St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Parish History

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish was established on March 1, 1948 by Bishop George L. Leech to serve the overflowing Catholic population of St. Francis of Assisi Parish east of Harrisburg, drawing families from Penbrook, Susquehanna Township, and Lower Paxton Township. Father Francis A. Kirchner, previously an assistant at St. Patrick Cathedral, was the founding pastor; he celebrated the first Mass in a Studebaker automobile showroom while funds were raised for a permanent home. A church, school, and social hall were built on Herr Street in Penbrook, where Bishop Leech celebrated the first Mass on October 29, 1949, and where four School Sisters of Notre Dame opened the parish school that same year. The parish grew steadily — adding classrooms and a convent through the 1950s — and was served by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate from 1970 to 1995 during a diocesan priest shortage. By the 2000s the original Herr Street campus was landlocked, so the parish built a new 19-acre campus at 2800 Paxton Church Road, dedicating its Romanesque-style church on April 10, 2010, and reaching its 75th anniversary in 2023.

Our Patron Saint: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690)

Margaret Mary Alacoque was born in a remote village of France in 1647 and entered the Convent of the Visitation in Paray-le-Monial at age 24. Beginning on December 27, 1673, she received a series of visions of Jesus revealing His Sacred Heart — a heart wounded, crowned with thorns, encircled in flame and light — as a symbol of His love for humanity. Jesus asked her to receive Holy Communion frequently, to spend time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament on the first Friday of each month, and to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart. She died at age 43 on October 17, 1690; Pope Benedict XV canonized her in 1920. The Feast of the Sacred Heart was placed on the universal Roman calendar in 1856 and approved for the Church universal by Pope Clement XIII in 1765. The parish's devotion to the Sacred Heart is expressed in perpetual adoration, a monthly First Friday Holy Hour, and an annual Sacred Heart Novena.

• Feast day: October 17
• Canonized: 1920 by Pope Benedict XV
• Vision site: Paray-le-Monial, France
• First revelation: December 27, 1673

Church & Campus

The parish operates across two campuses. The newer church at 2800 Paxton Church Road is built in the Romanesque style, with a 14,240-square-foot sanctuary seating 800 and designed so that two future 120-seat transept additions will complete its cruciform plan. It includes a meeting room, bride's and children's rooms, priest's and church sacristies, two confessionals, shrines, full accessibility, and assistive listening. A new rectory was built on the same grounds in fall 2010, and future plans call for a Parish Center and school facilities on the property. The original Penbrook campus at 2848 Herr Street continues to house the parish offices, and 2826 Herr Street houses St. Margaret Mary School.

• Church address: 2800 Paxton Church Road, Harrisburg, PA 17110
• Parish Office: 2848 Herr Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103
• School: 2826 Herr Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103
• Site size: 19 acres at Paxton Church Rd. & Crums Mill Rd.

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Faith Formation at St. Margaret Mary accompanies children and adults at every stage of Catholic life. Children in PreK through Grade 8 gather weekly for grade-level catechesis using Our Sunday Visitor's Alive in Christ curriculum, with First Reconciliation in Grade 2 and First Communion typically the same year. Middle-school students in grades 6–8 meet weekly for catechesis that integrates prayer, community, service, and faith formation, and 8th graders add a Theology of the Body program (Envision). High school Confirmation preparation uses the Chosen program and begins freshman year, with students completing service hours, retreats, sponsor selection, a letter of reflection, and a Confirmation interview before being confirmed. Adult Faith Formation includes Bible study, the Alpha program, Grow Groups, and other formation opportunities.

• Director of Religious Education: Nathan Delp (per Diocese of Harrisburg) / Jacqui Snyder (per parish site)
• Director of Youth Ministry: Noelle Daugherty
• Director of Adult Faith Formation: Kelly Reznicek
• Curriculum: Alive in Christ (Our Sunday Visitor)
• 8th Grade Theology of the Body program: Envision
• High school Confirmation: Chosen program (Ascension Press)

St. Margaret Mary School

St. Margaret Mary Catholic School, located at 2826 Herr Street in Penbrook, provides a faith-filled PreK-8 education grounded in the belief that teachers partner with parents as the primary educators of their children. The school community has been multicultural from its earliest days and emphasizes peacemaking, self-discipline, academic excellence, and service. The School Sisters of Notre Dame staffed the school from its 1949 opening through 1985. The parish also supports All Saints Catholic Academy, a regional Catholic school. The school's website (stmmparishschool.org) describes traditions such as May Crowning and the Living Rosary celebrated by 2nd and 8th graders, plus middle-school social and game nights.

• Grades: PreK-8
• Original 1949 enrollment: 110 students
• Staffed by School Sisters of Notre Dame 1949–1985
• Address: 2826 Herr Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103

Parish Life, Service, and Outreach

St. Margaret Mary's outreach is rooted in its patroness's vision of Christ's love poured out in service. The Knights of Columbus Council #16011 brings together Catholic men for faith, charity, and fraternity. The St. Vincent de Paul Society offers person-to-person assistance — rent, food, utilities, medication, gasoline — to those in need within parish boundaries, regardless of faith. The Bereavement Ministry walks with families through grief; the Refugee Support Group responds to Pope Francis's teachings on migrants; and Pastoral Care ministers visit parishioners in nursing homes. The annual Big Day of Service and the Harvest Sunday Food Drive (with donations to Loaves & Fishes Community Services) mobilize the parish for local mission.

• Knights of Columbus Council #16011 — meets 4th Tuesday of the month
• St. Vincent de Paul Society — aid for rent, food, utilities, medication, gas
• Bereavement Ministry
• Refugee Support Group
• Pastoral Care / Nursing Home visits
• Charitable Contributions Committee
• Big Day of Service (annual)
• Harvest Sunday Food Drive (benefits Loaves & Fishes Community Services)

Parish Staff & Clergy

The parish is led by Father Leo M. Goodman III, pastor, who has guided the community through a pastoral planning process described as assessing strengths, identifying opportunities, and cultivating a deeper missionary spirit. Father Samuel E. Houser, a former pastor, is retired and in residence. Deacon Francis J. Skorija assists at the parish. The pastoral and administrative team includes a Director of Religious Education, a Director of Youth Ministry, a Director of Adult Faith Formation, a bookkeeper (Toni Crawford), and a parish secretary (Colleen Patrick).

• Pastor: Rev. Leo M. Goodman III
• Retired in Residence: Rev. Samuel E. Houser
• Deacon: Deacon Francis J. Skorija
• Bookkeeper: Toni Crawford
• Parish Secretary: Colleen Patrick

Becoming a Parishioner & Electronic Giving

St. Margaret Mary welcomes new members of all cultures and backgrounds to register as parishioners. A New Parishioner Registration Form can be downloaded from the parish website or obtained at the Parish Office. Completed forms may be mailed to 2848 Herr Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103, or emailed to [email protected]. The parish also offers secure online electronic giving for weekly offerings, allowing parishioners to set up recurring gifts through the parish website.