27 Isabella Street

Our Lady of Victories was established in 1880 to serve the needs of French speaking Catholics in Boston.  The first pastor was a priest from France by the name of Rev. Leon Bourland.

THE FIRST CHURCH
After much searching, Fr. Bourland and his parishioners chose an old Protestant chapel as their first church. The chapel was located on Freeman Place, Just off Beacon Street, near the State House. They took possession on December 5, 1880 and named the church "Notre Dame des Victoires". 

For the better part of 1881, Fr. Bourland was in Paris and in other cities in France trying to gather funds to build a church for his French speaking congregation. During his absence other priests provided Mass and the sacraments. Archbishop John J. Williams asked Fr. Elphege Godin, s.m., a Marist priest, to replace Msgr. Bourland during the months of May through July, 1882.

The Corporation of the Marist Fathers of Boston was formed on July 27, 1885. On the third of September,
1885, with the Archbishop's approval, the corporation bought a piece of property on Isabella Street. The
Marists borrowed to build the crypt church. The actual cost of the crypt church was $26,886.85. The
cornerstone was blessed on September 12, 1886 and on October 31, 1886 the Rev. Henri Audiffred, s.m.,
the pastor sang the first Mass.

On May 25, 1887, the Marist Fathers floated another loan and built the rectory to the left of the church
building. The rectory was ready for occupancy on Christmas Eve of 1887.

In 1889, Rev. Firmin Coppin, s.m., the new pastor, set about building the present superstructure or upper
church. Unfortunately, Fr. Coppin died a month short of the completion of the upper church in 1891.

245 NEW PARISHIONERS
In the one year of 1892, 245 children were baptized in this church! At that time, Our Lady of Victories was the only FRENCH parish for miles around. Parishioners lived in East Boston, Everett, Chelsea, Cambridge, Newton, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, South Boston and Dorchester.

In the ten years that followed, French national parishes were established in most of these communities. As a result, by the 1920's, Our Lady of Victories had far fewer parishioners.  Slowly, it became more of a shrine serving the workers of downtown Boston.

THE CHURCH
When Our Lady of Victories was completed in 1891, the interior was somewhat different from what it
appears today. The marble altars imported from France were installed and consecrated in November, 1892.

The stained glass windows date back to the late 1896's probably no earlier than 1898. The lower windows
in the sanctuary, the window above the main altar, and those in the nave of the church are from Mainz,
Germany. The two windows on either side of the sanctuary are from Chartres in France.

In 1917, the Rev. Joseph Marie Sollier, s.m. undertook a renovation of the church which added a plaster
ceiling over the wooden one to give it a Gothic style. A large entablature was added to the full length of
the church on both sides; and angel figures and ornamentations were added on the pillars and in the open
mall spaces. He also added the present marble communion rail replacing the original wooden one.

THE PRESENT DAY
Today In the 1990's, Our Lady of Victories still has a small number of parishioners but it exists also to
serve all those who live and work in the Back Bay area of Boston. Most of the weekend ministry addresses
the needs of thousands of travelers who come to Boston every year and stay in the area. Our Lady of
Victories is in the "hotel and theater district' of Boston.

As Marists we are happy to welcome people from all over the world who come to worship at this church
dedicated to Mary and originally established to serve the needs of one particular group, the French. We
continue to welcome for worship and the celebration of the sacraments Catholics who come from all over
the world.