About Holy Family · West Newton, Pennsylvania
Holy Family Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the borough of West Newton in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh along the Youghiogheny River. It is part of the Diocese of Greensburg, belonging to Region VIII and Deanery 5, and worships at its church on North Second Street. The parish offers a Saturday Vigil Mass and a Sunday morning Mass, a limited daily Mass schedule on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and Saturday confessions. Its active parish life is sustained by a Faith Formation program for grades 1–8, a Music Ministry, a Holy Name Society, a Confraternity of Christian Mothers, and a parish Bible Study. The parish is currently served by Reverend Roselo A. Melloria, with Rev. Richard J. Zelik, OFM Cap., also associated with the parish office.
- Patron
- Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
- Rector
- Reverend Roselo A. Melloria
- Diocese
- Diocese of Greensburg (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Holy Family is a friendly, small-town Catholic parish in West Newton that welcomes new faces alongside longtime members. Visitors can attend the Saturday Vigil at 4:00 p.m. or the Sunday Mass at 11:00 a.m., with confessions heard Saturday afternoons. Parishioners find a real sense of community through the Faith Formation program shared with neighboring St. Anne, the parish Music Ministry and Cantor program, the Holy Name Society and Confraternity of Christian Mothers, and a parish Bible Study — all rooted in regular worship at one local church.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
About Holy Family Parish
Holy Family Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the borough of West Newton, Pennsylvania, part of the Diocese of Greensburg. It sits on North Second Street in this small Westmoreland County community along the Youghiogheny River, about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh. The parish is administered out of the rectory/office at 225 North Second Street and shares its Faith Formation program with the neighboring Church of St. Anne in Rostraver. It belongs to Region VIII / Deanery 5 of the diocese, whose dean is Father Michael J. Crookston, pastor of St. Sebastian (Belle Vernon) and The Epiphany of Our Lord (Monessen).
- Diocese of Greensburg — Region VIII, Deanery 5
- Dean: Father Michael J. Crookston
- Parish address: 225 North Second Street, West Newton, PA 15089-1609
- Parish phone: 724-872-6123; Fax: 724-872-6133
Who We Are — Parish Staff and Clergy
The Who We Are page of the parish website lists the current pastor, an associated Capuchin priest, and the parish office staff. The parish is led by Reverend Roselo A. Melloria. Rev. Richard J. Zelik, OFM Cap. is also associated with the parish through the Holy Family Office. Music is coordinated by Robin Stahl, Director of Music Ministry, while Denise Manley serves as Parish Secretary and Organist.
- Reverend Roselo A. Melloria — Pastor
- Rev. Richard J. Zelik, OFM Cap. — associated priest
- Robin Stahl — Director of Music Ministry
- Denise Manley — Parish Secretary / Organist
- Angela Ehrhardt — Director of Faith Formation (shared with St. Anne, Rostraver)
Faith Formation (Religious Education)
Holy Family and the Church of St. Anne in Rostraver share a unified Faith Formation program for parish children. It is led by Director of Faith Formation Angela Ehrhardt and staffed by volunteer catechists who serve each grade from 1 through 8. The parish publishes an annual schedule (e.g., the 2024–2025 Grades 4–8 schedule) and a Faith Formation newsletter on its website.
- Director of Faith Formation: Angela Ehrhardt
- Grade 1: Mrs. Carolyn Cannizzaro
- Grade 2: Mrs. Shirley Lazar
- Grade 3: Alicia Mahalko
- Grade 4: Mrs. Helen Carroll
- Grade 5: Mrs. Maryann Landini (Aide: Stephanie Boyer)
- Grade 6: Mr. Dan Landini
- Grade 7: Mr. Bill Hughes
- Grade 8: Mr. Lucas Cannizzaro and Mrs. Larissa Cannizzaro
- Shared program with St. Anne Parish, Rostraver
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry invites parishioners to serve the Church through their musical gifts. The Parish Cantor program is open to parishioners age 14 and above; cantors prayerfully proclaim the Responsorial Psalm and lead the congregation's sung responses and hymns at Mass. The ability to read music is helpful but not required. Rehearsals are scheduled by mutual agreement with the Director of Music Ministry. The parish has actively rebuilt its choir in recent years, including seasonal holiday choirs and the use of OCP Breaking Bread missalettes acquired through an OCP Parish Grant.
- Director of Music Ministry: Robin Stahl
- Cantor program (open to ages 14+)
- Sunday and holiday choirs
- Uses OCP Breaking Bread missal program
Parish Organizations
Two long-standing devotional societies anchor lay parish life at Holy Family, and the parish also hosts a Bible Study group. These organizations meet regularly and support the parish through prayer, service, and social outreach.
- Holy Name Society (Confraternity of the Most Holy Name of God and Jesus) — promotes reverence for the Holy Name, fidelity to the Magisterium, and the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
- Confraternity of Christian Mothers (CCM) — mothers' devotional society that meets regularly (e.g., Sunday 9:30 AM on the parish calendar) and sponsors seasonal outreach such as the Advent/Christmas 'Little People' basket at the church entrance
- Holy Family Bible Study — ongoing Scripture study group for parishioners
Sacraments
The Sacraments page is the parish's portal for the seven Catholic sacraments. The site links preparation and contact information through the parish office (724-872-6123). Reconciliation is offered weekly on Saturday afternoons from 3:00 to 3:30 PM in the church, ahead of the Vigil Mass.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- First Reconciliation / First Eucharist — through the Faith Formation program
- Confirmation — through Faith Formation
- Marriage — contact the parish office to arrange preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
- Holy Orders / Vocations — through the Diocese of Greensburg
- Reconciliation (Confession): Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Region VIII (Deanery 5) — Our Sister Parishes
Holy Family is one of six parishes that make up Region VIII of the Diocese of Greensburg, all located in Fayette and Westmoreland counties. The dean of Deanery 5 is Father Michael J. Crookston, pastor of St. Sebastian (Belle Vernon) and The Epiphany of Our Lord (Monessen). The Region page lists each parish with location, website link, and Mass times so that the faithful can find a nearby Mass when traveling.
- Holy Family — West Newton (Sat 4:00 PM, Sun 11:00 AM)
- St. Anne — Rostraver (Sat 4:30 PM, Sun 8:00 & 11:00 AM)
- St. Edward — Herminie (Tue & Thu 8:00 AM)
- St. John the Baptist — Perryopolis (Sat 4:30 PM, Sun 8:00 & 10:00 AM)
- St. Sebastian — Belle Vernon (Sat 4:30 PM, Sun 9:00 & 11:00 AM)
- The Epiphany of Our Lord — Monessen, worship sites on Knox Avenue and Pennsylvania Boulevard (Sat 4:00 PM, Sun 10:30 AM)
Newcomers, Visitors, and Contact
Holy Family maintains a Newcomers & Visitors page welcoming those exploring the parish, and a Contact page with the parish address, phone, and fax. A Directions page is linked from the main navigation for those driving to the church. A parish calendar (with options to subscribe in iCal, Google, Outlook, or Apple Calendar) is published alongside the website and lists upcoming Masses, Confessions, and meetings such as CCM gatherings.
- Address: 225 North Second Street, West Newton, PA 15089-1609
- Phone: 724-872-6123
- Fax: 724-872-6133
- Directions page linked from the main menu
- Parish Calendar with subscribe-by-calendar option
- Video Mass library on YouTube for those unable to attend in person
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Roselo A. Melloria
Current pastor as listed on the parish's Who We Are page.
- Father John T. Sweeney
Listed as pastor on older (2016) parish directory data.