About St. Mary Of Grace Roman Catholic Church · Meadville, Pennsylvania
St. Mary of Grace Roman Catholic Church in Meadville, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1909 as a personal parish for Italian-speaking Catholics in the Meadville area, then part of the Diocese of Erie. After more than a century of independent life, in June 2021 it was merged by extinctive union with the neighboring St. Agatha and St. Brigid parishes to form the new territorial parish of The Epiphany of the Lord. St. Mary of Grace church at 1085 Water Street remains open as a secondary church of that combined parish — hosting a Tuesday noon Mass, the parish's annual feast-day Mass on July 2, funerals, and weddings — while weekend and holy-day Masses are celebrated at St. Agatha church. The parish is pastored by Fr. Jeffrey Lucas and belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- St. Mary of Grace
- Rector
- Rev. Jeffrey Lucas
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
St. Mary of Grace is the historic home of Italian-American Catholic life in Meadville and, since 2021, part of the welcoming, multi-heritage Epiphany of the Lord Parish — a community that has pledged to preserve the Italian (alongside Irish and German) religious and cultural patrimony of its predecessor parishes. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, faith formation for children and youth, a vibrant youth ministry, liturgical ministries (choir, lectors, altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, greeters), and outreach through Seton Catholic School and the Scrip fundraiser. St. Mary of Grace church continues to host the Tuesday 12:05 p.m. Mass and the annual July 2 feast-day Mass, giving parishioners a tangible link to more than a century of Meadville's Catholic Italian heritage.
Mass times at St. Mary Of Grace Roman Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday after the 8:00 a.m. Mass
- Saturday 3:30–4:30 p.m.
- By appointment (call the parish office)
Adoration times
- Tuesday and Thursday after the 8:00 a.m. Mass until 9:30 a.m.
- Third Monday of the month — Eucharistic Adoration (see bulletin for details)
St. Mary of Grace: An Italian Catholic Parish Since 1909
St. Mary of Grace was founded in 1909 as the Italian Catholic parish of Meadville, Pennsylvania, in response to a wave of Italian immigration after the turn of the 19th century. The first pastor was the Rev. Salvator Papandrea, who celebrated the parish's inaugural Mass on a Sunday morning in November 1909 in the Knights of Columbus hall on Water Street. Three years later, on November 3, 1912, the original church — a small white-walled building on Pine Street near the Bessemer Station — was dedicated by Bishop Fitzmaurice of Erie, with a sermon in Italian to a standing-room-only congregation and a weeklong mission that included confession in English, French, Italian and German.
- Founded 1909 for Italian-speaking Catholics of Meadville
- First Mass: November 1909, Knights of Columbus hall, Water Street
- First pastor: Rev. Salvator Papandrea
- Original church dedicated November 3, 1912 by Bishop Fitzmaurice of Erie
- Italian, English, French and German confessions at the 1912 dedication mission
Architecture and Buildings
The first St. Mary of Grace church was a modest Pine Street building seating about 260, with another 100 in the choir loft, an organ, stained-glass side windows, statues of the Blessed Mother and Christ at the side altars, and a large central electric chandelier. It served the Italian community until 1957. The present church at 1085 Water Street was dedicated in 1958 and re-dedicated on December 8, 1994 after extensive renovations.
- 1912 Pine Street church: ~260 seats + 100 in choir loft
- Current church: 1085 Water Street, dedicated 1958
- Re-dedicated December 8, 1994 after renovations
Merger into The Epiphany of the Lord Parish (2021)
In June 2021 the Bishop of Erie issued a decree merging the city's three heritage parishes — St. Agatha (German), St. Brigid (Irish), and St. Mary of Grace (Italian) — by 'extinctive union' into a new territorial parish called The Epiphany of the Lord. St. Agatha church was named the parish church; St. Brigid and St. Mary of Grace churches were designated secondary churches without mission status and remain open for weekday Mass, funerals, weddings, and the annual feast-day Mass. The decree explicitly charged the new parish 'to preserve and foster the German, Irish, and Italian religious and cultural patrimony' of the predecessor communities.
- Decree issued by the Bishop of Erie, June 2021
- Merger of St. Agatha, St. Brigid and St. Mary of Grace by extinctive union (can. 121)
- St. Agatha church named parish church of the new parish
- St. Brigid and St. Mary of Grace retained as secondary churches without mission status
- Annual feast-day Mass required on July 2 for St. Mary of Grace
Clergy and Staff of the Epiphany of the Lord Parish
The combined parish is led by Fr. Jeffrey Lucas as pastor, with Fr. Kyle Seyler serving as Parochial Vicar. Three permanent deacons — Edward Horneman, Kenneth Reisenweber and Todd Sommers — assist with ministry. Parish staff include Sarah Blood and Moira Mawn (office staff/bookkeeper), Chris McGinnity (Director of Music/Liturgical Music), Amy Mosbacher (Director of Religious Education / Faith Formation) and Sergio Cortes (Youth Minister).
- Pastor: Rev. Jeffrey Lucas
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Kyle Seyler
- Permanent Deacons: Edward Horneman, Kenneth Reisenweber, Todd Sommers
- Music Director: Chris McGinnity
- Religious Education: Amy Mosbacher (814-333-2274)
- Youth Minister: Sergio Cortes
- Office Staff: Sarah Blood, Moira Mawn
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the liturgies of the Epiphany of the Lord Parish as altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, greeters/ushers, choir members and musicians. Extraordinary Ministers assist with the distribution of Communion at weekend and weekday Masses and also visit the homebound in their homes, nursing homes and hospitals. The Choir sings for Sunday Mass, Holy Days and the Holidays — no auditions are required, and singers of all abilities are welcome. Lectors proclaim the Word of God at weekday, Sunday and Holy Day Masses, with training provided for newcomers. Greeters warmly welcome worshippers at the doors and assist with seating and the offertory collection. Any child who has made First Communion and is in 3rd grade or older may become an altar server.
- Altar Servers (post-First Communion, 3rd grade and up)
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist (weekday, weekend and homebound visitation)
- Lectors (weekday, Sunday and Holy Day Masses; training provided)
- Greeters / Ushers
- Parish Choir (no auditions; all voices and abilities welcome)
- Musicians
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Religious Education for parish children is coordinated by Amy Mosbacher and includes sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation (2nd grade) and First Communion. The parish also runs an active Youth Ministry led by Sergio Cortes, and an Adult Faith Formation and Evangelization program for parishioners seeking ongoing spiritual growth.
- Religious Education for children (Director: Amy Mosbacher, 814-333-2274)
- First Reconciliation preparation in 2nd grade
- First Communion preparation
- Youth Ministry (Director: Sergio Cortes)
- Adult Faith Formation & Evangelization
Outreach and Seton Catholic School
The parish supports Seton Catholic School — the joint K-8 apostolate that was formed in 1973 when St. Agatha School and St. Brigid School merged — through fundraising and the Scrip 'Loaves & Fishes' gift-card program, in which a set percentage of each gift card purchased goes directly to the school. Gift cards do not expire and are used like cash at local merchants.
- Seton Catholic School (formed 1973 from the merger of St. Agatha and St. Brigid Schools)
- Scrip 'Loaves & Fishes' gift-card fundraiser for Seton
- School phone: (814) 336-2320
Visiting and Contact
St. Mary of Grace church is located at 1085 Water Street, Meadville, PA 16335. Parish offices (for the Epiphany of the Lord Parish) are at 353 Pine Street, Meadville, PA 16335, and can be reached at (814) 336-1112 (fax 814-240-5998) or by email at [email protected]. The parish website is epiphanymeadville.org.
- St. Mary of Grace church: 1085 Water Street, Meadville, PA 16335
- Parish office: 353 Pine Street, Meadville, PA 16335
- Phone: (814) 336-1112 — Fax: (814) 240-5998
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: epiphanymeadville.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Salvator Papandrea1909–
First pastor; celebrated the parish's first Mass in the Knights of Columbus hall on Water Street on Nov. 21, 1909, and was present at the dedication of the original church on Nov. 3, 1912.