Daniel Slattery

The Daniel Slattery house was the site of the first Catholic mass in Dedham, Massachusetts. First mass By the early 1800s, a few Catholics had settled in Dedham. At the time, Dedham and the surrounding area was part of the missionary territory of St. Mary's in Waltham. Though a large area, stretching as far west as Concord and as far south as Walpole, it is estimated there were fewer than 300 Catholics. It was difficult for many to travel to Waltham, and so Father James Strain offered to travel halfway to meet the Catholics in the outlying areas. Slattery offered his home and to provide Strain with transportation. The first Mass in Dedham was celebrated in Sunday, May 15, 1843, with eight Catholics present. An altar was set up by the window. For the next three years Slattery's 17-year-old brother-in-law, John Doggett, would bring Strain from Waltham and back to minister to the needs of the small congregation.