St. Mary’s of the Assumption Church

John F. Kennedy was baptized in this font in June 1917.

Quick Facts

Location:

5 Lindens Place, Brookline, MA

Significance:

First Catholic Church in Brookline

Designation:

National Register

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

MANAGED BY:

Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish

St. Mary’s of the Assumption Church was the first Catholic Church in Brookline. St. Mary’s parish first began in 1852 when neighbors gathered at the corner of Boylston and Washington Streets to worship. The Catholic Church purchased the land on Harvard Street to begin building the Church that stands today in 1878, and the Church was completed in 1886. It was built in the Lindens neighborhood, which is the earliest planned development in Brookline, intended to be a garden suburb for those who wanted to get away from the bustling city of Boston.

Today, the Church holds the Baptismal Font moved from St. Aidan’s Church, used in the baptism of John F. Kennedy.