About St. Andrew [Lithuanian] · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
St. Andrew Lithuanian Parish is a Roman Catholic personal/ethnic parish in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, founded in 1924 to serve the city's Lithuanian community. The parish operates two historic worship sites — St. Andrew Lithuanian Church at 19th & Wallace Streets and St. Casimir Lithuanian Church at 4th & Wharton Street as a worship site — and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024. Sunday Mass is celebrated in Lithuanian and English at St. Andrew and in English at St. Casimir, and the parish hosts the Vincas Krėvė Lithuanian School, a long-running weekend heritage school. Currently administered by Rev. Gerald Dennis Gill as Parochial Administrator, it remains the spiritual and cultural anchor for Philadelphia-area Lithuanian Catholics.
- Established
- 1924
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Gerald Dennis Gill (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Why belong here
St. Andrew is one of the few places in the Philadelphia region where the Lithuanian Catholic heritage — language, hymns, devotions, and traditions — is actively maintained across generations. The parish celebrates Mass in both Lithuanian and English every Sunday, runs the Vincas Krėvė Lithuanian School so children can grow up fluent in the language and steeped in Lithuanian culture, and prepares children in Lithuanian for First Reconciliation, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion. For Lithuanian-Americans and anyone drawn to the community's cultural and spiritual life, it offers a rare, multigenerational home with two historic church buildings and a parish identity rooted in a full century of witness.
Mass times at St. Andrew [Lithuanian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before Mass
Parish Identity and Centenary
St. Andrew Lithuanian Parish is the Lithuanian-Catholic personal parish for Philadelphia within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, founded in February 1924. The community marked its 100th anniversary on April 21, 2024, looking back on a century of sustaining Lithuanian faith, language, and culture in the city. Two churches, St. Andrew and St. Casimir, together serve the parish today.
- Founded February 1924 in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- Centennial celebrated April 21, 2024
- Deanery: Philadelphia West and Central
- Mission: serving Lithuanian Catholics of the Archdiocese
Worship Sites
The parish maintains two distinct houses of worship that anchor its ministry across the city. St. Andrew Lithuanian Church sits at the corner of 19th and Wallace Streets in Center City / Spring Garden, while St. Casimir Lithuanian Church at 4th and Wharton Street in South Philadelphia functions as a second worship site.
- St. Andrew Lithuanian Church — 19th St. & Wallace St., Philadelphia, PA 19130
- St. Casimir Lithuanian Church (worship site) — 4th St. & Wharton St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
Mass and the Sacraments
Sunday Mass is the heart of the parish. St. Andrew Church hosts the bilingual Lithuanian/English Mass at 11:00 AM, while St. Casimir offers an English Mass at 9:00 AM. Mass on Holy Days of Obligation is to be attended at the parishioner's local territorial parish. The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is offered before Mass; Baptisms, Marriages, and Funerals are arranged by contacting the parish office.
- Sunday 9:00 AM — St. Casimir (English)
- Sunday 11:00 AM — St. Andrew (Lithuanian and English)
- Confessions: before Mass
- Baptism, Marriage, Funeral — contact the parish
- Sacramental prep in Lithuanian — contact John Duncia, 215-980-1246
Vincas Krėvė Lithuanian School
Founded in 1960 and housed on the second floor of St. Andrew's Parish building at 1913 Wallace Street, the Vincas Krėvė Lithuanian Language School provides heritage education for children from age 3 through grade 8 every Sunday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. About 40 students are taught by roughly 10 volunteer teachers and assistants in Lithuanian language, reading, writing, history, geography, culture, traditions, folk dance, folk songs, and the kanklės.
- Operating since 1960
- Location: 1913 Wallace St., Philadelphia, PA 19130 (second floor of St. Andrew's Parish)
- Sunday hours: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Principal: Irina Melikova (Brusokas), M.A. in Child Psychology
- Email: [email protected]
- Curriculum aligned with the Lithuanian Education Council of USA
Lithuanian-Language Faith Formation
Parents who wish their school-age children to prepare for the sacraments in Lithuanian (Penance and Reconciliation, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion) can arrange this through parish catechist John Duncia at 215-980-1246.
- Lithuanian-language sacramental preparation for children
- Contact: John Duncia — 215-980-1246
Lithuanian Cultural and Historical Memory
The parish is more than a worship site — it is a keeper of Lithuanian memory in Philadelphia. Each year around January 13, schoolchildren gather before Mass to commemorate those who died defending Lithuania's independence at the Parliament and TV tower in Vilnius on January 13, 1991. The community also maintains a Lithuanian Wayside Cross blessed during the parish's 70th-anniversary celebrations in 1994.
- Annual January 13 commemoration of the 1991 Vilnius defenders
- Lithuanian Wayside Cross blessed in 1994 (70th anniversary)
Parish Membership and Parish Hall
Parishioners can register with St. Andrew by downloading and submitting a registration form, available on the parish website and after Mass in the sacristy. The Saint Andrew Parish Hall is available for community use; rental inquiries are routed through the parish office.
- Parish registration forms available on the website and in the sacristy
- Parish Hall available for events (contact the parish)
Staff and Contact
The parish is led by Rev. Gerald Dennis Gill as Parochial Administrator. Direct correspondence is routed through the Cathedral Parish Office; the former St. Andrew and St. Casimir rectory phone lines are no longer in service.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Gerald Dennis Gill
- Phone: 215-561-1313
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing address: St. Andrew Lithuanian Parish, c/o the Cathedral Parish Office, 1723 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Peter Burkauskas (Petras Burkauskas)through at least 1999
Long-serving pastor referenced in 1999 Diamond Jubilee commemorative volume marking his 20th ordination anniversary; listed as Klebonas (pastor) of St. Andrew.