About St. Margaret · Reading, Pennsylvania
St. Margaret Roman Catholic Church is a historic parish in Reading, Pennsylvania, located in the Centre Park Historic District at 925 Centre Avenue. Founded in 1920 by Archbishop (later Cardinal) Dennis Dougherty of Philadelphia as a mission to Reading's growing Catholic population north of Walnut Street, the parish is named for St. Margaret of Scotland, the 11th-century queen celebrated for her charity and her founding of churches and monasteries. Today St. Margaret operates under the Diocese of Allentown and offers Mass in both English and Spanish, along with Monday Eucharistic Adoration, the Perpetual Miraculous Medal Novena, an active CCD/religious education program, the Legion of Mary, RCIA, and a long-running parish fair. Its bilingual identity (English on Centre Ave. and Spanish ministry) makes it one of the distinctive Catholic communities of Berks County.
- Established
- 1920
- Patron
- St. Margaret of Scotland
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph S. Ganser
- Diocese
- Diocese of Allentown
Why belong here
St. Margaret offers the rare combination of more than a century of Catholic heritage, weekday Mass offered every day, and a true bilingual parish where English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics worship side-by-side under one roof. Members are drawn by the famous Perpetual Miraculous Medal Novena tradition (running since 1933 and once preached by a young Fulton J. Sheen), daily and Sunday Mass, all-day Monday Eucharistic Adoration, an active Legion of Mary, the Catholic Women's Club of Reading and Berks County, a parish fair, and a CCD/RCIA program that has formed generations of Reading Catholics. The Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on Centre Avenue is itself a reason to visit — a beautiful legacy of 1930s parish faith.
Mass times at St. Margaret
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
- Saturday 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Adoration times
- Monday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament)
History of St. Margaret Parish
St. Margaret Parish was established February 8, 1920 by Archbishop (later Cardinal) Dennis Dougherty of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to serve Reading's growing Catholic community north of Walnut Street. Father Edward F. X. Curran was named founding pastor, and the original territory stretched from Leesport in the north to Buttonwood Street in the south, west to the Schuylkill River. The first Mass was celebrated in a rented hall in the Royal Theatre at Church and Spring Streets, while the parish built a basement church and combination school on land between Centre Avenue and Third Street; the first Mass in that basement church was Easter Sunday, April 16, 1922, and the school opened in September 1922 staffed by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
- Established February 8, 1920 — Philadelphia Archdiocese
- Founding pastor: Rev. Edward F. X. Curran
- First Mass on parish land: Easter Sunday, April 16, 1922
- Upper church blessed April 11, 1926 by Auxiliary Bishop Michael Crane
- Present church completed 1970 under Father Andrew Lenahan
The Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
One of the most distinctive features of the parish is its outdoor Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, dedicated Sunday, August 14, 1938. It was built with an anonymous donor's gift after parishioners and the courts blocked a Depression-era plan to lease the corner of parish property to an oil company for a gas station — a decision parish history describes as 'Providential.' The shrine still stands on the church property and is recognized as a city landmark and beauty spot of Reading.
- Dedicated August 14, 1938
- Built by an anonymous donor
- Replaced a would-be gasoline service station
- Linked to the Perpetual Miraculous Medal Novena begun in 1933
Perpetual Miraculous Medal Novena
The parish's signature devotion is its Perpetual Miraculous Medal Novena, first introduced in 1933 by Father Edward Devine during the Depression. It grew so quickly that within a few years it was celebrated three Mondays each week, sometimes drawing 1,500 people — and a young Monsignor Fulton J. Sheen was among its early preachers. The novena continues today as part of Monday's devotions alongside Eucharistic Adoration.
- Founded 1933 by Father Edward Devine
- Early preacher: Monsignor (later Bishop) Fulton J. Sheen
- At its peak, three Monday services drawing ~1,500 attendees
Parish Ministries and Groups
The parish supports a number of long-standing ministries listed on its website, including CCD religious education, RCIA for adults, the Legion of Mary, the Catholic Women's Club of Reading and Berks County, the altar server ministry, a marriage help ministry, and the parish fair committee. A bilingual Parish Ministry Fair has been held to introduce parishioners to these opportunities.
- CCD / Religious Education
- RCIA
- Legion of Mary
- Catholic Women's Club of Reading and Berks County
- Altar Servers
- Marriage Help ministry
- Parish Fair committee
St. Margaret of Scotland School
St. Margaret School opened in September 1922 under the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who served the school for 97 years until withdrawing in June 2019. Located in the Centre Park Historic District, the elementary school served pre-kindergarten through eighth grade with the Aquinas Program for students with learning disabilities, ESL support, CYO sports, and service opportunities. On April 2024, administrator Father Juan Rodriguez and the Diocese of Allentown announced that the school — then serving 155 students, down 125 since 2015 — would close at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. The parish hosted an open house to mark the closure in August 2025.
- Founded September 1922
- Staffed by Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for 97 years (1922–2019)
- Pre-K through 8th grade
- Aquinas Learning Support Program; ESL services
- CYO athletics: Basketball, Cross Country, Declamation, Spelling Bee, Kitchen Kapers
- Closed end of 2024-25 academic year
Sacramental Life
Beyond the daily Mass schedule, the parish offers the full sacramental life of the Church: weekday and Sunday Mass, Friday and Saturday confessions, baptisms, weddings, Anointing of the Sick by request, and the RCIA process for adults seeking full initiation. The parish website maintains a dedicated Sacramental / Vida Sacramental page reflecting its bilingual character.
- Baptism
- Marriage preparation
- Reconciliation (Friday & Saturday)
- Anointing of the Sick
- RCIA
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Edward F. X. Curran1920–1924
Founding pastor; oversaw construction of basement church and opening of parish school in 1922.
- Rev. William McShain1924–1931
Died November 26, 1931 at age 42 from the strains of pastoring during the Depression.
- Rev. John Fealeyearly 1930s
Succeeded Father McShain.
- Rev. Edward DevineDecember 1931–c.1933
Introduced the Perpetual Miraculous Medal Novena in 1933, later preached by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.
- Rev. Raymond J. O'Donnellc.1933–1956
Fifth pastor; shepherded the parish through World War II.
- Rev. A. Bennet Conway1956–1960
Previously pastor of Holy Family, New Philadelphia; parish reached 1,200 families and 425 students under him.
- Rev. Joseph HartleySeptember 1960–1964
Purchased Bausher (925 Centre Ave.) and Fegley properties; died September 24, 1964.
- Rev. Andrew LenahanDecember 1964–c.1972
Implemented Vatican II reforms and oversaw construction of the present church, completed 1970.
- Rev. John Auchter1972–
Ninth pastor; Reading native and Central Catholic grad; established the Monday Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
- Rev. Ángel L. García-Almodóvar
Assigned to St. Paul Parish, Allentown in the June 2023 reassignments.
- Rev. Juan Rodriguez2014–2023 (administrator)
Administrator; in 2024 announced the closure of St. Margaret of Scotland School at the end of 2024-25.