About St. Bartholomew · Wilmore, Pennsylvania
St. Bartholomew Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in the Cambria County borough of Wilmore, Pennsylvania, part of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. The parish traces its origin to the missionary work of Servant of God Prince‑Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, the 'Apostle of the Alleghenies,' and his associate Rev. Peter Henry Lemke, O.S.B.; Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick blessed the stone St. Bartholomew church near Jefferson (later renamed Wilmore) on August 22, 1840, and it became one of the earliest Catholic parishes in Cambria County. Today the parish serves its rural community with weekend and weekday Mass, regular confessions before each Mass, a parish secretary, and a Sunday-night bingo fundraiser at Marian Hall in Crabtree. The parish is pastored by Rev. Joseph C. Nale and is a close-knit, family-style congregation rooted in 19th-century missionary Catholicism on the Allegheny frontier.
- Established
- 1840
- Patron
- St. Bartholomew the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph C. Nale
- Diocese
- Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown
Why belong here
St. Bartholomew is a small, welcoming rural parish where most parishioners know one another by name. Weekend and weekday Mass, easy confession before every Mass, and an active parish life — including a Sunday-night bingo fundraiser at Marian Hall in Crabtree that brings the community together — make it a comfortable spiritual home for Catholics in the Wilmore area of Cambria County. As one of the earliest parishes in the diocese, with roots in the missionary work of Prince Gallitzin, it offers a tangible connection to the 19th-century Catholic history of the Allegheny Mountains.
Mass times at St. Bartholomew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
- Sunday 8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
- Approximately 20 minutes before each weekend Mass (per parish notice)
Parish History and 19th-Century Origins
St. Bartholomew's roots lie in the missionary work of Prince‑Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, the Russian-born convert and 'Apostle of the Alleghenies' who settled at nearby Loretto in 1799. Under his patronage, the Benedictine Rev. Peter Henry Lemke urged the people at Jefferson (later Wilmore) and Summit to build churches. Title to the Jefferson church property is dated June 10, 1837, and on August 22, 1840 Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick blessed the new stone church under the invocation of St. Bartholomew and confirmed 40 persons there. By the time the Diocese of Pittsburgh was erected in 1843, St. Bartholomew's was already listed among Cambria County's five Catholic churches, with a congregation of 550 — a remarkable number for the Allegheny frontier.
- 1837 – Title to Jefferson church property dated June 10, 1837.
- 1840 – Stone church blessed by Bishop Kenrick, August 22, 1840.
- 1842 – Rev. Matthew W. Gibson installed as first resident pastor.
- 1843 – St. Bartholomew's listed in the new Diocese of Pittsburgh census.
- 1909 – 'Souvenir of Reunion and History' book published.
- 1905 – 135th Anniversary of the parish commemorated.
Wilmore and Gallitzin's Allegheny Mission
The parish is intimately linked to the founding of Wilmore itself. The borough was laid out around 1800 by Godfrey Wilmore, a freed former slave from Maryland, and his former indentured wife Mary; the Wilmores operated a sawmill and were close friends of Father Gallitzin. Their settlement, and the subsequent Catholic mission church at Jefferson, became part of the network of Gallitzin–Lemke mission stations that also included Loretto, Johnstown, Ebensburg, Carrolltown, and Summit.
- Wilmore borough founded c. 1800 by Godfrey Wilmore and his wife Mary.
- Wilmores were personal friends of Father Gallitzin.
- Part of the wider Gallitzin/Lemke Allegheny mission network.
Parish Staff
The parish is currently led by Rev. Joseph C. Nale as pastor, with Betty Rosmus serving as parish secretary. Contact is handled through the parish office at 185 Church Hill Road during regular business hours.
- Rev. Joseph C. Nale — Pastor
- Betty Rosmus — Secretary
Parish Life and Community
As a small rural parish, St. Bartholomew keeps community life simple and personal. The most visible parish activity beyond liturgy is a Sunday-night Bingo fundraiser at Marian Hall on Route 119 in Crabtree, with doors opening at 5:00 p.m., an early-bird game at 6:00 p.m., and an escalating 'Quickie' jackpot of up to $1,000. The parish also organizes apparel fundraisers (parish shirts, crewnecks, hoodies) that serve as both fundraisers and a way to show parish unity.
- Sunday Bingo at Marian Hall, Rt. 119, Crabtree, PA
- Parish apparel sales (T-shirts, hoodies, crewnecks)
The Patron — St. Bartholomew the Apostle
The parish takes its name from St. Bartholomew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, traditionally identified with Nathanael of Cana in Galilee. According to early tradition he evangelized Armenia and is venerated as the patron saint of tanners, butchers, leatherworkers, and bookkeepers; he is often depicted in art (notably in Michelangelo's Last Judgment) as flayed, holding his own skin. His feast day is celebrated on August 24 in the Roman calendar.
- One of the Twelve Apostles.
- Traditionally identified with Nathanael.
- Feast day: August 24.
- Patron of tanners, butchers, leatherworkers, bookkeepers.
Contact and Communications
The parish can be reached by phone, fax, email, and through its Facebook and Instagram pages. A printed bulletin carries the most current schedule for Holy Day Masses and any seasonal changes.
- Phone: (814) 495-4419
- Fax: (814) 495-9104
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: St. Bartholomew Catholic Church – Wilmore, PA
- Instagram: @saintbartswilmore
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Matthew W. Gibson1842–
First resident pastor of St. Bartholomew; ordained by Bishop Kenrick in August 1841 and installed by Father Lemke in 1842. His mission register (from October 1, 1841) covered Ebensburg, Summit, Jefferson (Wilmore), Johnstown, and South Fork.
- Rev. Peter Henry Lemke, O.S.B.pre-1842
Benedictine missionary who, under Gallitzin's patronage, urged the Jefferson/Summit congregations to build churches and oversaw the blessing of the stone St. Bartholomew church in 1840.