St. Bartholomew

About St. Bartholomew Parish

St. Bartholomew Church sits along State Route 119 between New Alexandria and Greensburg, in the northwestern section of Unity Township, with the parish extending into Hempfield and Salem townships as well. It is an active faith community of about 500 registered households, served since 1889 by Benedictine priests from St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe. The renovated church seats 250 for the parish's three weekend Masses.

Parish Mission

The parish states its mission as: 'Gathered by our baptism into new life in God, the community of St. Bartholomew lives and shares the good news of Jesus Christ through individual conversion (re)evangelization, and faith formation. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we wish to build a loving faith community through worship and service.'

Parish History

Founded in 1889 in a 54-by-24 foot storeroom that is now the Crabtree Shopping Center, the parish was built up by Benedictine missionaries from St. Vincent Archabbey for immigrant mining families. The permanent church was dedicated in 1903 on land donated by the Jamison Coal and Coke Company; the same company donated fifteen acres for the cemetery in 1908. In 1911 the first Crabtree Mount Carmel Festival was held; the parish school was built in 1920 and demolished in 1982; and Marian Hall was built under Father Method Mraz and dedicated in 1954. The parish's identity is rooted in the mine-dust heritage of Slovak, Polish, Irish, and Italian families who settled the area.

• 1889 – First Mass in a storeroom on the future Crabtree Shopping Center site
• 1903 – Church dedicated on land donated by Jamison Coal and Coke Company
• 1908 – Fifteen-acre cemetery donated by the same company
• 1911 – First Crabtree Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival
• 1920 – Parish school erected
• 1954 – Marian Hall dedicated under Father Method Mraz
• 1982 – Old parish school demolished

Clergy & Pastoral Succession

St. Bartholomew has been continuously served by Benedictine priests from St. Vincent Archabbey since its founding. The current pastor is Father Justin Matro, O.S.B., who has served since 2012, joined by Father Thomas Acklin, O.S.B. as Priest in Residence. The parish website lists every pastor from Father Fidelis Busam, O.S.B. (1889–1892) through the present day — twenty-four pastors in all — and a parallel list of assistant priests dating back to 1906.

• Father Justin Matro, O.S.B. – Pastor, 2012-Present
• Father Thomas Acklin, O.S.B. – Priest in Residence
• Longest-tenured pastor on record: Father Method Mraz, O.S.B. (1941–1955), builder of Marian Hall

Music & Liturgical Ministries

Director of Music Chris Hankins oversees a robust liturgical music program. The adult choir and cantors rehearse on Tuesday evenings at 6:45 PM, with the choir singing for the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass from September through July. Choir members do not need to read music — Mrs. Hankins provides training. Liturgical ministries cross generational lines and include altar servers (men, women, boys, and girls), lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion commissioned by the bishop, and ushers and greeters.

• Schola Cantorum Adult Choir (Ages 14+)
• Cantor/Psalmist Program
• Resurrection (Funeral) Choir
• Instrumentalist Ministries (brass, woodwind, string, percussion, keyboard)
• Altar Servers
• Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
• Lectors
• Ushers and Greeters

Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation

St. Bartholomew offers religious education for children in Kindergarten through eighth grade through CCD classes, which prepare them to receive the sacraments. Non-Catholics wishing to enter the Church are invited into the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Parishioners of all ages may receive the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation at the appropriate age and after preparation; Reconciliation is offered Saturday afternoons or by appointment; Marriage is arranged through the parish office; and Anointing of the Sick can be scheduled as needed. Vocations inquiries are directed through the Diocese of Greensburg.

• CCD (Kindergarten through 8th grade)
• Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
• Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation preparation
• Reconciliation (Saturdays 4:00–4:45 PM or by appointment)
• Marriage
• Anointing of the Sick

Outreach & Service

Communion to the Sick and Homebound is a ministry dear to the parish: men and women, together with the pastor, bring Holy Eucharist to those unable to attend Mass in church on a weekly and monthly basis. The parish also partners with the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Greensburg to serve those in need in the wider community. Pastoral Council and Finance Council give lay parishioners a formal role in parish governance and mission.

• Communion to the Sick and Homebound (weekly and monthly visits)
• St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry partnership (Greensburg)
• Pastoral Council
• Finance Council

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival

The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival is St. Bartholomew Parish's signature summer event, born out of an Italian parish tradition more than 100 years old and first celebrated in Crabtree in 1911. Originally a strictly Italian devotional celebration, it was revived under Father Method Mraz in the late spring of 1950 when he placed the statue of Our Lady on the platform outside the church to pray for better weather — the rain cleared, worshippers pinned currency to the statue's robe in gratitude, and a procession tradition was born. Today the festival is sponsored by the church and supported by community volunteers, with fireworks added over the years. The 2025 festival was a success, and information about the 2026 festival is posted on the parish's Mount Carmel Festival Facebook page.

• Festival parking in the field behind the festival grounds (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
• Crabtree Volunteer Fire Department parking on Latrobe Crabtree Road
• Rizzo's Malabar Inn parking on Rizzi Road
• Handicapped parking on Thursday and Friday evenings
• Volunteers and security direct traffic Friday and Saturday

Bingo & Marian Hall

Marian Hall, dedicated in 1954, is the hub of parish social life. Weekly Sunday Bingo runs year-round: spring/summer hours (first Sunday of March through last Sunday of October) have doors open at 5:00 PM and Early Bird at 6:00 PM; winter hours (first Sunday of November through last Sunday of February) have doors open at 12:30 PM and Early Bird at 1:30 PM. There is no bingo on Easter, during the St. Bartholomew Festival week, or when Christmas Day or New Year's Day fall on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. In addition, nine Las Vegas Super Bingo nights are held March through November, with doors opening at 5:00 PM and Early Bird at 6:30 PM. Marian Hall, the Pavilion, and the Madonna Room are also available for rental; the parish is now accepting 2026 reservations.

• Sunday Bingo in Marian Hall (weekly, year-round with seasonal hours)
• Nine Las Vegas Super Bingo nights annually (2026 dates listed on the parish website)
• Marian Hall, Pavilion, and Madonna Room available for 2026 rental

Giving & Support

Parishioners may support St. Bartholomew in three ways: online through the parish website (create a profile and use the 'Giving' menu); by mail to St. Bartholomew Church, Box A, 2538 State Route 119, Crabtree, PA 15624; or by leaving envelopes in the collection baskets at the church entrance during any Mass. The parish also participates in the annual Diocesan Lenten Appeal; for 2026, the appeal theme is '75 Years: Our Foundation, Our Future,' honoring the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Greensburg (founded 1951).

• Online giving via the parish website
• Mail-in giving to the parish office (Box A, 2538 State Route 119, Crabtree, PA 15624)
• Collection baskets at Mass
• Diocesan Lenten Appeal participation (2026: 75th anniversary of Diocese of Greensburg)

Visit & Contact

St. Bartholomew Parish is located at 2538 State Route 119 (Box A), Crabtree, PA 15624, between New Alexandria and Greensburg. The parish office can be reached at (724) 834-0709. Visitors traveling through the area are warmly welcomed to attend Mass; the parish recommends CatholicMassTime.org to find Mass times at nearby parishes.

• Address: 2538 State Route 119, Box A, Crabtree, PA 15624
• Phone: (724) 834-0709
• Bishop: Most Reverend Larry J. Kulick, Diocese of Greensburg