About St. Francis Xavier · Cresson, Pennsylvania
St. Francis Xavier is a Roman Catholic parish in the small Allegheny Mountain community of Cresson, Pennsylvania, serving the faithful of the region as part of the Diocese of Altoona–Johnstown. The parish is clustered with neighboring St. Aloysius Church and shares a pastor, currently Rev. Leo F. Arnone, and a regional elementary school, All Saints Catholic School. From its 1908 founding on Powell Avenue, St. Francis Xavier has remained an active anchor of worship, faith formation, and Catholic life for families in the Cresson area and adjacent communities along the old Admiral Peary Highway.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier
- Rector
- Rev. Leo F. Arnone
- Diocese
- Diocese of Altoona–Johnstown
Why belong here
St. Francis Xavier offers a small, welcoming mountain-community parish where Sunday Mass, weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Confession are all part of the weekly rhythm. Families benefit from a cluster partnership with neighboring St. Aloysius and a regional Catholic school (All Saints Catholic School) right on Powell Avenue in the former St. Francis Xavier school building. With weekday and weekend Mass options, regular adoration, and an emphasis on religious education, it is an inviting place for Catholics in the Cresson area to worship, raise children in the faith, and serve alongside fellow parishioners.
Mass times at St. Francis Xavier
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Adoration times
- Saturday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Church open daily for private prayer 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Parish History
St. Francis Xavier Parish was established in 1908 on Powell Avenue in Cresson, Pennsylvania, in the years immediately following the founding of the borough of Cresson itself (1906). The parish quickly became a center of Catholic worship and education in this small Allegheny Mountain community.
- Founded 1908 on Powell Avenue, Cresson
- Cornerstone of the parish school laid April 1923
- School opened January 1924 with the Sisters of Mercy teaching
- Parish school merged with St. Aloysius Catholic School in 1989 to form All Saints Catholic School
Cluster with St. Aloysius Parish
St. Francis Xavier is clustered with neighboring St. Aloysius Church in Cresson and the two parishes share a single pastor. Their combined mailing address (7911 Admiral Peary Highway) reflects Cresson's heritage as the hometown of Arctic explorer Robert E. Peary. Weekend and weekday Masses alternate between the two church buildings.
- Single pastor serves both St. Francis Xavier and St. Aloysius parishes
- Same pastor serves as pastor of All Saints Catholic School
- Combined Mass schedule rotates between the FX and SA church buildings
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish maintains a Religious Education program (CCD) for the faith formation of its children. Preparation for the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation is offered, with explicit sponsor and godparent requirements published by the parish.
- Religious Education (CCD) program
- Sacramental preparation: Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation
- Published requirements for godparents at Baptism and sponsors at Confirmation
All Saints Catholic School
St. Francis Xavier partners with neighboring St. Aloysius Parish to support All Saints Catholic School, a preschool-through-eighth-grade regional Catholic school that opened in 1989 as a merger of the former St. Francis Xavier Catholic School and St. Aloysius Catholic School. The school continues to operate out of the historic St. Francis Xavier school building on Powell Avenue.
- Founded 1989 as a merger of St. Francis Xavier and St. Aloysius Catholic Schools
- Located in the former St. Francis Xavier school building, 220 Powell Avenue, Cresson
- Preschool through Grade 8
- Under the auspices of the Diocese of Altoona–Johnstown
- Principal: Kathy Maurer
- Phone: (814) 886-7942
Parish Organizations & Outreach
The parish hosts or connects parishioners to a Catholic Fraternal Organization and to Catholic Outreach ministries, in addition to participation in the cluster with St. Aloysius and All Saints Catholic School.
- Catholic Fraternal Organization
- Catholic Outreach
- Rosary prayed one-half hour before each Mass
Parish Contacts & Staff
The parish office can be reached by phone or email, with inquiries directed to the pastor and parish secretary. The official diocesan email address is used for parish correspondence.
- Pastor: Rev. Leo F. Arnone
- Parish phone: (814) 886-2374
- Fax: (814) 886-2498
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing address: 211 Powell Avenue, Cresson, PA 16630