About St. Mary Catholic Parish · Leeper, Pennsylvania
St. Mary Catholic Parish in Leeper (also known as St. Mary, Crown) is a rural Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Erie, established in 1848 and now part of a three-parish partnership with St. Joseph in Lucinda and St. Michael in Fryburg under the shared name 'Watch 4 Deer Catholic.' The parish sits at 117 Lencer Drive in the rolling farm country of northern Pennsylvania's Clarion County, where it continues to serve the Crown and Leeper communities with Mass, Adoration, confession, religious education, and a number of parish organizations including the Rural Catholic Women's group.
- Established
- 1848
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Brandon Kleckner, VF
- Diocese
- Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
St. Mary in Crown is a small, rural Catholic community with deep roots going back to 1848, where families know one another across generations and the faith is lived alongside the rhythms of farm life in the Leeper area. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass, weekday Eucharistic Adoration before each morning Mass, regular confession times, faith formation for children, and active parish groups such as the Rural Catholic Women's meetings in Stutz Hall. As part of the wider 'Watch 4 Deer' partnership with St. Joseph (Lucinda) and St. Michael (Fryburg), parishioners benefit from a broader liturgical and pastoral team while still gathering at their historic church for worship and fellowship.
Mass times at St. Mary Catholic Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday at 5:00 PM (5:00–5:45 PM) at St. Mary, Crown
- First Sunday of each month at 10:15 AM at St. Mary, Crown (historical schedule)
Adoration times
- Monday: 7:30 AM Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Mass to follow at 8:30 AM
- Wednesday: 7:30 AM Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Mass to follow at 8:30 AM (per the Erie diocesan listing)
- Friday: 7:30 AM Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament before the 8:30 AM Mass
Parish Identity & History
St. Mary Parish in Crown (sometimes listed under Leeper, its larger neighboring community) is a historic Roman Catholic parish in rural Forest County, Pennsylvania. According to the Diocese of Erie, the parish was established in 1848, and GCatholic records corroborate the same founding year. The parish has served generations of Catholic farm families in the Crown–Leeper area and, until 2023, also oversaw St. Ann Mission Church in nearby Marienville.
- Founded: 1848
- Diocese: Erie
- Locality: Crown / Leeper, PA
- Historical mission church: St. Ann, Marienville
A Three-Parish Partnership: 'Watch 4 Deer Catholic'
In October 2023 the Diocese of Erie formally partnered St. Mary with the already-paired parishes of St. Joseph in Lucinda and St. Michael in Fryburg. St. Joseph was designated the 'Main Church' of the partnership; St. Mary and St. Michael serve as the secondary churches. The shared website is watch4deercatholic.church, where Mass and confession times for all three parishes are posted together.
- Partner parishes: St. Joseph (Lucinda), St. Mary (Crown), St. Michael (Fryburg)
- Main Church: St. Joseph, Lucinda
- Shared website: watch4deercatholic.church
- St. Ann (Marienville) reduced to occasional weekday Mass, funerals, and weddings
Pastoral Staff & Clergy
The partnership is led by a small pastoral team who serve all three parishes. Very Rev. Brandon Kleckner, VF, was assigned as pastor of the partnered parishes in August 2025. He was ordained in 2012, holds a bachelor of arts in philosophy from Gannon University and a master of divinity from Saint Vincent Seminary, and has previously served in Clearfield, Erie, Greenville, and Fryburg. He is assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Chijioke (John) Nwankwo, a missionary priest from Nigeria who was sent to the Diocese of Erie by Cardinal Peter Ebere Okpaleke, and by Deacon Mike Dittman, who grew up in Clarion, served PennDOT until his 2015 retirement, and was ordained a deacon that same year.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Brandon Kleckner, VF
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Chijioke (John) Nwankwo
- Deacon: Mike Dittman
- Support Staff: Julie Lencer, Lisa Carroll
- Religious Education Leader: Sheila Martz
- Liturgical Music: George Karg, Sheila Martz
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education for parish children is coordinated through the partnership, with Sheila Martz serving as Religious Education Leader for St. Mary. Classes and sacramental preparation are organized across the three partnered parishes and run through the 2024–25 faith formation year and beyond.
- Religious Education Leader: Sheila Martz
- Sacramental preparation for children
- Family faith formation across the partnership
Liturgical Ministries & Music
St. Mary's liturgy is supported by an active group of liturgical ministers and musicians. George Karg and Sheila Martz coordinate liturgical music; lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, and ushers all play their part at weekend and weekday Masses. The parish bulletin frequently names the lay faithful who serve in these roles at each Mass.
- Liturgical Music: George Karg, Sheila Martz
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers
- Ushers
Parish Life & Fellowship
Outside the sanctuary, parish life at St. Mary centers on groups that bring generations together. The Rural Catholic Women's group holds regular meetings at Stutz Hall on the parish grounds, with themed evenings such as a presentation on Mary's apparitions at Fatima and Lourdes in May. Parishioners gather for breakfasts, May Crownings with the school community, and other seasonal celebrations that knit the small rural congregation together.
- Rural Catholic Women's meetings at Stutz Hall
- May Crowning with the school community
- Parish breakfasts and seasonal fellowship
Support Your Parish (Stewardship)
The parish encourages stewardship as a way of life and welcomes gifts both inside and outside the weekly envelope. For planned giving or bequests, the parish's legal name is 'St. Mary Parish Charitable Trust.' Gifts can also be made in person at any weekend Mass at any of the three partnered parishes.
- Legal name: St. Mary Parish Charitable Trust
- Address: 117 Lencer Drive, Leeper, PA 16233
- In-person giving at any weekend Mass
Visit, Contact & Directions
St. Mary Parish sits on Lencer Drive in Leeper, Pennsylvania — locally identified with the unincorporated village of Crown. From the blinking light in Leeper, drive north on Route 66 for 3 miles and look for the church sign. The parish office for the three-parish partnership is reached at (814) 226-7288 or [email protected]; the parish phone line is (814) 744-9919.
- Physical address: 117 Lencer Drive, Leeper, PA 16233
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 9, Lucinda, PA 16235
- Office phone: (814) 226-7288
- Parish phone: (814) 744-9919
- Email: [email protected]
- Directions: Route 66 north from Leeper, 3 miles, follow the church sign
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Christopher M. Barnes
Listed as pastor of St. Mary in older parish directories prior to the 2023 partnership and Fr. Kleckner's 2025 assignment.
- Very Rev. Brandon Kleckner, VFAssigned August 2025
Currently pastor of the partnered parishes of St. Joseph (Lucinda), St. Mary (Crown), and St. Michael (Fryburg). Previously served St. Michael (Greenville), St. Francis (Clearfield), and St. George (Erie); ordained in 2012.