About Saint Cecilia Church - Our Lady of the Valley Parish · Rochester, Pennsylvania
Saint Cecilia Church is one of four worship sites of Our Lady of the Valley Parish, a multi-campus Roman Catholic parish in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, that was formed on January 4, 2021 through the merger of Ss. Peter and Paul Parish (Beaver), Holy Family Parish (New Brighton), St. Cecilia Parish (Rochester), and St. Felix Parish (Freedom). The parish belongs to the Diocese of Pittsburgh and is pastored by Father Howard W. Campbell, MA, assisted by Capuchin friars (O.F.M. Cap.), permanent deacons, and a lay staff. Saint Cecilia is the historic Rochester worship site, located on Virginia Avenue, and offers weekend Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning as well as several weekday Masses throughout the week.
- Established
- 1856
- Patron
- Saint Cecilia
- Rector
- Rev. Howard W. Campbell, MA
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Valley Parish welcomes worshipers to four historic churches across Beaver County — including Saint Cecilia in Rochester — offering daily and weekend Masses in English, regular confession times at multiple sites, Friday Eucharistic Adoration at Saint Cecilia, and formation through Saints Peter and Paul School. With Capuchin friars assisting the pastor, four permanent deacons, and an active lay staff, the parish combines a strong Catholic-school tradition (Saints Peter and Paul School has served families since 1954) with the sacramental rhythm of a traditional parish family. Belonging here means joining a community rooted in 19th-century missionary Catholicism and reshaped for the present through the diocese's 'On Mission for The Church Alive!' vision.
Mass times at Saint Cecilia Church - Our Lady of the Valley Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saint Cecilia: Monday 6:00–6:45 p.m.
- Saint Cecilia: Wednesday 6:00–6:45 p.m.
- Saints Peter and Paul (Beaver): Saturday 12:00–1:00 p.m.
- Holy Family (New Brighton): Saturday 3:00–3:45 p.m.
- Other times by appointment
Adoration times
- Saint Cecilia: Friday 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Saints Peter and Paul (Beaver): Friday 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Saint Felix: Monday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Additional Adoration times and locations during Lent — consult the weekly bulletin
Our Lady of the Valley Parish — Overview
Our Lady of the Valley Parish is a four-campus Catholic parish in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, formed January 4, 2021 by the merger of Ss. Peter and Paul (Beaver), Holy Family (New Brighton), St. Cecilia (Rochester), and St. Felix (Freedom) parishes. It is part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh under Bishop David Zubik's 'On Mission for The Church Alive!' pastoral planning initiative. The parish office and mailing address are at 200 Third Street, Beaver, PA 15009, with Father Howard W. Campbell, MA serving as Pastor/Administrator.
- Saints Peter and Paul Church — 200 Third Street, Beaver, PA 15009
- Holy Family Church — 521 Seventh Avenue, New Brighton, PA 15066
- Saint Cecilia Church — 628 Virginia Avenue, Rochester, PA 15074
- Saint Felix Church — 450 13th Street, Freedom, PA 15042
Saint Cecilia Church — Rochester
Saint Cecilia Church is the Rochester worship site of Our Lady of the Valley Parish. Founded in 1856 and first dedicated November 22, 1857, it has served Rochester Catholics for more than 165 years. The building was rededicated in 1906 and again in 1970 as the parish grew and its physical plant was renewed.
- Founded 1856; first dedication November 22, 1857
- Rededicated July 8, 1906 and November 22, 1970
- Patron: Saint Cecilia, early Roman martyr; feast day November 22
- Historic role: supplied priests to Ss. Peter and Paul, Beaver from 1868 to 1900
Parish Clergy
The parish is led by a diocesan pastor supported by Capuchin friars of the Province of St. Augustine (O.F.M. Cap.) and four permanent deacons. The Capuchin presence is a distinctive feature of the parish team.
- Rev. Howard W. Campbell, MA — Pastor/Administrator
- Rev. Paul Kuppe, O.F.M. Cap. — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Rev. John Harvey, O.F.M. Cap. (Brother John) — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Michael Greb, O.F.M. Cap. — Institutional Chaplain
- Rev. Gregory Brown, O.F.M. Cap. — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Mark A. Marvenko
- Deacon Richard D. Ernst
- Deacon Dominic A. Barracchini
- Deacon Joseph N. Basko
Parish Office Staff
Day-to-day operations of the four-site parish are supported by a lay staff based at the parish office (724-775-4111) at 200 Third Street, Beaver.
- Nora Stay — Pastoral Associate (ext. 207)
- Jill Young — Parish Business Manager (ext. 203)
- Elisa Pengidore — School Business Manager | Pastoral Ministry
- Janet Smith — Administrative Assistant (ext. 231)
- Rita McCormick — Communications: Bulletin, Website, Social Media
- Bert Miller, Larry Belczyk, Keith Jenkins, David Frannitti — Maintenance
Saints Peter and Paul School
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School is the parish-affiliated elementary school of Our Lady of the Valley Parish. Located at 370 East End Avenue, Beaver, it serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade and traces its roots to 1954, when Bishop John Dearden dedicated a combination school and temporary church on the campus. The school is staffed by the Sisters of Divine Providence along with lay teachers and offers an accredited curriculum meeting diocesan and state guidelines.
- Address: 370 East End Avenue, Beaver, PA 15009
- Principal: Krista Moyer (724-774-4450)
- Grades: Kindergarten through 8
- Founded 1954
- Website: https://sspp.srces.org/
Sacraments & Vocations
The parish website directs parishioners to contact the parish office for information on the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick. Inquiries about Holy Orders (priesthood or the permanent diaconate) are directed to Father Howard Campbell, Pastor; the diocese's Office of the Permanent Diaconate is the contact for those discerning the diaconate.
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick
- Confession schedule posted at each worship site
- Eucharistic Adoration at multiple sites weekly
- Holy Orders inquiries: Father Howard Campbell, 724-775-4111
- Permanent Diaconate inquiries: diopitt.org/permanent-diaconate
Getting Involved & Parish Life
Our Lady of the Valley Parish supports its four worship communities through a parish Endowment Fund, an annual Vacation Bible School, a unified bulletin, and active communications through the website and social media. Parishioners are invited to contact the parish office to learn about serving as lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, musicians, or in other ministries; specific sign-up links and ministry rosters were not enumerated on the pages reviewed.
- Our Lady of the Valley Parish Endowment Fund
- Vacation Bible School 2026
- Weekly bulletin — [email protected]
- Communications: Rita McCormick (Rita McCormick handles bulletin, website, and social media)
- Diocese of Pittsburgh — www.diopitt.org
The Merger — 'On Mission for The Church Alive!'
The formation of Our Lady of the Valley Parish was the fruit of Bishop David Zubik's diocesan initiative 'On Mission for The Church Alive!,' announced April 12, 2015 as a consultative strategic-planning process to foster viable, sustainable, and vibrant parishes amid declining Mass attendance and fewer priests. In 2018 the four parishes were grouped and served by a single clergy team with a joint bulletin; on January 4, 2021 they officially merged, with all four church buildings remaining open as worship sites of the new parish.
- Bishop David Zubik announced 'On Mission for The Church Alive!' on April 12, 2015
- Parishes grouped and shared clergy beginning in 2018
- Formal merger effective January 4, 2021
- All four worship sites remain open
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father James Reidfirst resident pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul, attended from St. Cecilia Rochester 1868–1900
After his death in 1868 the Beaver parish was attended from Saint Cecilia, Rochester for the next 32 years.