Father Madden appointed to St. Patrick, Watertown
By Father Robert M. O’Grady
Cardinal Bernard Law has announced the appointment of Father Stephen
J. Madden from parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish, Needham, to
pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Watertown. The effective date of the
appointment was Dec. 2, 2002.
Father Stephen Madden, a native of Cambridge, becomes pastor of
one of the oldest parishes in the archdiocese.
Father Madden was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of
the Holy Cross on June 25, 1988 by Cardinal Law. His first assignment
was to St. Ann Parish in Boston’s Neponset section. The Neponset
parish is one with both a long-standing tradition of varied youth
programs and families who have a great loyalty to the parish, many
staying on the same street for two and three generations.
In his second assignment he moved to St. Mary, Foxborough, a growing
parish with many young families. He remained there for seven years
until his assignment as parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish, Needham.
In both Foxborough and Needham, Father Madden was involved in all
aspects of parish life in large and busy parishes.
At St. Patrick he will arrive at a parish ready for his leadership
and talents. Msgr. Robert Fichtner, who recently retired as pastor,
made several notable changes to the venerable church on Main Street,
just west of the town center. The upper church underwent a complete
renovation, painting, restoration of the windows and renovation
of the Stations of the Cross, and the lower church has been converted
into a parish hall complete with catering kitchen. An elevator connects
the church and hall and provides easy access from street level.
Father Madden’s previous priestly experience at Neponset, Foxborough
and Needham will prove a solid foundation at Watertown. The age
of the parish speaks of tradition, but the location also speaks
youth. The parish contains an interesting blend of long time parishioners
and many new, young professionals, both single and married, who
seek the convenient location for living while commuting to jobs
either in Boston or along the Route 128 corrdior.
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