About St. James · Driftwood, Pennsylvania
St. James Church is a Roman Catholic mission parish serving the small borough of Driftwood in Cameron County, Pennsylvania. Established in 1874 during the era of railroad construction that built up the Sinnemahoning Valley, it is administered as a mission of St. Mark Parish in nearby Emporium and is cared for by the same pastor. The little church above the railroad depot has remained a gathering place for Catholics in the upper Sinnemahoning region for more than 150 years. Today it offers Saturday evening Mass during the warmer months and serves as a pastoral outpost for the surrounding rural communities.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- St. James the Apostle (St. James the Greater)
- Rector
- Rev. Paul S. Siebert
- Diocese
- Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
St. James is a small, intimate mission church with deep roots in Driftwood's railroad-era history, where generations of Cameron County Catholics have worshipped above the Sinnemahoning Valley. Visitors are welcomed at Saturday evening Mass through the warmer months and can count on the same pastor and religious education staff who serve St. Mark Parish in Emporium. It is a place for those who treasure quiet rural parish life, historic country churches, and a tight-knit Catholic community in the Pennsylvania Wilds.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Prior to the beginning of Saturday Mass
About St. James Mission
St. James is a mission church of St. Mark Parish in Emporium, Pennsylvania, serving the borough of Driftwood in Cameron County. Listed on the Diocese of Erie rolls as 'St. James Church,' it was established in 1874 and continues to provide weekend worship for Catholics in the upper Sinnemahoning Valley. Because it operates as a mission rather than a free-standing parish, all sacramental records, correspondence, and offerings flow through St. Mark Parish in Emporium.
- Established: 1874
- Type: Mission of St. Mark Parish, Emporium
- Diocese of Erie
- Handicapped Accessible: No
History of St. James, Driftwood
St. James was founded during the 1870s, when the construction of the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad and the Low Grade Division transformed Driftwood from a small hamlet into a working railroad town. A contemporary Cameron County history notes that 'the congregation was formed here about the period of railroad building, and has grown steadily since that time,' and credits Monsignor Brennan with overseeing the parish during its formative years. In its 19th-century heyday the church was the hub of an enormous mission territory stretching nearly to the Tioga County line and reaching Galeton in Potter County, with the German settlement of Germania and Sterling also under its pastoral care. The original church and pastoral residence were sited on the mountainside above the railroad depot, a setting chosen so that 'the buildings command a view of the Sinnemahoning and Bennett's Branch valleys, as well as of the town beneath.'
- Founded circa 1874 during the railroad era in Cameron County
- Historically served as the central church of a mission reaching to Galeton, Germania, and Sterling
- Pastored in its early decades by Monsignor Brennan
Clergy and Staff
Because St. James is a mission of St. Mark Parish, it is served by the same pastor and supported by the same parish staff. The current pastor of St. Mark Parish — and therefore the priest in charge of St. James Mission — is Rev. Paul S. Siebert.
- Pastor: Rev. Paul S. Siebert
- Support Staff: Kim McFall
- Religious Education Leader: Jennifer Abriatis
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Faith formation at St. James is administered through St. Mark Parish in Emporium. The religious education program, led by Jennifer Abriatis, serves the families of both St. Mark Parish and the mission communities of the parish, including St. James in Driftwood.
- Religious Education Leader: Jennifer Abriatis (shared with St. Mark Parish)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Brennan
Respected pastor during the late 19th-century era when St. James served as the central church of a large mission extending nearly to the Tioga County line.