About St. Anthony of Padua · Windber, Pennsylvania
St. Anthony of Padua is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown located at 2201 Graham Avenue in Windber, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1908 to minister to Italian immigrants who had come to work in the Berwind-White Coal Company's mines, the parish has been served by the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular (TOR), Province of the Immaculate Conception, since 1925. Today St. Anthony's offers a Vigil Mass on Saturday, a Sunday Mass, daily weekday Masses, a Tuesday Novena to St. Anthony, the sacraments, religious education, and a year-round program of parish organizations that knit the community together across generations.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Roderick N. Soha, T.O.R.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Altoona–Johnstown
Why belong here
St. Anthony's offers the essentials of a parish life rooted in 117 years of Windber heritage: regular Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass, a Tuesday Novena to St. Anthony at noon, the sacrament of Reconciliation before weekend Masses, First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, a ConVALID Religious Education (CCD) program for elementary and high-school students, RCIA for adults, and a 'Social and Family Life Ministry' that lives up to its name. Active groups include the Ladies Guild, Holy Name Society, Music Ministry, Eucharistic Ministers, Readers, Ushers, Altar Servers, Finance Council, and a parish kitchen — giving every age and ability a place to belong. Belonging here means joining a community that, in its own words, is committed to 'participate more fully, share more generously, and witness more willingly the treasures of our Catholic Christian Faith.'
Mass times at St. Anthony of Padua
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 11:40 AM – 11:55 AM
- Saturday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Also by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday Eucharistic Adoration 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
About St. Anthony of Padua Parish
St. Anthony of Padua is a Roman Catholic faith community in the Diocese of Altoona–Johnstown, originally founded in 1908 to minister to Italian immigrants who had come to work the local Berwind-White Coal Company mines. The parish has been served by the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular (TOR), Province of the Immaculate Conception, since 1925. Today St. Anthony's remains a people of diverse backgrounds — Italian, Polish, German, Slovak, Irish and others — united by the Gospels, the teachings of the Church, and the pursuit of common goals. Its mission, drawn from the parish website, is 'to embody the call of Jesus Christ by providing for all our members an opportunity to participate more fully, share more generously and witness more willingly the treasures of our Catholic Christian Faith.'
History of the Parish
Windber was born in 1897 when Eureka Mine Number 30 began producing coal. Italian, Polish, German, Slovak, Irish and other immigrants brought their faith with them, and in 1900 the multi-national St. John Cantius Church was built. By 1905 the Italian community was large enough that Bishop Eugene A. Garvey sent Father Ferdinando Papale to minister to it; Father Nicholas Capaldo succeeded him in 1906 and began collecting donations for a separate church. The Wilmore Coal Company donated two lots at Graham Avenue and 22nd Street, Frank Lowery built the foundation at no charge, and the cornerstone was set in November 1908 with Bishop Garvey presiding. The first church was completed in 1909 and blessed under the patronage of St. Anthony of Padua.
- Eureka Mine No. 30 (1897) — birth of Windber and the immigrant congregation.
- Father Ferdinando Papale (1905–1906) — first Italian pastor.
- Father Nicholas Capaldo (1906–1909) — cornerstone (Nov. 1908) and completion (1909).
- Father Angelo Leone (1909–1925) — rectory (1915), cemetery land (1923), stone arch (1924).
- Parish entrusted to the Franciscan TOR Fathers (1925).
- Father Angelo Piacentini (1936–1939) — doubling of seating capacity.
- Father Reginald Krakovsky — groundbreaking July 1972, completion August 1973 of the present $700,000 church-rectory complex (seats 470).
- Father Eugene Kubina (1986) — enclosed church entrance and basement stairway.
- Father Gerard Connolly (1987) — confessionals converted to reconciliation rooms; new 'cry room.'
Franciscan Heritage
Since 1925 St. Anthony's has been entrusted to the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, Province of the Immaculate Conception, based in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. The parish proudly carries the tagline 'Served by the Third Order Regular Franciscans since 1925.' This long collaboration has shaped everything from the parish's preaching and pastoral style to its embrace of community and the poor.
Parish Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by its pastor with the assistance of a parochial vicar and a team of lay staff and ministry leaders. Day-to-day operations are coordinated through the parish secretary, and a Finance Council oversees temporalities.
- Rev. Roderick N. Soha, T.O.R. — Pastor
- Rev. Lawrence Lacovic — Parochial Vicar
- Janet Chippie — Secretary
Parish Council & Finance
Lay leadership supports the pastor's temporal stewardship of the parish through the Finance Council and related parish organizations.
- Finance Council — Sharon Lehman, 814-467-5012
Faith Formation — CCD & RCIA
St. Anthony's runs a year-round religious-education program for parish children in both elementary and high-school grades, supplemented by RCIA for adults preparing to enter the Church. The parish also points to the on-site Antonian Education Center that supports this catechetical mission.
- CCD — Elementary: Meghan Slatcoff, 814-467-9670
- CCD — High School: Roxann Newcomer, 814-341-1898
- R.C.I.A. — Roxann Newcomer, 814-341-1898
Music & Liturgy
The Music Ministry supports weekend and weekday liturgies, drawing on a long tradition that reaches back to the male choir founded by Father Cletus Adams in the late 1940s. Today's team includes a Director of Music and two organists.
- Director of Music — Joe Moxim
- Organists — Adrian Popig and Caleb Bean
Parish Groups & Organizations
St. Anthony's has a robust network of parish societies and ministries — from liturgical roles (Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Readers, Ushers) to fellowship and service organizations (Holy Name Society, Ladies Guild, Social and Family Life Ministry, parish kitchen). Together they touch every age and stage of parish life.
- Altar Servers — Zach Zankey, 814-262-7310
- Eucharistic Ministers — Marge Bahorik, 814-467-7660
- Readers — Chris Spinos, 814-242-8372
- Ushers — Gary Zankey, 814-467-4098
- Holy Name Society — Barb Starchville, 814-467-9629
- Ladies Guild — President Roxann Newcomer, 814-341-1898; Treasurer Roxann Guaetta
- Social and Family Life Ministry — Evelyn Phillips, 814-467-9528
- Parish Kitchen — Millie Pierre, 814-467-9118
Facilities & Cemetery
The parish complex at 2201 Graham Avenue includes the 1973 semi-circular church (sanctuary seats 470; basement seats 450), an attached rectory with offices and living quarters, and the Antonian Education Center. The parish cemetery, acquired in 1923 with its impressive stone arch and wall added in 1924, was further enlarged in 1948 under Father Paul Hatch and features a stone-and-marble altar.
Giving & Stewardship
The parish encourages weekly offertory giving by mail, by envelope drop-off at the rectory, or via the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown's online giving portal at www.dioceseaj.org/giving (click Donate Online → Make a Donation → Your Parish Offertory), where parishioners may set up recurring or one-time gifts.
Contact & Hours
Parishioners and visitors can reach the rectory by phone, fax, or email during parish office hours; the office is the hub for scheduling baptisms, weddings, anointings, and inquiries about Mass or confession times.
- Address: 2201 Graham Avenue, Windber, PA 15963
- Phone: 814-467-7292
- Fax: 814-467-9182
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stanthonyswindber.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Ferdinando Papale1905–1906
Sent by Bishop Garvey to Windber as first pastor to the Italian community; ministered at St. John Cantius; left discouraged in 1906.
- Rev. Nicholas Capaldo1906–1909
Collected donations, chose the patron St. Anthony of Padua, oversaw cornerstone (Nov. 1908) and completion of the first church (1909).
- Rev. Angelo Leone1909–1925
Acquired the rectory (1915) and cemetery land (1923); built the stone arch and wall at the cemetery (1924). Returned to Italy in 1925.
- Rev. Francis Capannari, T.O.R.1925 (first tenure); 1939 (returned)
First Franciscan TOR pastor after the parish was entrusted to the Third Order Regular in 1925.
- Rev. Anthony Possumato, T.O.R.1928
- Rev. Alban Gormley, T.O.R.1929
- Rev. Angelo Piacentini, T.O.R.1936–1939
Began the $10,000 addition that doubled seating and enlarged the sanctuary for three altars; transferred to Altoona in 1939.
- Rev. Paul Hatch, T.O.R. (assistant)1939
First served as assistant before returning years later as pastor.
- Rev. Louis Hileman, T.O.R.1942–1944
- Rev. Richard McNamara, T.O.R.1944
Later transferred to Hollidaysburg.
- Rev. Cletus Adams, T.O.R.1945–1948
Started the male choir, converted the rectory porch to a parish office and remodeled the third floor.
- Rev. Paul Hatch, T.O.R. (second tenure)1948–1953
Acquired additional cemetery land, installed a new organ, and built the stone-and-marble altar at the cemetery.
- Rev. Francis Mastrovito, T.O.R.1953
- Rev. Kenneth La Pan, T.O.R. (assistant)1953–1956
- Rev. Charles Smyth, T.O.R. (assistant)1956
- Rev. Reginald Krakovsky, T.O.R.1970s
Guided Vatican II implementation; broke ground (July 1972) and dedicated the new $700,000 church-rectory complex (August 1973).
- Rev. Terrence T. Smith (assistant to Fr. Reginald)1970s
- Brother William Hazelett, T.O.R.
1970s/80s spiritual leader.
- Rev. Martin D. Brady, T.O.R.
1970s/80s spiritual leader.
- Rev. Adrian Tirpak, T.O.R.
1970s/80s spiritual leader.
- Very Rev. Eugene H. Kubina, T.O.R.
Directed construction of the enclosed church entrance and basement stairway in 1986.
- Rev. Gerard M. Connolly, T.O.R.
In 1987 oversaw conversion of confessionals into reconciliation rooms and built a second 'cry room' near the front entrance.
- Brother Blase Romano, T.O.R.
1970s/80s spiritual leader.
- Rev. Timothy Arsenault, T.O.R.
1970s/80s spiritual leader.
- Rev. Anthony M. Criscitelli, T.O.R.
Recent former pastor.
- Rev. Roderick N. Soha, T.O.R.present
Current pastor.