About St Andrew the Apostle · Monongahela, Pennsylvania
Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Mid-Monongahela Valley of southwestern Pennsylvania, formed in January 2020 from the merger of three predecessor parishes and serving the faithful of Monongahela, Donora, Charleroi, and neighboring communities. The new parish unites three historic church buildings — Saint Damien of Molokai in Monongahela, Our Lady of the Valley in Donora, and Mary, Mother of the Church in Charleroi — under a single pastoral team in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. It is grounded in the motto of Faith, Hope, and Love, and offers daily and Sunday Mass in English (and one Mass in Haitian Creole), along with formation, outreach, and recovery ministries across the valley.
- Established
- 2020
- Patron
- Saint Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Levi D. Hartle
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
St. Andrew the Apostle brings three historic Mon Valley parishes into one family of faith, offering daily and Sunday Mass in three church buildings so parishioners can worship close to home in Monongahela, Donora, or Charleroi. The parish runs a robust Faith Formation program for children, a Confirmation track, ongoing adult formation and RCIA-style Mystagogia sessions, and an Addiction Recovery Ministry that combines 12-step spirituality with Catholic sacramental life. With a Haitian Creole Mass, liturgical ministries for lay volunteers, and outreach rooted in the Mid-Mon Valley, it is a parish that gathers Catholics from many backgrounds around the Eucharist and the call to know, love, and serve God.
Mass times at St Andrew the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Charleroi)
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Monongahela)
- 1st Friday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Donora)
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (Donora)
Adoration times
- Monday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Charleroi)
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Monongahela)
- Friday 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Monongahela)
- 1st Friday 9:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Donora)
Our History
Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish was canonically erected on January 6, 2020 as the fruit of the Diocese of Pittsburgh's "On Mission for The Church Alive!" renewal, which the Diocese initiated in 2014. After five years of prayer and planning, the faithful of the Mid-Monongahela Valley began worshipping together in October 2018 and were formally merged on January 6, 2020, creating a new parish grounded in Faith, Hope, and Love. The merger brought together three former parishes and their many earlier congregations into one family of faith across Monongahela, Donora, and Charleroi.
- Erected January 6, 2020
- Result of the Diocese of Pittsburgh's "On Mission for The Church Alive!" initiative (begun 2014)
- Parishioners began sharing resources and worship in October 2018
- Bishop David Zubik was the diocesan bishop at the time of the merger
- Part of a larger consolidation that reduced the Diocese from 170 to 152 parishes
Predecessor Parishes
The new parish was built from three prior parish families, each of which had itself grown from earlier mergers of immigrant-era congregations in the valley.
- St. Damien of Molokai Parish (Monongahela) — formed from the Transfiguration and St. Anthony parishes
- Our Lady of the Valley Parish (Donora) — formed from St. Charles, St. Dominic, Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. Philip Neri parishes
- Mary, Mother of the Church Parish (Charleroi) — formed from St. Jerome, Ss. Cyril and Methodius, and Mother of Sorrows parishes
Our Church Buildings
The parish continues to use three church buildings, one in each town of the valley, plus an administrative center in Donora. Weekend and daily Masses rotate among these sites so parishioners can worship close to home.
- Saint Damien of Molokai Church — 722 West Main Street, Monongahela, PA 15063
- Our Lady of the Valley Church — 2nd Street Ext. and Park Manor Road, Donora, PA 15033
- Mary, Mother of the Church — 624 Washington Avenue, Charleroi, PA 15022
- Administrative Center — 1 Park Manor Drive, Donora, PA 15033 (phone 724-258-7794)
Clergy Team
The parish is served by a team of priests and a permanent deacon, with a retired priest of the Diocese living in residence. Together they shepherd the faithful of Monongahela, Donora, and Charleroi.
- Rev. Levi D. Hartle — Pastor
- Rev. Thomas G. Kadlick — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Pierre Marie France — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Frank C. Bursic — Permanent Deacon and Parish Pastoral Associate
- Rev. Gerald Mikonis — Retired Priest in Residence
- Fr. Patrick Barkey
Parish Staff
Lay staff support the parish's communications, faith formation, music, finances, facilities, and safe-environment programs.
- Valentina Tomko — Director of Communications & Parish Secretary
- Director of Music/Liturgy
- Director of Faith Formation (also Principal of Madonna Catholic Regional School)
- Formation Secretary
- Parish Business Manager
- Business Secretary
- Website Manager
- Maintenance
- Safe Environment Coordinator
- Fundraising
Faith Formation
St. Andrew's Faith Formation Program aims to help children and parents grow in love with Jesus and His Church. It combines in-person classroom learning, family catechesis days, guided Lectio Divina, and seasonal Advent/Lent prayer with the parish clergy. The program follows the Diocese of Pittsburgh standard of 30 hours of formation per grade level.
- In-person classes held at the Charleroi site, Sundays 10:00–11:30 AM
- Family Catechesis — four times a year with families serving in liturgical roles at the 9 AM Mass, then gathering in Marian Hall
- Lectio Divina — guided reflection on Sunday Scripture via Zoom at 10:30 AM
- Advent and Lent prayer gatherings with the clergy, including the opportunity for Reconciliation
- Children's Liturgy of the Word for Pre-K through Grade 2 at the 9 AM Mass when Faith Formation classes are in session
Adult Faith Formation and Mystagogia (RCIA)
The parish welcomes adults who wish to learn about or deepen their Catholic faith, whether they are unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or already Catholic but seeking the Sacraments of Initiation. Mystagogia — a Greek word meaning "learning about the mysteries" — is offered not only for those in the RCIA process but for any adult who wants to grow in faith through prayer, learning, and practice with other believers.
- Mystagogia sessions — 2nd and 4th weeks of each month, 7:00 PM at the Parish Center in Monongahela
- Adult Formation classes — Thursdays at 7:00 PM at the Charleroi Rectory
- Welcomes unbaptized persons aged 7 and older, Christians seeking full communion, and baptized Catholics preparing for Confirmation or returning to the faith
Addiction Recovery Ministry
Through the Catholic in Recovery program, the parish offers a faith-based approach to healing from addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments. Each gathering integrates the spiritual principles of 12-step recovery with the sacramental life of the Catholic Church, including reflection on Sunday Mass readings, liturgical themes, recovery topics, honest discussion, and prayer.
- Facilitated by iThirst Certified Spiritual Companions
- All are welcome — no registration required; join at any time
- Supports individuals and families impacted by alcoholism, drug addiction, lust/pornography addiction, disordered eating, gambling, technology addiction, compulsive spending/debting, codependency, adult children of dysfunctional homes, and other unhealthy attachments
Liturgical Ministries
St. Andrew encourages lay people of all ages to share their time and talent at Mass and in the wider life of the Church.
- Altar Servers — open to anyone in 3rd grade or older, plus adults
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Cantors, choir members, and instrumentalists
- Ushers and greeters
- Liturgical environment and decoration teams
Community Outreach
In keeping with its mission to build up the Body of Christ beyond the church walls, the parish maintains a Community Outreach ministry serving the needs of the Mid-Monongahela Valley.
- Community Outreach ministry coordinating parish service in the valley
- Safe Environment program to protect children and vulnerable adults
- Liturgical and social events across the three church sites
Sacraments and Sacramental Records
The parish celebrates the seven Catholic Sacraments and works with the Diocesan Archives to preserve records from the predecessor parishes that now make up St. Andrew the Apostle.
- Baptism, Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, and Matrimony celebrated through the parish
- Sacramental records from former parishes — Transfiguration, St. Anthony (Monongahela); St. Charles, St. Dominic, Holy Name BVM, St. Joseph, St. Philip Neri (Donora); St. Jerome, Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Mother of Sorrows (Charleroi) — are held by the Diocese of Pittsburgh Archives (412-456-3158)
Getting Involved
Parishioners are encouraged to join the many ministries and organizations that help in the growth and expression of the faith across the three worship sites.
- Serve as an altar server, lector, extraordinary minister, usher, or in the music ministry
- Help with Faith Formation classes or Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Volunteer with Community Outreach or the Safe Environment program
- Join the Addiction Recovery Ministry
- Contact the parish office at (724) 258-7794 or [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Levi D. Hartle2020–present
Founding pastor of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish when it was formed on January 6, 2020 from the merger of St. Damien of Molokai, Our Lady of the Valley, and Mary, Mother of the Church.