St. Kateri Tekakwitha

Our Parish Story

St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church grew from a small Penns Valley mission into the first Catholic church in the United States to bear the name of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. The story begins in the mid-1970s when fewer than 30 families and individuals wanted regular Catholic worship in the Valley. From house Masses and a fairgrounds Liturgy in 1975, to a 1979 Liturgy at Patchwork Farm, to weekly Sunday Mass in the 'Upper Room' of the Millheim Theater beginning June 29, 1980, the community steadily grew under the care of mission pastors and its mother parish of St. John the Evangelist in Bellefonte.

• Fall 1975: First Mass celebrated at the Henry home in Centre Hall and at the fairgrounds by Msgr. Paul Lenz, pastor of St. John the Evangelist, Bellefonte.
• Spring 1979: Father Cingle of Our Lady of Victory Parish, State College, presided at Patchwork Farm in east Penns Valley.
• June 29, 1980: Father Jim Crookston celebrated the first weekly Mass in the 'Upper Room' of the Millheim Theater.
• The mission was called St. John's Mission in the Valley, after its mother parish.

Building the Church

Under the guidance of Father O'Malley — who suggested Blessed Kateri as patroness — and through the mutual efforts, prayers, and intercession of Blessed Kateri, the community secured a permanent home. Bishop Hogan purchased five acres along Route 45 in Gregg Township in 1981, ground was broken in 1982, and the cornerstone was laid on September 26, 1982. Bishop Hogan dedicated the finished church on June 5, 1983 — less than three years after the first weekly Mass in the theater.

• 1981: Bishop Hogan purchased five acres from Christ Beiler along Route 45 in Gregg Township.
• June 6, 1982: Ground broken for the new church.
• September 26, 1982: Cornerstone laid — the first in the U.S. for a church named after Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.
• June 5, 1983: Bishop Hogan dedicated the building.
• Construction supervised by Phil Bosak, a mission member.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha — Our Patroness

Known as the 'Lily of the Mohawks,' Kateri was born in Auriesville, New York, in 1656 to a Christian Algonquin woman and a Mohawk chief. Orphaned by smallpox at age four and left disfigured and partially blind, she was adopted by her aunts and uncle. As a teenager she converted to Catholicism, was baptized at age twenty, received First Holy Communion on Christmas Day, 1677, and professed a vow of Perpetual Virginity. She died April 17, 1680, at age twenty-four, with witnesses reporting that the smallpox scars vanished at her death. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012 — the first Native American to be declared a saint. Her feast day is July 14, and she is the patroness of the environment and ecology.

• Born 1656 in Auriesville, New York
• Baptized at age twenty; First Communion Christmas Day, 1677
• Died April 17, 1680, at age twenty-four
• Beatified 1980 by Pope John Paul II; canonized October 21, 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI
• First Native American declared a saint; patroness of the environment and ecology; feast day July 14

Sunday Hospitality & Fellowship

Every Sunday after Mass, the parish community gathers downstairs for light refreshments and fellowship — a small but meaningful expression of the parish's close-knit character and its mission to live the spiritual values of Christ through worship, education, and service to others.

• Sunday hospitality downstairs after the 12:00 PM Mass

Nittany Kateri Circle

The Nittany Kateri Circle is one of only 68 such circles in the United States and the only one in Pennsylvania. It exists under the auspices of the Tekakwitha Conference in Alexandria, Louisiana, gathering as a community of faith for prayer, learning, and outreach. Its work spans spiritual support, parish youth, and charitable giving — both locally and to Native American missions.

• Affiliated with the Tekakwitha Conference, Alexandria, LA
• Prayer request book at the back of the church; Circle prays a rosary on the fourth Thursday of every month for those intentions
• Gifts to youth at the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation
• Supports youth group charitable endeavors and parish service projects
• Financially supports St. Paul's Mission School in Hays, MT (serving ~100 Native American children) through Sr. Christine Ferrar
• Local community outreach to the food bank and to specific parish requests
• Contact: Karen Grove (update 5/20/2016)

Faith Formation — CCD

St. Kateri's parish-based religious education program (CCD) forms the children of the parish in the Catholic faith. The program is directed by Millie Turner, and families can contact her directly with questions.

• CCD Program Director: Millie Turner
• Phone: (814) 883-6474

Outreach: Food Pantry

St. Kateri Parish collects food year-round for the food pantry at New Hope Lutheran Church in Spring Mills, which provides food weekly to 50–60 families in the Valley. This long-standing partnership is a practical expression of the parish's mission to serve others in the local community.

• Year-round food collection for New Hope Lutheran Church food pantry, Spring Mills
• Pantry serves 50–60 families weekly in the Valley
• Contact: Michelle Wise, (814) 422-8452

Sacraments

The parish's Sacraments page acknowledges that the liturgical life of the Church revolves around the seven sacraments, instituted by Christ and given to the Church to administer, and necessary for salvation. The parish notes that 'More Information Coming' on the specific preparation and scheduling of each sacrament at the parish.

• Seven sacraments recognized (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, Matrimony)

Church Staff & Contact

Parish operations are led by the pastor, supported by the CCD program director, and assisted by volunteer liturgical ministers. The parish office is reachable by phone and visitors are directed to use the keywords 'Saint Kateri Tekakwitha 16875' on Google Maps to find the church directly.

• Father Brian Saylor, Pastor — (814) 355-3134
• Millie Turner, CCD Program Director — (814) 883-6474
• Parish phone: (814) 422-8983
• Mailing address: P.O. Box 159, 3503 Penns Valley Road, Spring Mills, PA 16875

Mission Statement

The parish's published mission statement expresses its identity as a faith community modeled on its patroness: 'The church family of St. Kateri Tekakwitha is bound together by our belief in Jesus Christ. As the Lily of the Mohawks loved the Lord, we too strive to live the spiritual values and teaching of Christ through worship, education, and service to others. We seek to know and love the Holy Trinity and by our actions be united with the mystical body of Christ.'