About St. Joseph Church - Most Sacred Heart of Jesus · Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is a merged Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Pittsburgh that serves three western-Pittsburgh communities from three historic church buildings: St. Joseph Church in Coraopolis, St. Catherine of Siena Church in Crescent, and St. Margaret Mary Church in Moon Township. The parish was canonically formed by the January 4, 2021 merger of the three predecessor parishes under a single pastoral team and an Administrative Center located at 1 Parish Place in Moon Township. Weekend Masses are celebrated across all three church buildings, while Faith Formation, Youth Ministry, Music Ministry, a Childcare/Preschool, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul all serve the combined community from the parish's combined campus.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Francis M. Kurimsky, MDiv, MA
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus offers the rare combination of a traditional multi-site parish where three beloved neighborhood churches continue to celebrate weekly Mass on their own schedules, while a single unified staff coordinates a robust slate of ministries across the Coraopolis-Crescent-Moon corridor. Families can enroll children in Faith Formation and sacramental preparation (First Reconciliation and First Communion in second grade), teens in the high-school 'C.R.E.W.' program or the middle-school 'GLOW' program (with an annual Mission Trip), and preschool-age children in the parish Childcare/Preschool under Director Julie Heller. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul runs three local conferences (Crescent, Coraopolis, and Moon Township) for those called to corporal works of mercy, and a Music Ministry with a Choir Director and Assistant Organist supports sung liturgy at the parish's Masses.
Mass times at St. Joseph Church - Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:00 PM to 6:40 PM (St. Joseph)
- Saturday 4:30 PM to 5:15 PM (St. Joseph)
- Wednesday 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM (St. Margaret Mary)
- Saturday 11:00 AM to 12:00 noon (St. Margaret Mary)
- Saturday 3:15 PM to 3:45 PM (St. Catherine of Siena)
Adoration times
- Wednesdays 7:00 AM to 6:45 PM (St. Joseph Church)
About the Parish
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is a unified Roman Catholic community of the Diocese of Pittsburgh that serves three adjoining neighborhoods through three historic church buildings. The Administrative Center is in Moon Township, but every weekend Mass schedule and every church office keeps the character of its original neighborhood. The parish's name reflects the merged community's shared devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and a novena to the Sacred Heart is prayed at the conclusion of Wednesday Mass at St. Joseph.
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
- Administrative Center: 1 Parish Place, Moon Township, PA 15108
- Three church locations: St. Joseph (Coraopolis), St. Catherine of Siena (Crescent), St. Margaret Mary (Moon)
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
- Main phone: (412) 264-2573
History of the Three Predecessor Parishes
St. Joseph Parish in Coraopolis is the oldest of the three predecessor communities, with its parish canonically established in 1891 and its current church dedicated on May 31, 1925. The other two parishes, St. Catherine of Siena in Crescent and St. Margaret Mary in Moon Township, grew up to serve neighboring communities of the same general area along the Ohio River and the route to Pittsburgh International Airport. In response to demographic shifts and priest shortages, Bishop David Zubik's 'On Mission for The Church Alive!' initiative grouped the three parishes together; they were canonically merged on January 4, 2021 to create Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, while preserving each church as an active worship site.
- St. Joseph Parish established 1891
- St. Joseph Church dedicated May 31, 1925
- Merger effective January 4, 2021
- Three church buildings retained for regular Masses and sacraments
Clergy and Parish Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Francis M. Kurimsky, MDiv, MA, who also serves as Catholic Chaplain at Robert Morris University. He is assisted by two Senior Parochial Vicars, Rev. Vincent F. Kolo and Rev. Mark L. Thomas, STL, and by Deacon Robert A. Jancart, M.D. A full lay staff runs the offices of Faith Formation, Youth Ministry, Music, Communications, Business, and Maintenance, and an on-site Childcare/Preschool is directed by Julie Heller.
- Rev. Francis M. Kurimsky — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Vincent F. Kolo — Senior Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Rev. Mark L. Thomas — Senior Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Deacon Robert A. Jancart, M.D. ([email protected])
- Bob Summers — Youth Minister ([email protected])
- Kathy Petley — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Brenden Griffey — Music Director ([email protected])
- Judy Elias — Choir Director
- Mary Heagy — Assistant Organist
- Karen Vinci-Stack — Business Manager
- Sheflynn Strub — Administrative Assistant
- Robyn Culligan — Communications ([email protected])
- Patricia Grzybowski — Parish Data Systems
- Julie Heller — Childcare/Preschool Director (412-264-9716)
- Rich Forte — Maintenance Supervisor; Caleb Cowden & Brian Johnston — Maintenance Staff
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Under Director of Religious Education Kathy Petley, the parish Faith Formation program serves children in traditional classroom settings, homeschool families, and 'family formation' tracks, with First Reconciliation and First Communion normally received in second grade. The program includes a special-needs track called G.I.F.T. (Growing In Faith Together), where specially trained teen mentors accompany students with diverse learning needs through their faith-formation classes.
- Director: Kathy Petley ([email protected])
- Admin Assistant: Cathy Andres; Office Aide: Kathy Hunter
- First Reconciliation and First Communion in 2nd grade
- G.I.F.T. — Growing In Faith Together (special-needs faith formation with teen mentors)
- Family formation and homeschool tracks
- Mandatory First Communion practice held the day before the May First Communion Masses
Youth Ministry
The parish's Youth Ministry, led by Youth Minister Bob Summers (724-674-4383; [email protected]), runs two parallel programs: a High School C.R.E.W. for grades 9–12 and a Middle School GLOW ('God Love's Our World') program for grades 6–8. The high-school teens participate in an annual summer Mission Trip serving the poor; in 2025 they traveled to Jenkins, Kentucky, July 7–12, paired with a closing day at Kings Dominion that earns participants 40 NHS service hours. The ministry also runs Service Saturdays, Advent/Christmas and Lenten musicals, faith-sharing, special-needs days, and contemporary music for Sunday Mass, and welcomes adult volunteers.
- High School C.R.E.W. (Grades 9–12)
- Middle School GLOW — 'God Love's Our World' (Grades 6–8)
- Annual summer Mission Trip (2025: Jenkins, KY, July 7–12)
- Kings Dominion trip for 40 NHS service hours
- Service Saturdays, Advent/Christmas and Lenten musicals, special-needs days
- Contemporary music for Sunday Mass
- Adult volunteer opportunities welcomed
Music Ministry
Music Ministry is led by Music Director Brenden Griffey with Choir Director Judy Elias and Assistant Organist Mary Heagy supporting the sung liturgy at the parish's three Mass sites.
- Music Director — Brenden Griffey ([email protected])
- Choir Director — Judy Elias
- Assistant Organist — Mary Heagy
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The parish maintains three local conferences of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — one for each of its historic communities — so that home visitations and emergency assistance remain locally rooted even after the parishes merged.
- Crescent Conference — (724) 252-4631
- Coraopolis Conference — (412) 741-6650, prompt #8
- Moon Township Conference — (412) 397-7375
Childcare and Preschool
A licensed Childcare/Preschool program operates on the parish campus under Director Julie Heller. The program serves parish families and the surrounding community with care available Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
- Director — Julie Heller
- Phone — (412) 264-9716
- Hours — Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM–5:00 PM
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptisms are scheduled through the Administrative Office with paperwork due at least two weeks in advance and specific godparent requirements. First Eucharist and First Reconciliation are typically received in second grade through the Faith Formation program. Weddings are scheduled only through the Pastor/Administrator a minimum of six months in advance, and participation in a diocesan marriage-preparation program is required. The Anointing of the Sick is available by calling (412) 264-2573 and selecting Option #2 outside office hours.
- Baptism — call Administrative Office (412-264-2573); paperwork 2 weeks ahead; godparent requirements listed on website
- First Reconciliation — 2nd grade Faith Formation
- First Eucharist — 2nd grade Faith Formation
- Confirmation — through Youth Ministry
- Holy Matrimony — minimum 6 months notice through Pastor/Administrator; marriage-prep class required
- Anointing of the Sick — call (412) 264-2573, Option #2 after hours
- RCIA — adult initiation and First Reconciliation through RCIA