About Immaculate Conception · Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Immaculate Conception Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, belonging to the Diocese of Greensburg. Long nicknamed the "Irish church on the hill," it was founded in the early 1870s to serve a growing Catholic population drawn largely by Irish immigrants, and today it stands as the centerpiece of the Yough Catholic Community, which federates Immaculate Conception with St. John the Evangelist, St. Rita, and St. Aloysius parishes across Connellsville and Dunbar. The current Gothic church was designed by Pittsburgh architect Frederick C. Sauer, built in 1896 after its predecessor burned, and serves roughly 600 Connellsville-area families.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Father Robert Lubic
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception offers a faithful weekly rhythm of English Masses in one of the most architecturally distinguished Catholic churches in the Yough region — a 1896 Gothic landmark with a 1,600-pipe organ, German stained glass, and a recently restored sanctuary. As the lead church of the federated Yough Catholic Community, it shares faith formation, Vacation Bible School, and Confession scheduling with three neighboring parishes, giving families a real sense of belonging. With nearly 600 families, an active elementary school in the historic four-story Conn-Area Catholic School building, and the parish's longstanding ties to Geibel Catholic Junior-Senior High School, Immaculate Conception remains the spiritual and cultural heart of Connellsville's Catholic life.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 11:30 AM (at St. John the Evangelist)
- By appointment — check the parish calendar for changes
Adoration times
- Wednesdays 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (at St. Rita) — check calendar for changes
About Immaculate Conception Parish
Immaculate Conception Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Greensburg, serving the Connellsville area of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The parish worships in a 129-by-65-foot Gothic church at 148 E. Crawford Avenue, designed in 1896 by the Pittsburgh architect Frederick C. Sauer and completed after its predecessor was destroyed by fire. Long nicknamed the "Irish church on the hill," it now serves roughly 600 Connellsville-area families and is the lead parish of the federated Yough Catholic Community.
- Patron: Immaculate Conception (feast day December 8)
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg
- Mailing/worship address: 148 E. Crawford Ave., Connellsville, PA 15425
- Main phone: 724-628-6840
Parish History
Catholic life in the Connellsville area was first served by traveling mission priests in the early 1800s. In 1837 the Bishop of Philadelphia appointed Father Michael Gallagher as the first specific pastor for a vast mission territory stretching across Fayette, Greene, and Washington Counties and into parts of Westmoreland and Somerset. By 1870, with Irish immigration swelling the Catholic population, the bishop appointed a resident Sunday-Mass pastor for Connellsville; the first church, a remodeled house off Orchard Alley, was dedicated by Bishop Domenic in July 1873.
- 1837 — Father Michael Gallagher appointed as first regional pastor
- 1870 — Resident pastor assigned to Connellsville
- July 1873 — First church dedicated by Bishop Domenic
- May 1887 — Larger second church dedicated by Bishop Phelan (100+ families)
- January 22, 1892 — Second church destroyed by fire
- September 1896 — Cornerstone laid for present Gothic church
- 1922-1958 — Father Henry Geibel serves 36 years as pastor
- 1964 — Father Geibel Memorial High School (now Geibel Catholic) opens
- 1970 — Post-Vatican II renovation under Msgr. John Garred
- 2009 — Immaculate Conception partners with St. John and St. Rita to form the Yough Catholic Community
- 2017 — Complete interior restoration under Fr. Robert Lubic
- 2019 — 150th anniversary celebrated with Bishop Edward C. Malesic
Architecture & Notable Features
The present church was designed by Frederick C. Sauer, a German-American architect well known for his churches across the Pittsburgh region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The cornerstone was laid in September 1896; the finished building measured 129 feet long by 65 feet wide and was constructed in a pure Gothic style, with bricks salvaged from the burned second church worked into the new walls. The interior houses several treasures: a 1920 electrically operated pipe organ of more than 1,600 pipes (built in a style usually reserved for the largest concert halls), twelve large stained glass windows imported from Germany depicting the lives of Jesus and Mary and valued at over one million dollars, and a sanctuary that was returned toward its original Gothic appearance during the 2016-17 interior restoration under Father Robert Lubic, which added 19th-century back altars from a closed church in Wisconsin.
- Architect: Frederick C. Sauer (Pittsburgh)
- Style: Gothic Revival
- Dimensions: 129 ft long x 65 ft wide
- Tower bells (1897), electrified and computerized 1993
- Pipe organ (1920) with 1,600+ pipes, still in use
- Twelve large German stained glass windows, valued at over $1 million
- Original 185-ft steeple lost to high winds in early 20th century; cross remounted on the central roof peak
- 2017 interior restoration reinstalled high altars and returned the sanctuary toward its original Gothic design
The Yough Catholic Community
Immaculate Conception is the lead parish of the Yough Catholic Community, a federation of four Connellsville- and Dunbar-area parishes that share clergy, faith formation, and sacramental scheduling. The other parishes in the community are St. John the Evangelist (Connellsville), St. Rita (Connellsville), and St. Aloysius (Dunbar). The partnership was built in stages — St. John and St. Rita were joined in 2007 under Father Ron Cyktor, and Immaculate Conception entered the partnership in 2009 under Father Joseph Bonafed. The shared website at youghcatholic.org lists combined Mass times, confession times, adoration times, faith-formation registration, Vacation Bible School information, bulletins, online giving, and a Facebook Live Stream.
- Immaculate Conception (Connellsville)
- St. John the Evangelist (Connellsville)
- St. Rita (Connellsville)
- St. Aloysius (Dunbar)
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation for First Communion, Confirmation, and Baptism is run through the Yough Catholic Community; sacramental registration must be completed in person at a Parent Meeting, while non-sacramental (general) Faith Formation registration can be done online. Confession is heard Saturdays at 11:30 AM at St. John the Evangelist and by appointment with the pastor. Couples preparing for marriage, and families seeking Anointing of the Sick, are invited to contact the parish office at 724-628-6840.
- Baptism — registration through the parish
- First Communion / Confirmation — Sacramental Preparation via Parent Meetings
- Confession — Saturday 11:30 AM at St. John the Evangelist; by appointment
- Matrimony — by appointment with the pastor
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
Faith Formation & Schools
Faith Formation is offered across the Yough Catholic Community for children in the parish's Catholic school programs and for public-school students who take part in non-sacramental and sacramental preparation tracks. Registration opens each year in late June; sacramental-track registration requires attendance at a Parent Meeting. Vacation Bible School has been hosted at Geibel Catholic Junior-Senior High School, most recently in 2022 with the "Monumental: Celebrating God's Greatness" program. The parish's historic four-story school building on Crawford Avenue continues in use as Conn-Area Catholic School, and the regional Catholic secondary school — Geibel Catholic Junior-Senior High School in the Hillcrest section of Connellsville Township — was opened in 1964 as Father Geibel Memorial High School and named for Immaculate Conception's long-serving pastor, Father Henry Geibel.
- Faith Formation — summer registration (sacramental and non-sacramental tracks)
- Vacation Bible School — held at Geibel Catholic
- Conn-Area Catholic School — housed in the parish's 1912 four-story school building
- Geibel Catholic Junior-Senior High School (1964) — named for Father Henry Geibel; grades 7-12; mascot the Gators
Music & Liturgy
Music has been central to worship at Immaculate Conception for more than a century. An electrically operated pipe organ of more than 1,600 pipes, built in 1920 in a style normally reserved for the largest concert halls, was installed during Father Henry Geibel's pastorate and continues to give musical praise to God. In 2019, the parish's 150th-anniversary year, a new electronic organ was dedicated in addition to the historic pipe organ. The stained glass windows, marble altars, and renewed sanctuary of the 2017 restoration continue to support a reverent liturgical environment for English-language Masses celebrated in the Diocese of Greensburg tradition.
- Historic 1920 pipe organ (1,600+ pipes)
- New electronic organ dedicated during the 2019 150th-anniversary year
- German stained glass depicting the lives of Jesus and Mary
- 2017 restoration reinstalled high and side altars
Getting Involved & Outreach
Parishioners are invited to worship with the Yough Catholic Community, register for faith formation each summer, and serve as liturgical ministers (with schedules posted on the parish website). Online Giving, printable bulletins, the parish calendar, and a Facebook Live Stream are all available through youghcatholic.org. Vacation Bible School, the parish's long-standing Catholic-school tradition through Conn-Area Catholic School and Geibel Catholic Junior-Senior High School, and the 2019 150th-anniversary celebration all point to an active parish life that newcomers are warmly invited into.
- Online Giving — via youghcatholic.org
- Bulletins — posted online
- Facebook Live Stream — for liturgies
- Liturgical Minister scheduling — published on the parish website
- Faith Formation registration — opens each summer
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael Gallagher1837
First specific pastor appointed by the Bishop of Philadelphia to serve Catholics across Fayette, Greene, Washington and parts of Westmoreland and Somerset Counties — predates the parish by ~40 years.
- First resident pastor1870
Appointed by the Bishop of Philadelphia to celebrate Sunday Mass in Connellsville as the Catholic population, especially Irish immigrants, grew.
- Father (early pastor)1871-1873
Purchased and remodeled a house off Orchard Alley into the first church; Bishop Domenic dedicated it in July 1873.
- Father (second church era)by 1887
Dedicated the second church in May 1887 by Bishop Phelan; 100+ Irish and American families registered.
- Father John T. Burnsfrom 1896
Assigned in 1896 to oversee construction of the present Gothic church; later built the parsonage (1908) and the four-story school (opened 1912).
- Father Henry Geibel1922-1958
Longest-serving pastor (36 years); built the convent (1923-24), oversaw 1930-31 renovation with marble altars and German stained glass, added the high school; the regional high school is named for him.
- Monsignor John Garred1970
Led the major post-Vatican II renovation adapting the church to the revised liturgy.
- Father Ron Cyktorfrom 2007
Partnered St. John the Evangelist with St. Rita.
- Father Joseph Bonafedfrom 2009
Brought Immaculate Conception into the partnership forming the Yough Catholic Community.
- Father Robert T. Lubic2012-
Connellsville native and parishioner; led the 2016-17 interior restoration returning the church toward its original Gothic design; oversaw 150th anniversary in 2019.