About Our Lady of Hope · Coal Township, Pennsylvania
Our Lady of Hope is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Harrisburg, located in Coal Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the historic anthracite coal region of central Pennsylvania. Formed on July 1, 1995, by the merger of the territorial parish of St. Joseph (founded 1913) and the Polish-origin parish of St. Stephen Protomartyr (founded 1898), the parish worships in the former St. Joseph Church building, which was dedicated in 1963 by Bishop George L. Leech. The parish is staffed by Conventual Franciscan Friars (OFM Conv.) and serves as one of three 'Reviving. Together.' faith communities partnering with local government and agencies to rebuild Pennsylvania's Northumberland Coal Region. The parish is widely recognized for its Shepherd's Table fellowship soup kitchen, its food pantry, an annual St. Jude Novena, and its distinctive sacred art — including a merger triptych, Baut Studios stained glass, and a Greek-painted icon of St. Jude Thaddeus.
- Established
- 1995
- Patron
- Our Lady of Hope (Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Hope)
- Rector
- Rev. Nicholas Spano, OFM Conv. (recently reassigned as pastor of Mother Cabrini Church, Shamokin)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Harrisburg
Why belong here
Our Lady of Hope is more than a weekend Mass destination — it is a Franciscan-staffed, hope-centered parish that actively rebuilds community in one of Pennsylvania's hardest-hit former coal regions. Worshippers experience a beautiful mid-century church with significant sacred art (Baut stained glass, a merger triptych, a Greek-Byzantine icon of St. Jude, and a striking Calvary tableau), access to weekday Mass at multiple worship sites, a weekly Holy Hour, Saturday confessions, and an annual nine-day St. Jude Novena. Members feed the hungry through the Shepherd's Table fellowship kitchen and stock the parish food pantry, and they roll pierogies on the first Monday of each month to fund the parish — the kind of intergenerational, hands-on Catholic community life that is increasingly rare.
Mass times at Our Lady of Hope
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM (also reported as 3:00–3:45 PM by the diocese)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Holy Hour — Wednesday 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, Our Lady of Hope Chapel
History of Our Lady of Hope
Our Lady of Hope Parish was canonically erected on July 1, 1995 by the Diocese of Harrisburg as the merged successor of two long-standing Coal Township parishes: St. Joseph (est. 1913, territorial) and St. Stephen Protomartyr (est. 1898, Polish heritage). The worship site adopted for the new parish was the 1963-vintage St. Joseph Church on West Chestnut Street. The merger was one of twelve parish consolidations undertaken by the diocese that year to address declining populations and resources in the anthracite coal region.
- St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish founded 1898 — Polish-heritage community
- St. Joseph Parish founded 1913 — territorial (English-speaking) parish
- Original St. Joseph Church dedicated November 17, 1963 by Bishop George L. Leech
- Merger into Our Lady of Hope effective July 1, 1995
- Building features include Baut Studios stained glass and a Calvary tableau above the altar
- St. Jude Thaddeus Byzantine icon installed fall 2023 (painted by a Greek iconographer)
- Designated Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage site, 2024–2025
Mass & Worship Schedule
The parish offers a full weekend Mass schedule and a robust weekday Mass rotation across the 'Reviving. Together.' network of parishes. Weekend Masses are Saturday Vigil at 4:00 PM and Sunday at 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Weekday Masses follow a regional pattern: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Our Lady of Hope; Tuesday and Thursday at St. Patrick Church, Trevorton; and additional Masses at Mother Cabrini, Shamokin.
- Saturday Vigil — 4:00 PM
- Sunday — 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM
- Weekdays — Mon/Wed/Fri 8:00 AM at Our Lady of Hope
- Weekdays — Tue/Thu 8:00 AM at St. Patrick, Trevorton
- Holy Day Vigil — 6:00 PM (at St. Patrick's)
- Holy Day — 12:00 PM
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation is coordinated through the parish office. Baptisms and Marriages are arranged by appointment. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons before the Vigil Mass and by appointment. The Anointing of the Sick and other pastoral sacraments are available by contacting the parish office.
- Baptism — by appointment
- Marriage — by appointment
- Penance — Saturdays 3:15–3:45 PM and by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — call the parish office
- Religious Education / RCIA preparation — directed by Rosemary Zawalick
Parish Staff & Leadership
Our Lady of Hope is staffed by Conventual Franciscan Friars (Order of Friars Minor Conventual) who jointly serve the Reviving. Together. regional cluster with St. Patrick (Trevorton) and Mother Cabrini (Shamokin). Day-to-day operations are supported by a clerical secretary / business manager and a director of religious education.
- Rev. Nicholas Spano, OFM Conv. — Pastor (recently reassigned to Mother Cabrini, Shamokin)
- Rev. Timothy Geiger, OFM Conv. — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Robert P. Wislock
- Lori Collins-Keefer — Clerical Secretary / Business Manager
- Rosemary Zawalick — Director of Religious Education
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is a defining element of parish identity. The Shepherd's Table fellowship soup kitchen, hosted in the Our Lady of Hope Parish Hall, has been a regional lifeline, at its height serving more than 250 free meals on a single Thursday and welcoming well over 100 attendees weekly. The parish food pantry provides canned and packaged goods on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays. Volunteers — including an intergenerational pierogi-rolling crew averaging mid-60s in age — keep the ministry running.
- Shepherd's Table Soup Kitchen — Our Lady of Hope Parish Hall (currently serving homebound)
- Our Lady of Hope Food Pantry — 817 W. Chestnut St., 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 4:30–7:00 PM
- Monthly Pierogi Fundraiser — first Monday of the month
- Father Nick's ceramics fundraiser — parish sales of hand-thrown pottery
- Collaboration with God's Grub (Restoration Ministries, Shamokin) and Chuck Wagon Soup Kitchen
Reviving. Together. — Regional Collaboration
Our Lady of Hope is one of three parishes in the 'Reviving. Together.' network led by the Conventual Franciscan Friars. The network partners with neighbors, local government, and state and federal agencies to rebuild Pennsylvania's Northumberland Coal Region. The other two parishes in the cluster are St. Patrick (Trevorton) and Mother Cabrini (Shamokin). Mass schedules, holy hours, and outreach ministries are coordinated across the cluster.
- Our Lady of Hope (Coal Township) — this parish
- St. Patrick (Trevorton) — partner parish, weekday Mass site Tue/Thu
- Mother Cabrini (Shamokin) — partner parish, weekday Mass site Tue/Thu/Sat
- Shared Conventual Franciscan leadership
- St. Patrick Clothing Closet — partner ministry (2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 4:00–6:00 PM)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for children and adults is directed by Rosemary Zawalick, the parish Director of Religious Education. The program prepares parishioners for the sacraments of First Communion, Confirmation, and Baptism (via the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), and supports ongoing catechesis for parish families.
- Director of Religious Education: Rosemary Zawalick
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) for adult catechumens and candidates
- Ongoing religious education for parish families
Sacred Art, Architecture & Pilgrimage
The worship space is a treasury of mid-twentieth and early-twenty-first century Catholic art. The altar and ambo were repurposed from the former Sacred Heart Church in Harrisburg; the stained-glass windows were crafted by Baut Studios of Swoyersville, Luzerne County; and a Calvary tableau by the altar illustrates the Eucharist as the fountain of life. Following the 1995 merger, a unique triptych was installed behind the presider's chair, combining images of Our Lady of Hope, St. Joseph, and St. Stephen. In fall 2023, a Byzantine-style icon of St. Jude Thaddeus was added. The church was a designated Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage site.
- Altar and ambo from the former Sacred Heart Church, Harrisburg
- Stained-glass windows by Baut Studios, Swoyersville, Luzerne County
- Vatican II commemorative window depicting Bishop George L. Leech
- Post-1995 merger triptych — Our Lady of Hope with St. Joseph (lily) and St. Stephen (stones)
- Calvary tableau — Psalm 42 inscription, 'As the deer longs for streams of water…'
- St. Jude Thaddeus icon, painted by a Greek iconographer, installed fall 2023
- Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage site, 2024–2025
Visiting & Contact
The parish welcomes visitors and pilgrims. The church is at 801 W. Chestnut Street; the parish office, social hall, and Shepherd's Table operate from 863 W. Chestnut Street; the food pantry is in the lower level of the Franciscan Center at 817 W. Chestnut Street. Parish Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
- Church — 801 W. Chestnut St., Coal Township, PA 17866
- Parish Office / Hall — 863 W. Chestnut St., Coal Township, PA 17866
- Food Pantry — 817 W. Chestnut St. (under the Franciscan Center)
- Phone — (570) 648-4432
- Email — [email protected]
- Office hours — Mon–Thu, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Adrian Gallagher
Pastor of Our Lady of Hope whose tenure was associated with the Shepherd's Table fellowship soup kitchen as a weekly Thursday community meal; quoted by The News-Item describing how regulars at Shepherd's Table looked out for one another.
- Rev. Nicholas Spano, OFM Conv.
Conventual Franciscan friar; pastor who commissioned the Greek-painted St. Jude Thaddeus icon (installed fall 2023), hosted the annual St. Jude Novena, created ceramics as a parish fundraiser, oversaw the parish's Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage designation in 2024–2025, and led the 'Reviving. Together.' collaboration with St. Patrick (Trevorton) and Mother Cabrini (Shamokin). Subsequently reassigned as pastor of Mother Cabrini Church, Shamokin.