About St. Bernadette · Duncannon, Pennsylvania
Saint Bernadette Mission is a small Roman Catholic mission church in Duncannon, Perry County, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Harrisburg. It serves as a mission of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Marysville, eight miles south along the west bank of the Susquehanna River, and is famously the only Catholic church that sits directly on the Appalachian Trail. The parish offers weekend Masses, regular Confession, monthly Adoration, and is supported by a tight-knit group of lay ministries including the Parish Council of Catholic Women, the Social Committee, and the Knights of Columbus Council #8151. The community marked its 70th anniversary in 2024 with a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop Ronald Gainer.
- Established
- 1954
- Patron
- Saint Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes
- Rector
- Rev. Father Walter F. Guzman
- Diocese
- Diocese of Harrisburg
Why belong here
St. Bernadette is a small but lively mission with the rare distinction of sitting directly on the Appalachian Trail, drawing in thru-hikers and locals alike. Weekend Mass is offered Saturday evening and Sunday morning, with regular Confession before the Vigil Mass, a monthly Holy Hour, First Saturday Adoration and Benediction, and a weekly Rosary. Parishioners stay involved through the Parish Council of Catholic Women (which runs the famous Easter peanut-butter-and-coconut-egg fundraiser and the Golden Age Luncheon), a Social Committee that hosts the annual picnic, monthly After-Mass socials, and a bi-annual Soup and Bake Sale, and Knights of Columbus Council #8151. A family-style parish where everyone's name is known, St. Bernadette is a welcoming stop on the Trail and a faithful home for the Catholics of northern Perry County.
Mass times at St. Bernadette
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:45 pm (before the 6:00 pm Vigil Mass)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- First Saturday of the month, immediately after the 6:00 pm Mass — with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction
- First Sunday of the month, 12:00 pm — Holy Hour (per the Diocese of Harrisburg parish listing)
About St. Bernadette Mission
Saint Bernadette is a Roman Catholic mission church in Duncannon, Perry County, Pennsylvania, founded in 1954 as a mission of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Marysville. Both parishes are served by a single pastor — currently Rev. Father Walter F. Guzman — and are part of the Diocese of Harrisburg. The mission is best known as the only Catholic church that sits directly on the Appalachian Trail, a fact that regularly brings thru-hikers to its doors. Weekend Mass, Confession, and a monthly Holy Hour form the backbone of parish spiritual life, with Adoration and Benediction offered on First Saturdays.
- Parish type: Mission (of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Marysville)
- Diocese: Harrisburg
- Pastor: Rev. Father Walter F. Guzman
- Deacon: Rev. Mr. Patrick A. McCormack
- Founded: 1954 — first Mass on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, 1954
- Distinctive claim: only Catholic church located directly on the Appalachian Trail
History
The Catholic community in Duncannon traces back to 1939, when Father Francis Dinkel, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Enola, began celebrating monthly Masses in the borough. By 1950, Msgr. George Mulcahy was committed to a weekly Mass in a private home, and in December 1950 the community rented a storeroom for Sunday liturgies while the Trinitarian Sisters from Harrisburg taught religious education. Ground was broken for a new church on March 7, 1954, and the first Mass was celebrated on August 15, 1954, the Feast of the Assumption. The church was dedicated to St. Bernadette Soubirous, the young French visionary of Lourdes. Bishop (later Auxiliary Bishop) Joseph T. Lohmuller, founding pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel and the first resident priest in Perry County, is credited with founding the mission. Bishop Ronald Gainer celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for the 70th anniversary on August 18, 2024, and Bishop Timothy C. Senior made a pastoral visit on January 18, 2025.
- 1939 — Father Francis Dinkel begins monthly Masses in Duncannon
- 1950 — Msgr. George Mulcahy holds weekly Masses in a private home
- December 1950 — community rents a storeroom for Sunday liturgies
- March 7, 1954 — groundbreaking for the new church
- August 15, 1954 — first Mass celebrated in the new church (Feast of the Assumption)
- 1950s — Bishop Joseph T. Lohmuller founds St. Bernadette as a mission of Our Lady of Good Counsel
- August 18, 2024 — Bishop Ronald Gainer celebrates 70th anniversary Mass
- January 18, 2025 — Bishop Timothy C. Senior makes pastoral visit
Parish Staff & Clergy
The mission is served by a pastor, a permanent deacon, and a small support team, all of whom also serve the parent parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Marysville.
- Rev. Father Walter F. Guzman — Pastor (appointed 2024); email [email protected]
- Rev. Mr. Patrick A. McCormack — Deacon; assists with altar-server and reader training and coordinates the RCIA class; (717) 557-7090; [email protected]
- Parish office — (717) 957-2662; [email protected]
- Office hours — Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–11:00 am (Marysville office)
Deacon Patrick McCormack
Deacon Patrick was born in the Diocese of Altoona and moved to the Diocese of Harrisburg at a young age. He holds undergraduate degrees in politics, classical studies, and social studies education, and graduate and post-graduate work in political theory, law, American studies, history, and pastoral studies. He served 20 years in the Army National Guard, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer, and worked as a secondary social studies teacher. He and his wife, Mary Ann, have six children. At the parish he helps train altar servers and readers and coordinates the Christian Initiation (RCIA) class. He also participates in the Knights of Columbus, the Marysville-Rye Council of Churches, and the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Bernadette and Our Lady of Good Counsel share a joint Religious Education Program that partners with parents as the primary educators of their children. Classes for students in grades K–8 prepare them to receive the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation, and the program complements, but does not replace, catechesis in the home. Adult formation is also offered, including the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) for those seeking to become Catholic or to complete their initiation (for example, unbaptized adults and adults who were never Confirmed).
- Youth Religious Education — grades K–8
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- RCIA / OCIA for adults — coordinated by Deacon Patrick McCormack
- Adult Faith Formation Classes
- Classes taught by trained volunteers and Deacon & Mrs. McCormack
- Classes meet Mondays 6:45–7:45 pm (Marysville)
Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW)
The Parish Council of Catholic Women is open to all women of the parish. Their mission is 'to support, empower and educate all Catholic Women, in spirituality, leadership and service; to inspire and promote Gospel values in a constantly changing world.' Activities include sending monthly cards to the sick and shut-ins, Mass cards for deceased family members of parishioners, assisting with funeral meals, supporting Forty Hours, and church cleaning and decorating. The PCCW's signature fundraiser is the Easter Egg Project — peanut-butter-and-coconut eggs made in the weeks before Lent, with public workdays Mondays and Tuesdays 9 am–12 noon. They also sponsor the September Golden Age Luncheon for the Duncannon Golden Age Club and have hosted events such as a Valentine's Tea.
- Monthly cards for the sick and shut-ins
- Mass cards for deceased family members of parishioners
- Assistance with funeral meals
- Support of Forty Hours devotions
- Church cleaning and decorating
- Easter Egg Project (peanut butter & coconut eggs) — biggest annual fundraiser
- Golden Age Luncheon — September, honoring the Duncannon Golden Age Club
- Affiliated with the National Council of Catholic Women and the Harrisburg Diocese CCW
Social Committee
The Social Committee organizes and fundraises for the parish's social life, including the annual parish picnic and Christmas party, monthly After-Mass Socials to promote fellowship, and funeral luncheons when grieving families wish to have a light meal after a funeral Mass. Their major fundraiser is a bi-annual Soup and Bake Sale.
- President: Linda Auxt — 717-582-8989
- Treasurer: Eileen Updyke — 717-364-4501
- Secretary: Margaret Hively — 717-480-1666
- 'Soup Maker extraordinaire' — Bernie Danko
- Annual parish picnic (joint with Our Lady of Good Counsel, held at the PCRA grounds in Duncannon)
- Monthly After-Mass Social — parishioners can sign up to host a Sunday
- Bi-annual Soup and Bake Sale
- Christmas party
- Funeral luncheons
Knights of Columbus Council #8151
Knights of Columbus Council 8151 serves both St. Bernadette and Our Lady of Good Counsel. The council meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the downstairs meeting room at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Marysville; meetings last about an hour and a half and are often followed by a social. Founded nationally by Blessed Michael J. McGivney in 1882, the Knights have grown to more than 1.9 million members worldwide and remain 'the strong right arm of the Church.' Locally, the council is active in parish life — grilling at the joint parish picnic and running a 50-50 drawing, among other works.
- Council #8151 — meets 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7:00 pm, at Our Lady of Good Counsel
- Open to Catholic men; talk to a Knight, the pastor, or call the parish office to join
- Active in parish events including the joint picnic
Parish Council
The Parish Council is a consultative body that advises the pastor on pastoral matters. Its main purpose is to investigate, reflect, and reach conclusions about pastoral matters to recommend to the parish priest. Current members represent a cross-section of the parish community.
- Steve Ciccocioppo
- Barbara Evans
- Linda Auxt
- Carol Gray
- Kevin Gray
- Margaret Hively
- Santos Rodriquez
- Rob Peters
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) assist the priest with the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass and bring Communion to the homebound and those in nursing homes. The parish describes it as both an honor and a privilege. The ministry traces its formal origin to the 1969 instruction Immensae Caritatis of Pope Paul VI, which expanded access to Holy Communion while preserving reverence for the Eucharist. Volunteers are carefully prepared before being commissioned.
- Distribute Holy Communion at Mass
- Bring Communion to the homebound and to those in nursing homes
- Volunteers undergo careful preparation before commissioning
Duncannon Council of Churches
St. Bernadette is a member congregation of the Duncannon Council of Churches, a local ecumenical body whose purpose is to share the love of Christ by assisting people in the Duncannon area with limited financial and material assistance, and by coordinating social events and outreach ministries. Member churches agree to support the Council financially or by participating in its work, and to have representatives at Governing Board meetings.
- Ecumenical outreach to the Duncannon area
- Financial and material assistance programs
- Coordinated social events and outreach ministries
- Governed by a board of member-church representatives
Prayer to Saint Bernadette
The parish's website includes a traditional prayer to its patroness, asking for her intercession in obtaining the grace of purity, simplicity, and mortification, that we too 'may attain to the vision of God and of Mary in Heaven.'
- Patroness prayer invoking purity, simplicity, and mortification
- Litany response: 'Saint Bernadette, Pray for us.'
Contact & Visit
The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 11:00 am, at the Marysville mailing address. The church itself is at 901 North High Street in Duncannon. Visitors and prospective parishioners are warmly welcomed.
- Church address: 901 North High Street, Duncannon, PA 17020
- Mailing address: 121 William Street, Marysville, PA 17053
- Rectory phone: (717) 957-2662
- General email: [email protected]
- Office email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–11:00 am
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Father Francis Dinkelas early as 1939
Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, Enola; celebrated monthly Masses in Duncannon before a parish was formed.
- Msgr. George Mulcahyby 1950
Committed to a weekly Mass in a private home in Duncannon; oversaw the rental of a storeroom for Sunday liturgies.
- Bishop Joseph T. Lohmuller1950s
Founding pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Marysville and founder of St. Bernadette Chapel in Duncannon; first resident priest in Perry County.
- Rev. Father Walter F. Guzmanappointed 2024
Current pastor of both Our Lady of Good Counsel and St. Bernadette Mission; welcomed Bishop Timothy C. Senior on his January 2025 pastoral visit.