About Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena · Allentown, Pennsylvania
The Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena is the mother church and seat (cathedra) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown, located at 1825 West Turner Street in the west end of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1919 as a parish of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and elevated to cathedral status in 1961 when Pope John XXIII erected the Diocese of Allentown, the present Colonial Revival church was built in 1952–1954 and extensively renovated in 1972 to accommodate pontifical liturgy. The parish runs St. John Vianney Regional School (K–8), a parish religious education program (PREP/OCIA), and a wide array of lay ministries, and continues to serve as the spiritual and ceremonial home of the bishop of Allentown.
- Established
- 1919
- Patron
- Saint Catharine of Siena
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Donald W. Cieniewicz
- Diocese
- Diocese of Allentown
Why belong here
The Cathedral offers a rare combination in one parish: the full sacramental and devotional life of a large downtown parish (daily and Sunday Mass in English, an active Wednesday evening Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration, Evening Prayer, and Benediction, plus a Saturday morning Holy Hour for Vocations) and the ceremonial reach of the diocesan mother church, where the bishop's liturgies and diocesan ordinations take place. Worshippers can enroll their children at the parish-sponsored St. John Vianney Regional School (K–8), the historic Catholic high school (Central Catholic), or the parish's own PREP and OCIA religious-education programs, and serve in long-established lay groups such as the Knights of Columbus, Women's Alliance, Golden Agers, CYO athletics, Cub/Boy Scouts, Altar Servers, Lectors & Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Bereavement Ministry, the Cathedral Good Samaritan Society, and the Cathedral Choir — making the Cathedral an unusually complete spiritual, educational, and community anchor for west-side Allentown.
Mass times at Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: 6:10–6:25 AM (before 6:30 Mass)
- Monday–Saturday: 7:40–7:55 AM (before 8:00 Mass)
- Wednesday evenings: 6:30–7:30 PM (during Eucharistic devotions)
- Saturday: 3:15–4:00 PM
- Sundays: immediately after each Sunday morning Mass (same as Saturday schedule)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration / Evening Prayer & Holy Hour — Wednesdays, 5:30–7:30 PM (Exposition 5:30, Confessions 6:30–7:15, Evening Prayer 7:00, Benediction 7:30)
- Holy Hour for Vocations — first Saturday of the month, beginning with 8:00 AM Mass followed by Exposition, the Rosary, and Benediction
History of the Parish and Cathedral
St. Catharine of Siena Parish was founded October 8, 1919, by Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, Archbishop of Philadelphia, when he appointed the Reverend John C. Phelan as first rector of a new parish for the west end of Allentown. Within weeks, parishioners transformed the Sefring family home into a rectory and chapel, celebrated their first Masses on November 16, 1919, and — two weeks later — performed the parish's first wedding (C. J. Kurtz and Mary Erdman). A 'little chapel' converted from a stable and carriage house served the parish until 1927, when a combination church-school-convent was finished in time for Christmas Mass.
- Founded October 8, 1919 by Cardinal Dennis Dougherty
- First Masses: November 16, 1919 in the converted Sefring rectory
- First wedding: C. J. Kurtz & Mary Erdman, November 30, 1919
- First chapel: stable/carriage house, completed by September 1920
- First church-school-convent building dedicated for Mass, December 25, 1927
Becoming a Cathedral (1961)
On January 28, 1961, Pope John XXIII erected the Diocese of Allentown — comprising Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties — and named St. Catharine of Siena Parish as the new Cathedral Church. Bishop Joseph McShea, who had laid the cornerstone as a Philadelphia auxiliary, was installed as first Bishop of Allentown on April 11, 1961, and presided over the Cathedral's first ordinations in May 1961. The Bishop's cathedra (teaching chair) was installed in the sanctuary, formally raising the parish church to cathedral dignity.
Building and Architecture
The present church was built between 1952 and 1954 in the Colonial Revival style to evoke the colonial restoration of Williamsburg, Virginia. Its exterior is variegated salmon brick trimmed with Indiana/Salem limestone; a tall spire topped with a stainless steel cross rises above the transept crossing; and the windows are antique colonial-glazed cathedral glass depicting the life of the Christian family from the Nativity to Eternity. Originally seating 830 with a blue-and-blond Colonial interior, the sanctuary was rebuilt in 1972 to accommodate pontifical liturgies and post-Vatican II ceremonies, taking on a Baroque-style interior while the Colonial exterior was preserved.
- Colonial Revival (Georgian Colonial) exterior; Baroque interior after 1972
- Variegated salmon brick with buff Indiana/Salem limestone trim
- Spire with stainless-steel cross over transept crossing
- Colonial glazed antique cathedral glass windows
- Seating capacity 830; sanctuary redesigned 1972
- Cathedra (bishop's chair) installed in sanctuary
Faith Formation — PREP, OCIA, and Bible Study
Religious education at the Cathedral has three formal entry points: St. John Vianney Regional School for K–8 day-school families, the Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) for public-school children, and OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, the restored RCIA process) for unbaptized adults or baptized Christians seeking full communion. A weekly Monday Bible Study at 6:30 PM in the Msgr. Ott meeting room reviews the upcoming Sunday readings, and the parish hosts a 'Second Sunday Q&A' apologetics/discussion group in the PAC following the 11:30 AM Mass.
- PREP (Parish Religious Education Program) — Donna Sciacca, DRE (610-432-7655, [email protected])
- OCIA Adult Faith Enrichment — Sundays after 9:30 AM Mass, Bishop Thompson meeting room
- Monday Bible Study — 6:30 PM, Msgr. Ott meeting room
- Second Sunday Q&A — 2nd Sundays after 11:30 AM in the PAC
Schools
The Cathedral sponsors the parish's own Catholic elementary school and helps support the diocesan high school. St. John Vianney Regional Catholic School serves grades K–8 at 210 N. 18th Street, Allentown (Principal Matt Carlin, 610-435-8981), occupying the historic 1927 combination church-school-convent building to the right of the Cathedral. Central Catholic High School at 301 N. 4th Street (interim principal Diane Young, 610-437-4601) is the diocesan secondary school supported by Cathedral fundraising.
- St. John Vianney Regional School (K–8): 210 N. 18th St., Allentown; Principal Matt Carlin; 610-435-8981
- Central Catholic High School (9–12): 301 N. 4th St., Allentown; interim Principal Diane Young; 610-437-4601
Music Ministry
Beverly McDevitt directs both the Cathedral Choir and the Diocesan Choir, ensuring that the most important diocesan liturgies — ordinations, the Chrism Mass, Confirmations — are sung by a polished volunteer ensemble grounded in the parish.
Parish Life, Organizations, and Youth
Cathedral lay life is organized into traditional Catholic-action groups plus several active youth programs. The parish publishes a weekly bulletin at the cathedral-church.org website and operates an online youth Instagram (@allentowncathedralym).
- Knights of Columbus Council 14397 (Anthony Primiani, [email protected])
- Women's Alliance — meets monthly in the Parish Office; President Deb Kipp
- Golden Agers — Thursdays 2:00–4:00 PM, Activities Center; President Sylvia Dzema
- CYO Athletics — Grades 1–12
- Cub Scouts & Boy Scouts — every other Tuesday 7:00 PM
- Junior Youth Group (Grades 6–8) and Senior Youth Group (Grades 9–12)
- Bereavement Ministry / Cathedral Good Samaritan Society
- Lectors & Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers
- Little-Lot Fund Raiser (over $11,000 in prizes)
Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
Baptisms are scheduled through the Parish Office; marriages require at least six months of diocesan marriage preparation, with weddings celebrated after 1:00 PM on Fridays or no later than 1:30 PM on Saturdays; funerals are coordinated through Resurrection or Holy Saviour Cemetery. Anointing of the Sick and other pastoral emergencies are handled via a 24-hour Medical Emergency Priest Line (610-442-8012).
- Baptism — call Parish Office for class & baptism
- First Reconciliation / First Communion — via PREP
- Confirmation — diocesan preparation
- Marriage — 6-month diocesan marriage-prep requirement
- Funerals — Resurrection Cemetery (610-395-3819) or Holy Saviour Cemetery (610-866-2372 x2)
- Anointing of the Sick / Medical Emergency Priest Line: 610-442-8012
Clergy and Staff
Pastoral leadership includes the Rector/Pastor, a Parochial Vicar, a transitional deacon (recently ordained to the priesthood for the parish), a permanent deacon, and a priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (M.S.C.) in residence. A parish-school principal, director of religious education, director of music, business manager, and several support staff round out the team.
- Rev. Msgr. Donald W. Cieniewicz — Rector/Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Msgr. Francis P. Schoenauer — Pastor Emeritus
- Rev. Mr. Tyler Loch — Transitional Deacon
- Deacon James Friend — Permanent Deacon
- Rev. Aaron Scheidel — Parochial Vicar (departing June 2026 for St. Joseph, Orefield)
- Fr. Herman Pongantung, M.S.C. — In Residence
- Beverly McDevitt — Director of Music, Cathedral & Diocesan Choirs
- Donna Sciacca — Director of Religious Education & Parish Safe Environment Coordinator
- Matt Carlin — St. John Vianney School Principal
- Jill Weaver — Financial Secretary & Business Manager
- Sue Bartos — Census, Online Giving & Cathedral Cash Coordinator
- Jeanne Treadwell — Parish Secretary
- Rita Kriebel — Administrative Assistant
- Wendy S. Krisak, M.A., NCC, LPC — Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator (1-800-791-9209)
Parish Vision and Stewardship
The Cathedral's published Vision Statement reads: 'To be a place where the faithful can gather together for the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, to teach Christ's saving doctrine, and to practice the charity of the Lord in good works and brotherly love (cf. CCC 2179).' Stewardship is coordinated through envelope/online giving (Sue Bartos, [email protected]) with typical Sunday collections from roughly 220 envelopes and 153 online donors, and a Capital Improvements collection scheduled several times each year.
Diocese of Allentown — Episcopal Succession
As the cathedral church of the diocese, the building has hosted the installation and ministry of each successive Bishop of Allentown since 1961.
- Bishop Joseph McShea — installed first Bishop April 11, 1961
- Diocesan Cathedral Choir — founded September 1961 under Fr. Angelo Della Picca
- Bishop Thomas J. Welsh, Bishop Edward P. Cullen, Bishop John O. Barres
- Most Rev. Alfred A. Schlert — fifth and current Bishop, appointed June 27, 2017 by Pope Francis, installed August 31, 2017
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John C. Phelan1919–1933
Founder and first rector; built first chapel out of the Sefring home/stable; resigned due to ill health after 14 years.
- Rev. John J. Goodfellow1933–January 1934
Brief pastorate; resigned for health reasons.
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Cornelius P. Brennanuntil May 1934
Administrator covering the vacancy.
- Rev. Hugh F. McMullanMay 23, 1934 – November 5, 1958
Shepherded the parish through the Depression; with Fr. William Haley founded the Church Debt Fund Society (1934); led the parish for 24 years before transfer to St. Athanasius, Philadelphia.
- Msgr. Leo Finkcirca 1958–early 1960s
Broke ground June 9, 1952 for the present church; cornerstone laid April 26, 1953; present church dedicated April 25, 1954.
- Rev. Edward O'Loughlinuntil February 1960
Transferred out in February 1960.
- Rev. Msgr. Francis J. Donnellyearly 1960s onward
Came from St. Martin of Tours, Philadelphia; led parish through creation of the Diocese of Allentown (1961); elevated to Monsignor by Pope John XXIII, April 14, 1963.
- Rev. Msgr. Andrew Bakeruntil 2015
Rector; named Rector of Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland, in 2015.
- Rev. Msgr. Francis P. Schoenauer2015 – June 15, 2021
Named pastor in 2015; elevated Monsignor by Pope Francis in 2016; retired to Pastor Emeritus.
- Rev. Msgr. Donald W. Cieniewicz2021–present
Formerly pastor of St. Mary Parish, Hamburg, PA; current rector.
 "Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena")
 "Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena")