About Sacred Heart · Genesee, Pennsylvania
Sacred Heart Church is a small Catholic mission church located at 263 Main Street in Genesee, Pennsylvania, in rural Potter County. Established in 1910, it has long served the Catholics of the Genesee area as a mission rather than a standalone parish — today it is a secondary mission church of Saint Eulalia Parish in nearby Coudersport, sharing the parish's pastor, staff, and sacramental life. The faithful of Genesee gather there for a weekly Sunday Mass and a Tuesday evening Mass, with confessions offered before the weekday Mass.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Very Rev. Richard Allen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
Sacred Heart in Genesee offers a small, traditional Catholic community in rural Potter County where Mass is celebrated weekly on Sunday morning and on Tuesday evenings, with confession offered before the Tuesday Mass and after Sunday Mass. As a mission of Saint Eulalia Parish in Coudersport, it shares the pastor, religious education leadership, and liturgical music ministry of the larger parish, so parishioners benefit from a connected network of ministries and sacramental support. For Catholics living in or passing through the Genesee area, it is a convenient and welcoming place to worship close to home.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:20–5:50 p.m. (before Mass)
- Sunday immediately after the 8:30 a.m. Mass
- Or by appointment
About Sacred Heart Mission Church
Sacred Heart Church is a mission church at 263 Main Street in Genesee, Pennsylvania, within the Diocese of Erie. It is not an independent parish but a secondary mission church of Saint Eulalia Parish in Coudersport, sharing one pastor and parish staff. Catholics in the Genesee area gather here for a Sunday morning Mass and a Tuesday evening Mass, with the Sacrament of Penance offered before the Tuesday Mass.
- Established 1910
- Secondary mission of Saint Eulalia Parish, Coudersport (since December 2, 2023)
- Located at 263 Main St., Genesee, PA 16923
- Diocese of Erie
History
Sacred Heart was founded in 1910 to serve Catholics in the Genesee area of Potter County. For most of its existence it has functioned as a mission supplied by priests from larger parishes in the region. In 2017 the care of Sacred Heart (along with Saint Augustine in Austin) was assigned to Saint Bibiana Parish in Galeton. As Potter County's population declined by more than 1,800 people between 2000 and 2022 and the number of available priests fell, the Diocese of Erie undertook a pastoral reconfiguration of the Bradford Deanery. On June 22, 2023, Bishop Lawrence Persico issued a decree merging Saint Bibiana Parish (and its mission churches) into Saint Eulalia Parish in Coudersport. Effective the start of Advent, December 2, 2023, Sacred Heart became a secondary mission church of Saint Eulalia, with Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation permitted in the church under diocesan law.
- 1910 — Sacred Heart Church established in Genesee
- 2017 — Care assigned to Saint Bibiana Parish, Galeton (along with Saint Augustine, Austin)
- June 22, 2023 — Bishop Persico issues decree merging Saint Bibiana into Saint Eulalia Parish
- December 2, 2023 — Sacred Heart becomes secondary mission of Saint Eulalia Parish
Parish Leadership and Staff
Sacred Heart is served by the pastor and staff of Saint Eulalia Parish in Coudersport. Very Rev. Richard Allen is the pastor for the combined pastoral unit, and lay staff support liturgical music, religious education, and parish administration across the network.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Richard Allen
- Support Staff: Wendy Jo Willenbecher
- Liturgical Music Contact: Gloria Richardson
- Religious Education Leader: Michelle Valenti
Ministries and Religious Education
While Sacred Heart itself is a small mission church, its parishioners participate in the ministries and faith-formation programs of Saint Eulalia Parish. A dedicated Religious Education Leader coordinates sacramental preparation and ongoing faith formation, and a Liturgical Music Contact organizes music for the liturgies celebrated in the mission church.
- Religious Education — coordinated by Michelle Valenti
- Liturgical Music — coordinated by Gloria Richardson
- Parish administrative support — Wendy Jo Willenbecher
Contact and Mailing Information
Sacred Heart's physical address is in Genesee, but parish mail, phone calls, and emails are handled through the Saint Eulalia Parish office in Coudersport.
- Physical address: 263 Main St., Genesee, PA 16923
- Mailing address: c/o St. Eulalia, 6 E. Maple St., Coudersport, PA 16915
- Phone: (814) 274-8646
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish website: https://www.steulaliacoudersport.org
Diocese of Erie
Sacred Heart falls under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, which serves much of northwestern Pennsylvania. The diocese maintains an official directory page for Sacred Heart confirming its 1910 establishment, its mission status, and its current Mass and confession schedule.
- Diocese of Erie
- Listed on the diocesan directory as a mission church established in 1910
- Pastoral care shared with Saint Eulalia Parish, Coudersport