About Our Collaborative
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Established in June 2018, The Catholic Parishes of Arlington - Saint Camillus and Saint Agnes - commit their time, talent, and treasure to the service of the Christian mission of making disciples of all nations – hearing, living, and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our homes, our church, and our local community.
Don't take your next steps alone! The Catholic Parishes of Arlington have many pathways to help you take your best next step in a relationship with Jesus. Our friendly staff is here to help no matter where you are on your faith journey. Contact the Collaborative Pastoral Center at 781-648-0220 or info@cparl.org to find someone who can walk with you as you take that next step.
Explore, experience, engage.
Wherever you are,
whenever you are ready,
we are here for you.
All are welcome.
Contact us.
It is easy to be anonymous, to feel disconnected in a crowd of people, even at church. Since God does not intend for our faith journey to be a solo or purely personal effort, at CPARL we use three words that represent specific environments essential to growth as a Christ-follower: explore, experience, engage.Explore
The word "explore" emphasizes the importance of regularly gathering for Mass. Weekends at CPARL are intentionally designed to create a safe environment to encounter Jesus together through worship, prayer, and community.
- Learn more about following Jesus
- Learn more about making CPARL (St. Agnes or St. Camillus) your home church
- Learn more about serving at CPARL
Alongside our weekend worship, the word "experience" describes the importance of growing in a smaller group environment. CPARL has a variety of ministry areas spanning the seasons of life, that offer smaller groups: for children, students, adults, prayer, study, evangelization, generosity. Moving into a smaller group experience is crucial not only for developing life-giving relationships but also for growth as a Christ-follower.
Experience
- Register to learn more about CPARL’s spiritual development path
- Learn more about small groups at CPARL
- Connect with someone about pastoral care
Engage
The final "e" word is "engage." This is Jesus' challenge in Luke 10:26-28: in essence, grow to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, which in turn leads to love your neighbor as yourself. The fruit of personal growth through corporate worship at Mass and smaller groups always blossoms into becoming a blessing to one's neighbor. As part of the local church we are called to engage, to go, and be the hands and feet of Jesus outside the doors of the church, both near and far.Acts 2:42-47 paints a beautiful picture of an early group of Christ-followers who were intentional in how they grew in community: "They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”
It is our prayer that CPARL can faithfully provide these three environments for connection and growth - explore, experience, engage - so that you can find the best, next steps on your spiritual journey with Jesus as part of the local body of Christ at CPARL.
Besides our Churches, we have an excellent school, Saint Agnes School/Arlington Catholic High School. We have outstanding Life-Long, intergenerational Faith Formation, Liturgical Music, and we sponsor Fidelity House, a Community Center providing many services to the parishes. See the links to the left to learn more about them.
As a Catholic community, we are here to praise God and to serve our neighbor lovingly. We would be delighted to welcome you in person. Come and worship with us.- Are you new to Catholicism and wondering what the Church is all about?
- Have you been away from the Church for a while but are now rediscovering Catholicism?
- Are you new to the area and looking for your new parish?
No matter where you are in your faith journey we would like to extend to you a warm welcome. We are glad you are here! If you are new to Catholicism or are returning to the Church after having been away, we have many resources to help answer any questions you may have.
The Catholic Church was instituted by Jesus over 2000 years ago. The word Catholic means “Universal” and the Catholic Church is your home! We hope this website will help you explore and discover Catholicism stirring your heart to encounter our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you are new to the area and are exploring the Catholic Parishes of Arlington - Saint Agnes and Saint Camillus, welcome to your new parish home. There is something for everyone here and we encourage you to register as a parishioner today and check the “ Generosity - Ministries/Volunteer” section of our website to find what fits your God-given gifts and talents.
Our collaborative is teaming up with Dynamic Catholic to launch Dynamic Parish. Dynamic Catholic has been inspiring Catholics to rediscover the genius of Catholicism for a decade. They will spend the next decade helping parish communities like ours grow and thrive. Dynamic Parish is a model for parish growth and renewal designed by Dynamic Catholic. They have invited us to pilot the model in our parish at no cost to us. There are over fifteen thousand parishes in America. Our parishes are two of just 61 that were selected to pilot the Dynamic Parish model.
The Catholic Parishes of Arlington
St. Camillus Church
1185 Concord Tpke
Arlington, MA 02476
The Sullivan Center at St. Camillus
1185 Concord Tpke
Arlington, MA 02476
St. Agnes Church
32 Medford Street
Arlington, MA 02474
Priest Residence
24 Medford Street
Arlington, MA 02474
Collaborative Pastoral Center ("The Center")
Offices
51 Medford Street
Arlington, MA 02474
781-648-0220
www.cparl.org
Saint Agnes School
39 Medford Street
Arlington, MA 02474
781-643-9031
www.achssas.org
Saint Agnes School Early Learning Center
51 Medford Street
Arlington, MA 02474
781-777-6100
www.achssas.org
Arlington Catholic High School ("AC")
16 Medford Street,
Arlington, MA 02474
781-646-7770
www.achssas.org
Fidelity House ("FIHO")
25 Medford Street
Arlington, MA 02474
781-648-2005
www.fidelityhouse.org -
How do I find out more information about the Catholic Parishes of Arlington?
Our Pastoral Staff is available to welcome you to the community. Please feel free to contact any of us with your questions. You can reach us by checking out our Staff page.
How do I become a participating member of St. Agnes or St. Camillus?
Simply complete a registration form, available by calling the Collaborative Pastoral Center at 781-648-0220, download it here, or complete it online here.
I am interested in having my infant baptized, where should I begin?
Congratulations! We are happy to help you with this special time in your family’s life. For more information about Baptism, check here.
Do I have to live within Arlington in order to be registered here?
The Catholic Parishes of Arlington are open to anyone, regardless of where you reside.
What parish programs are available?
Visit our Ministries/Volunteer page to find out what is available to serve you or open to your involvement. We work hard to have something for everyone, and your participation is invited and encouraged!
What about sacraments for adults?
Adult Confirmation
A number of Catholics missed out on the preparation for Confirmation as teenagers, or have perhaps been away from Church and are now being drawn to a fuller and deeper relationship with God through their faith. Confirmation is the Sacrament that completes the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation) into the Church. Learn more here.
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)
Are you interested in the Catholic faith? We most often have a group of people forming in September and receiving the Sacraments of Initiation around Easter of the following year. There are additional opportunities to become connected with the Church throughout the year. We welcome an opportunity to visit with you and discuss your hopes for your faith journey. Please contact the Collaborative Pastoral Center (781-648-0220).
Matrimony and Marriage Preparation
I want to have my wedding at the Church, or would like to talk about my marriage preparations, who do I contact? For information about planning your wedding, check here. It is most efficient to contact the parish BEFORE making reception commitments. In this way, a couple may be made aware of the dates and times available for weddings, whether a Mass or the wedding ceremony itself. Please keep in mind that it is not possible for a priest or deacon of this archdiocese to preside at a wedding outdoors or at a location other than a Catholic Church.
Anointing of the Sick
Learn more about the anointing of the sick here. Visits and communion to the sick or homebound are part of our pastoral care ministry. For more information please contact the Collaborative Pastoral Center.