They will remain there for the
life of the building. The Reconciliation Room is on the left
as one enters the main doors. The main Altar occupies the center
of the elevated Sanctuary, while the Altar of Repasition, containing
the Tabernacle, is on one side and the Baptismal Font on the
other side. The celebrant's presidential chair is elevated above
the Sanctuary floor against the wall behind the Altar, while
the lectern and organ are to the presiding priest' s right on
a lower level. All the furnishings, including the pews, are solid
oak, and richly finished.
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Brief Biography Of St. Elizabeth Seton
The Patroness Of Our Church And Parish
Born Elizabeth Ann Bayley on August 28, 1774, of a prominent
and wealthy Anglican mother and father. Her mother died when
she was only three years of age, and her father remarried.
As a well-educated and well-known debutante, she married William
Seton when she was only nineteen. They had five children, but
her husband died of tuberculosis in 1803, and left her a struggling
widow with the five children when she was only twenty-nine.
Drawn to the Catholic faith by the good example of caring friends,
she became a Catholic on March 14, 1805. Elizabeth's conversion
caused her family to disown her and forced her to leave New
York.
In 1808 she arrived in Baltimore, and in order to support herself,
she opened a school for girls. Being joined by other pious women,
she established a community of nuns in Emmitsburg, Maryland
in 1809. A year later she opened the first Catholic school in
the United States.
On January 4, I 821, at the age of forty-six, Elizabeth Seton
died, leaving a total of twenty convents of nuns devoted to
the education of the young and the care of the sick. Elizabeth
Ann Bayley Seton was declared Venerable in 1959 - was beatified
in 1963 - and canonized a Saint by Pope Paul Vl on September
14, 1975 - the first American-born saint.
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PARISH ORGANIZATIONS
PARISH FINANCIAL COUNCIL
MEMBERS: EX-OFFICIO:
APPOINTED:
MEMBERS: EX-OFFICIO:
APPOINTED:
Rev. John F. Moore, Pastor
George Baker
Robert Mead
Herbert Sullivan
PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL
Rev. John F. Moore, Pastor
Deacon Paul K. Roma
Kathleen Eggleston, Director of Religious Education
Patricia Stone, parish secretary
AI Oliveira
Eileen O'Keeffe
Eunice Dahlborg
REPRESENTING ORGANIZATIONS:
Mrs. Margaret Bushy
C. CHILDREN'S CHOIR: James Stevens, Organist - Mrs. Patricia Stone,
Director
Mrs. Mary Voci, scheduling
Mrs. Lynn Roberge
Mrs. Mary Schruckmayr
Tom Bushy, President
Mrs. Eileen O'Keeffe, facilitator
Miriam Chader, facilitator
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SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON
LORD GOD, YOU BLESSED ST. ELIZABETH SETON WITH GIFTS OF GRACE
AS WIFE AND MOTHER, EDUCATOR AND FOUNDRESS, SO THAT SHE MIGHT
SPEND HER LIFE IN SERVICE TO YOUR PEOPLE. THROUGH HER EXAMPLE
AND PRAYERS MAY WE LEARN TO EXPRESS OUR LOVE FOR YOU IN LOVE FOR
OUR FELLOW MEN AND WOMEN.
WE ASK THIS THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES
AND REIGNS WITH YOU AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD, FOREVER AND
EVER.
AMEN.
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