Two centuries after Salem became home to the first Catholic parish in the Boston archdiocese outside of the city, worshippers gathered Sunday at the Immaculate Conception Church to celebrate its history and look ahead to its future.
The church marked its 200th anniversary with a special Mass led by Boston Archbishop Richard Henning, who urged parishioners to carry forward a legacy of faith and compassion by looking out for the most vulnerable members of society.
“Just like those first few Catholics who came together around the Lord in Salem 200 years ago, you are the people who are keeping this community alive, the people that we’ll celebrate 200 years from now,” Henning told the congregation.
Among those attending was former Salem mayor Neil Harrington, whose family has worshipped at the church for four generations.
“[The church] is a very important part of our family history and we wanted to be here today to help celebrate the 200th anniversary,” said Harrington, who served as mayor from 1990 to 1997.
Sunday’s celebration also reflected how the parish has evolved over two centuries, with a bilingual service welcoming a congregation shaped in part by generations of immigration.
Throughout the Mass, religious leaders alternated between English and Spanish. Materials distributed to attendees featured Bible readings and hymns in both languages, with Spanish translations appearing alongside or below the English versions.
The church also has a Spanish minister, Mari Alix. Part of its vision is “To be a bi-cultural parish, where people come to meet and experience the love of Jesus, be in relationship with Him in prayer and the sacraments,” according to the church’s website.
The parish was originally founded as St. Mary’s on Oct. 25, 1826, making it the second Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Boston, founded in 1808, according to the church officials.
The parish’s founding came after freedom of religion was codified in the Massachusetts constitution in 1780, the website said.
In the church’s weekly bulletin, which was distributed to congregants, Rev. Robert Murray thanked the community for its support over the years.
“We see the Holy Spirit’s active presence in all that we do,” he wrote. “Jesus is our salvation and our brother and that has been the central and unifying message of all the preaching that we do.”
For Harrington, the anniversary was a chance to reflect on the church’s place in his family’s history and the changes he has witnessed through the years.
“We have a wonderful pastor here, and he is growing the church with new people all the time,” he said. “New young families, people who didn’t grow up in Salem who have moved to Salem, and they’re now finding that this is a very welcoming parish.”
Harrington said Henning’s homily helped put the church’s history into perspective.
“It was a very interesting homily,” Harrington said. “It put into perspective the history of what was going on thousands of years ago versus what now the Church offers, which is an uplifting message for everybody.”
Henning reminded congregants that the church’s mission would continue long after Sunday’s anniversary celebration.
“The call is perpetual,” Henning said. “You don’t show up once and it’s all done. You have to come generation after generation, year after year, decade after decade, family after family.”
Henning ended the service by leading a prayer to Mary, asking for her protection over the church, its congregants, and generations of worshippers still to come.
“We entrust to you the many generations of the faithful who have lived in this parish,” he said. “We ask that by your intercession, we may be always and ever drawn closer into the heart of Christ.”
Katie Cressman can be reached at katherine.cressman@globe.com.