Notre Dame Parish, Massachusetts, United States
4.5 (33 reviews) Spent Ranking #2 in Southbridge Points of Interest & Landmarks
A BEAUTIFUL FRENCH-INFLUENCED CHURCH TO RIVAL BIG-CITY CATHEDRALS
Notre Dame Church is a brilliant example of Rococo Architecture, an impressive place of worship or just to enjoy the beauty. Each stone was purchased from the surplus of the Spanish American War for $1.00 each from the U.S. Government. Secretary of State William Leonard Marcy willed his family's Estate for the site of new parish. Ask for a tour- Margaret Ferrand Office Manager.
Address
61 Marcy St, Southbridge, MA 01550-1877
Mobile
Current local date and time now
Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 14:18
User Ratings
4.5 based on (33 reviews)
Excellent
76%
Good
15%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
0%
Terrible
6%
Reviews
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5JellicleCat60 5:00 PM Jan 23, 2010
Sacred Heart Church equally impressive
One of the most beautiful church buildings in Southbridge, if not the enter Worcester COunty, is Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. This outstanding example of French Gothic Architecture has the most beauiful mosaic stained glass windows in all of New England. Valued at over one million U.S. dollars, they were manufactured in Bavaria by the F.X. Zettler Company. The building itself is devoid of any distracting interior ornamentation so that your eyes fix on the high Marble altar imported from Italy, which hosts the Blessed Sacrament. Wooden beams in the ceiling add more beauty to the interior, as well as paintings of different Catholic traditions adorn the ceiling. Once you enter the sanctuary, a feeling of quiet, peace and prayer will over come you. The next time you are in or near Southbridge Massachusetts, you owe it to yourself to visit this absolutely gorgeous building!
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5polish_pinecone 5:00 PM Aug 12, 2009
Notre Dame is gorgeous
I'm originally from Sturbridge, right next to Southbridge, and when my high school select choir was getting ready for a competition, we used Notre Dame as a rehearsal spot. If I remember correctly, there's an 8-second echo delay from the sanctuary to the choir loft and back. The exterior is Romanesque and was built with granite that was originally meant for tombstones for soldiers from the Spanish-American War. But the war didn't last very long, there were few casualties and the government had a surplus, so the parish got it for a song. The interior, however, is exquisite French Rococo and is not to be missed. When our choir rehearsed there in 1978, the background behind the crucifix in the sanctuary was orange. Fortunately, that's been painted over and it now looks much better. If you're in Sturbridge to visit Old Sturbridge Village, going to St. Anne's Shrine, taking in the Sturbridge to Provincetown bike ride or just touring around, make it a point to go the extra few miles into Southbridge on Route 131 and visit this church. You won't be disappointed.
