Roman Catholic Parish established July 5, 2009 with the merger of All Saints Parish (est. 1857) and St. Important Dates in the History of Gate of Heaven Parish:
1833- First settlers come to Lancaster (mostly immigrants from Ireland who arrived via Canada, including the Connary family).
1844-First Mass celebrated in Lancaster in the farmhouse of Thomas Connary by Rev. Drolet (a missionary priest fr
om Montpelier VT)
1850-First Baptism: Mary Connary, daughter of Thomas Connary.
1853-The Diocese of Portland ME, which includes ME & NH, is established. The first bishop, Bishop David W. Bacon, is named in 1855.
1855-First Public Mass celebrated in Lancaster at the Old Town Hall by Rev. John B. Daly (a missionary priest from Concord NH).
1856-Bishop Bacon appoints Rev. Isidore H. Noiseux to be pastor of the territory from Concord NH to the Canadian border. Father Noiseux chooses Lancaster for new parish.
1856-First Wedding: William Anderrusad & May Nugent (April 1856)
1857-Fr. Noiseux & some parishioners buy the home of attorney William H. “Deacon” Farrar (the current site of All Saints Rectory).
1857-Bishop Bacon appoints Fr. Noiseux as pastor of the newly founded parish of All Saints on Oct. 23, 1857. It is the 6th oldest parish in NH, and the oldest north of Dover & Claremont. It is known as “the mother Church of the north country”. Fr. Noiseux serves from 1857-1876.
1858-The Farrar home is reconstructed into a chapel with 9 pews and 4 chairs, with a residence for Fr. Noiseux.
1865-Property on Water St. in Lancaster is purchased for a cemetery.
1869-Bishop Bacon makes his 1st visit to administer the first Confirmation & dedicate the cemetery.
1870-Whitefield becomes a mission of St. Mary’s Parish of Claremont.
1871-In July, first Catholic services in Whitefield were held in the old town house with about 35 present.
1877-All Saints Church is built. Ground was broken June 27, the church was blessed and the cornerstone laid with a time capsule on Aug. 5 with Bishop James A. Healey & pastor Rev. Michael P. Danner, and the Church Dedication took place on Nov. 4th, again with Bishop Healey & Fr. Danner.
1878-PresentAll Saints rectory is contstructed on site of old church and Farrar home.
1881-On Dec. 1, land purchased in Twin Mountain for a church and cemetery (current site of St. Margaret’s Cemetery) by Bishop Healy of Portland ME.
1884-NH becomes its own Diocese, called the Diocese of Manchester, under its first Bishop Denis M. Bradley.
1884-Whitefield becomes a mission of All Saints Parish of Lancaster under pastor Fr. Henri A. Lessard.(His brother later becomes pastor of St. Matthews 1899-1907).
1886-On July 27, site of current St. Matthews Church and rectory is purchased. The existing house is made into a rectory and construction begins on the church. St. Matthews becomes a parish. Joseph Noel Plante becomes first pastor from 1886-1892.
1886-A Catholic community begins to organize itself in the town of Jefferson as a mission of St. Matthews. There are also missions of St. Matthews in Bartlett, Livermore, Carrigain, Conway and Jackson.
1887-The first St. Matthews Church is completed.
1888-On July 23, 2 acres of land for St. Matthews Cemetery is purchased. On Aug. 5th, the first St. Matthews Church is dedicated by Bishop Bradley. Matthews Parish school opens with 35 students and lay teachers. School is open until 1915.
1889-Fr. Matthew Creamer installs a bell in the tower at All Saints, adds the wings to the church, and installs a new altar taken from St. Joseph Cathedral in Manchester. (The altar would stay until 1969 when it was moved to St. Nick’s Chapel at Santa’s Village.) The bell tower at 95’ is still the tallest structure in Lancaster.
1889-St. Margaret’s Church in Twin Mountain is built by Fr. Matthew Creamer, pastor of All Saints of Lancaster, as a mission of All Saints.
1890-A mission church is built in Bartlett by Fr. Plante, pastor of St. Matthews.
1893-The current St. Matthews Rectory is built.
1894-Land for a new cemetery on N. Main St. in Lanacaster is purchased.
1896-St. Margaret’s of Twin Mountain becomes a mission of St. Joseph’s Parish of Woodsville.
1899-St. Matthews has missions in Jefferson, Bartlett, Livermore, Redstone, North Conway, Jackson, and Chocorua.
1900-The first St. Matthews Church burns down.
1901-St. Agnes in Jefferson is built as a mission of St. Matthew’s in Whitefield. Dedicated by Bishop Denis Bradley in 1902.
1906-The current St. Matthews Church is completed and dedicated on May 13th by Bishop John Delany.
1908-On Sept. 9th, the site of Our Lady of the Mountains Shrine in Bretton Woods is given as a gift of the Concord & Montreal Railroad. The shrine is built in 1908-09, and is a mission of St. Joseph’s Parish of Woodsville.
1914-In June, St. Margaret’s Church in Twin Mountain is struck by lightning and burns down.
1915-St. Patrick’s Church in Twin Mountain is built. The first Mass is on Oct. 31, 1915 and the dedication is Aug. 1, 1916 as a mission of St. Joseph’s Parish of Woodsville.
1934-In May, St. Patrick’s and Our Lady of the Mountains become missions of St. Matthews as decreed by Bishop John Peterson while St. Agnes in Jefferson becomes a mission of All Saints Parish
1956-On June 14, a house and lot for a convent at 9 Main St. in Whitefield. is acquired. It is staffed by Daughters of Charity of the Sacred Heart. They run a Kindergarten. The building is sold on Oct. 18, 1961. It burned down several years later and is now the parking lot of the Whitefield Hardware Store.
1957-All Saints Parish Centennial Observance on Oct. 5-6 with Bishop Matthew Brady.
1961-On March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) the All Saints Parish Hall is used for the first time after it had been dug out and built starting in 1960. It is renovated and rededicated on March 17, 2006.
1989-Bishop Odore Gendron celebrates the 100th Anniversary Mass of St. Matthews Parish with a Mass at Our Lady of the Mountains Shrine in Bretton Woods on Aug. 13th.
2001-Celebration of the Centennial of the building of St. Agnes Church on July 1st.
2002-On Sept. 22, 125th Anniversary of the building of All Saints Church with Bishop John McCormack. Opening of the Time Capsule from 1877.
2007-150th Anniversary of All Saints Parish is celebrated on Nov. 17th with Bishop John McCormack.
2008-All Saints Parish & St. Matthews Parish are twinned on Sept. 17 (they are two separate parishes sharing one pastor, Fr. Ray Ball).
2009-All Saints Parish & St. Matthews Parish merge on July 5 to become one parish named Gate of Heaven Parish with Fr. Ray Ball as first pastor. Gate of Heaven Parish is made up of 5 churches: All Saints, St. Matthews, St. Agnes, St. Patrick & Our Lady of the Mountains Shrine.
2011-On March 23, Fr. John MacKenzie becomes the 2nd pastor of Gate of Heaven Parish and Fr. Ray Ball is transferred to become pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Concord.
2012-On June 28, Fr. Matthew Mason becomes the 3rd pastor of Gate of Heaven Parish. John MacKenzie becomes associate pastor of Christ the King Parish in Concord. Pastors of Gate of Heaven Parish (2009- ):
1.) Rev. Raymond Ball: 2009-2011
2.) John MacKenzie: 2011-2012
3.) Matthew Mason: 2012-
Pastors of All Saints Parish (1857-2009):
1.) Noiseux: 1857-1876, Died 1893
2.) Danner: 1876-1880, Died: ?
3.) Joseph P. McKenna: 1880-1882, Died: 1882
4.) Lessard: 1882-1885, Died: 1910
5.) Matthew J. B. Creamer: 1885-1898, Died: 1936
6.) D. Alexander Sullivan: 1898-1915, Died: 1925
7.) John A. Casey: 1915-1930, Died: 1952
8.) Walter L. Dee: 1930-1940, Died: 1961
9.) Joseph R. O'Connor: 1940-1945, Died: 1965
10.) Edmund M. Total: 1945-1957, Died 1957
11.) Leo P. Gilbert: 1957-1968, Died: 1968
12.) J. Kieran O'Connor: 1968-1975. Died 2004
13.) John W. Nolin: 1975-1983
14.) Leo A. Shea: 1983-1993. Died: 2008
Rev. Marc B. Drouin, Administrator: 1993
15.) Maurice LaRochelle: 1993-2000
16.) John C. Mazzei: 2000-2002
17.) Raymond A. Ball: 2002-2009
Pastors of St. Matthews Parish (1886-2009):
1.) Joseph Noel Plante: 1886-1892, Died: 1930
2.) James H. Riley: 1892-1899, Died: 1918
3.) Amedee Lessard: 1899-1907, Died: 1919
4.) Henry F. Lennon: 1907-1915, Died: 1937
5.) Daniel J. Gorman: 1915-1929, Died: 1929
Rev. John J. McCarthy, Administrator: 1929-1930, Died: 1969
6.) Elzear N. Durette: 1930-1934, Died: 1957
7.) Francis J. Maney: 1934-1945, Died: 1961
8.) T. Francis Hogan: 1945-1946, Died: 1966
Rev. John E. Hathaway, Administrator: 1946-1949, Died: 1969
9.) Feeney: 1949-1960, Died: 1982
10.) Francis X. McMullen: 1960-1966, Died: 1966
11.) Michael J. Griffin: 1966-1970, Died: 2012
12.) George F. Harvey: 1970-1984, Died: 1998
13.) Albert L. Boulanger: 1984-1987, Died: 2002
Rev. Jean M. Lemay, Administrator: 1987
14.) Richard A. Smith: 1987-2000
15.) George S. Majka: 2000-2008
16.) Ball: 2008-2009
Associate Pastors (Curates) of All Saints Parish:
Rev. G. S. Derousse 1868-1869 Died: ? Quinn 1870-1871 Died: ? W. Golden 1879-1880 Died: ? F. A. Prevost 1880 Died: ? Narcisse Cournoyer 1881 Died: ? Creamer 1883-1884 Died: 1936
Rev. O’Donnell 1884 Died: ? James B. Murphy 1921 Died: ? Frederick I. Gaumont (F. I. Gomo) 1921-1923, 1927-1928 Died: 1949
Rev. Timothy J. Whelan 1925-1927 Died: 1960
Rev. William F. Pendergast 1932-1933 Died: 1954
Rev. Lionel A. Parenteau 1935-1936, 1938-1939 Died: 1970
Rev. John V. Harris 1936 Died: ? Desmond O’Connor 1937 Died: 1976
Rev. Belluscio 1939-1940 Died: 1993
Rev. John H. Feeney 1940 Died: 1982
Rev. Anthony B. Finn 1949 Died: 1986
Rev. Paul P. Clark 1950-1953 Died: 1978
Rev. Francis C. Ford 1953-1955 Died: 1981
Rev. Vito J. Polito 1955
Rev. William J. Shanahan 1955 Died: 1991
Rev. Robert S. Simard 1956 Died: 1980
Rev. Charles J. Boland 1956-1958 Died: 1974
Rev. Edouard J. Duval 1960-1961 Died: 1992
Rev. Sullivan 1961-1966 Died: 1984
Rev. Donald M. Osgood 1967
Rev. Robert Bryson 1968-1969
Rev. Gerard V. Dauphinais 1970-1972
Rev. Roby 1972 Died: 1985
Associate Pastors (Curates) of St. Matthews Parish:
Rev. Jeremiah S. Buckley 1911 Died: 1960
Rev. Dominic S. Duffy 1913-1914 Died: 1939
Rev. Eugene C. Dumas 1926-1927 Died: 1972
Rev. Lionel W. Parenteau 1935-1937 Died: 1970
Rev. Hubert F. Mann 1937-1938 Died: 1972
Rev. Paul E. Downs 1939-1942 Died: 1959
Rev. Achille W. Lettre 1940 Died: 1998
Rev. Gerard F. Noel 1943-1944 Died: 1989
Rev. Edward J. Knott 1945-1947 Died: 2003
Rev. John F. Russell 1947-1949 Died: 2001
Rev. Timothy L. Gillen 1949-1954 Died:
Rev. Robert E. Barnea 1954-1957 Died: 1991
Rev. Leonard J. Spillane 1957-1961 Died:
Rev. Finnigan 1961-1963
Rev. Robert J. Densmore 1963-1966
Rev. Paul W. Daneault 1966-1968 Died: 1998
Rev. Sands 1968-1972 Died: 1979
Rev. Timothy Thibeault 1972 Died: 2004
Rev. Joseph T. Maguire 1973 Died: 2005
Bishop’s of the Diocese of Portland ME
(NH was part of the Diocese of Portland ME until 1884)
Most Rev. David W. Bacon 1855-1874 Died: 1874
Most Rev. James A. Healy 1875-1900 Died: 1900
Bishop’s of the Diocese of Manchester NH
1.) Most Rev. Denis M. Bradley 1884-1903 Died: 1903
2.) Delany 1904-1906 Died: 1906
3.) George A. Guertin 1906-1931 Died: 1931
4.) Peterson 1932-1944 Died: 1944
5.) Matthew F. Brady 1944-1959 Died: 1959
6.) Ernest J. Primeau 1959-1974 Died: 1989
7.) Odore J. Gendron 1974-1990
8.) Leo E. O’Neil 1990-1997 Died: 1997
9.) McCormack 1998-2011
10.) Peter A. Libasci 2011-
