About Mary, Gate of Heaven · Myerstown, Pennsylvania
Mary, Gate of Heaven is a Roman Catholic parish in Myerstown, Pennsylvania, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg. The parish traces its roots to 1926, when Italian and German immigrant families in this eastern Lebanon County town began gathering for Mass in an old grain warehouse. Originally a mission of St. Gertrude Parish in Lebanon, it became a standalone parish in 1968 and moved into its current church on McKinley Avenue in 1970. Today it is served by Pastor Rev. David M. Hereshko and Deacon David Barto, offering a faithful weekly schedule of Masses, Saturday confession, and First Saturday Eucharistic Adoration.
- Established
- 1926
- Patron
- Mary, Gate of Heaven (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Gate of Heaven)
- Rector
- Rev. David M. Hereshko
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg
Why belong here
Mary, Gate of Heaven is a small but rooted Catholic community with nearly a century of history in Myerstown, founded by Italian and German immigrant families in 1926. Parishioners gather for a simple, steady rhythm of life — weekday 9:00 AM Mass, a Sunday morning Mass at 9:00 AM, Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM, Saturday confession from 3:00 to 3:45 PM, and Eucharistic Adoration on First Saturdays. The parish sits on West McKinley Avenue, a mile off Route 422 in eastern Lebanon County, and is served by a dedicated pastor and deacon in the Diocese of Harrisburg.
Mass times at Mary, Gate of Heaven
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Adoration times
- First Saturday 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM (per the Diocese of Harrisburg parish listing); one aggregator (catholicmasstime.org) lists First Saturday Eucharistic Adoration from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
Parish History
Mary, Gate of Heaven traces its origins to 1926, when Catholic families — mostly Italian and German immigrants who had come to work in Myerstown's limestone quarries — began gathering for Holy Mass in an old grain warehouse on South Railroad Street. There were about 150 founding members. The community was first established as a mission of St. Gertrude Parish in Lebanon, and it remained a mission for more than four decades before being raised to full parish status in 1968. The new parish built its current church on West McKinley Avenue in 1970, and Father Robert F. Berger's 2013 renovation added the striking cupola and sacrament-window stained glass that define the building today.
- 1926 — Mission established; Mass celebrated in a former grain warehouse on S. Railroad St.
- 1968 — Mission raised to full parish status.
- 1970 — Current church built on W. McKinley Avenue.
- 2013 — Major renovation: spacious narthex added and a cupola with stained-glass windows depicting the seven sacraments.
- May 12, 2024 — Bishop Timothy C. Senior celebrates a pastoral visit on the Seventh Sunday of Easter.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by a pastor and a deacon, both listed on the Diocese of Harrisburg's parish page and on the parish's own communications channels.
- Rev. David M. Hereshko — Pastor
- Deacon David Barto — Deacon
Pastor History
The most extensively documented pastor in the parish's recent history is Father Robert F. Berger, KHS, who led Mary, Gate of Heaven for 24 years and shaped the building parishioners worship in today.
- Rev. Robert F. Berger, KHS — Pastor 1993–2017. Retired January 31, 2017. Ordained May 19, 1962 by Bishop George Leech. A retired U.S. Army Colonel and Chaplain, Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and founder of the WW II Chaplains Memorial Foundation. Died December 14, 2020.
- Rev. David M. Hereshko — Current pastor; also serves as chaplain of Lebanon Catholic School.
Architecture and 2013 Renovation
The current church building on McKinley Avenue was built in 1970, but the structure most parishioners see today is largely the product of a 2013 renovation under Father Robert F. Berger. The renovation added a spacious narthex at the front of the church and a striking cupola featuring stained-glass windows that depict the seven sacraments.
- 1970 — Original church built on W. McKinley Avenue.
- 2013 — Addition of spacious narthex and cupola with stained-glass sacraments windows.
Location and Visiting
The parish is located at 188 W. McKinley Avenue, Myerstown, PA 17067, about a mile off Route 422 in eastern Lebanon County. Visitors can reach the church from the highway corridor that runs from Hershey through Reading toward Philadelphia. The Diocese of Harrisburg's parish listing notes on-site parking.
- Address — 188 W. McKinley Avenue, Myerstown, PA 17067
- Phone — (717) 866-5640
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — https://www.marygateofheaven.com/
- Parking — On-site parking available.
Community Origins: Italian and German Immigrant Roots
Myerstown's Catholic community grew from immigrant families who came to work in the local limestone quarries. The first Mass in 1926 was offered for about 150 mostly Italian-speaking faithful in an old grain warehouse; today the parish continues to honor that heritage under the patronage of Mary, Gate of Heaven.
- Founding members — about 150, mostly Italian-speaking.
- Founding Mass location — former grain warehouse on South Railroad Street in Myerstown.
- Original patron — Mary under the title 'Gate of Heaven.'
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Robert F. Berger, KHS1993–2017 (pastor)
Longtime pastor who oversaw the 2013 renovation that added the narthex and the cupola with stained-glass sacraments windows; retired January 31, 2017; Army Colonel and Chaplain (Colonel, retired); died December 14, 2020.