St. Catherine Laboure

Parish Identity & Shrine of the Miraculous Medal

Nestled in central Pennsylvania, Saint Catherine Labouré is recognized worldwide as a Shrine of the Miraculous Medal. The parish reflects a special devotion to Our Lady in prayer and liturgy, drawing visitors from around the globe who come for the beauty of the shrine and the prayerful liturgies. The 1948 founding and 1976 shrine dedication give this community a unique place in Catholic history.

• Established March 1, 1948 as the first parish in the world named for Saint Catherine Labouré
• Current Shrine Church dedicated July 5, 1976
• Stained-glass windows by Gabriel Loire of Chartres, France
• Houses an original Miraculous Medal from Saint Catherine's personal possession
• A First Class Relic of Saint Catherine Labouré is enshrined in a wall reliquary to the left of the Miraculous Medal Shrine

History & Founding

Father Charles Murray was appointed the founding pastor in 1948 for a community of about 900 people. The parish was built on a farmhouse recently purchased by the Diocese. After temporary use of the Paxtang Municipal Building, the original church/school complex was dedicated on November 28, 1949. As the parish grew, the campus expanded with a convent (1955), rectory (1964), and parish office center (1986), and the construction of the modern Shrine Church under Monsignor Leo A. Beierschmitt in the mid-1970s. The 2017 refurbishment created a new, accessible Miraculous Medal Shrine and mounted the First Class Relic on the wall.

• 1948 — Parish established, March 1; first pastor Father Charles Murray
• 1948 — First Mass celebrated at Paxtang Municipal Building, Easter Sunday, March 28
• 1948 — Ground broken July 4; cornerstone laid November 28 (Feast of Saint Catherine Labouré)
• 1949 — School opened September with 106 students, staffed by the Daughters of Charity from Emmitsburg, MD
• 1955 — Convent built; 1964 — Rectory built; 1986 — Parish Office Center built
• 1973 — Fund drive for new Shrine Church launched by Monsignor Leo A. Beierschmitt
• 1974 — Ground broken for Shrine Church
• 1976 — Shrine Church dedicated July 5 by Monsignor Beierschmitt with Loire windows
• 1976 — Daughters of Charity presented an original Miraculous Medal from Saint Catherine's possession
• 2017 — Miraculous Medal Shrine refurbished and First Class Relic enshrined (Solemn Mass September 16)

Mission Statement

• We, the Catholic Christian Community of Saint Catherine Labouré Parish, are a diverse people called by the Holy Spirit to live and share Christ's Gospel.
• Guided by Word and worship, preparation and reception of the sacraments, teachings, traditions and prayer, we are committed to nourish the spiritual needs of others through evangelization, renewal, fellowship, education, stewardship and outreach.
• We challenge one another to share our gifts to serve God's people.

Clergy & Parish Staff

The pastoral team includes a pastor, parochial vicar, and a priest in residence, supported by parish and school staff listed on the parish website.

• Rev. James E. Lease — Pastor ([email protected])
• Rev. Drew E. Tanguay — Parochial Vicar
• Rev. Jordan F. Hite — In Residence
• Mr. Gerald Donlan — Parish Manager ([email protected])
• Ms. Jessica Bassili — Coordinator of Religious Education ([email protected])
• Ms. Alycia Laureti — Director of Adult Faith Formation ([email protected])
• Mrs. Jodi Reagan — School Principal ([email protected])
• Mrs. Jamie Bufton — Director of Enrollment ([email protected])
• Mrs. Janell Maglowski — Director of Advancement ([email protected])
• Mrs. Margaret Bollinger — Youth Protection Officer / Administrative Services Coordinator ([email protected])

Saint Catherine Labouré School

The parish school, located at 4020 Derry Street, proclaims 'the Joy of the Gospel in providing a Christ-centered, safe, and welcoming educational environment for students PreK3 to Grade 8.' It has been administered by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Immaculata) since 2012, following long previous service by the Daughters of Charity (1949–1975) and the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius (1975–2011).

• Address: 4020 Derry Street, Harrisburg, PA 17111
• Phone: (717) 564-1760
• Office Hours: Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Grades served: PreK3 – Grade 8
• Special area teachers in art, music, library, physical education, technology, Spanish, and adaptive success support
• Counselor and speech/language services through Capital Area Intermediate Unit (CAIU)
• Traditions include Halloween Dance, Mini-THON (Four Diamonds fundraiser), May Crowning, Living Stations of the Cross, the Royal Run, and the Friends of Saint Catherine's Gala

Faith Formation — PREP

The Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) offers religion classes for children in PreK4 through Grade 8 who do not attend Catholic school. It includes a two-year preparation period for First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

• Classes held Sunday mornings 10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m., mid-September through May
• Grades K–6 use 'Alive in Christ: Discovering and Sharing the Kerygma' (Our Sunday Visitor, begun Sept. 2024)
• Grades 7–8 use the diocesan Confirmation curriculum with Ascension's 'Chosen'
• Special education sessions available by request
• Early Bird registration begins in April; contact [email protected]

Adult Faith Formation

The Adult Faith Formation programs promote mature adult faith that leads to living, believing, and praying as disciples. Programs nourish Catholic spirituality so that adults may grow in faith, make the Gospel meaningful in daily life, and participate actively in the parish community.

• Spiritual programs include That Man Is You (TMIY)
• Parish Organizations and Ministries listings available on the parish website
• Director: Ms. Alycia Laureti ([email protected])

Encounter Youth Ministry

Encounter Youth Ministry serves the parish's middle- and high-school aged young people with fellowship, formation, and fun throughout the year — from Open Houses and Bible Study Nights to potluck feasts like the St. Patrick's Day gathering. Coordinated through Jessica Bassili (liturgical/religious education staff), it welcomes parent volunteers and outside adult help.

• Regular Friday evening Open Houses
• Bible Study Nights and food-themed formation events
• Potluck and feast-day gatherings (e.g., St. Patrick's Day Pot Luck)
• Sign-up form available on the parish website for events and volunteering

Knights of Columbus Council 12811

Saint Catherine Labouré's Knights of Columbus Council 12811 was chartered October 12, 2000. Council members assist the pastor with parish events, school activities, and fundraisers, and engage in Eucharistic Adoration, sacramental gifts, rosary prayer services, Oktoberfest, Dinner on Derry, student basketball and soccer contests, and the Topper Trot.

• Chartered: October 12, 2000
• Meetings: 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month at 7:30 p.m. in Leo Hall
• Current Grand Knight: Terry Bollinger (leadership listing)
• Contact: Grand Knight Ryan Miller, 717-574-5154, [email protected]

Parish Organizations & Ministries

The parish maintains organizations that span the spiritual, social, athletic, and service life of the community — 'an organization for everyone,' plus special-event volunteering like Dinner on Derry and the Lenten Fish Fry.

• Adoration
• Athletic Association (President: Kevin Sidella)
• Bible Study (Chuck Petrie)
• Coffee Cup — Senior Adults Group (Suzy Krape)
• Council of Catholic Women (Alycia Laureti)
• Eucharistic Adoration (Colleen Hoover)
• Knights of Columbus (Terry Bollinger)
• Legion of Mary (John Andreasen)
• Liturgical Ministries (Conrad Smith)
• Respect Life Committee (Laura Pyne)
• Boy Scouts (Craig Malesic); Cub Scouts; Girl Scouts (Daisy 10282, Brownie 10288, Junior 10277)
• That Man Is You — Men's Group (Ben Nebroski)
• Voyage Young Adult Ministry
• Parent-Teacher Organization
• Grief Support Group (Barbara Sariano)
• Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults / RCIA (Alycia Laureti)
• Mentor Couples (Alycia Laureti)

Sacraments

Information and preparation for the seven sacraments is accessible through the parish, school, PREP program, and RCIA. Two-year preparation is required for First Holy Communion and Confirmation (also via Saint Catherine Labouré School).

• Baptism — infant preparation available; adult initiation via RCIA
• First Holy Communion — two-year PREP/school preparation
• Confirmation — two-year PREP/school preparation using Ascension's 'Chosen' in Grades 7–8
• Confession — Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and by appointment
• Marriage — contact the parish office for preparation
• Anointing of the Sick — request through the parish
• RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, coordinated by Alycia Laureti

The Miraculous Medal & Saint Catherine Labouré

Saint Catherine Labouré, DC (1806–1876) was a French Daughter of Charity who, in 1830, received from the Blessed Virgin Mary the design for what became the Miraculous Medal. She kept her identity as the visionary secret for the rest of her life, revealing it only to her confessor. She was beatified in 1933 and canonized on July 27, 1947. Of the original medals cast under Saint Catherine's direction, only ten survive today; eight are in the archives of the Daughters of Charity in Paris, one is in the Miraculous Medal Art Museum in Philadelphia, and one was given by the Daughters of Charity to this parish at its 1976 dedication.

• Saint Catherine Labouré — feast day November 28 (Vincentian Family calendar)
• Patron of the elderly, infirmed people, and the Miraculous Medal
• Canonized July 27, 1947 by Pope Pius XII
• One of the original Miraculous Medals from Saint Catherine's possession is enshrined at the parish
• A First Class Relic is mounted on the wall to the left of the Miraculous Medal Shrine

Facilities & Campus

The campus along Derry Street includes the modern Shrine Church, the original church converted to Murray Hall (gymnasium/social center), the parish school (with multiple wings added in 1953, 1988, 1991, and 1998), the convent, the rectory, and the parish office center. A parish picnic grove sits two blocks north on 40th Street.

• Shrine Church — dedicated 1976
• Murray Hall — original 1948 church converted to gym/social center, named for founder Father Charles Murray
• Parish School — 4020 Derry Street, opened 1949
• Convent (1955), Rectory (1964), Parish Office Center (1986)
• Parish picnic grove on 40th Street
• Miraculous Medal Shrine inside the Shrine Church (refurbished 2017)

Getting Involved & Contact

Visitors and parishioners can plug in through parish organizations, the Knights, PREP volunteering, Encounter Youth Ministry, special events (Dinner on Derry, Lenten Fish Fry, Oktoberfest, Topper Trot), and parish groups for every age and stage of life.

• Parish Office: 4000 Derry Street, Harrisburg, PA 17111 — (717) 564-1321
• Parish Office Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (closed 12:15–12:45 p.m. for lunch)
• School Office: 4020 Derry Street — (717) 564-1760 (Mon–Fri 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.)
• PREP inquiries: [email protected]
• Live-streamed Masses and the Miraculous Medal Novena: parish webpage and Facebook Live