About St. Mary of the Assumption · Frenchville, Pennsylvania
St. Mary of the Assumption is a historic Roman Catholic church at 64 St. Marys Lane in Frenchville, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. Founded by French immigrants from Normandy and Picardy in 1840, the parish grew from the small French Catholic settlement of Frenchville and built its present church in 1870. Since December 2, 2023, by decree of Bishop Lawrence T. Persico of the Diocese of Erie, St. Mary of the Assumption was merged into St. Agnes Parish in Morrisdale and now serves as a secondary mission church within the 'Clearfield Catholic' family of parishes. Today it continues to celebrate weekend Mass on Saturday evenings and a rotating weekday Mass on the third Thursday of each month.
- Established
- 1840
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (Our Lady of the Assumption)
- Rector
- Rev. Johnathan Schmolt (Administrator of St. Agnes Parish, with pastoral care of St. Mary of the Assumption as a mission church)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Erie (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Assumption offers a rare chance to worship in a living piece of Pennsylvania Catholic history — the 1870 church built by French settlers from Normandy and Picardy who began arriving in the 1820s. As a secondary mission church within the Clearfield Catholic cluster, it still celebrates a weekly Saturday evening Mass and a rotating Thursday Mass, while the faithful benefit from the combined sacramental, catechetical, and pastoral resources of St. Agnes Parish. Visitors are warmly welcomed to join a small, close-knit community that continues the tradition of the annual Frenchville Picnic on the church grounds.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. (or by appointment) — as listed on DiscoverMass
- After the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Agnes Parish (cluster-wide)
History of St. Mary of the Assumption
The parish traces its origins to French Catholic settlers from Normandy and Picardy who came to the West Branch valley of Pennsylvania beginning in the 1820s. The first Mass in Frenchville was offered in 1834 in a private home, and Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick of Philadelphia dedicated a log church in 1840 and appointed the parish's first resident pastor. The present church was dedicated in 1870, and the parish went on to administer missions at LeContes Mills and Karthaus before taking responsibility for St. Severin in Drifting and Ss. Peter and Paul in Grassflat in 1994. In December 2023, by decree of Bishop Persico, St. Mary of the Assumption was merged into St. Agnes Parish in Morrisdale, becoming a secondary mission church of the larger Clearfield Catholic cluster.
- 1834 — First Mass in Frenchville in a private home
- 1840 — Log church dedicated by Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick; first resident pastor appointed
- 1844 — Administered from St. John Parish, Bellefonte
- 1846 — Resident pastor returns
- 1870 — Present church dedicated
- 1968 — Sacred Heart mission (LeContes Mills) closed
- 1994 — Receives care of St. Severin (Drifting) and Ss. Peter and Paul (Grassflat)
- 2005 — Ss. John and Paul (Karthaus) closed
- Dec. 2, 2023 — Merged into St. Agnes Parish, Morrisdale; becomes a secondary mission church
The French Catholic Heritage of Frenchville
Frenchville was settled in the 1820s–1830s when French families recruited by a Paris merchant named Zavron (through Philadelphia agent John Keating) bought land in Covington Township at about $1 per acre. The settlers came largely from Normandy, Picardy, Alsace, and the eastern departments of Haute-Saône and Haute-Marne, and they brought with them a distinct Catholic culture, French surnames (Berthot, Mignot, Charbonnet, Rolley, Beuret, Coudriet, Leconte, Gaulin, Picard, Rougeux, and many others) and the French language. Locally known as Frenchville French, their dialect survived into the 1970s before public schooling in English accelerated its decline; it is today classified as moribund. St. Mary of the Assumption has long been the social and religious center of this community, hosting the annual Frenchville Picnic since the church was built in 1870.
- Settlers from Normandy, Picardy, Alsace, Haute-Saône, Haute-Marne
- Frenchville French dialect (moribund) — subject of linguistic study by Barbara Bullock
- Annual Frenchville Picnic held on the church grounds
- Cemetery landmark: life-sized crucifix overlooking Frenchville
Clearfield Catholic — Cluster of Parishes
St. Mary of the Assumption is now part of the 'Clearfield Catholic' family, served by the staff of St. Agnes Parish in Morrisdale. The cluster (sometimes called the Central Moshannon Cluster) unites five church buildings under one pastor: St. Agnes Church in Morrisdale (the parish church), St. Mary of the Assumption in Frenchville and St. Severin in Drifting (both secondary mission churches where Sunday and holy-day Mass is permitted), and Ss. Peter and Paul in Grassflat and Hawk Run (secondary churches without mission status, retained for sacred worship but without regularly scheduled Mass).
- St. Agnes Church, Morrisdale — parish church
- St. Mary of the Assumption, Frenchville — secondary mission church
- St. Severin, Drifting — secondary mission church
- Ss. Peter and Paul, Grassflat — secondary church
- Ss. Peter and Paul, Hawk Run — secondary church
Clergy, Staff, and Sacramental Records
Following the 2023 merger, the administrator/pastor of the Clearfield Catholic cluster is Rev. Johnathan Schmolt, assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Cory Pius. Amy Rowles serves as support staff, and Carla Heitsenrether serves as Religious Education Leader. All sacramental records from the former St. Mary of the Assumption Parish are now retained at the offices of St. Agnes Parish, 65 Deer Creek Road, Morrisdale, PA 16858.
- Rev. Johnathan Schmolt — Administrator / Pastor
- Rev. Cory Pius — Parochial Vicar
- Amy Rowles — Support Staff
- Carla Heitsenrether — Religious Education Leader
- Parish offices: St. Agnes Parish, 65 Deer Creek Road, Morrisdale, PA 16858
Religious Education and Parish Life
Faith formation for children and families of the cluster, including St. Mary of the Assumption, is coordinated through St. Agnes Parish under Religious Education Leader Carla Heitsenrether. The parish's community life continues to revolve around its historic church building, its cemetery, and longstanding French-Catholic customs — most visibly the annual Frenchville Picnic that has drawn families back to the church grounds each year since 1870.
- Religious Education (CCD) for the cluster
- Annual Frenchville Picnic on the church grounds
- Small, close-knit mission community within the Clearfield Catholic cluster
Visiting St. Mary of the Assumption
The church sits at 64 St. Marys Lane in Frenchville, accessible from Pennsylvania Route 879. Limited parking is available on-site next to the church and cemetery. Visitors attending the Saturday 5:30 p.m. Mass are encouraged to arrive a little early, especially in winter, as the rural roads of Covington Township can be icy. Inquiries about Mass intentions, sacraments, and parish life can be directed to the St. Agnes Parish rectory at (814) 263-4354 or [email protected].
- Address: 64 St. Marys Lane, Frenchville, PA 16836
- Off Route 879 in Covington Township, Clearfield County
- Rectory/phone: (814) 263-4354
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.clearfieldcatholic.org