About St. Malachi · Doe Run, Pennsylvania
St. Malachi Church (also spelled St. Malachy) is a tiny historic Irish Roman Catholic mission church at 76 St. Malachi Road in rural Londonderry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, near the village of Doe Run. The stone, stucco-covered chapel sits high on the rolling hills of Doe Run Valley beside an old cemetery whose oldest tombstone dates to 1771. It has been a mission church of what is now Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Parkesburg since the early 20th century, and Mass is celebrated there each Sunday at 9:30 AM. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985, St. Malachi is the oldest Catholic mission church still in use in southeastern Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia and a cherished landmark of early Irish Catholic settlement in the region.
- Established
- 1838
- Patron
- St. Malachy (Malachi) of Armagh, 12th-century Irish saint and reforming primate of Ireland
- Rector
- Father Sean O'Neill (Pastor of Our Lady of Consolation Parish, which administers St. Malachi as a mission)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Why belong here
St. Malachi offers something rare in the United States: a chance to worship in a 19th-century Irish Catholic mission chapel that has stood on the same Doe Run hillside since 1838, surrounded by the graves of the Maguire, Ferron, Dougherty, Kelly, Duffy, and McLaughlin families who founded it. Sunday Mass at 9:30 AM keeps the chapel a living parish, not a museum — and every member of St. Malachi is also a member of the wider Our Lady of Consolation Parish family of about 4,450 households, which offers weekday Mass, PREP religious education, OCIA, Knights of Columbus, charismatic prayer groups, and a full sacramental life. Visitors who come for the history, the Celtic heritage, and the quiet beauty of Doe Run Valley find themselves folded into a small but lively rural Catholic community.
Mass times at St. Malachi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM at Our Lady of Consolation Church, Parkesburg
- By appointment (call the rectory at 610-857-3510)
About St. Malachi Church
St. Malachi (often spelled St. Malachy) is a tiny historic mission chapel tucked into the rolling hills of Doe Run Valley in Londonderry Township, Chester County. Though it sits in the rural countryside, it is administered as a mission of Our Lady of Consolation Parish in nearby Parkesburg and remains an active Sunday worship site, not a museum. The chapel and its adjoining historic cemetery together occupy about two acres on St. Malachi Road, in an address commonly given as Doe Run or Cochranville, PA 19330.
- Mass celebrated every Sunday at 9:30 AM
- Mission of Our Lady of Consolation Parish, Parkesburg
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1985)
History
St. Malachi's story begins not with the building of 1838 but with the burial of young Thomas Maguire, who died of tuberculosis on August 12, 1771. His grave in what is now the chapel's cemetery became the spiritual seed of the parish: in the 1790s the Maguire family donated an acre around the grave, and in 1794 Andrew Maguire formally gave the land to the church. For decades, Jesuit missionaries from Delaware, Maryland, and Philadelphia rode circuit through the area to say Mass in barns and fields. The Diocese of Philadelphia finally granted permission to build in 1838, and on January 1, 1839 Father James A. Miller celebrated the first Mass in the still-unplastered, pew-less chapel.
- 1771 — Thomas Maguire buried on the site
- 1794 — Andrew Maguire donates the land
- 1838 — Chapel built under John Ferron (carpenter) and Henry Ferron & the Maguire family (masons)
- 1839 — First Mass celebrated by Father James A. Miller; Father Bernard McCabe appointed first pastor
- 1843 — First confirmation, by Bishop Francis Kenrick
- 1853 — Becomes mission of Seven Dolors parish (later Our Lady of Consolation) in Parkesburg
- 1854 — St. John Neumann confers confirmation
- 1871–1902 — Mission of St. Cecilia's, Coatesville
- 1902 — Returns to Parkesburg (Our Lady of Consolation) parish
- 1985 — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- 2013 — 175th anniversary Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput
Architecture and the Historic Chapel
St. Malachi is a one-story, rectangular stone building covered in stucco — deliberately plain and frequently compared to a Quaker meeting house rather than a typical Catholic parish church. That simplicity is part of its charm and the reason the chapel sits comfortably in a region historically shaped by Quaker settlement. Two glass cruciform candlesticks given by Father James A. Miller after that first 1839 Mass still stand on the altar.
- Built 1838, rectangular one-story stone, stucco-covered
- Major improvements in 1865 and 1937 (centennial)
- Electricity and central heating added after 1973 under Father George
- Indoor plumbing, well, and air conditioning added in the 1990s under Father Van de Paer, C.I.C.M.
- Glass cruciform candlesticks from Father Miller still on the altar
- Set on a hilltop above Doe Run, visible for miles around
- Iron-fenced cemetery on north and east sides with marble tombstones including names like Maguire, Dougherty, McKlee, MaGee, Kelly, Duffy, McLaughlin, and Ferron
Clergy and Parish Staff
Because St. Malachi is a mission church, its spiritual care comes from the clergy and staff of Our Lady of Consolation Parish. The current pastor is Father Sean O'Neill, who was installed on September 14, 2019. He is assisted by Deacon Gene Favinger, Director of Religious Education Janice Dagney, Music Director Janeen Walker, Parish Business Manager Scott Ray, Maintenance Director Douglas Rohrer, and parish secretary Mary Beth Rohrer.
- Pastor: Father Sean O'Neill
- Deacon: Gene Favinger
- Director of Religious Education: Janice Dagney
- Music Director: Janeen Walker
- Parish Business Manager: Scott Ray
- Maintenance Director: Douglas Rohrer
- Secretary: Mary Beth Rohrer
Sacraments
Weddings are one sacramental highlight that involves St. Malachi directly: couples may marry either at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Parkesburg or at St. Malachi Chapel in Cochranville/Doe Run. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia requires at least six months of preparation, and OLC strongly recommends the Pre-Cana program offered right in the parish. Weddings are typically scheduled Fridays 11:00 AM–4:00 PM or Saturdays 11:00 AM–1:00 PM (no later than 1:30 PM because of Saturday confessions and the 5 PM Vigil Mass), and never on Saturday evenings or Sundays. All music for weddings must be church-approved sacred liturgical music; the Music Director works with couples on selections.
- Weddings at either OLC (Parkesburg) or St. Malachi Chapel (Cochranville/Doe Run)
- At least 6 months preparation; Pre-Cana program offered on-site
- No Saturday-evening or Sunday weddings
- Music must be approved sacred liturgical music only
- Baptism, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, Confirmation: contact the rectory
- OCIA for adults seeking initiation
Faith Formation and Ministries
Parish Religious Education (PREP) meets on Sunday mornings at the Schneider Parish Center from 9:15 to 10:45 AM, fitting neatly between the 9:30 AM Mass at St. Malachi and the 11:15 AM Mass at the Schneider Center, so that St. Malachi families can attend Mass in their historic chapel and still get children to class. OCIA (the new name for RCIA) meets on Wednesdays at OLC. Beyond formal catechesis, the parish supports a wide range of lay groups.
- PREP (Parish Religious Education Program)
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (Wednesdays at OLC)
- Knights of Columbus (monthly meetings at OLC hall)
- Charismatic Prayer Group (Tuesdays 7:30 PM at OLC)
- Joseph's Men's 'Average Joe' Prayer Group (Saturdays 7:30 AM at OLC hall)
- One8 young adult group
- LTJV youth ministry
- Card Ministry for seniors and homebound
- Young At Heart Senior Luncheon
- Community Blood Drive (Knights of Columbus)
Music and Liturgy
Music at St. Malachi and the wider parish is coordinated by Music Director Janeen Walker. For weddings she works directly with couples to select appropriate church-approved sacred liturgical music — no secular music is permitted in liturgical celebrations. Music fees and choices are discussed during the regular wedding-planning meetings with the pastor.
- Music Director: Janeen Walker (phone 717-799-3877)
- Sacred liturgical music only at liturgical celebrations
- Annual Celtic celebration at St. Malachi (anniversary tradition)
Outreach and Community Life
Outreach from the parish flows through several channels. The Card Ministry sends cards to seniors in nursing homes and homebound individuals, the Young At Heart Senior Luncheon gathers older parishioners monthly for food and fellowship, and the Knights of Columbus run an annual community blood drive at the Schneider Parish Center. AA meetings are held on parish grounds at the Schneider Center and the OLC hall, and One8 reaches young adults. The 175th anniversary Mass in 2013 — celebrated with a horse-and-carriage ride and Celtic celebration on the grounds — captured the strong sense of heritage that continues to mark parish life.
- Card Ministry for seniors and homebound
- Young At Heart Senior Luncheon (monthly)
- Knights of Columbus community blood drive
- AA meetings (Mondays and Thursdays)
- 175th anniversary Mass with Archbishop Chaput (2013)
Visiting St. Malachi
Visitors are warmly welcomed. The chapel sits on the rolling hills above Doe Run Valley and is visible for miles around — a familiar landmark in rural Chester County. The mailing address is 76 St. Malachi Road, Cochranville, PA 19330 (also given as Londonderry Township), and the historic iron-fenced cemetery surrounds the building on the north and east sides. The church restroom facilities are ADA-compliant and accessible to wheelchair users, with proper door sizes, enlarged stalls, grab bars, clearance space, and accessible fixtures. For current schedules, weddings, baptisms, or to arrange a visit, contact the parish rectory at Our Lady of Consolation in Parkesburg.
- Address: 76 St. Malachi Road, Cochranville (Londonderry Township), PA 19330
- Rectory phone: 610-857-3510; fax: 610-857-2353
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.olcchurch.org/
- Restroom ADA-accessible (Archdiocese listing)
- Iron-fenced historic cemetery on site
- Tug McGraw's funeral Mass was held here in January 2004
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father James A. Miller1839
Celebrated the first Mass on January 1, 1839; later a professor at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Gave the glass cruciform candlesticks still on the altar.
- Father Bernard McCabeappointed 1839
First pastor of St. Malachi; also served missions at Coatesville and Parkesburg.
- Father Joseph SweeneyFebruary 1902
Pastor of the Parkesburg (Seven Dolors) parish with St. Malachi as mission; left after one Sunday, disheartened by conditions.
- Father Thomas J. SullivanJune 1902 – c. 1907+
Led only 32 families in both churches; oversaw building and 1905 dedication of the present Our Lady of Consolation Church, which survived a 1906 fire and was rededicated in 1907.
- Rev. Dr. Simon Carr, Ph.D.June 1924 – September 1951
Transferred from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary; famously golfed with Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack.
- Father George1974 – 1993
Installed electricity and central heating in St. Malachi.
- Father Van de Paer, C.I.C.M.from 1996
Resident pastor who oversaw further renovations including indoor plumbing and a well.
- Father Victor J. Eschbach1994 – c. 2013
Pastor of Our Lady of Consolation; celebrated the 175th anniversary Mass with Archbishop Chaput in 2013.
- Father John Van de Paer
Pastor Emeritus of Our Lady of Consolation; continued to celebrate Mass at St. Malachi.
- Father Sean O'Neillinstalled September 14, 2019
Installed as pastor of Our Lady of Consolation Parish at Mass on Sept. 14, 2019.