About St. John the Baptist · Pottsville, Pennsylvania
St. John the Baptist Parish in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, is a Roman Catholic parish founded in 1841 to serve the German-speaking Catholics of the region — making it the seventh oldest parish in the Diocese of Allentown. The parish is best known for the stately church that towers over Mahantongo Street, acclaimed for its rare Wilhelm Derix stained-glass windows (valued at well over $1.5 million), German hand-carved wooden statues, a Hook & Hastings pipe organ, and devotional paintings by the German artist Lemprecht. Today a multi-generational "Parish Family" led by Father Rev. Kevin J. Bobbin and Deacon Robert A. Reiley, St. John's continues a daily and weekend Mass schedule, full sacramental life, Family Catechesis CCD, preschool, choirs, youth ministry, OCIA, Eucharistic Adoration, and an active Parish Council — all rooted in the long German-Catholic immigrant story of Schuylkill County.
- Established
- 1841
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Kevin J. Bobbin
- Diocese
- Diocese of Allentown
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers the full sacramental life of a large parish in the close-knit setting of a family-sized community: a daily Mass schedule plus Saturday Vigil and two Sunday morning Masses, weekly and Monday-evening Eucharistic Adoration (with First Friday Benediction and Confession), and an open door to Reconciliation before every weekend Mass. Faith formation runs from a Little Children Preschool through the Family Catechesis CCD (using Sophia Institute's 'A Family of Faith' model) and a Youth Ministry for junior high and high school teens, while adults grow through OCIA (formerly RCIA), the Saturday Night Choir and Funeral Choir, and an active Parish Council. Practical Outreach — rides to doctor appointments, meal preparation after surgery, Communion to the homebound and visits to a nursing home — has been a hallmark of the Parish Family for generations.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15–4:45 p.m.
- Sunday 7:45–8:00 a.m.
- Sunday 10:00–10:15 a.m.
- By appointment
- Eve of First Friday 7:00–8:00 p.m. (during the formal Holy Hour)
Adoration times
- Monday 5:30–6:30 p.m. (simple Holy Hour in the chapel)
- Monday 7:00–8:00 p.m. (simple Holy Hour in the chapel)
- Eve of First Friday 7:00–8:00 p.m. (formal Holy Hour in the main church, ending with Benediction; Fr. available for Confessions)
Welcome from St. John the Baptist Parish
The parish home page opens with the message: 'Welcome to the website of St. John the Baptist Parish Family. We are proud to serve Pottsville and surrounding communities since 1841. With an emphasis on family and faith, St. John the Baptist Church invites you to become a part of our family.' The site directs new parishioners to call the rectory at 570-622-5470 to register, and presents Mass, Reconciliation, and Holy Hour information on the front page.
Parish History
The parish's official 'Parish History' page tells the founding story in full: how Henry Ackerman and 'Mr. Dusch' were turned away from a non-German Mass at St. Patrick's in 1840, the August 19, 1840 meeting at George Dusch's home that drew two dozen German-speaking men, the choice of St. John the Baptist as patron, the January 20, 1841 acceptance of the deed at Fourth and Howard by the Diocese of Philadelphia, and the appointment of Father Joseph Burg as first pastor. Subsequent installments trace the construction of the present 1872 church, the great era of Father Longinus (1878–1932), the 31-year pastorate of Father Fasig, the post-Vatican II era under Father Fox, the 1983 school consolidation, Father Henry's 1984 arrival and 1991 150th Anniversary, and the renovations that followed. The text is documented with dates, names and amounts (e.g., $10,000 for the current site in 1865; $10,500 for the Russell Building in 1927).
About the Parish — Buildings and Heritage
The About Us page describes the parish as 'a Distinguished Family Church in Pottsville' and notes that St. John's is the seventh oldest parish in the Allentown Diocese, established in 1841 for the German-speaking people of Pottsville. The original Fourth-and-Howard church, built by the parishioners themselves, still stands; the present church was built for the growing congregation in 1870. The page lists the Wilhelm Derrick stained-glass windows (valued over $1.5 million) and the German hand-carved wooden statues as the church's most noteworthy features.
- Original church still standing at 4th and Howard
- Present church built in 1870 (sited at Tenth and Mahantongo)
- Wilhelm Derrick stained-glass windows valued at $1.5 million+
- Huge hand-carved wooden statues from Germany
- Old cemetery at 8th and Pierce Streets
- Modern cemetery at 20th and Mahantongo Streets
- Rectory next to the church, built in 1825 (originally stone, later brick-faced)
- Former St. John's Convent across from the school, built in 1881
- Old German Catholic School behind the church, built in 1894
- Pre-Civil War Russell Building (private residence, then music school, now parish social hall)
Parish Life — Organizations and Ministries
The Parish Life page and bulletins together describe a busy adult and family ministry life. Beyond the choirs and CCD listed elsewhere, the parish runs active Outreach (rides to doctor appointments, meal prep after surgery), a longstanding Funeral Choir that comes out to lead congregational singing at Funeral Masses, and a number of parish societies and sodalities that trace their roots to Father Longinus's pastorate. Parishioners are encouraged to assist with CCD, OCIA, and the Preschool as catechists and assistants.
- Saturday Night Choir — sings at the Saturday 5:00 p.m. Mass and the Lenten Presentation; rehearsals Tuesdays 7:00–8:30 p.m., September–mid-May
- Funeral Choir — volunteer cantors for Funeral Masses
- Outreach Ministry — rides to appointments, meals after surgery, parish neighbor care
- Children's Liturgy of the Word — preschool and Grades 1–3 during the 10:30 a.m. Mass
- OCIA / R.C.I.A. — weekly inquiry team for adults seeking full communion
- Youth Ministry — junior high and high school service, trips and fund-raisers
Religious Education — CCD and Preschool
St. John's Family Faith Formation program is built on Sophia Institute's 'A Family of Faith' curriculum and the Family Catechist model: parish volunteer 'Leaders' equip parents to be the first teachers of the faith in the home. Two meetings are held each month from September through May — one parent meeting and one community meeting — with games, activities, trivia and service projects reinforcing the lessons. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation is integrated into the program. The Little Children Preschool Program, designed for children ages 3–5, runs during the Sunday 10:30 a.m. Mass in Longinus Hall for about 30 minutes and uses the 'Catholic ABC's' curriculum.
- CCD Grades 1–8, Sundays, September–May
- Family Catechist model with Sophia Institute 'A Family of Faith'
- Two meetings monthly (parent + community) with games, trivia, service projects
- Little Children Preschool (ages 3–5) during 10:30 a.m. Mass in Longinus Hall
- 'Catholic ABC's' preschool curriculum
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
- Volunteer catechists and teacher assistants welcomed; contact Tina Seiger or Lucilla Kochel at the rectory
Sacraments at St. John's
The sacraments page (and the bulletin cover) gives the practical how-to for each sacrament. Baptisms are celebrated at 11:30 a.m. on the first Sunday of each month, and Baptismal Preparation for Parents is required in advance; couples call the Rectory one year ahead to begin marriage preparation. Reconciliation is offered Saturday afternoon, before each Sunday Mass, on First Friday Eve, and by appointment. Communion is brought to the homebound and sick on request, and the parish traditionally visits a nursing home as well.
- Baptism: first Sunday of each month at 11:30 a.m.; preparation required
- Marriage: call the Rectory one year in advance
- Reconciliation: Saturday 4:15–4:45 p.m.; Sunday 7:45–8:00 a.m. and 10:00–10:15 a.m.; by appointment; First Friday Eve 7:00 p.m.
- Communion for the Sick and Homebound: call the rectory
- Sacrament of the Sick (Anointing): call the rectory
Staff and Parish Council
The Contact Us page lists the people who run the Parish Family, along with parish-council officers and elected members and direct extensions into the rectory phone system (570-622-5470).
- Pastor: Rev. Kevin J. Bobbin
- Deacon: Robert A. Reiley
- Parish Secretary: Patricia Klassen (ext. 3)
- Bookkeeper: Ray Petrilla (ext. 4)
- Religious Education / CCD Coordinator: Tina Seiger (ext. 5)
- Choir Director/Organist: David Derbes
- Parish Council President: John Crane
- 1st Vice President: Heidi Gorski
- 2nd Vice President: Kay Wollyung
- Past President: Darren DeArment
- Appointed member: John Consugar
- Phone menu: ext. 1 Mass/Confession schedule • ext. 2 events and weather cancellations
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph Burg1840/1841 – January 16, 1849
Hungarian; first pastor of St. John's; baptized the first children in the unheated church; celebrated the first recorded confirmation (October 5, 1845).
- Father Peter Maria Carbon1849 – July 1850
Native of Alsace, France; served 19 months before being transferred to St. Peter's in Reading. Opened the parish's one-room school in September 1850.
- Father Daniel Oberholzer1850s – resigned May 20, 1856
Swiss Capuchin; purchased the first two acres of the current 20th-and-Mahantongo cemetery for $716 in January 1853, which sparked a trustees-vs-pastor controversy.
- Father Philip Wegmayr1856 – May 6, 1858
Austrian; obtained the parish's first assistant pastor (Rev. Matthias Joseph Meurer); Bishop ordered the church closed May 6, 1858 over the cemetery dissident land dispute.
- Rev. Francis Louis NeufeldDecember 14, 1858 – c. 1862
Ordained only two weeks before re-opening the parish.
- Rev. Francis Joseph Wachterc. 1862 – August 1869
Purchased the current church site from a Mr. Patterson for $10,000 in 1865.
- Rev. Bernard A. BaumeisterAugust 1869 – August 1872
26-year-old Westphalian; oversaw the laying of the lowest course of Hummelstown brownstone; transferred to Philadelphia as the new church neared completion.
- Rev. Herman DepmanAugust 1872 –
Another Westphalian; performed the last marriage in the old church on October 13, 1872.
- Father Frederick W. Longinus1878 – December 1, 1932
Left 'the most indelible mark on the parish'; oversaw Derix stained-glass windows, bells, Lemprecht paintings, the Hook & Hastings organ, the school, Pauline Manor, the Russell Building and the carving of the great wooden statues.
- Father Frederick Fasigafter Longinus – died March 1963
10th pastor; first American-born pastor; Reading native; served 31 years through Depression, WWII and into the eve of Vatican II.
- Father Francis FoxMay 26, 1963 – 1981
Led the parish through the post-Vatican II years for 18 years before retiring.
- Rev. Frederick SattlerJune 15, 1981 – 1984
Oversaw the difficult 1983 consolidation of the school with St. Patrick's into All Saints School; succeeded by Fr. Henry in May 1984.
- Father Donald H. HenryMay 1984 –
13th pastor; convened the first Parish Council (July 8, 1984), updated the liturgy, redecorated the sanctuary, and led the successful 150th Anniversary capital campaign of 1991.
- Rev. Kevin J. Bobbin
Current Pastor (also referred to on the website as 'Father Bobbin' / 'Father Bob').