About St. Agatha - Epiphany of the Lord Parish · Meadville, Pennsylvania
The Epiphany of the Lord Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Erie, formed in 2021 by the extinctive union of three historic Meadville parishes: St. Agatha (founded 1849 for German-speaking Catholics), St. Brigid (founded 1862 for Irish Catholics), and St. Mary of Grace (founded for Italian Catholics). The parish centers its life on the Eucharist and carries forward the German, Irish, and Italian religious and cultural patrimony of its predecessor communities, with St. Agatha Church at 353 Pine St. serving as the parish church and St. Mary of Grace (1085 Water St.) and St. Brigid retained as secondary worship sites. Under Pastor Rev. Jeffrey Lucas, the parish offers daily and weekend Masses in person and online, robust faith formation for youth and adults, sacramental preparation, and active outreach to the Meadville community and a sister parish in Mexico.
- Established
- 2021
- Patron
- Epiphany of the Lord
- Rector
- Rev. Jeffrey Lucas
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
The Epiphany of the Lord Parish welcomes parishioners and visitors into a vibrant Roman Catholic community grounded in the Eucharist and animated by the proud heritage of three historic Meadville parishes. Members can join Sunday or daily Mass in person or online, prepare for the sacraments through a robust Faith Formation program for grades K–12, grow as adult disciples through OCIA, That Man Is You, She Shall Be Called Woman, Small Church Communities, and Bible studies, and serve the Meadville community through the Soup Kitchen, food pantry, Pastor's Fund, St. Nicholas Tree, Visitation of the homebound, and a long-standing sister-parish relationship with St. Peter in San Pedro, Sotuta, in the Yucatan, Mexico.
Mass times at St. Agatha - Epiphany of the Lord Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 8:30 a.m. (after 8:00 a.m. Mass)
- Saturday 3:30 p.m.
- By appointment (call parish office)
Adoration times
- Monday — Third Monday of the month, 6:30–7:30 p.m. (except June, July, August)
- Tuesday — Holy Hour following 8:00 a.m. Mass, until 9:30 a.m.
- Thursday — Holy Hour following 8:00 a.m. Mass, until 9:30 a.m.
About The Epiphany of the Lord Parish
The Epiphany of the Lord Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Meadville, Pennsylvania, centered on the Eucharist as the summit and source of parish life. Formed in 2021 from the merger of St. Agatha, St. Brigid, and St. Mary of Grace parishes, it carries forward the German, Irish, and Italian religious heritage of its predecessor communities. As a parish of the Diocese of Erie in union with the universal Church, the community is committed to following Jesus Christ through fidelity to Scripture and Apostolic Tradition, bearing witness to the Gospel, guiding each person to become an intentional disciple, and recognizing the dignity of every person as a child of God. The parish seeks to advance God's kingdom through the Liturgy (especially Sunday Mass), effective evangelization, formation and education open to all, and Christlike service to one another and the wider community.
- Parish church: St. Agatha Church, 353 Pine St., Meadville
- Secondary churches: St. Brigid and St. Mary of Grace (1085 Water St.)
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
- Formed 2021 by extinctive union (canon 121) of St. Agatha, St. Brigid, and St. Mary of Grace
Our Roots: A History of Catholic Meadville
Catholic life in the Meadville area traces back to 1837 with Saint Hippolyte parish in Frenchtown, which originally encompassed all of the Meadville region. By the mid-nineteenth century, three personal parishes had been established for the German, Irish, and Italian immigrant communities: St. Agatha (1849), St. Brigid (1862), and St. Mary of Grace. These three parishes — each with its own church, school, and cultural identity — served Meadville Catholics for more than a century and a half before being merged in 2021 by decree of the Bishop of Erie into a single territorial parish named The Epiphany of the Lord.
- 1837 — Saint Hippolyte parish organized under Diocese of Philadelphia
- 1845 — Father Marc Antoine de la Rocque named first resident pastor for Frenchtown and Meadville area
- 1849 — St. Agatha parish organized for German-speaking Catholics (Diocese of Pittsburgh)
- 1850 — First St. Agatha church (wooden) dedicated Aug. 10 at Pine and Liberty Streets
- 1853 — First resident pastor appointed to St. Agatha under newly-erected Diocese of Erie
- 1862 — Irish Catholics petition Bishop Young to separate from St. Agatha; St. Brigid formed
- 1873 — Present St. Agatha Church dedicated Oct. 19 (built 1869–1874 at $60,000)
- 1881 — St. Brigid Church dedicated Nov. 24
- 1973 — St. Agatha School and St. Brigid School merge into Seton School
- 2021 — Decree erects The Epiphany of the Lord Parish by extinctive union of the three parishes
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is served by a pastor, parochial vicar, three permanent deacons, and a team of lay staff responsible for faith formation, evangelization, music, administration, and facilities. The office is reachable at (814) 336-1112 and [email protected].
- Pastor — Rev. Jeffrey Lucas
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Kyle Seyler
- Permanent Deacon — Edward Horneman
- Permanent Deacon — Kenneth Reisenweber
- Permanent Deacon — Todd Sommers
- Director, Youth Faith Formation & Ministry — Sergio Cortes
- Director, Adult Faith Formation & Evangelization — Amy Mosbacher (814-333-2274)
- Liturgical Music — Chris McGinnity
- Parish Secretary — Sarah Blood
- Bookkeeper — Moira Mawn
- Maintenance — Jesse
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish offers lifelong faith formation for children, youth, and adults. The Youth Faith Formation program meets Sundays from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. at the Mary of Grace Social Hall, 1085 Water St., with an Open Gym from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. following class. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation (2nd grade) and First Eucharist is provided, with at least two years of formation prior to the sacramental year for children not attending a Catholic school. Adult formation includes OCIA, That Man Is You!, She Shall Be Called Woman, Small Church Communities, Bible studies, Vacation Bible School, and parish subscriptions to Franciscan at Home (Franciscan University of Steubenville) and FORMED.org.
- Youth Faith Formation (Grades K–12), Sundays 10:15–11:30 a.m.
- First Reconciliation (2nd grade, typically Lent)
- First Eucharist preparation
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- That Man Is You! (men's program)
- She Shall Be Called Woman (women's program)
- Small Church Communities & Bible studies
- Vacation Bible School
- Franciscan at Home online learning (parish subscription)
- FORMED.org parish subscription
Outreach & Community Services
The Epiphany of the Lord Parish provides a variety of services to address the spiritual and material needs of individuals in the local community and beyond. Volunteers serve the Meadville Soup Kitchen at Stone United Methodist Church on the Diamond on three monthly rotation days (St. Mary of Grace 2nd Thursday, St. Brigid 3rd Thursday, St. Agatha 3rd Friday), operate an in-house food pantry and Pastor's Fund for one-time emergency assistance, collect for local shelters and the pregnancy center, and support a long-standing sister-parish relationship with St. Peter in San Pedro, Sotuta, in the Yucatan, Mexico.
- Meadville Soup Kitchen (Stone United Methodist Church) — 2nd Thu, 3rd Thu, 3rd Fri monthly, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
- Pastor's Fund / Food Pantry
- St. Nicholas Tree (Christmas gifts for children in need)
- Special Collections (St. James Haven men's shelter, women's shelter, pregnancy center, parish food pantry)
- Sister Parish — St. Peter, San Pedro, Sotuta, Yucatan, Mexico
- Visitation of homebound, hospital, and nursing-home parishioners
- Prayer Line — [email protected] / 814-724-5174
- Columbus Day Spaghetti Dinner at St. Mary of Grace
- Fish Fry on Fridays of Lent at St. Mary's Social Hall
- Funeral Luncheons
Sacraments
Information on sacramental preparation and celebration is provided through the parish office and the Faith Formation program. First Reconciliation is prepared in the 2nd-grade Religious Education program and typically celebrated during Lent. Adult initiation is through OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). Couples should contact the parish office to arrange marriage preparation.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation (2nd grade; celebrated in Lent)
- First Eucharist / First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage / Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funeral Masses
- OCIA for adults
Worship Sites
The Epiphany of the Lord Parish worships at three church buildings in Meadville. St. Agatha Church at 353 Pine Street serves as the parish church; St. Brigid and St. Mary of Grace are retained as secondary churches. Each retains a distinct cultural identity and tradition.
- St. Agatha Church — 353 Pine St., Meadville, PA 16335 (parish church; built 1869–1874)
- St. Mary of Grace Church — 1085 Water St., Meadville, PA 16335
- St. Brigid Church — Meadville, PA (dedicated 1881)
Seton Catholic School
Seton Catholic School is the joint Catholic school of the former St. Agatha and St. Brigid parishes, formed in 1973 when their parish schools merged. It continues today as a shared apostolate of the merged Epiphany of the Lord community. School phone: (814) 336-2320.
- Joint school of former St. Agatha and St. Brigid parishes
- Formed in 1973 by merger of St. Agatha School and St. Brigid School
- Phone: (814) 336-2320
Getting Involved
Parishioners are invited to share their time and talents through liturgical music, faith formation volunteer teams, the Evangelization Team (RETURN), outreach committees, the Soup Kitchen, funeral luncheons, the Fish Fry, and many other ministries. The parish welcomes new volunteers and provides training for new roles such as phone callers, in-person contacts, and welcome ministers on the RETURN evangelization team, which meets every other Thursday (not during summer) at the St. Agatha Center.
- Liturgical Music (Chris McGinnity)
- Youth Faith Formation volunteers
- RETURN Evangelization Team (every 2nd Thursday at St. Agatha Center)
- Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, and Pastor's Fund volunteers
- Visitation / Extraordinary Ministers to the homebound
- Funeral Luncheon volunteers
- Fish Fry (Lent) and Columbus Day Spaghetti Dinner volunteers
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jeffrey Lucas2021–present
Named first pastor of The Epiphany of the Lord Parish upon its 2021 founding by merger of St. Agatha, St. Brigid, and St. Mary of Grace parishes.