About Sacred Heart of Jesus · Erie, Pennsylvania
Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Erie, located at 816 W. 26th Street in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1894 by the Rev. F. J. Bender, the parish has served Erie's lower west side for more than 130 years; the present church building dates to the 1950s, replacing the original late-19th-century structure that shared its block with a school and convent. Today Sacred Heart is partnered with St. Joseph/Bread of Life Parish and its mission church, St. Paul, forming a three-site parish cluster that shares clergy, staff and parish offices. Rev. Stephen (Steve) Schreiber serves as pastor, leading a community known for its outreach to the poor and young.
- Established
- 1894
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen (Steve) Schreiber
- Diocese
- Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a welcoming, century-old west-side Erie parish with a strong tradition of outreach to the poor and to young people, celebrated today through its Food Pantry, Free Clothing ministry, Knights of Columbus council, and Funeral Ministry. As part of a three-site cluster with St. Joseph/Bread of Life and the St. Paul mission church, it offers daily Mass, weekend Masses, Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at St. Joseph BOL, and a full Sacramental program including RCIA. Newcomers are drawn by the pastor's warm call — 'I want every person to know and love our Lord, Jesus' — and by a parish team that has explicitly worked to make the merger of communities a smooth, grace-filled transition.
Mass times at Sacred Heart of Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM at Sacred Heart
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM at St. Paul Mission Church
- Wednesday 4:45 PM – 5:45 PM at St. Joseph/Bread of Life
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at St. Joseph/Bread of Life Adoration Chapel (committed adorers needed for various hours)
About Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is a Roman Catholic community of the Diocese of Erie, established in 1894 by the Rev. F. J. Bender and today worshiping at 816 W. 26th Street. It forms a partnership — often called a parish cluster — with St. Joseph/Bread of Life (147 W. 24th St.) and the St. Paul mission church (1617 Walnut St.), sharing clergy and staff. The current pastor is Rev. Stephen (Steve) Schreiber, who came to the parishes in July 2024. The parish is known locally for its outreach to the poor and to young people, its Food Pantry and Free Clothing ministries, and its commitment to Eucharistic devotion through the cluster's Perpetual Adoration chapel.
- Founded 1894 by Rev. F. J. Bender
- Present church built in the 1950s
- Member of the St. Joseph / Bread of Life & Sacred Heart cluster
- Pastor: Fr. Steve Schreiber (since July 2024)
History
Sacred Heart was organized in 1894 by the Rev. F. J. Bender. The original church, school, and convent occupied the same block and anchored Catholic life on Erie's lower west side. The current church was built in the 1950s, replacing the original building. In recent years the parish entered into a partnership with neighboring St. Joseph/Bread of Life and the St. Paul mission; the merger of St. Paul into Sacred Heart, and the new cluster with St. Joseph, was facilitated under Fr. Steve Schreiber's leadership with formation through The Amazing Parish program.
- 1894 — Parish organized; original church, school, and convent built
- 1950s — Present church constructed
- Recent years — Cluster formed with St. Joseph/Bread of Life and St. Paul
- July 2024 — Fr. Steve Schreiber installed as pastor
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Team
The parish is led by its pastor, Fr. Steve Schreiber, supported by two permanent deacons and a small lay staff serving the three-site cluster.
- Pastor: Rev. Stephen (Steve) Schreiber ([email protected])
- Permanent Deacon: Deacon Anthony Alleruzzo ([email protected])
- Permanent Deacon: Deacon Douglas Konzel ([email protected])
- Director of Ministries: Jean Malthaner
- Parish Secretary: Trish McDaid ([email protected])
- Parish Finance: Kim Cornell ([email protected])
- Liturgical Music: Michael Malthaner
- Religious Education Leaders: Clint & Stacey Badowski
Our Pastor — Fr. Steve Schreiber
Fr. Steve Schreiber was welcomed as pastor of the St. Joseph/Bread of Life & Sacred Heart parishes in July 2024. He previously served five years as pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in Warren, PA, and five years as Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Erie. He grew up in Bradford, PA, and studied in Rome, where Pope St. John Paul II was literally his next-door neighbor. He has served on faculty/chaplain at two diocesan high schools, been involved with the Divine Mercy Encounter retreat community, and participated in leadership formation with The Amazing Parish. He is a sports fan who enjoys walking, jigsaw puzzles, and reading about the saints; he says: 'I want every person to know and love our Lord, Jesus. Having been called to the priesthood, I am privileged to be about this task each day of my life. I am blessed beyond imagination.'
- Arrived July 2024
- Former pastor of Holy Redeemer, Warren, PA
- Former Director of Youth Ministry, Diocese of Erie
- Studied in Rome — neighbor of Pope St. John Paul II
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics for the full sacramental life of the Church, including Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).
- Baptism with quarterly preparation sessions
- RCIA for adults seeking full initiation (contact Rebecca Flynn at the rectory)
- Confession at three cluster sites each week
- Religious Education / Faith Formation for children (Clint & Stacey Badowski)
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Sacred Heart runs a cluster of ministries focused on serving the materially poor, accompanying families in bereavement, and forming youth and adults in the faith. The Food Pantry and Free Clothing ministry are core outreach works; the Knights of Columbus council serves both parishes and the surrounding neighborhood.
- Food Pantry
- Free Clothing
- Knights of Columbus
- Funeral Ministry
- Religious Education / Faith Formation
- Liturgical Music program
- Pastoral Ministries (Jean Malthaner, Director)
- RCIA
- Sharing Hearts / Outreach
Parish Cluster & St. Paul Mission Church
Sacred Heart of Jesus is partnered with St. Joseph/Bread of Life Parish and its mission church, St. Paul (1617 Walnut St.). The three sites share clergy and staff, and operate from a central parish office at 147 W. 24th Street, Erie. The cluster's Saturday Vigil is celebrated at St. Paul, and weekday Masses are hosted at St. Joseph/Bread of Life.
- St. Joseph/Bread of Life — 147 W. 24th St., Erie
- St. Paul Mission Church — 1617 Walnut St., Erie
- Shared parish office, clergy, and ministries
- St. Paul community merged into Sacred Heart parish in recent years
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the cluster office by phone at (814) 452-2982 or by email at [email protected]. The parish's official website for the cluster is stjoseph-sacredheart.org. Office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at St. Joseph/Bread of Life, with Sunday office hours of 9:45–11:00 AM at Sacred Heart.
- Mailing: c/o St. Joseph Parish/Bread of Life Community, 147 W. 24th St., Erie, PA 16502
- Phone: (814) 452-2982
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stjoseph-sacredheart.org
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4 PM at St. Joseph/Bread of Life; Sun 9:45–11 AM at Sacred Heart