Our History
Rooted in faith and tradition, our parish has long been a place of worship, fellowship, and service to the community. As part of the five-church merger, we continue to honor our rich history while embracing a shared future of faith, unity, and mission. We invite you to learn more about the story of our parish and the generations who have helped shape it.
St. Laurent Church
St. Laurent church was established in 1880 as a French parish to serve the French-Canadian population. The church held its first service in the basement in 1881. The main structure was completed in 1888. In 2017, the church merged and closed the same year.
Holy Angels Church
Established in 1887 to serve the growing Catholic community of Meriden. The cornerstone of the first church building was blessed by Bishop Lawrence S. McMahon in July 1887 and the first Mass was celebrated there in July 1888. As the parish continued to grow, the original wooden church eventually became too small and was considered a fire hazard. In 1979, it was replaced by a new building by Archbishop John F. Whealon.
St. Mary Church
Formed by German members of St. Laurent Church. The first St. Mary Church, a wooden structure on Church Street, was dedicated in December 1891. Bishop John J. Nilan blessed the cornerstone of a new church in October 1912, and dedicated the completed Gothic-style church in October 1913. St. Mary School opened in 1894 and faithfully served generations of students until its closing in 2006. The church merged in 2017 and closed shortly after.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
Established in 1894 to serve Meriden’s Italian Catholic community. The first parish church was a wooden building on Goodwill Avenue. The present church, located at 109 Goodwill Avenue, was dedicated in February 1936, and continues to serve the faithful to this day.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School was established in 1944 after the parish purchased the former Nathan Hale Public School from the City of Meriden. Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Laurent Parishes shared clergy before joining with three other parishes to form Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish in 2017.
St. Joseph Church
Established in 1900 to serve the city’s west side. In 1901, land at the corner of West Main Street and Goodwill Avenue was purchased for a larger church. The cornerstone was laid in October 1902, and a basement chapel opened the following year. The completed St. Joseph Church was dedicated in early 1908. St. Joseph school served generations before its closure in 2017.