About St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother · Avondale, Pennsylvania
St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, located at 8910 Gap Newport Pike in Avondale, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Established in 1988, the parish serves about 770 households (roughly 2,500 individuals) across New Garden Township, London Britain Township, portions of Kennett, London Grove, East Marlborough, and West Marlborough Townships, and the borough of Avondale. The parish is notable for its 2002-built church with local-quarried stone façade, stained glass, a replica of Michelangelo's Pietà, and a 22-rank pipe organ, and for being one of the few parishes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that hosts a regular Sensory-Friendly Mass for individuals and families with sensory sensitivities.
- Established
- 1988
- Patron
- Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother (Gabriel Possenti, 1838–1862, Italian Passionist seminarian; declared patron of Catholic youth, students, and young men studying for the priesthood)
- Rector
- Rev. Anthony J. DiGuglielmo
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia (Deanery: Chester County West)
Why belong here
St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother offers a warm, mid-sized Chester County parish with deep roots and active sacramental life — two Sunday Masses, weekday Mass Monday through Thursday, weekly Saturday confessions, a robust PREP religious education program, RCIA, a Children's Liturgy of the Word, and a Vacation Bible School. It is one of only a handful of parishes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that regularly hosts a Sensory-Friendly Mass for individuals and families with sensory sensitivities (third Sunday at 8:00 AM), and its ministries span Cura outreach to the bereaved and struggling, Respect Life, Non-Perishable Food Collection, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Servers, Adult Religious Education, and a parish-subsidized Catholic schooling partnership with Assumption B.V.M. School in West Grove and Bishop Shanahan High School in Downingtown. Add to that a KofC council, spaghetti dinners, picnics, and a holiday bazaar, and it is the kind of parish where newcomers are quickly folded into a real community.
Mass times at St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:15–4:00 PM in the Chapel
- Anointing & Reconciliation available at any time by calling 610-268-0296, pressing 3, and leaving your name and phone number
Parish History
Saint Gabriel's roots go back to Saint Francis Xavier Mission (est. 1893) of Saint Patrick Parish, Kennett Square, in Landenberg. A new 35.5-acre site was purchased in 1965 and a multi-use church-auditorium-gymnasium built in 1966; Cardinal John Krol later approved renaming the mission after the Italian Passionist Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother at the urging of Italian-heritage parishioners. On August 30, 1988, Archbishop Anthony J. Bevilacqua established the parish and named Father Richard J. Maisano its founding pastor, who was installed September 25, 1988.
- Saint Francis Xavier Mission — established 1893, Landenberg and Sawmill Roads, Landenberg
- 1965: 35.5-acre site purchased
- 1966: combination church-auditorium-gymnasium built
- Cardinal John Krol approves mission's renaming to Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother
- August 30, 1988: Archbishop Bevilacqua announces the new parish
- September 25, 1988: Father Richard J. Maisano installed as founding pastor by Monsignor Thomas P. Craven
- May 6, 1989: First Communions (eleven children)
- April 28, 1990: First Confirmation (thirteen children)
The 2002 Church Building
After almost fourteen years of worship in the original 1966 building, the parish completed a new church in 2002. Cardinal Bevilacqua dedicated it on Sunday, June 16, 2002, with about twenty priests concelebrating and Father Maisano preaching; the Cardinal stayed over an hour greeting parishioners. The total cost of the new building, furnishings, and office wing was almost $5 million, and the Archdiocesan loan was retired in less than six years.
- Dedicated June 16, 2002 by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua
- Local-quarried stone façade
- Stained-glass windows
- Large replica of Michelangelo's Pietà
- Twenty-two-rank pipe organ
- Won 'Best Institutional – Religious Project 2002 Merit Construction Award of Excellence' (Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Southeast PA Chapter)
- Office wing attached; old church converted to Saint Gabriel Hall
Our Patron Saint
The parish is named for Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother (Gabriel Possenti, 1838–1862), a 19th-century Italian Passionist seminarian who is buried at Gran Sasso in Italy's Abruzzi region. When Pope [Pius X] proclaimed him a saint he also declared him the patron of Catholic youth, students, and young men studying for the priesthood. The parish's devotion stems from the Italian-heritage families of the original Landenberg mission community, whose ancestors hailed from the Abruzzi.
- Gabriel Possenti (1838–1862), Italian Passionist
- Buried at Gran Sasso, Abruzzi, Italy
- Patron of Catholic youth, students, and young men studying for the priesthood
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Father Anthony J. DiGuglielmo, pastor, with Father Richard J. Maisano serving as Pastor Emeritus and Deacon Jeffrey Hanna assisting. A dedicated lay staff manages the parish office, religious education, music, facilities, engagement, communications, and finances.
- Rev. Anthony J. DiGuglielmo — Pastor (ext. 100, [email protected])
- Rev. Richard J. Maisano — Pastor Emeritus
- Rev. Mr. Jeffrey Hanna — Deacon (ext. 101, [email protected])
- Laura Hodges — Office Administrator (ext. 103, [email protected])
- Tim Reilly — Director of Music Ministry (ext. 106/253, [email protected])
- Linda Riofski — Director of Religious Education (ext. 102, [email protected])
- Bill Brown — Facilities Coordinator (ext. 104/115, [email protected])
- Emily Schwarz — Parish Engagement (ext. 107/116, [email protected])
- Doug Singo — Accountant / Business Manager (ext. 105, [email protected])
- Dave Paris — Bulletin and Communications ([email protected])
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Parish children in grades 1–8 who do not attend a Catholic school are welcomed into PREP (Parish Religious Education Program), which meets on Mondays from 5:45–7:00 PM, September through April. The program is led by a full-time Director and supported by volunteer catechists and aides, with its own handbooks for catechists, aides, and parents, and prepares children for Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation. A Special Needs program is led by Linda Riofski and Rosanne Keane, and an annual Vacation Bible School has run every summer since 2007.
- PREP — Mondays 5:45–7:00 PM, grades 1–8
- Special Needs Religious Education
- Children's Liturgy of the Word — Sundays during the 9:30 AM liturgy
- Vacation Bible School (since 2007)
RCIA & Adult Faith Formation
The parish runs the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults each year for adult non-Catholics seeking to enter the Church and for adult Catholics who have not received the sacraments of Communion or Confirmation. The process typically begins in early October and runs through Pentecost, meeting on Tuesday evenings. Adult Religious Education offers programs — including Scripture study — for adults who wish to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith.
- RCIA — Tuesday evenings, October through Pentecost
- Adult Religious Education / Scripture study
Music Ministry
Tim Reilly directs the parish Music Ministry, supporting weekend liturgies and seasonal celebrations from the church's twenty-two-rank pipe organ — an instrument Father DiGuglielmo has noted is beautiful but powerful, which inspired some of the accommodations of the Sensory-Friendly Mass.
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments. Baptisms are scheduled by calling the office at a time convenient for the family and when the church is available. Weddings must be arranged at least six months in advance and require an approved pre-Cana program. Reconciliation is heard regularly and on request; Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation are always available by phone. The pastor and Extraordinary Ministers bring Holy Communion to the sick and homebound, and chaplains minister to those in hospitals and care facilities.
- Baptism — call the office to schedule
- Marriage — at least six months' notice; pre-Cana required
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:15–4:00 PM, or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — always available by calling 610-268-0296, ext. 3
- Holy Communion to the sick and homebound
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Beyond faith formation, the parish maintains a wide range of service and liturgical ministries. Cura Ministry is the parish's outreach to members experiencing hardship or grieving the loss of a loved one, and honors and celebrates new births, baptisms, and milestones. The Respect Life Group promotes the dignity of life from conception to natural death. A Non-Perishable Food Collection, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Altar Servers round out the service and liturgical life of the parish.
- Cura Ministry (Jen Haggarty & Diane Hochstuhl)
- Respect Life Group
- Non-Perishable Food Collection
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers
- Ministry to the Sick and Homebound
Catholic Schooling & Family Life
Because the parish does not operate its own full-time school, families seeking Catholic elementary education most often enroll their children at Assumption B.V.M. School in West Grove; some attend Saint Patrick School in Kennett Square. Saint Gabriel parish subsidizes Catholic school tuition for supportive parish families from the very beginning, and the pastor and DRE visit the children there regularly. For high school, parish teens attend Bishop Shanahan High School in Downingtown, with some attending Catholic high schools in nearby Delaware.
- Assumption B.V.M. School, West Grove — primary partner elementary school
- Saint Patrick School, Kennett Square
- Bishop Shanahan High School, Downingtown
- Parish subsidy for supportive parish families
Knights of Columbus & Parish Social Life
Parish men can join the Knights of Columbus (Council #16991) — Charity, Unity, and Fraternity — reaching out via [email protected]. The parish has run regular socials since its founding, including an annual spaghetti dinner, picnics, and an annual pre-holiday bazaar since 2002, plus monthly Sunday socials after the most-attended Mass.
- Knights of Columbus Council #16991
- Annual spaghetti dinner
- Annual picnic
- Annual pre-holiday bazaar (since 2002)
- Monthly Sunday socials
Mission Statement
'We, the people of St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, recognize our call: To grow as brothers and sisters in Christ; To edify the Christian family; To reflect the risen Christ; And to build a center of nourishment, community, education and service proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the Light of the World to all those who would follow Him. Baptized into Christ Jesus, confirmed by the Holy Spirit, empowered by His gifts of Grace, we are unified by faith into one body, the Presence of Christ in the world today.'
Accessibility & Facilities
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia lists St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother as a fully accessible parish: accessible entrances, curb cuts, ramps, and parking; an accessible meeting room; and a fully accessible restroom (widened doors, enlarged stalls, grab bars, clearance space, and accessible fixtures/sinks, all ADA compliant). The church is equipped with an Assistive Listening Device (ALD) — ear phones or audio loops for parishioners who are hard of hearing. Office hours are Monday 8:30 AM–4:00 PM, Tuesday–Thursday 8:30 AM–12:00 PM; closed Friday–Sunday.
- ADA-compliant accessible entrances, curb cuts, ramps, and parking
- Accessible meeting room and restroom
- Assistive Listening Device (ALD) with ear phones / audio loops
Visit, Register & Get Involved
New parishioners are warmly welcomed and asked to register with the parish office. The parish bulletin (church-bulletin.org) and the parish website (saintgabrielparish.org) are the primary channels for current information, schedules, and registration links for PREP, RCIA, and parish events.
- Office: 610-268-0296, [email protected]
- Website: saintgabrielparish.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/StGabrielAvondale
- Bulletin: church-bulletin.org/247
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Richard J. Maisano1988 – (subsequent)
Founding pastor appointed by Archbishop Anthony J. Bevilacqua on August 30, 1988, and installed September 25, 1988, by Monsignor Thomas P. Craven. Led the parish from mission-era through the 2002 dedication of the new church; now Pastor Emeritus.
- Rev. Anthony J. DiGuglielmoPresent
Current pastor; featured in CatholicPhilly for pioneering the parish's Sensory-Friendly Mass.