To spot St. Mary's Complex, look for the dramatic stone church with a tall, square front tower capped by a cross at the pointed intersection of Broadway and Washington Street.
Here you are, right in front of the mighty St. Mary's Complex, towering above the corner like it’s challenging the sky to a Gothic fashion contest. Imagine the clang of stone on stone as the massive sanctuary was built back in 1868. Designed by the famous Patrick Keely, this is actually the third church for the parish-talk about not settling for just any old address! The first parish in Taunton, St. Mary’s started all the way back in 1830, thanks to determined Irish immigrants who had to hold mass in their homes. By 1832, they put up a simple wood-frame church across the street, right where the brick rectory now stands-a spot that’s seen a lot of architectural swapping, near-disasters, and fiery drama over the years.
When the original church burned down in 1856, the congregation barely skipped a beat before rebuilding. They've faced so much change that you’d think a game of musical chairs was happening with church buildings! When the rectory was built in 1903, that old church moved elsewhere in town and started a new life as St. Charles Hall.
Around you, the parish’s mini-neighborhood buzzes with history: to the east stands the grand Flemish Revival rectory, to the west a stately school built in 1907, and a brick convent with a French twist was added in 1912. Over time, this parish became the “mother” for all Catholic congregations in Taunton.
Among colorful characters in its history were priests with marathon tenures-like Reverend Coyle, who served so long from 1896 to 1931, he probably knew every secret nook in the place. If these stones could sigh with relief after each renovation, you’d definitely hear it!
