About St. John the Baptist · Erie, Pennsylvania
St. John the Baptist Parish is a historic Roman Catholic church on Erie's east side, established in 1870 by German Catholic immigrants as a mission of St. Mary Parish. It worships in a Romanesque-style church dedicated in 1900 under the long pastorate of Monsignor Michael J. Decker (1873–1913). Today St. John the Baptist serves as the parish church for a three-church partnership that, since the July 9, 2024 diocesan merger, includes the former Holy Rosary Parish (now a secondary mission church) and Holy Trinity Parish on Reed Street, all led by Fr. James Piszker under the Diocese of Erie.
- Established
- 1870
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. James Piszker
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers a small, sacramental Catholic community rooted in 150-plus years of Erie's east-side Catholic life, centered on the Real Presence in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance (Saturday 3–3:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity or by appointment). The partnered parishes keep daily Mass available Tuesday through Friday and three weekend Masses across the three churches, with a parish Book Club that reads Catholic and spiritually-centered titles together — a tangible sign of adult fellowship and faith formation on top of the parish religious-education program for school-age children.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM at Holy Trinity
- By appointment
Parish History
Saint John the Baptist began in 1869 as a mission of Saint Mary, the first German Catholic parish in Erie. The original wooden church was dedicated in 1870, soon followed by a school and rectory. Fr. Bernard Manser, OSB, an assistant pastor at Saint Mary, was associated with the community from the beginning and soon became their pastor. A new school was built in 1887 staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph, and the current Romanesque church was dedicated in 1900. A third iteration of the school/social-center complex was completed in 1951. The church interior was completely renovated in the 1980s.
- Founded 1870 (mission begun 1869)
- First pastor: Fr. Bernard Manser, OSB
- School built 1887 by the Sisters of St. Joseph
- Current Romanesque church: cornerstone 1899, dedicated 1900
- School/social-center rebuild 1951
- Interior renovation 1980s
- Steeple removed 1996
Monsignor Michael J. Decker (Pastor 1873–1913)
Father Michael J. Decker was appointed pastor on May 4, 1873 and served St. John the Baptist for forty years. He was a remarkably gifted bilingual orator (English and German) and a practicing musician — violin, viola, French horn, and flute. His compositions include the published Masses 'Missa Sanctae Maria' and 'Missa Sanctae Elizabeth' and a Veni Creator, with other settings and a hymn in honor of St. John the Baptist remaining unpublished. On December 18, 1903 he was raised to the dignity of Domestic Prelate in the household of Pope Pius X; he was solemnly vested in the purple robe of a Monsignor on February 14, 1904.
- Pastor 1873–1913 (forty years)
- Built the 1883/1887 schools and the 1900 church
- Raised to Domestic Prelate by Pope Pius X, 1903; vested as Monsignor, 1904
- Bilingual English–German preacher, diocesan-wide
- Composer of sacred music and multi-instrumentalist
Holy Rosary & the 2024 Reconfiguration
Holy Rosary Parish split off from Saint John the Baptist in 1922 as the latter became overcrowded. Its first church was dedicated in 1923, a school was added (grades 1–8 by 1930, taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph), and a new 16-classroom school and social center was completed in 1948. The current stone church was dedicated in 1955, though the steeple had to be removed in 1996. In 2004 the two parishes merged their elementary schools into St. John–Holy Rosary Eastside Catholic, which closed definitively in 2012; in 2010 Holy Rosary was partnered with St. John the Baptist. At the February 28, 2024 meeting of the Presbyteral Council, Bishop Persico presented the revised Erie County parish reconfiguration; the Council unanimously approved merging Holy Rosary Parish into Saint John the Baptist Parish and partnering the enlarged St. John the Baptist Parish with Holy Trinity Parish on Reed Street (0.5 miles apart). The decree was effective July 9, 2024. Holy Rosary church is preserved as a secondary mission church permitted to celebrate Sunday and Holy Day Masses.
- Holy Rosary founded as a split-off parish, 1922
- First church 1923; current stone church 1955; steeple removed 1996
- Elementary schools merged 2004 into St. John–Holy Rosary Eastside Catholic; closed 2012
- Partnered with St. John the Baptist in 2010
- Merged into St. John the Baptist by extinctive union, effective July 9, 2024
- Now partnered with Holy Trinity Parish, Reed Street, Erie
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The partnered parishes operate a Religious Education Program for school-age children whose families do not attend Catholic schools. The purpose, per the program page, is 'faith formation — the ongoing development of the whole person into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ,' with age-appropriate curriculum. Public-school students are encouraged to begin in first grade. A bi-monthly parish Book Club extends that formation to adults, reading Catholic and spiritually-centered titles together at the St. John Rectory (with Zoom available).
- Religious Education Program — Director: Melinda Lewis
- Open to public-school students starting in first grade
- Adult formation: parish Book Club (bi-monthly, St. John Rectory; Zoom available)
- Coordinator contact: Mary Hickin, 920-7525
Parish Staff & Contacts
The parish is staffed by Pastor Rev. James Piszker with Permanent Deacons Denis Coan and Francis Lombardo supporting the partner churches. Office and liturgical-music support are coordinated by Marsha MacKinnon McKinley and bookkeeper Ryan Coletta; Emily Cabanillas serves as Liturgical Music Contact for St. John the Baptist, with Pat Marshall in that role for Holy Rosary.
- Pastor: Rev. James Piszker
- Permanent Deacon: Denis Coan
- Permanent Deacon: Francis Lombardo
- Support Staff: Marsha MacKinnon McKinley
- Bookkeeper: Ryan Coletta
- Liturgical Music (St. John the Baptist): Emily Cabanillas
- Liturgical Music (Holy Rosary): Pat Marshall
Visit, Contact & Practical Details
The parish mailing address is 509 East 26th Street, Erie, PA 16504, and serves as the registered office for all three partner churches. The office can be reached by phone at (814) 454-2873, by fax at (814) 459-8082, and by email at [email protected]. The shared website for the three parishes is http://stjohn-holyrosary-erie.org/.
- Address: 509 E. 26th St., Erie, PA 16504
- Phone: (814) 454-2873
- Fax: (814) 459-8082
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stjohn-holyrosary-erie.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bernard Manser, OSB1869–c. 1873
First pastor; had been assistant pastor at St. Mary, the first German Catholic parish in Erie.
- Monsignor Michael J. Decker1873–1913
Forty-year pastor who built the present Romanesque church (cornerstone 1899, dedicated 1900), the 1883/1887 schools, and was raised to Domestic Prelate by Pope Pius X in 1903. Accomplished bilingual orator (English/German), composer of sacred music, and multi-instrumentalist (violin, viola, French horn, flute).