The History of Our Lady of Loreto Parish

A substantial number of Italian Catholic remained in the section of the newly formed Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, and that number increased over the decades so that during the second pastorate, that of Monsignor Angelo Carpinella who followed the founding pastor, Monsignor Gioachinno Maffei, lay people took the initiative towards establishing a separate parish on Grafton Hill.  Monsignor Carpinella supported them in their endeavor.  A group of twenty set out to solicit funds door-to-door.  Six months later their efforts and the people’s generosity resulted in $12,000, in turn resulting in the purchase of 6 acres of land on Massasoit Road.
 
The chapel (being still a mission of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) undertaken in the pastorate of Monsignor Carpinella was brought to completion and dedicated under his successor, Reverend Erminio Matroianni, on April 15, 1956.  First named administrator, then third pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Father Mastroianni oversaw the welfare of the mission.  During his pastorate a Ladies Guild and Men’s Club were formed, as was the Massasoit Improvement Club, not a parish organization but nonetheless one pledged to raise money for the new chapel.
 
On September 13, 1965, the mission was raised to the status of parish with Father Joseph Porrello being appointed Our Lady of Loreto’s first pastor a year later on September 8, 1966.  The Massasoit Improvement Club, among other projects bought the house at 33 Massasoit Road, adjacent to the church, to serve as the rectory.
 
On September 4, 1970, Reverend Rocco A. DiLorenzo was assigned as the second pastor.  Four years later, the church mortgage was burned.  On September 4, 1979, Reverend Dominic DiBenedetto succeeded Father DiLorenzo as the parish’s third pastor.  While pastor, Father DiBenedetto died on December 11, 1983.  His was an untimely and much lamented death.
 
On December 23, 1983, Reverend Michael Bafaro, a curate at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish when Our  Lady of Loreto Chapel was dedicated in 1956, was  appointed as fourth pastor.  After a year and a half he was transferred to Our Lady of Mount Carmel—St. Ann as pastor, Reverend Louis R. Piermarini was then appointed as temporary administrator until the appointment of Reverend James J. Aquino as the parish’s fifth pastor on October 25, 1985.
 
In the fall of 2005, Father Rocco Piccolomini was appointed as temporary administrator while remaining as Associate Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel—St. Ann until the appointment of Father Charles R. Armey as the parish’s sixth pastor on July 1, 2007.
 
On July 1, 2015 Monsignor F. Stephen Pedone was named as pastor of Our Lady of Loreto Parish while remaining pastor of  Our Lady of Mount Carmel—St. Ann.  The parishes were merged  in July of 2017.