About Immaculate Conception · Centerville, Pennsylvania
Immaculate Conception is a small Catholic mission church in the hamlet of Mageetown, about two miles east of Centerville, Pennsylvania, in the rural Rome Township area of Crawford County. Established in 1822, it is one of the oldest Catholic congregations in the region and is classified by the Diocese of Erie as a mission served by the neighboring St. Titus Parish in Titusville. The simple country church on Wright Road is administered by Rev. Daniel R. Hoffman, pastor of St. Titus, with sacramental care shared by Parochial Vicar Rev. Festus Okoye and Deacon Kevin Harmon.
- Established
- 1822
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel R. Hoffman
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception offers Catholic families in the rural Centerville/Mageetown area an intimate, historically rooted place to worship close to home, without the drive into Titusville. As a mission of St. Titus Parish, it shares in the full sacramental life of a larger parish — a resident pastor, parochial vicar, and deacon — while preserving its own small, generational community. For Catholics in Rome Township and the surrounding farmland, it is a living link to the pioneer Irish-Catholic families who first gathered there in 1822.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before Mass (per joinmychurch.com listing); confirm with parish office
Parish Identity and Mission Status
Immaculate Conception is classified by the Diocese of Erie as a mission church rather than an independent parish. It is entrusted to St. Titus Parish in Titusville, which provides the pastor (Rev. Daniel R. Hoffman), parochial vicar (Rev. Festus Okoye), and permanent deacon (Deacon Kevin Harmon). All administrative contacts — phone, fax, email, and web — route through St. Titus, while the mission itself remains at 17932 Wright Road in the Mageetown hamlet east of Centerville.
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
- Mission status; administered by St. Titus Parish, Titusville
- Established: 1822
History of the Congregation
The mission was organized in 1822 with twenty-five members drawn from the Catholic pioneer families of Rome Township — Irish settlers like Peter McKeiffer and Daniel Rogers who had come to the area in the years after the War of 1812. For its first quarter-century the community was without a resident priest and depended on visiting missionaries from Pittsburgh. Father Peter Sheridan, the first resident pastor, oversaw construction of the present church in 1848.
- 1822: Church of the Immaculate Conception organized at Mageetown with 25 members
- 1848: Present church built under Father Peter Sheridan at a cost of $1,200
- Land for the church donated by Francis Magee, namesake of the hamlet
Contact and Parish Office
Because Immaculate Conception is administered by St. Titus Parish, all mail, phone calls, and email are handled through the Titusville parish office. The church building itself sits at 17932 Wright Road in Centerville (Mageetown hamlet), Crawford County.
- Church address: 17932 Wright Road, Centerville, PA 16404
- Mailing address: c/o St. Titus Parish, 513 W. Main St., Titusville, PA 16354
- Phone: (814) 827-4636
- Fax: (814) 827-3958
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish website: https://www.sainttitus.com/
Clergy and Staff (Shared with St. Titus)
Pastoral care for the mission is provided by the clergy and lay staff of St. Titus Parish. The parish priest and parochial vicar celebrate Mass and the sacraments at the mission, while a permanent deacon assists with liturgical and pastoral ministry. Religious education and liturgical music are coordinated through St. Titus staff.
- Pastor: Rev. Daniel R. Hoffman (Parish Priest, St. Titus)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Festus Okoye
- Permanent Deacon: Deacon Kevin Harmon
- Religious Education Leader: Kathleen Puleo
- Liturgical Music Contact: Margaret Berneck
Sacraments and Faith Formation
Because the mission shares staff with St. Titus Parish, sacramental preparation and faith formation programs (RCIA, religious education, marriage preparation, baptismal preparation) are coordinated through the Titusville parish office. Confession is offered before Mass at the mission and on Saturday afternoons at St. Titus.
- Baptism: through St. Titus Parish office
- Marriage preparation: through St. Titus Parish office
- Anointing of the Sick: contact St. Titus Parish
- Penance: before Mass at the mission; Saturday 3–4 p.m. at St. Titus
- Religious Education: coordinated through St. Titus
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Peter Sheridanfirst resident pastor, mid-19th c.
First resident priest; oversaw construction of the present church in 1848.
- Rev. J. P. Maurelafter Sheridan
Successor resident pastor.
- Rev. Donohueafter Maurel
Successor resident pastor.
- Rev. William Pughafter Donohue
Successor resident pastor.
- Father Callaghanafter Pugh
Successor resident pastor.
- Father P. J. McGovernby 1885
Pastor as of the 1885 Crawford County history; also assisting at Titusville.