About Mater Dolorosa -Saint Clare of Assisi Parish · Chicora, Pennsylvania
St. Clare of Assisi Parish is a multi-site Roman Catholic parish in northern Butler County, Pennsylvania, formed on January 4, 2021 by merging three historic parishes — Mater Dolorosa in Chicora, St. Joseph in North Oakland, and St. Wendelin in Carbon Center — into a single community sharing one clergy team and a joint bulletin. The parish operates across three churches, with Mater Dolorosa (the 1875 landmark on North Main Street) remaining open as a worship site for the combined congregation. It belongs to the Diocese of Pittsburgh and is led by a pastoral team of a Capuchin Franciscan pastor and three senior parochial vicars.
- Established
- 1875
- Patron
- Mater Dolorosa (Our Lady of Sorrows); the merged parish is named for St. Clare of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Matthew (Matt) McClain
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
St. Clare of Assisi Parish combines the heritage of three long-standing rural Butler County parishes into one welcoming community that still keeps each historic church open for worship. Weekday and Sunday Masses are celebrated in English across all three sites — Mater Dolorosa in Chicora, St. Joseph in North Oakland, and St. Wendelin in Carbon Center — with a Capuchin Franciscan-influenced clergy team, regular Confession on Saturday mornings, a livestreamed Vigil Mass for the homebound, and active parish groups like the Christian Mothers. For Catholics in northern Butler County it offers the convenience of a local weekday Mass, the option of multiple Sunday Mass times at multiple sites, and the stability of parishes that have served the area for generations.
Mass times at Mater Dolorosa -Saint Clare of Assisi Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM — at both Mater Dolorosa (Chicora) and St. Wendelin (Carbon Center)
- Saturday 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM — at St. Joseph (North Oakland)
Parish Identity & Formation
St. Clare of Assisi Parish is a multi-site Roman Catholic parish in northern Butler County, Pennsylvania, under the Diocese of Pittsburgh. It was created on January 4, 2021 by the merger of three longstanding independent parishes — Mater Dolorosa (Chicora, founded 1875), St. Joseph (North Oakland), and St. Wendelin (Carbon Center) — each of which continues to operate as a worship site within the new parish. The merger was the fruit of Bishop David Zubik's 'On Mission for The Church Alive!' strategic-planning process, launched in 2015 to address declining Mass attendance and a shrinking pool of priests.
- Formed January 4, 2021
- Three church sites: Mater Dolorosa, St. Joseph, St. Wendelin
- Parish offices centralized at St. Joseph Administrative Center, 864 Chicora Rd., Chicora, PA 16025
History of Mater Dolorosa, Chicora
Mater Dolorosa's origin lies in the oil boom that transformed the Chicora area in the 1870s. Before the boom, Catholics in the area had to travel to St. Patrick, Sugar Creek or St. Joseph, North Oakland for Mass. With oil bringing thousands of new residents, the pastor of St. Patrick began saying weekly Mass in an old log school house in 1873; the bishop authorized a church the following year, and the parish was dedicated on November 7, 1875. Mater Dolorosa remained a mission of St. Patrick until 1924, was renovated in 1925 and enlarged in the 1930s, absorbed St. James, Petrolia as a mission in 1951 (formally merged in 1968), and built its present church, which was dedicated on November 24, 1967. In 1993 it began sharing a pastor with St. Joseph, North Oakland — the practical arrangement that made the eventual three-parish merger possible.
- Parish dedicated November 7, 1875
- Independent parish since 1924
- St. James, Petrolia absorbed 1968
- Present church dedicated November 24, 1967
- On Mission for The Church Alive! process began under Bishop David Zubik, 2015
Worship Sites
Although unified under one parish, St. Clare of Assisi keeps all three historic churches open for liturgies. Mater Dolorosa sits on Route 68 (North Main Street) in Chicora; St. Joseph is on Chicora Road in North Oakland; and St. Wendelin is on St. Wendelin Road in Carbon Center (near Butler). Weekday Masses are distributed across the three sites so that each church has at least one regular daily Mass, while four Sunday Masses (plus two Vigil Masses on Saturday) cover the entire parish.
- Mater Dolorosa — 409 N Main St., Chicora, PA 16025 (Saturday Vigil 5:30 PM; Sunday 8:15 AM; Monday 12:00 PM; Wednesday 6:00 PM)
- St. Joseph — 864 Chicora Rd., Chicora, PA 16025 (Sunday 9:30 AM; Friday 12:00 PM)
- St. Wendelin — 210 St. Wendelin Rd., Butler, PA 16002 (Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM; Sunday 7:00 AM & 10:30 AM; Tuesday 8:00 AM; Thursday 8:00 AM)
Clergy Team
The parish is served by a pastor and three senior parochial vicars, several of whom are Capuchin Franciscans (OFM Cap.). Along with the priests, a lay staff manages parish administration, accounting, safe environment, evangelization, youth and young adult ministry, and music. All clergy and staff offices are located at the St. Joseph Administrative Center, with office hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 AM to Noon.
- Pastor: Fr. Matthew (Matt) McClain — [email protected] — 724-445-3713 ext 3104
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Fr. James Kurtz, OFM Cap.
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Fr. Ward Stakem, OFM Cap. — 724-352-2149 ext 202
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Fr. Louis (Lou) Pascazi — [email protected] — 724-445-3713 ext 3105
- Barb Boltz — Parish Administrative Assistant & Facilities Scheduler
- Martha Birch — Parish Accountant
- Nicole Karenbauer — Parish Admin Assistant, School Accountant, Safe Environment Coordinator
- Sue Fraley — Director of Evangelization, Youth & Young Adult Ministry
- Vince Ritzert — Director of Music
Parish Ministries & Groups
Parish life is organized through a small set of clearly defined ministries that serve the combined community, plus long-standing devotional and fraternal groups inherited from the predecessor parishes. The Christian Mothers group is one of the parish's oldest lay organizations and continues to meet at St. Joseph Church on pre-determined dates. A dedicated Director of Evangelization, Youth & Young Adult Ministry coordinates faith formation and outreach for younger parishioners, while a Director of Music leads liturgical music across all three church sites. Safe Environment coordination, accounting, and administrative support round out the lay team.
- Christian Mothers — meets at St. Joseph Church
- Youth & Young Adult Ministry — Sue Fraley
- Evangelization — Sue Fraley
- Music ministry — Vince Ritzert
- Safe Environment program — Nicole Karenbauer
- Live-stream Liturgy team (YouTube channel)
- Annual St. Wendelin Golf Scramble fundraiser
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for and celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments — Baptism, Eucharist (First Communion), Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick — across its three worship sites. Families and individuals are typically directed to contact the parish office at St. Joseph to begin preparation.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- First Communion / Eucharist — parish preparation
- Confirmation — parish preparation
- Marriage — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — parish office / pastoral care
Communications & Online Presence
The parish maintains a central website at saintclareparish.com with the latest weekly bulletin, Mass schedules, event announcements, donate-online links, and clergy contact information. A parish-wide bulletin is published jointly for all three church sites. The 4:00 PM Saturday Vigil Mass from St. Wendelin is livestreamed weekly on the St. Clare Parish YouTube Channel, and the parish also connects with parishioners through Facebook and Flocknote for email and text messaging. Reflection content from Bishop Robert Barron is also featured on the home page.
- Website: saintclareparish.com
- Weekly joint bulletin (posted online)
- YouTube livestream — Vigil Mass Saturdays at 4:00 PM from St. Wendelin
- Facebook page (Saint Clare of Assisi Parish)
- Flocknote group for parish email/text updates
- Donate online (link on parish home page)
Parish Events & Fundraisers
Like most small Catholic parishes, St. Clare of Assisi relies on a steady calendar of parish-wide fundraisers and social events to support its operations and bring the three worship-site communities together. Notable recurring events highlighted on the website include the Annual St. Wendelin Golf Scramble and a Drive-thru Chicken Dinner & Basket Raffle.
- Annual St. Wendelin Golf Scramble
- Drive-thru Chicken Dinner and Basket Raffle
- Joint parish bulletin and shared calendar across all three sites
Visiting & Contact
All clergy and staff offices are located at the St. Joseph Administrative Center, 864 Chicora Rd., Chicora, PA 16025, with office hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 AM to Noon. Mater Dolorosa Church itself is on Route 68 (North Main Street) in Chicora, on the right at the top of the hill. Mass in English is celebrated in the Roman (Latin) Rite, and Confession is offered on Saturday mornings at all three church sites.
- Parish phone: 724-445-3713
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Fr. Louis Pascazi: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 9 AM – Noon at St. Joseph Administrative Center
- Mater Dolorosa: 409 N Main St., Chicora, PA 16025 — on Route 68, right at top of the hill