About St. Luke · Youngsville, Pennsylvania
St. Luke Church in Youngsville, Pennsylvania is a mission church of St. Joseph Parish in Warren, part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. Catholic life on the Youngsville site dates back to 1870, when Saint John Parish in Tidioute opened a mission church dedicated to St. Luke in Irvine; a new St. Luke church was later built in Youngsville and dedicated in 1957. The community was raised to parish status in 1958 and was merged into St. Joseph Parish effective February 13, 2017, at which time the Youngsville church returned to its earlier status as a mission. Today the faithful of Youngsville gather for Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m. and receive pastoral care from the priests and deacons of St. Joseph Parish, Warren.
- Established
- 1958
- Patron
- St. Luke the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Richard Tomasone
- Diocese
- Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
St. Luke is a small but enduring Catholic community serving the western reaches of Warren County from its church on North Main Street in Youngsville. Because it has been a mission of St. Joseph Parish in Warren since 2017, parishioners receive the full pastoral care of a larger parish — including a pastor, deacon, faith-formation leader, music coordinator and parish support staff — while continuing to worship in their own neighborhood each Sunday at 8:00 a.m. It is a place where the elderly faithful of Youngsville and the surrounding area can keep their Catholic life close to home, while drawing on the ministries, religious education and community of St. Joseph Parish.
Mass times at St. Luke
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment only
St. Luke Mission, Youngsville
St. Luke is a mission church of St. Joseph Parish in Warren, Pennsylvania, within the Diocese of Erie. It serves the Catholic faithful of Youngsville and the western part of Warren County from its location at 420 N. Main Street. The mission continues a Catholic presence at the site that stretches back more than 150 years and remains the Sunday worship home of the local Catholic community.
- Type: Mission church
- Parent parish: St. Joseph Parish, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. W., Warren, PA 16365
- Diocese: Erie
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 a.m.
History of the Catholic Community in Youngsville
Catholic life on the Youngsville site began in 1870 with a mission church dedicated to St. Luke built by Saint John Parish of Tidioute in nearby Irvine. Mass was first offered only monthly, then weekly. A new St. Luke church was constructed in Youngsville and dedicated in 1957, replacing both the Irvine mission and the Saint Agatha mission in Garland. The community was raised to parish status in 1958, and following renovations the church was rededicated on June 15, 1997.
- 1870: St. Luke mission church built in Irvine by St. John Parish, Tidioute
- 1957: New St. Luke church dedicated in Youngsville
- 1958: Youngsville community raised to parish status
- June 15, 1997: Church rededicated after renovations
2017 Merger into St. Joseph Parish
Faced with declining households, an aging congregation and a shortage of priests, Bishop Lawrence T. Persico decreed on September 20, 2016 that St. Luke Parish in Youngsville would be merged into St. Joseph Parish in Warren by extinctive union. The decree took effect February 13, 2017. St. Joseph Parish took on the territory of St. Luke, all sacramental records were retained at the St. Joseph offices, and all assets and liabilities were transferred. Because of the distance elderly parishioners would otherwise have to travel, the Bishop designated St. Luke church a secondary mission of St. Joseph, where Mass on Sundays, holy days and their vigils is permitted, and where Mass must be celebrated each year on the anniversary of the church's dedication and on the feast of its patron.
- March 9, 2016: Presbyteral Council consulted
- April 12, 2016: Preliminary merger plan announced
- June 28, 2016: Presbyteral Council gave overwhelming support
- September 20, 2016: Decree signed by Bishop Persico
- February 13, 2017: Merger effective; St. Luke becomes a mission of St. Joseph Parish
Clergy & Staff
Pastoral care at St. Luke Mission is provided through St. Joseph Parish in Warren. The current pastor is Rev. Richard Tomasone, assisted at the mission by Permanent Deacon Philip Skerda. Liturgical Music for the mission is coordinated by Cheryl Gruber, Religious Education is led by Jen Wortman, and parish support for the mission is handled by Mary Donahue. All are listed on the Diocese of Erie directory page for St. Luke.
- Pastor: Rev. Richard Tomasone
- Permanent Deacon: Deacon Philip Skerda
- Liturgical Music Contact: Cheryl Gruber
- Religious Education Leader: Jen Wortman — (814) 723-2090 ext. 15
- Support Staff: Mary Donahue
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education for St. Luke Mission is organized through St. Joseph Parish in Warren, with Jen Wortman serving as Religious Education Leader. Families of the Youngsville mission participate in the broader parish faith-formation program, including preparation for the sacraments and ongoing faith development for children and youth.
- Religious Education Leader: Jen Wortman
- Phone: (814) 723-2090 ext. 15
- Faith Formation office reachable through St. Joseph Parish, Warren
Ministries & Community Life
As a mission of St. Joseph Parish, St. Luke's faithful draw on the ministries of the larger parish community. The parent parish offers dozens of ministries for parishioners of all ages — youth ministry, Vacation Bible School, combined middle-school and high-school youth groups, a Welcome ministry, Building & Maintenance, and Pastoral and Finance Councils — inviting everyone to share their time and talents. Liturgical music at the mission is coordinated locally by Cheryl Gruber.
- Liturgical Music (mission-level contact: Cheryl Gruber)
- Youth ministry and Vacation Bible School (through St. Joseph Parish)
- Combined middle-school and high-school youth groups
- Welcome ministry
- Pastoral Council and Finance Council
- Building & Maintenance
Sacraments
Sacramental care for the mission is provided through St. Joseph Parish. The Sacrament of Penance at St. Luke is offered by appointment only. Holy Day Masses are scheduled by contacting the parish office. All sacramental records for the former St. Luke Parish are retained at the St. Joseph Parish offices in Warren, in accordance with the 2016 decree of merger.
- Sacrament of Penance: by appointment only
- Holy Day Mass: contact the parish
- Sacramental records held at St. Joseph Parish offices, Warren
Contact & Visit
St. Luke Mission is located at 420 N. Main Street, Youngsville, PA 16371. The parish mailing address is c/o St. Joseph Parish, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. W., Warren, PA 16365. Parishioners and visitors can reach the mission office at (814) 563-4432 or by email at [email protected]. The mission also maintains a Facebook page under the name St. Luke Roman Catholic Church, Youngsville PA, where news and updates are posted.
- Physical address: 420 N. Main St., Youngsville, PA 16371
- Mailing address: c/o St. Joseph Parish, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. W., Warren, PA 16365
- Phone: (814) 563-4432
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stjosephwarrenpa.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stlukecatholic.youngsvillepa/
Parent Parish: St. Joseph, Warren
St. Luke Mission is part of St. Joseph Parish in Warren, the first Catholic church in Warren, erected in 1850 to serve the mission community then in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Warren became part of the newly created Diocese of Erie in 1853, and in 1858 the Bishop of Erie raised St. Joseph to a parish and appointed its first pastor. The current St. Joseph church was dedicated on January 11, 1959. St. Joseph Parish runs an elementary school, a faith-formation program, and the wide range of ministries that now also serve St. Luke Mission.
- First Catholic church in Warren erected 1850
- 1853: Warren joined the new Diocese of Erie
- 1858: St. Joseph mission raised to a parish
- Current St. Joseph church dedicated January 11, 1959
- St. Joseph School, Faith Formation, Pastoral Music, Pastoral Council, Finance Council