About St. John the Evangelist · Connellsville, Pennsylvania
St. John the Evangelist is a Roman Catholic parish in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, founded in 1895 by Slovak immigrant families who came to work in the Connellsville region's booming coal-coke industry. Originally an ethnic Slovak parish under Bishop Phelan, it has served generations of Catholics in the greater Connellsville area and is now part of the Yough Catholic Community, a partnership of four parishes in Connellsville and Dunbar. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Greensburg and today offers a Sunday Mass, a Tuesday daily Mass, and Saturday confessions.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Diocese
- Diocese of Greensburg
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist welcomes Catholics and visitors into the Yough Catholic Community, a partnership of four parishes in Connellsville and Dunbar that shares Mass times, faith formation registration, online giving, bulletins, and a Facebook live stream. Parishioners can worship at the historic Connellsville church (Sunday 11:30 a.m. and Tuesday 8 a.m.), receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday mornings, and send their children through the community's faith formation program — all supported by a pastoral staff that serves both the Slovak-heritage parish and the wider Connellsville area.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 11:30 AM (St. John the Evangelist)
- And by appointment
Welcome to St. John the Evangelist
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, is one of four parishes in the Yough Catholic Community of Connellsville and Dunbar. The parish is rooted in the faith of Slovak immigrants who settled in the region in the 1800s and continues to serve Catholics in the greater Connellsville area today.
- Founded September 19, 1895 by Bishop Phelan's appointment of Father Raymond Widner
- Part of the Yough Catholic Community partnership of parishes
- Located at 908 W Crawford Ave., Connellsville, PA 15425
History of the Parish
St. John the Evangelist was established in 1895 to serve Slovak immigrant families who had come to the Connellsville coke region. The parish quickly outgrew its first (purchased) church and built a larger one in 1899 that was blessed in 1900. Over the following decades the parish added a rectory, a cemetery, a brick school, and a convent for the Vincentian Sisters of Charity, weathering two world wars, the Depression, and the decline of the local mining industry.
- 1891: Slovak families petition the bishop for a parish with a Slovak pastor
- 1895: Father Raymond Widner appointed first pastor; cemetery land purchased
- 1899: New larger church completed (seating 533)
- 1900: Church blessed by Benedictine Father Nepomucene Jaeger (Nov. 26)
- 1903: Original church sold to Polish community, becomes Holy Trinity Parish
- 1907: Additional cemetery land purchased
- 1918–1954: Father Stanislaus Moravek serves as the longest-tenured pastor
- 1924: Brick school built; 1925 Vincentian Sisters of Charity arrive
- 1966: School consolidates into Conn-Area Catholic School
- 1968: School building vacated; 1979 demolished
- 1984: Major renovation begins under Father Leonard Stoviak
- 2007: Partnership with St. Rita Parish under Father Ron Cyktor
- 2009: Partnership expands to include Immaculate Conception Parish under Father Joseph Bonafed
Building, Renovation & Cemetery
The present church, completed in 1899 at a cost of about $14,000, has been carefully maintained across the decades. A major renovation begun in 1984 refurbished the stained-glass windows and added new lighting, air conditioning, a sound system, painting, and carpeting; the social hall was remodeled with a new kitchen and tile floor. The parish also operates its own cemetery, with land originally acquired in 1895 and expanded in 1907.
- Current church built 1899, seating for 533
- Stained-glass windows refurbished in 1984 renovation
- New HVAC, lighting, sound system, and interior finishes added
- Social hall remodeled with new kitchen and tile floor
- Parish cemetery with land purchased in 1895 and 1907
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Faith formation for children of the parish is offered through the Yough Catholic Community program. General (non-sacramental) registration can be completed online, while sacramental preparation registration requires attendance at an in-person parent meeting.
- Online registration available for general Faith Formation
- Sacramental Preparation requires in-person Parent Meeting
Online Giving, Bulletins & Live Stream
The parish participates in several shared resources of the Yough Catholic Community to keep parishioners connected and supported.
- Online Giving (parish-level giving portal)
- Weekly parish bulletins
- Liturgical Minister Schedule
- Facebook Live Stream of Masses
Visiting St. John the Evangelist
St. John the Evangelist is located on West Crawford Avenue in Connellsville, in the same southwestern Pennsylvania region long associated with the coke industry. The parish phone line is shared across the Yough Catholic Community office.
- Address: 908 W Crawford Ave., Connellsville, PA 15425
- Parish office phone: (724) 628-6840
- Website: youghcatholic.org/st-john-the-evangelist
- Diocese: Diocese of Greensburg (Deanery 6)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Raymond Widner1895–
Founding pastor; appointed September 19, 1895 by Bishop Phelan; president of the first Catholic Slovak Union.
- Father Stanislaus Moravek1918–1954
Ninth pastor of the parish and longest-serving; shepherded the community through both world wars, the Depression, and the decline of the local coke and mining industries.
- Father Leonard Stoviakfrom 1984
Led an extensive renovation of the parish plant beginning in 1984, including refurbishment of the stained-glass windows.
- Father Ron Cyktorfrom 2007
Pastored the newly formed partnership of St. John the Evangelist with St. Rita Parish beginning in 2007.
- Father Joseph Bonafedfrom 2009
Took over leadership of the expanded partnership adding Immaculate Conception Parish in 2009.