About St. Margaret Mary - Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish · Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh serving Moon Township, Coraopolis, and Crescent, Pennsylvania. It was formed on January 4, 2021 through the merger of three historic parishes — St. Margaret Mary (Moon Township), St. Catherine of Siena (Crescent), and St. Joseph (Coraopolis) — as part of Bishop David Zubik's 'On Mission for The Church Alive!' initiative. Today the unified parish operates from a single administrative center at 1 Parish Place in Moon Township while continuing to celebrate Mass and the sacraments in each of the three historic church buildings.
- Established
- 1956
- Rector
- Rev. Francis M. Kurimsky, MDiv, MA
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish welcomes parishioners across three communities into one Catholic family, with Mass and the sacraments still offered in each of the three historic church buildings. The parish runs a full ministry life — Faith Formation for all ages, OCIA (formerly RCIA), Youth Ministry for both middle and high school students, Music Ministry, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who bring the Eucharist to the homebound and those in hospitals and nursing homes, and an on-site Preschool and Daycare — rooted in the long local histories of St. Margaret Mary, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Joseph.
Mass times at St. Margaret Mary - Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- St. Margaret Mary, Moon Township: Wednesday 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
- St. Margaret Mary, Moon Township: Saturday 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon
- St. Catherine of Siena, Crescent: Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
- St. Joseph, Coraopolis: Wednesday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- St. Joseph, Coraopolis: Saturday 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Parish Identity & History
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, serves Moon Township, Coraopolis, and Crescent, Pennsylvania from a unified administrative center at 1 Parish Place, Moon Township, while celebrating Mass and the sacraments in each of three historic church buildings: St. Margaret Mary (Moon), St. Catherine of Siena (Crescent), and St. Joseph (Coraopolis). The parish was formed on January 4, 2021 from the merger of those three parishes — a culmination of Bishop David Zubik's 'On Mission for The Church Alive!' initiative, announced in 2015, that grouped parishes under shared clergy teams beginning in 2018. St. Margaret Mary itself was established on June 8, 1956, tracing back to 1954 when local mothers approached the pastor of St. James in Sewickley about catechism classes. The first Mass was celebrated June 17, 1956, at the Mooncrest Community Center; groundbreaking for a temporary church came on August 17, 1958, with that building dedicated May 16, 1959. In 1969 plans were drawn for a permanent church; its cornerstone was laid December 1970, the first Mass inside was offered May 1, 1972, and formal dedication followed on August 27, 1972.
Clergy Team
The three merged parishes of Moon Township, Coraopolis, and Crescent are served by a single clergy team led by the pastor and supported by two senior parochial vicars and a permanent deacon.
- Rev. Francis M. Kurimsky, MDiv, MA — Pastor
- Rev. Vincent F. Kolo — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Mark L. Thomas, STL — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Robert A. Jancart, M.D. — leads OCIA inquiries (267-549-0909, [email protected])
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is the parish's catechetical mission for every age. Drawing on the USCCB's vision, the program embraces 'understanding and communicating the faith, skills needed for personal growth, the experience of family life, relationships, public service, and concern for the common good.' Religious Education students prepare for First Reconciliation in the second-grade year.
OCIA — Becoming Catholic
The parish's OCIA process (formerly RCIA) welcomes anyone who has never been baptized or who would like to become part of the Catholic Church. Deacon Robert A. Jancart leads the inquiry process — anyone hearing the call can contact him at (267) 549-0909 or [email protected]; no commitment is required to begin.
- OCIA Adult Inquirer Form available on the parish website
- First Reconciliation for adults is received through OCIA
Youth Ministry
The parish runs two complementary youth programs — a high school (Grades 9–12) ministry led by Bob Summers, Director of Youth Ministry, and a middle school (Grades 6–8) ministry the teens themselves named 'GLOW — God Loves Our World.' Both aim to help young people grow in a personal relationship with Christ through service, faith-sharing, retreats, and music.
- High School Mission Trip to serve the poor — destination varies each year
- Service Saturdays, Advent/Christmas and Lenten musicals, Faith Sharing, special-needs days
- Contemporary music for Sunday Mass
- Middle School kick-off event the last Saturday of August
- Weekly text reminders: TEXT @smmhi to 81010
- Contact: Bob Summers, [email protected], 724-674-4383
Liturgical Ministries
Lay faithful take a visible role in the celebration of the Eucharist through Music Ministry and as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, including those who bring Communion to the homebound, to parishioners in hospitals, and to those in nursing homes. Volunteers in any parish ministry must have current Safe Environment clearances per the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
- Music Ministry
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Eucharistic Ministers)
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Preschool & Daycare
Operating on the parish campus is the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Preschool and Daycare, an early-childhood program for the parish and surrounding community.
- Phone: (412) 264-9716
- Email: [email protected]
- Site: https://mshj.org/preschool-daycare
Locations & Hours
The unified parish operates from a single administrative office while continuing to use all three historic church buildings for Mass and the sacraments. Individual parish-office hours vary by site.
- Administrative Office — 1 Parish Place, Moon Township, PA 15108 — (412) 264-2573 — [email protected]
- St. Margaret Mary Church, Moon Twp — Mass and Confession times as above
- St. Catherine of Siena Church — 199 McGovern Boulevard, Crescent, PA 15046
- St. Joseph Church — 1301 5th Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108
Getting Involved — Safe Environment
Anyone wishing to volunteer in any ministry — Eucharistic Ministers, Music Ministry, Youth Ministry, Faith Formation catechists, or the Preschool/Daycare — must have current Safe Environment clearances on file with the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
- Safe Environment information: www.diopitt.org/compliance
- Online giving and recurring donations available via the parish website