AUBURN — Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Auburn will celebrate the 50th anniversary of St. Philip Church with a special Mass at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22.

It will be followed by a reception in the parish hall at 2365 Turner Road.

The celebration commemorates the first Mass of the church community, which was held in a vacant store on Summer Street on Sept. 18, 1968. The founding pastor, the Rev. Edmond Hache, celebrated the Mass.

Soon after, an agreement was reached to use the United Methodist Church building on Park Avenue for Masses, an arrangement that lasted for more than two years while a church was constructed on land on Turner Road. Nestled at the foot of Mount Giles opposite Lake Auburn, St. Philip Church hosted its first Mass on May 11, 1971, the Feast of St. Philip. It was officially dedicated on Aug. 29 that year.

By the 1980s, the facilities, initially built to accommodate 450 families, were deemed too small to serve a growing Catholic population, which now included more than 1,000 families. In 1987, under the pastorate of the Rev. Renald Labarre, a campaign titled Called, Gifted, and Growing was launched. Money was raised to construct a parish center two years later. The center, still in use today, includes meeting rooms, offices, a parish hall, a library and other amenities.

All are welcome to gather for the celebration, and former parishioners are encouraged to join current parishioners at the Mass.  

For more information about the celebration, contact Stephanie Thibodeau at 207-754-0788.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish on Turner Road in Auburn will celebrate its 50th anniversary Sept. 22.