About Corpus Christi · West Pittston, Pennsylvania
Corpus Christi Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Scranton, headquartered in West Pittston, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and led by Monsignor John J. Sempa. Formed in 2010 by the merger of Immaculate Conception Church in West Pittston and the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Falls, the parish describes itself as 'Three Worship Sites, One Parish Family.' In May 2022 it was linked with St. Barbara Parish in Exeter under Monsignor Sempa, and on July 1, 2024 the two parishes fully consolidated, retaining the name Corpus Christi Parish and adding St. Anthony of Padua Church in Exeter as a third worship site. The parish community is served by a pastor, an assistant pastor, three deacons, a pastoral associate, a religious education team, a choir director, and a finance and office staff, and it ministers through liturgical, faith-formation, and social-concerns programs rooted in its mission to 'feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and love one another.'
- Established
- 2010
- Patron
- Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ)
- Rector
- Monsignor John J. Sempa
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Corpus Christi is one parish family spread across three historic worship sites in West Pittston, Exeter, and Falls, so newcomers can find a Mass schedule and a community that fits their week. A staffed religious education program welcomes children from Pre-K through 8th grade, and adults can serve as lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, ushers, choir members, cantors, or on the Liturgy and Social Concerns committees. The parish is grounded in a clear social mission — feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, and loving one another — through the Social Concerns ministry and parish-wide collections like the back-to-school drive. Weekend and weekday Masses are offered at all three churches, with Saturday confession at St. Anthony's, making regular sacramental life easy for residents across the greater Pittston area.
Mass times at Corpus Christi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM at St. Anthony of Padua Church, Exeter (per the parish Sacraments page)
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM at Immaculate Conception Church, West Pittston (per a 2021 parish bulletin)
About Corpus Christi Parish
Corpus Christi Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Scranton that worships at three churches in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania: Immaculate Conception Church in West Pittston, the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Falls, and St. Anthony of Padua Church in Exeter. The parish describes itself as 'Three Worship Sites, One Parish Family.' Its stated mission is for members of the Body of Christ, through their thoughts, words, and deeds, to celebrate the presence of God in all people and to answer Christ's call 'to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and love one another.' Pastoral care is provided by a pastor, an assistant pastor, three permanent deacons, a pastoral associate, and a full office and music staff.
- Motto: 'Three Worship Sites, One Parish Family'
- Mission: to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, and love one another
- Pastor: Monsignor John J. Sempa
- Assistant Pastor: Rev. Michael S. Drevitch
Parish History and the 2024 Consolidation
The parish was founded in September 2010 when the Diocese of Scranton merged Immaculate Conception Church in West Pittston with the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Falls under Bishop Joseph C. Bambera's Vision 2030 pastoral planning process. Monsignor John J. Sempa was named pastor and led the new community across its two sites. In May 2022, Monsignor Sempa was additionally named Administrator pro tem of nearby St. Barbara Parish in Exeter, formally linking the two parishes; parishioners quickly combined ministries and finance committees. On July 1, 2024, St. Barbara Parish was fully consolidated into Corpus Christi Parish, retaining the Corpus Christi name and adding St. Anthony of Padua Church in Exeter as a third worship site.
- September 12, 2010 — Inaugural Mass of Corpus Christi Parish
- November 7, 2010 — Final Mass at the 147-year-old St. Mary's Assumption Church
- May 2022 — Corpus Christi and St. Barbara Parishes formally linked under Monsignor Sempa
- July 1, 2024 — St. Barbara Parish consolidated into Corpus Christi Parish
- Parish Pastoral Council led by Attorney Joe Burke guided the consolidation
Worship Sites
The parish gathers for Mass at three historic worship sites across the West Pittston / Exeter / Falls area. Immaculate Conception Church at 605 Luzerne Avenue, West Pittston, is the original site of the parish and houses the parish office and rectory. The Church of the Holy Redeemer sits at 2435 State Route 92 in Falls, and St. Anthony of Padua Church (sometimes addressed as 224 Memorial Street or 212 Memorial Avenue) is in Exeter. Each church maintains its own weekend and weekday Mass schedule, allowing parishioners to attend the site most convenient to their week.
- Immaculate Conception Church — 605 Luzerne Avenue, West Pittston, PA 18643
- Church of the Holy Redeemer — 2435 State Route 92, Falls, PA 18615
- St. Anthony of Padua Church — 224 Memorial Street (212 Memorial Avenue), Exeter, PA 18643
Clergy and Parish Staff
Pastoral leadership is provided by Monsignor John J. Sempa, who has served as pastor since the parish's 2010 founding, and by Assistant Pastor Reverend Michael S. Drevitch. They are assisted by three permanent deacons — Deacon Walter G. Janoski, Deacon James R. Meizanis, and Deacon James Rose — and by a staff team that includes a pastoral associate, religious education coordinators, a choir director, a finance manager, a parish secretary, and maintenance personnel for the West Pittston site.
- Monsignor John J. Sempa — Pastor
- Rev. Michael S. Drevitch — Assistant Pastor
- Deacon Walter G. Janoski
- Deacon James R. Meizanis
- Deacon James Rose
- Joyce Cecconi — Pastoral Associate and Co-Religious Education Coordinator ([email protected])
- Loretta Semenza — Co-Religious Education Coordinator
- Christine Forte — Choir Director
- Lori Kasisky — Finance Manager ([email protected])
- Linda Drevitch — Parish Secretary (Tue, Wed, Thu)
- Pat Messina — Maintenance, West Pittston site
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish's religious education program is designed to give every child a fuller understanding and appreciation of the Catholic Faith through prayer, weekly lessons, discussions, music, crafts, service projects, and special presentations. Classes meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 AM to 10:10 AM for children in Pre-K through 8th grade, and they are held in the Immaculate Conception School, the rectory, the sacristy, and the church hall. The program is co-coordinated by Joyce Cecconi (who also serves as the parish's Pastoral Associate) and Loretta Semenza. A Religious Education Registration Form is available on the parish's Forms page.
- Grades served: Pre-K through 8th
- Class time: Sundays 9:00 AM – 10:10 AM
- Locations: Immaculate Conception School, Rectory, Sacristy, Church Hall
- Coordinators: Joyce Cecconi and Loretta Semenza
Liturgical Ministries
The parish invites parishioners to serve in a variety of liturgical roles at any of its three worship sites. The parish website lists Altar Servers (open to boys and girls who have received First Eucharist), Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (who also bring Communion to the homebound, hospitalized, and residents of local nursing homes), Lectors, Ushers, and the Liturgy Committee, which plans and coordinates the calendar of liturgical seasons, feasts, and special liturgies.
- Altar Servers
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- Ushers
- Liturgy Committee
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry supports the congregation in sung prayer at all three worship sites, with opportunities to serve as a Cantor or as a member of the Adult Choir or the Children's Choir. Christine Forte serves as the parish's Choir Director. Anyone interested in joining is invited to contact the rectory for more information about rehearsal and schedule.
- Adult Choir
- Children's Choir
- Cantors
- Choir Director: Christine Forte
Social Concerns and Outreach
The Social Concerns ministry strives to offer loving service to neighbors in need through works of mercy and many hands-on projects for those who are hungry, homeless, or in want. The committee meets monthly, and the parish invites anyone who is interested to attend (meeting dates and times are listed in the bulletin and calendar). Shortly after the 2024 consolidation, the combined parish launched a 'back-to-school calendar of giving' in July, collecting school supplies, hygiene products, and snacks for local students from Pre-K through high school — a concrete expression of the parish's mission to clothe, feed, and shelter.
- Social Concerns Committee (monthly meetings)
- Back-to-school calendar of giving (school supplies, hygiene products, snacks)
- Works of mercy and outreach to those in need in the greater Pittston / Exeter / Falls area
Sacraments
In addition to regular Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the parish prepares parishioners for and celebrates all the usual sacraments. A Baptismal Information Form is available on the parish Forms page, and parents are encouraged to contact the rectory to begin preparation. The rectory also helps coordinate First Eucharist (a prerequisite for becoming an Altar Server), Confirmation preparation through the diocese, Marriage preparation, and the Anointing of the Sick, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bring Communion to the hospitalized, homebound, and residents of local nursing homes.
- Baptism — see Baptismal Information Form on the parish website
- First Eucharist — prerequisite for altar serving
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM at St. Anthony of Padua (and Immaculate Conception per bulletin)
- Marriage — contact the rectory
- Anointing of the Sick and Communion to the sick and homebound — coordinated through the rectory
Online and Social Media
The parish maintains a website at corpuschristinepa.com where visitors can find the current Mass schedule, bulletins, parish forms, ministry information, and links to the YouTube channel where video Masses are posted for parishioners who cannot attend in person. The parish also maintains a Facebook presence under the name 'Corpus Christi Parish' (facebook.com/corpuschristiparishpa), and bulletins are archived on the website for ongoing reference.
- Website: http://corpuschristinepa.com/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/corpuschristiparishpa
- YouTube: Corpus Christi Parish (video Masses)
- Parish bulletins archived on the website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor John J. Sempa2010–present (Pastor since founding; from 2022 also Administrator pro tem of St. Barbara Parish, which fully consolidated into Corpus Christi on July 1, 2024)
Led the parish from its 2010 founding; oversaw the May 2022 linkage with St. Barbara Parish, Exeter, and the July 1, 2024 full consolidation that added St. Anthony of Padua Church as a third worship site.