About St Joseph · Milton, Pennsylvania
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the borough of Milton, Pennsylvania, situated in Northumberland County in the Diocese of Harrisburg. Its current brick church has stood on Broadway Street's "Academy Hill" since 1883, but Catholic life on this site reaches back to the late 1700s and a log cabin Mass house used by Irish immigrant canal workers. The parish of roughly 190 families is recognized in diocesan histories as the "gateway of the faith to central Pennsylvania" — the mother church from which several northern-tier parishes were later founded. Today it offers daily and weekend Mass, a 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays, First Saturday devotions, an active outreach to the homebound, and a parish center that hosts religious education, fundraisers and the Sunday 11 a.m. Mass.
- Established
- circa 1805 (200th anniversary celebrated in 2005)
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Dennis G. Dalessandro
- Diocese
- Diocese of Harrisburg
Why belong here
St. Joseph's is a close-knit, working-class parish family of about 190 households that has served the Milton area for more than two centuries. Worshippers find a strong devotional life — daily Mass, 24-hour Monday Eucharistic Adoration, First Saturday devotions to Our Lady, and the Sacrament of Penance offered before every weekend Mass. The parish is known for its outreach to seniors, the homebound and those in need, its religious education program, its parish-funded food assistance trust, and its lively community fundraisers (chicken Bar-B-Q, carnival, dinners, rummage sales, silent auction) that connect parishioners with the wider Milton community. As one longtime parishioner put it, the parish's goal is to model St. Joseph himself — quiet, faithful service — and to welcome Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Mass times at St Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM to 3:45 PM (parish website lists 3:15–3:45; diocesan directory lists 3:15–3:45)
- Sunday 7:15 AM to 7:45 AM (parish website; diocesan directory lists 7:30–7:45)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Monday 9:30 AM through Tuesday 9:00 AM (24-hour Eucharistic Adoration; per diocesan directory and third-party schedule)
- 1st Saturday following the 9:00 AM Mass (Exposition 9:45 AM, Benediction 10:30 AM, Closing 10:40 AM, at Church)
History of St. Joseph Parish, Milton
St. Joseph Parish traces its roots to the late 1700s, when Masses were first celebrated in the homes of area Catholics — many of them Irish immigrants who had come to work on the local canals. Soon after the turn of the 19th century, the faithful used a log cabin Mass house near the site of the current parish center for the celebration of Mass. The parish marked its 200th anniversary in 2005, making its formal organization date around 1805. In 1844, the first resident pastor, Father Hugh Fitzsimmons, built a brick church in town to serve the growing Catholic population of Milton.
- Late 1700s: Masses celebrated in homes of Irish canal-worker Catholics
- Early 1800s: log-cabin Mass house used for worship
- 1844: Father Hugh Fitzsimmons, first resident pastor, builds first brick church
- 1880: disastrous fire destroys the church
- 1883: present brick church dedicated on 'Academy Hill'
- 1955: Msgr. Vincent Topper opens the parish school
- Early 1990s: spacious parish center dedicated on Cemetery Road
- 2005: parish marks 200th anniversary with a 7-by-7-foot historical quilt
Mother Church of the Northern Tier
Described in diocesan histories as the 'gateway of the faith to central Pennsylvania,' St. Joseph Parish is the mother church from which a number of parishes in the northern tier of the Diocese of Harrisburg were later founded. For more than 200 years, it has anchored Catholic life in Northumberland County and the West Branch Susquehanna Valley.
- St. Monica — Sunbury
- St. Joseph — Danville
- St. Columba — Bloomsburg
- St. Joseph — Berwick
- Sacred Heart — Lewistown
- St. Patrick — Trevorton
- St. Pius X — Selinsgrove
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is currently served by Rev. Dennis G. Dalessandro, who arrived in September 2024 as the new pastor. The parish office is staffed Monday through mid-week (see 'Getting in Touch'), and a Parish Council, director of religious education, and lay ministry leaders help carry out the parish's mission.
- Rev. Dennis G. Dalessandro — Pastor (since September 2024)
- Parish Council
- Anne Rocktashel — Director of Religious Education (as of 2021)
- Parish office staff and lay liturgical ministers (Eucharistic Ministers, sacristans, music ministry)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's religious education program is directed by Anne Rocktashel and operates out of the parish center on Cemetery Road, which has been the home of religious education classes since the early 1990s. In addition to classroom catechesis, the parish prepares students for the sacraments — Bishop Ronald Gainer, for example, conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on four young parishioners during the 2021 Corpus Christi pastoral visit.
- Religious education classes held at the Parish Center
- Director of Religious Education: Anne Rocktashel
- Sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation)
- Family and youth catechesis as part of parish life
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is at the heart of the parish's identity. During the COVID-19 pandemic the ministry to seniors and the homebound deepened — volunteers mailed weekly letters, delivered monthly home-cooked meals, sent birthday and holiday cards, and visited the homebound and parishioners in local rehab centers. Through a parish trust fund bequest, the parish also distributes thousands of dollars in food assistance each year to people in need, parishioners and non-parishioners alike.
- Outreach to senior citizens and the homebound
- Visits to local rehab centers
- Weekly letters and monthly home-cooked meals to the homebound
- Birthday and holiday remembrances
- Parish food-assistance trust fund (distributed to those in need)
- Children and youth ministry
- Ministry to new moms
- Social concerns / social justice committee
Fundraisers & Parish Community
The parish has long been known for its hardworking, blue-collar spirit and a robust calendar of fundraisers that connect parishioners with the wider Milton community. Money raised supports parish operations, debt reduction, and charitable works, while also building relationships with non-Catholics in the area.
- Annual Chicken Bar-B-Q
- Annual St. Joseph Parish Carnival
- Rummage sales and silent auctions
- Parish dinners (including an annual St. Joseph feast dinner)
- Harvest Festival food stand in the local community
- Emmitsburg Pilgrimage (annual trip)
Parish Center & St. Joseph Cemetery
The parish center, dedicated in the early 1990s, is a spacious facility located about a mile from the church on the east side of Route 147 at 854 Cemetery Road. It is fronted by St. Joseph's historic Catholic cemetery and houses religious education classes, parish meetings, fundraisers, and the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass. The cemetery, administered under the auspices of the Diocese of Harrisburg, remains an important sacred space for the parish and the broader community.
- Parish Center: 854 Cemetery Road, Milton, PA 17847
- Dedicated in the early 1990s
- Houses religious education, parish meetings, fundraisers and the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass
- St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery: located along Cemetery Road, fronting the parish center
- Administered under the Diocese of Harrisburg
Getting in Touch & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone during posted office hours. The church is at 109 Broadway St on 'Academy Hill'; the parish office and center are at 854 Cemetery Road. Online giving is available through the parish website, and registration forms for new parishioners are linked from the homepage. The parish also maintains an active Facebook page with news, schedules, and event announcements.
- Parish Office: 854 Cemetery Road, Milton, PA 17847 — phone 570-742-4356
- Office Hours: Monday and Tuesday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM; Wednesday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Church: 109 Broadway St, Milton, PA 17847
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stjosephmilton.org (Online Giving and Registration Forms linked from the homepage)
- Facebook: facebook.com/p/St-Joseph-Catholic-Church-100064862461102
- Parking, restrooms and a social hall are available on site (per the diocesan directory)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Hugh Fitzsimmons1844 (first resident pastor)
Built the first brick church in Milton for the growing Catholic population.
- Msgr. Vincent Toppermid-20th century
Opened the parish's parochial school in 1955.
- Father John D. Hoke2012–2024
Appointed administrator March 1, 2012 by Bishop Joseph P. McFadden and named pastor on June 18, 2012. Former Navy chaplain (served with 22nd MEU in Afghanistan, Coast Guard, etc.). Died June 28, 2024, at age 74. Lifted the parish debt, deepened Eucharistic and Marian devotion, and grew the outreach ministry.
- Rev. Dennis G. DalessandroArrived September 15, 2024 – present
Current pastor; came to St. Joseph's as the new parish priest in September 2024.