About St. Joseph · Coatesville, Pennsylvania
St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia located in Coatesville, Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the Borough of Coatesville's Charles Street neighborhood. Founded in 1924 and now approaching its second century, the parish has been served since the early 2010s by the Franciscans of Mary (F.M.), a religious community that ministers here in both English and Spanish, giving the parish one of the strongest bilingual liturgical presences in western Chester County. St. Joseph functions as a territorial parish and works closely with neighboring Our Lady of the Rosary; its children attend Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic Elementary School in West Brandywine. The parish is known for daily Mass in two languages, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, the PREP religious-education program, and a long, documented pastoral succession stretching back a hundred years.
- Established
- 1924
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Komlan D. Gnangba, F.M. (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia (Deanery: Chester County West Parishes with Hispanic Apostolate)
Why belong here
St. Joseph is one of the few parishes in western Chester County offering daily Mass in both English and Spanish every week, with Sunday Masses at 6:30, 8:00, and 10:00 a.m. (English) and noon (Spanish), and a full weekday Spanish evening Mass. Eucharistic Adoration is available Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and the Holy Rosary is prayed publicly 30 minutes before each daily Mass. Families raising children in the faith will find a structured PREP program with First Communion and Confirmation preparation, and children attend Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic Elementary School in West Brandywine. With a centennial history behind it and an active Franciscans-of-Mary clergy leading both English and Hispanic communities, St. Joseph's offers a warm, bilingual, multi-generational home for Catholics in Coatesville and the surrounding townships.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before every Mass (half an hour before each scheduled Mass, in both English and Spanish)
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
About St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church sits at 404 Charles Street in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and is one of two Catholic parishes serving Coatesville along with neighboring Our Lady of the Rosary. The parish was established in 1924, making 2024 its centennial year, and belongs to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Deanery of Chester County West Parishes with Hispanic Apostolate. Its current ministry flows from the Franciscans of Mary (F.M.), who took on pastoral responsibility when the parish was reorganized as a territorial parish in 2012.
- Founded: April 1924
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- Deanery: Chester County West Parishes with Hispanic Apostolate
- Type: Territorial parish, bilingual (English/Spanish)
- Run by: Franciscans of Mary (F.M.)
Our History — A Centennial Parish (1924–2024)
The parish's history is well-documented in its own publication, 'The History of St. Joseph's Church, Coatesville, Pennsylvania, 1924 to 1998,' written by its second pastor, Rev. Michael P. Metro (who served 1929–1970) and preserved today by the Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (accession 1994.002). The Archdiocese records April 1924 as the founding month. In 2012 the parish was reorganized as a territorial parish and assigned to the Franciscans of Mary, whose bilingual missionary identity reshaped the parish's ministry to its growing Hispanic community. In 2024 the parish celebrated its hundredth anniversary.
- 1924 – Parish founded by Rev. Andrew Pavlis
- 1929–1970 – Long pastorate of Rev. Michael P. Metro (author of the parish history)
- 1970–1985 – Rev. Andrew J. Birosh
- 1985–1997 – Rev. Frances J. Dutko
- 1997–2015 – Rev. Cyril S. Ponisciak
- 2012 – Parish reorganized as a territorial parish, entrusted to the Franciscans of Mary
- 2024 – Centennial year, marked by a 100-Year Celebration T-shirt sale and parish-wide festivities
Our Priests & Pastoral Team
St. Joseph's is staffed by the Franciscans of Mary (F.M.). The current pastor is Fr. Daniel (Komlan D.) Gnangba, F.M., who is also in residence at nearby Our Lady of the Rosary, Coatesville. He is assisted by Fr. Awuh Hamilton Aku, F.M., Parochial Vicar. The parish's 'Our Priests' page publishes a rare, near-complete list of past pastors going back to 1924.
- Rev. Komlan D. (Daniel) Gnangba, F.M. — Parochial Administrator (current)
- Rev. Awuh Hamilton Aku, F.M. — Parochial Vicar (current)
- Fr. Eder Estrada, F.M. — Pastor 2016 – June 2025
- Fr. Antonio Gutierrez, F.M. — Parochial Vicar 2017–2021
- Previous pastors: Pavlis, Metro, Birosh, Dutko, Ponisciak, Oulds, Estrada
Parish Staff
Lay staff keep the parish office and faith-formation programs running. Office hours at the rectory are Monday & Wednesday 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., and Tuesday & Thursday 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. The office is closed Friday through Sunday.
- Rayma Garcia — Business Manager
- Olga Calle — Secretary
- Xóchitl Zavaleta — Coordinator of Religious Education (PREP)
Faith Formation — PREP (Parish Religious Education Program)
St. Joseph's PREP program provides religious education for parish children in grades 1 through 8. Children in Level 2 prepare for and receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist; children in Level 8 prepare for Confirmation. Sacramental preparation is built into the PREP calendar, which also includes parish-wide activities such as Holywins, the Stations of the Cross, and the Crowning of Mary. All PREP classes are held in the St. Joseph School building.
- Levels 1, 2, and 7: Sunday mornings 9:15–10:30 a.m.
- Levels 3, 4, 5, and 6: Tuesday evenings 6:30–8:00 p.m.
- Level 8: Saturday evenings 4:15–6:15 p.m.
- Coordinator: Xóchitl Zavaleta ([email protected])
Sacramental Preparation — 2025–2026 Dates
The PREP office publishes detailed sacramental dates each year. The following 2025–2026 calendar was published on the parish's Religious Education page and remains the parish's most clearly stated sacramental information.
- Confirmation — Sat., May 2, 10:00 a.m.
- Confirmation Rehearsal — Fri., May 1, 5:30 p.m. in the church
- Confirmation Reconciliation — Wed., April 29, 5:30 p.m. in the church
- Confirmation Mandatory Retreat — Sat., April 18, 9:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m. at the National Centre for Padre Pio, Barto, PA
- Confirmation Parent Meeting — Sun., March 22, 6:00 p.m. in the school hall
- First Communion — Sat., May 9, 10:30 a.m.
- First Communion Rehearsal — Fri., May 8, 5:00 p.m. in the church
- First Reconciliation — Tue., May 5, 5:00 p.m. in the church
- First Communion Mandatory Retreat — Sat., April 25, 10:00–11:30 a.m. in the school hall
- First Communion Parent Meeting — Sun., April 19, 6:00 p.m. in the school hall
Catholic School (Pope John Paul II Regional Elementary)
Parish children of elementary age attend Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic Elementary School, located at 2875 Manor Rd., West Brandywine, PA 19320. This is a regional Catholic school serving multiple parishes in the area. (Not directly run by St. Joseph's but is the school its PREP students attend.)
- School: Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic Elementary School
- Address: 2875 Manor Rd., West Brandywine, PA 19320
- Phone: 610-384-5961
- Principal: Sarah Kerins
Visit, Contact & Get Involved
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish at 404 Charles Street, Coatesville, PA 19320, by phone at 610-384-0360, or by email at [email protected]. PREP inquiries go to [email protected]. The 'Directions to our Parish' link on the website provides a map. The parish extends a bilingual welcome and invites all to 'come home' to St. Joseph's.
- Rectory Phone: 610-384-0360
- Rectory Fax: 484-288-8030
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon. & Wed. 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; Tue. & Thu. 3 p.m.–7 p.m.
- PREP Email: [email protected]
Territorial Boundaries (Archdiocese Map)
As a territorial parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, St. Joseph's defined boundaries cover a large portion of western Chester County — from Cedar Knoll Road and the West Brandywine/Honey Brook township lines east across South Manor Road (Route 82), First Avenue, Youngsburg Road, Strasburg Road, Frog Hollow Road, the East Fallowfield Township line, and Doe Run Road back west to Route 372. Parishioners from East Fallowfield, West Brandywine, and Honey Brook townships fall within its territory.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Andrew Pavlis1924–1929
Founding pastor of St. Joseph's.
- Rev. Michael P. Metro1929–1970
Long-tenured second pastor; later authored "The History of St. Joseph's Church, Coatesville, 1924–1998."
- Rev. Andrew J. Birosh1970–1985
- Rev. Frances J. Dutko1985–1997
- Rev. Cyril S. Ponisciak1997–2015
- Rev. John V. Oulds
Pastor 1999 to 2016 (dates as listed on parish website under previous priests).
- Fr. Eder Estrada, F.M.2016 – June 2025
First pastor from the Franciscans of Mary for the bilingual era.
- Fr. Daniel Gnangba, F.M.2025–present
Current Parochial Administrator; also in residence at nearby Our Lady of the Rosary, Coatesville.