St. Anthony Shrine

What St. Anthony Shrine does

St. Anthony Shrine is a Catholic worship and community outreach center located at 100 Arch Street in Boston's Downtown Crossing, operated by approximately 30 Franciscan friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe (formed October 2023 from a merger of Holy Name Province and five other U.S. provinces). Founded in 1947 and operating from its current building since December 1954, the shrine delivers a daily and weekly schedule of Catholic sacraments (six weekend Masses including a Spanish service, plus weekday Masses, confessions, adoration, and anointing) alongside over 30 outreach ministries addressing food insecurity (Franciscan Food Center, founded 2008 with the Mayor's Office and Greater Boston Food Bank), mental health and substance abuse recovery (Father Mychal Judge Center for Counseling and Recovery), healthcare for women in need (Rita A. DiMento Women's Medical Clinic in partnership with Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program), dignified funerals for the homeless (Lazarus Ministry), and tailored ministries for veterans, LGBTQ+ Catholics, and grieving parents. Revenue is generated primarily through donations (credit card, check, wire, donor-advised funds across multiple sponsors, IRA charitable rollovers, stocks, planned giving), retail Mass cards and candles via an online store, a $5,000 two-year Spiritual Direction Training Program (next cohort September 2026), and the annual Franciscan Dinner gala (over $1.5M raised in 2025 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). Distribution is primarily in-person at the Boston headquarters, extended via YouTube livestream of the Sunday 10 AM Mass, a 24/7 "Good Word for Today" phone line, and active social media presence. The organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity (Tax ID 04-2119394) led by Executive Director Fr. Thomas E. Conway, OFM and Guardian Fr. Frank Sevola, OFM, with a staff of 11-50 including specialized directors of counseling, liturgy, outreach, and development.

Name

St. Anthony Shrine

Legal name

St. Anthony Shrine

Website

https://stanthonyshrine.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St. Anthony Shrine is a Catholic Franciscan worship and outreach center in downtown Boston offering daily Masses, sacraments, and over 30 social ministries serving worshippers, the homeless, food-insecure families, women in need, and LGBTQ+ Catholics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services / Catholic Ministry

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH)

Keywords

• Catholic worship services
• Spiritual direction training
• Community outreach ministries
• Food pantry services
• Mental health counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston, Ma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The shrine accepts charitable donations through multiple methods including credit card, check, wire transfer, donor-advised funds, IRA charitable rollovers (QCD), and stocks/bonds. Donations support the various ministry programs.
2. Mass Cards and Religious Items: Online store selling mass cards (birthday, healing, special occasion, deceased/pieta, novena) for various occasions, with prices starting around $10 per card.
3. Spiritual Direction Training Program: Two-year certificate program with tuition of $1,250 per semester across 4 semesters, totaling $5,000, plus $50 application fee. Includes in-person retreats and practicum supervision.
4. Franciscan Dinner Gala: Annual fundraising event that raised over $1.5 million in 2025, with proceeds supporting the shrine's ministries and operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St. Anthony Shrine is a Catholic worship shrine and Franciscan ministry center that delivers daily and weekend Masses, the Sacrament of Confession, Eucharistic Adoration, prayer services, and over 30 outreach ministries addressing food insecurity, mental health and substance use recovery, dignified burial for the homeless, free women's medical care, veterans' support, LGBTQ+ affirmation, and spiritual direction. Earned revenue offerings include Mass cards, votive candles, and a two-year Franciscan Spiritual Direction Training Program, supported by donations, planned giving, and an annual fundraising gala.

Product overview

St. Anthony Shrine is a Catholic shrine and ministry center in Boston operated by Franciscan friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The organization offers a unified portfolio of spiritual services (daily/weekly Masses, confessions, prayer requests, the Arch Street Band music ministry) and community outreach programs (Franciscan Food Center, Father Mychal Judge Center for Counseling and Recovery, Lazarus Ministry funeral services, Women's Medical Clinic, Veterans Ministry, LGBTQ+ Ministry, and Outreach). Additional offerings include a two-year Franciscan Spiritual Direction Training Program, retail Mass cards and candles, and livestreamed services. The shrine's activities are supported by online giving platforms and a physical location at 100 Arch Street in Boston.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mass Worship Services Daily and weekend Catholic Masses offered at St. Anthony Shrine, including a Spanish-language Mass and four weekend Masses accompanied by the professional Arch Street Band. Services are open to all and free of charge.
• Confession / Sacrament of Penance Regular Catholic Confession schedule staffed by Franciscan friars, available six days a week in the shrine at 100 Arch Street.
• Livestream Mass Online livestream broadcast of the Sunday 10 AM Mass via YouTube, providing remote access to the Shrine's principal Sunday worship service for global audiences.
• Good Word for Today 24/7 telephone-accessible two-minute spiritual reflections recorded by Franciscan Friars, available to anyone who calls 617-542-0502.
• Mass Cards Physical and digital Mass cards sold through the Shrine's online store for occasions including the Feast of St. Francis Mass Card, Pieta (Deceased), Novena of Masses (Living), Healing Card, Birthday Card, For Your Intentions, and Special Occasion. Proceeds support Shrine ministries.
• Light A Candle Online service that lights a votive candle at the Shrine on behalf of the requester for a stated prayer intention.
• Prayer Request Submission Channel for individuals to submit prayer intentions — covering physical and spiritual healing, finding lost items, financial help, family/marital problems, drug/alcohol addiction, life direction, legal problems, peace, and other needs — via web form, voicemail, or in person.
• Father Mychal Judge Center for Counseling and Recovery Clinical mental health and substance use recovery center offering individual, couples, and family counseling for anxiety, depression, loss, family crisis, and other concerns. Hosts AA meetings (Mon-Fri 7:30-8:30 AM, Thu 5:45-6:45 PM Big Book), Al-Anon meetings (Mon/Wed/Fri 12-1 PM), and grief support groups.
• Franciscan Food Center Client-choice food pantry providing high-quality, nutritious food to food-insecure individuals and families in the Boston area through monthly community distributions.
• Women's Medical Clinic (Rita A. DiMento) Free, women-only medical clinic at the Shrine, operated in partnership with Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, providing confidential medical care to women in need.
• Lazarus Ministry Funeral services including facilities, Mass of Christian Burial, grave space, opening/closing of grave, and a modest grave marker for homeless and abandoned individuals who die without means or family.
• Franciscan Spiritual Direction Training Program Two-year certificate program training adults in the practice of spiritual direction in the Franciscan tradition, with in-person retreats and Zoom-based classes, leading to formal certification as a spiritual director.
• Online Giving and Donations Multiple donation channels including credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex), check, wire transfer, donor-advised funds (Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Vanguard, BNY Mellon, TIAA/Renaissance, National Philanthropic Trust), IRA charitable rollovers (QCDs), stocks and bonds, and planned giving.
• Franciscan Dinner Gala Annual fundraising gala dinner held at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, supporting the Shrine's ministries through sponsorships and ticket sales.
• St. Anthony's Bread for the Poor Annual charitable bread distribution on St. Anthony's Feast Day (June 13) honoring St. Anthony of Padua's example of caring for the poor.
• Veterans Ministry Monthly veterans appreciation lunches and ongoing support services for veterans served by the New England Center for Homeless Veterans.
• LGBTQ+ Ministry Affirming spiritual community and faith-formation programming for LGBTQ+ Catholics to explore, share, and celebrate their faith.
• Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents Spiritual accompaniment and support community for grieving parents whose children of any age have died by any cause.
• Franciscan Spiritual Companionship Confidential one-on-one spiritual companionship sessions with trained spiritual directors, along with companion groups and contemplative prayer practices.
• The Arch Street Band Professional six-member music ensemble enriching the Shrine's four weekend Masses and other liturgical celebrations as part of the music ministry.
• Adult Education Faith formation classes and adult education programs for adults seeking deeper understanding of the Catholic faith.
• Help with Annulment Process Pastoral assistance with the Catholic Church annulment process, provided by Fr. Brian Cullinane, OFM.

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mayor's Office (City of Boston)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2008Partnership established in October 2008 when the Franciscan Food Center was founded in collaboration with the Mayor's Office and Greater Boston Food Bank to address food insecurity in Boston.
• Greater Boston Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2008Founding partner in establishing the Franciscan Food Center in October 2008. Provides food bank support and resources for monthly community food distribution. Recognized shrine as a 2025 Healthy Pantry.
• Dolan Funeral HomeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal funeral home that has assisted the Lazarus Ministry in providing dignified burials for homeless and abandoned individuals who die without means or family.
• Lawler & Crosby Funeral HomeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal funeral home partner supporting the Lazarus Ministry's mission to provide proper and dignified funerals and burials for the poorest of the poor.
• Boston Health Care for the Homeless ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership providing the Rita A. DiMento Women's Medical Clinic, offering free confidential medical care to women in need at the shrine location.
• Arch Street GlassminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business and neighbor on Arch Street, sponsor of the 2025 Franciscan Dinner. Named in honor of Friar David Fleming who helped shape the physical foundation of the Shrine.
• Museum of Fine Arts, BostonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for the 2025 Franciscan Dinner gala event, hosting the annual fundraising celebration that raised over $1.5 million.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston: The largest Catholic social services organization in Massachusetts, offering food, housing, refugee, and family services. Comparable to the Franciscan Food Center, Lazarus Ministry, and other outreach programs at St. Anthony Shrine, though broader in scope.
• St. Patrick's Cathedral (New York): Iconic urban Catholic cathedral in New York offering daily Masses, sacraments, and outreach in a major metropolitan setting. Comparable to St. Anthony Shrine as a high-traffic urban Catholic worship and ministry destination.

Direct peers

• Gate of Heaven Church: South Boston Catholic parish founded in 1866 by the Franciscan order. Directly comparable as a Boston-area Franciscan Catholic parish under the same province that operates St. Anthony Shrine.
• National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi: San Francisco-based Franciscan Catholic shrine and ministry center offering worship, social outreach, and reconciliation ministries. Closely comparable to St. Anthony Shrine as a Franciscan urban shrine with social justice programming.
• St. Leonard of Port Maurice Church: Franciscan Catholic parish in Boston's North End founded in 1876 by the same order (now Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe). Directly comparable as a Franciscan Catholic worship community in Boston under shared governance.
• Shrine of St. Anthony (Cincinnati): Franciscan Catholic shrine in Cincinnati dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua — the same saint honored at St. Anthony Shrine in Boston. Comparable as a Franciscan shrine with daily Masses, reconciliation, and devotional outreach.
• Paulist Center: Catholic community in downtown Boston offering worship, adult education, and social outreach. Comparable as a progressive urban Catholic worship and community center serving similar downtown Boston demographics.
• Cathedral of the Holy Cross: The mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, located in Boston's South End. Comparable as a large Catholic worship community serving Boston Catholics with multiple Masses, sacraments, and outreach ministries.
• St. Francis House: Boston-based homeless services organization founded by the same Franciscan friars in 1984 as a connected ministry of St. Anthony Shrine. Provides sit-down meals, clothing, psychological services, and nursing care to those in need — directly comparable service model and shared Franciscan governance.

Regional players

• Trinity Boston Foundation: South End Boston organization rooted in Trinity Church that delivers youth, family, and community programs. Comparable as a downtown Boston faith-based non-profit combining worship/spiritual identity with extensive social outreach programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ShrineBoston
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuO_Bvy0UddNpGBI5G5D4Iw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShrineBoston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-anthony-shrine-&-ministry-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/shrineboston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Anthony Shrine