About St. Luke the Evangelist · Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
St. Luke the Evangelist is a Catholic mission church in Mercersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, administered as part of St. Mark and St. Luke Parish together with St. Mark the Evangelist in nearby Greencastle. It belongs to the Diocese of Harrisburg and serves Mercersburg-area Catholics with a Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM at its Overhill Drive location. The mission shares pastoral staff, religious education programs, and a parish council with St. Mark the Evangelist, forming a single two-site parish family rooted in a nearly eighty-year history of Catholic worship in the Mercersburg community.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Luke the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Augusty Valomchalil
- Diocese
- Diocese of Harrisburg
Why belong here
St. Luke the Evangelist Mission is a small, long-standing Catholic community that has worshipped in Mercersburg since 1946 and offers a single Sunday Mass each week in a welcoming setting. As part of the combined St. Mark and St. Luke Parish, members benefit from a robust religious education program for ages 3 through high school — including Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Family Catechesis, Confirmation preparation, and high school catechesis — along with choirs, parish council, finance and buildings-and-grounds committees, and outreach opportunities. It is a faithful place for Mercersburg-area Catholics to encounter Christ in the Eucharist and to live the parish's call to be 'a family of families' sent to imitate Christ through love of neighbor.
Mass times at St. Luke the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays after the 11:00 AM Mass at St. Luke (per diocese listing)
- Anytime by appointment — please call the Parish Office
Adoration times
- Holy Hour with Morning Prayer and Rosary, Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM at St. Mark the Evangelist, Greencastle (followed by 9:00 AM daily Mass)
History of St. Luke the Evangelist Mission
Catholic worship in Mercersburg began in October 1946 with a Mass at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Lynch. A Fayette Street home was purchased in 1947 and served as the worship site until 1960, after which the basement of the Mercersburg Inn became the Mass venue for eight years. During this period, priests from Corpus Christi Parish in Chambersburg traveled to Mercersburg for Sunday and Holyday Masses and pastoral duties, while children received their religious education at Corpus Christi with help from the Sisters of St. Joseph.
- 1946 — First Mass at the Lynch home
- 1947 — Fayette Street house purchased for Sunday Mass
- 1960–1968 — Mass celebrated in the basement barroom of the Mercersburg Inn
- Spring 1968 — Present church completed on six acres at Overhill Drive & Black Road
- 1968 — Solemn Mass of dedication celebrated by Bishop Joseph Daley, Bishop of Harrisburg
- October 8, 1978 — Burning of the mortgage
- July 1, 1995 — Pastoral care transferred to St. Mark the Evangelist, Greencastle, by decree of Bishop C. Datillo
Mission Statement
The parish mission statement adopted for both St. Mark and St. Luke expresses a shared identity and apostolic purpose, calling the community to be a family of families centered on the Eucharist and sent out in love of neighbor.
- We are CALLED to be a family of families, drawn together by the Holy Spirit into communion with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist for the glory of God the Father.
- We are SENT to imitate Christ by living the Gospel through love of neighbor.
Daily Mass, Holy Hour and Rosary at St. Mark, Greencastle
At the sister church of St. Mark the Evangelist in Greencastle — the parish's principal worship site — the community gathers every weekday for a Holy Hour with Morning Prayer and Rosary at 8:00 AM, followed by daily Mass at 9:00 AM, Monday through Saturday. Livestreams of Masses are available through the parish website.
- Holy Hour with Morning Prayer and Rosary — Monday–Saturday, 8:00 AM
- Daily Mass — Monday–Saturday, 9:00 AM
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 5:00 PM at St. Mark
- Sunday Mass — 9:00 AM at St. Mark
- Livestreams of Masses via the parish website
Parish Staff and Pastoral Leadership
St. Luke shares its clergy and staff with St. Mark the Evangelist in Greencastle, forming one pastoral team that serves both worship sites. The parish office is located at St. Mark, 395 South Ridge Avenue, Greencastle, PA 17225, and is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM (closed Friday).
- Pastor: Fr. Augusty Valomchalil — 717-597-2705
- Deacon: Deacon Daniel R. Signore, III
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Lucy Schemel — [email protected], 717-597-2705
- Parish Secretary: Marie Truax
- Parish Bookkeeper: Heather May
- Parish Bookkeeper (also listed): Mark Horn
- Choir Directors: Karoline Schmal (St. Mark); Sally Straley (St. Luke)
- Parish Organists: Blair Kincaid, Fran Miller, Darlene Signore
Parish Council and Committees
Lay leadership at St. Mark and St. Luke is organized through a Parish Council, Finance Committee, and Buildings & Grounds Committee that oversee the temporal and pastoral life of both worship sites.
- Parish Council Chairman: George Ciucci
- Vice-Chairman: Jim Gocella; Secretary: Barb Danowski
- Elected/Appointed Members: Michael Buckley, Elizabeth Gibson, Heather May, Agnes Ritchey, Don Sholes, Jim Wertner
- Finance Committee: Jody Bittner, Robert Fignar, Amy Sanders
- Buildings & Grounds Committee: Marty Boscolo, Evan Brumfield, Garry Eichelberger, Dave Friese, Ron Little, Nick Sturm, Steve Zoretich
Religious Education and Faith Formation
St. Mark and St. Luke Parish runs a year-round religious education program for children, teens, and adults. Programs are designed for family involvement and welcome volunteers at every level.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Age 3 – Grade 3)
- Family Catechesis (Grades 4–6)
- Confirmation Preparation (Grades 7 & 8)
- High School Catechesis
- Registration fee: $30 per child for K–8 (additional $10 for 2nd grade; $65 for 8th grade); preschool and high school catechesis are free
- RCIA information offered for parents or teens who have not received First Communion or Confirmation
- Contact: Lucy Schemel, [email protected] or 717-597-2705
Sacraments
The parish follows the Diocese of Harrisburg's common policy for the celebration of the sacraments, with preparation classes and required timelines for Baptism and Matrimony. The pastor should be contacted directly for any sacramental need.
- Baptism: parents must attend an instructional class with Fr. Augusty; both parents required to attend
- Matrimony: contact Fr. Augusty 9–12 months in advance of the proposed date (Diocesan Common Policy)
- Anointing of the Sick and Eucharist for the sick/homebound: notify the Parish Office
- Reconciliation: Sundays after the 11:00 AM Mass at St. Luke; Saturdays 4:00–4:45 PM at St. Mark; or by appointment
Music and Liturgy
Liturgical music at the mission is led by a dedicated choir director supported by a team of parish organists who serve both worship sites.
- Choir Director (St. Luke): Sally Straley
- Choir Director (St. Mark): Karoline Schmal
- Parish Organists: Blair Kincaid, Fran Miller, Darlene Signore
Special Programs and Outreach
Beyond the regular liturgical and faith-formation schedule, the parish offers community-building and outreach programs such as Vacation Bible School and welcomes volunteer help across its ministries.
- Annual Vacation Bible School (held at St. Mark, e.g. 2026 VBS)
- Religious Education volunteer program for children, teens, and adults
- Fundraising traditions such as parish Bingo that historically supported the mission
Visiting and Contact Information
St. Luke the Evangelist Mission is located in Mercersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, with on-site parking at the church. The parish office that serves the mission is based at St. Mark the Evangelist in Greencastle.
- St. Luke the Evangelist Mission — 115 Overhill Drive (Overhill Drive & Black Road), Mercersburg, PA 17236
- Mailing address — P.O. Box 321, Mercersburg, PA 17236
- Parish phone — (717) 597-2705
- Parish email — [email protected]
- Parish website — https://www.stmarkstlukeparish.org
- Parish office at St. Mark — 395 South Ridge Avenue, Greencastle, PA 17225; open Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–4:00 PM (closed Friday)