About St. Anthony of Padua [Italian] · Easton, Pennsylvania
St. Anthony of Padua [Italian] is a Roman Catholic parish in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Allentown. Founded in the early 1900s to serve the large community of Italian immigrants in Easton's South Side, the parish is affectionately known as 'the Italian parish' of Easton and is anchored by its 1916 Roman-Gothic stone church at 832 Lehigh Street. Today it serves roughly 1,100 families and is paired in a pastoral grouping with Our Lady of Mercy Parish, sharing clergy, staff, and a common parish school building on Washington Street. The parish remains a beacon for Italian-American Catholic heritage, hosting the annual Feast of St. Anthony, the San Placido Society procession, and the parish Festa-Fiesta.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Keith Laskowski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Allentown
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua is a tight-knit Italian-heritage Catholic parish in Easton's South Side where devotion, family, and tradition are lived out weekly. Whether you are drawn by the parish's historic 1916 Roman-Gothic stone church, the Italian-American traditions like the Feast of St. Anthony and the San Placido Society procession, the parish school and PREP faith formation, or simply the warmth of a parish that explicitly says 'all are welcome,' you will find a community that takes both the Mass and the family dinner seriously. It is paired with neighboring Our Lady of Mercy under one pastor, which means a wider pastoral team, more Mass and confession times, and shared outreach such as the Safe Harbor meal program.
Mass times at St. Anthony of Padua [Italian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
- Thursday 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM (before 8:00 AM Mass)
- Thursday 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM (before 8:00 AM Mass)
About St. Anthony of Padua Parish
St. Anthony of Padua is the historic Italian-heritage Catholic parish of Easton, Pennsylvania, founded in 1909 to serve the Italian immigrant community of the city's South Side. The parish is now grouped in a pastoral partnership with Our Lady of Mercy under one pastor, sharing staff and resources, and its weekend and weekday Masses are celebrated at the 1916 stone Roman-Gothic church on Lehigh Street.
History
The parish was founded in 1909 when Archbishop Prendergast of Philadelphia sent Rev. Amalio Landolfi to Easton to organize the Italian immigrant community; he established 'The Italian National Church of St. Anthony of Padua.' In 1912 the Rev. Giovanni Daraio, freshly arrived from Tricarico (province of Matera), Italy, was assigned as pastor. Fr. Daraio rebuilt the parish in stone Roman-Gothic style, and Bishop McCort solemnly inaugurated the new church on June 18, 1916. Today the parish serves about 1,100 families and is part of the Diocese of Allentown.
Clergy & Staff
St. Anthony of Padua is served by Pastor Rev. Keith Laskowski, Hospital Chaplain Fr. James Chalangadi, O.C.D., Permanent Deacons Jose Santos and James Wallaesa (who also coordinates the parish cemetery), and Deacon Emeritus Charles A. DeBellis. Lay staff includes Rose Allshouse (Office Manager), James Allshouse (Finance), Joseph Fink (Director of Worship and Music), Karina de Jesus Severino (Director of Religious Education / PREP and Easton Area Catholic Youth Group), and Karen Corpora (Liturgy and Adult Faith Formation).
Italian-American Devotions & Societies
Italian heritage is at the heart of parish life, expressed through lay societies and feast-day processions rooted in the hometowns of Easton's Italian immigrants.
San Placido Society
A parish-affiliated society founded by Sicilian immigrants from Castel di Lucio (the patron town of St. Placido) to honor San Placido. Today the society hosts monthly trustee meetings, a Halloween trick-or-treat, a members-only Christmas party, a Triduum of Prayer, and a homemade-meatball fundraiser at the parish Festa-Fiesta. Its signature event is the annual Feast of San Placido: a solemn Mass at St. Anthony's followed by a multi-mile procession through South Side Easton with the statue and relic of San Placido, banner, and a band — singing, dancing, and tears of devotion included. Membership is open to all Catholics.
Holy Name Society
St. Anthony's Holy Name Society promotes reverence for the Holy Name of God, obedience to the Magisterium, and personal sanctification, and assists in parish ministries through the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. The society meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM in the Parish Center Gathering Room (910 Washington Street) and welcomes all men of the parish.
Feast of St. Anthony & Festa-Fiesta
The parish celebrates the Feast of St. Anthony (around June 13) with Adoration at 3:00 PM, a Children's Holy Hour at 4:00 PM, the Rosary at 6:00 PM, and a 6:30 PM Mass with procession and the blessing of St. Anthony bread. The parish also hosts the annual Festa-Fiesta, an all-afternoon festival of food, music, a basket raffle, and a 'Duck Pond' bake sale in the St. Anthony School parking lot — a true Italian-American street festa.
Faith Formation & Youth
Faith formation at St. Anthony of Padua is coordinated through the PREP (Parish Religious Education Program) and the broader Easton Area Catholic Youth Group. Preparation for First Eucharist and Confirmation, adult faith formation, and liturgical music ministry round out the parish's formation offerings.
- PREP — Parish Religious Education Program for parish children
- Easton Area Catholic Youth Group
- Liturgy and Adult Faith Formation (Karen Corpora)
- Director of Worship and Music (Joseph Fink)
Outreach & Charity
St. Anthony of Padua supports the wider Easton community through the Safe Harbor Meal Service, in which parishioners prepare and serve a monthly meal at Safe Harbor on the second Monday of each month. Volunteers sign up by group text message to bring specific components of the meal, and 13–15 participants typically help serve.
Sacraments
Sacramental life at St. Anthony of Padua includes daily and weekend Mass, Reconciliation (Confession) several times a week, Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and First Eucharist and Confirmation preparation. Pastoral care for the sick is provided by Fr. James Chalangadi, O.C.D., through the parish's Catholic Ministry to the Sick, which visits local hospitals.
Facilities: Church, Parish Center, School & Cemetery
The parish worships in its 1916 Roman-Gothic stone church at 832 Lehigh Street (corner of 9th and Lehigh). The Parish Office, Parish Center, and St. Anthony School are located at 900 Washington Street, where PREP classes and society meetings (including the Holy Name Society) are held in the Gathering Room at 910 Washington Street. The parish also maintains a cemetery, coordinated by Deacon James Wallaesa.
Visit, Contact & Stay Connected
The Parish Office at 900 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042-4342, is reachable at 610-253-7188 (fax 610-253-6184) and by email at [email protected]. Masses are live-streamed on the parish Facebook page, and recorded Masses are posted to YouTube. The parish shares its website with Our Lady of Mercy at rccofeaston.org.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Amalio Landolfi1909–1912
Sent by Archbishop Prendergast of Philadelphia in 1909 to organize the Italian immigrants; established the temporary 'Italian National Church of St. Anthony of Padua' chapel before a permanent pastor was assigned.
- Rev. Giovanni Daraio1912–
First assigned pastor (1912); emigrated from Tricarico, province of Matera, Italy; former Canon of the Cathedral and teacher of classical letters at the Vescovile Seminary. Designed and built the present stone Roman-Gothic church on Lehigh Street, inaugurated by Bishop McCort on June 18, 1916.