About St. Matthew the Evangelist · Minersville, Pennsylvania
St. Matthew the Evangelist Church, at 139 Spruce Street in Minersville, Pennsylvania, is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Allentown serving the coal-region borough of Minersville and surrounding Schuylkill County communities. The parish was formed in July 2008 through the consolidation of four neighboring parishes — St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Barbara (all in Minersville) and St. Mary, Star of the Sea (Branchdale) — and now worships in the former St. Stanislaus Kostka church building. On July 1, 2020 St. Matthew was merged with the neighboring St. Michael the Archangel Parish to form Holy Family Parish of Minersville, a two-church parish of roughly 1,100 households served by one pastor, Rev. Jason F. Stokes, with assistance from a deacon and SSJ sisters.
- Established
- 2008
- Patron
- St. Matthew the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Jason F. Stokes, M.Div., M.A.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Allentown
Why belong here
St. Matthew's offers a full schedule of Masses in English — including weekday mornings, Saturday vigil and Sunday morning — within an actively merged Catholic community of about 1,100 households that worships across two historic Minersville churches. The parish runs a working food pantry, monthly Children's Masses, Lenten Stations of the Cross, an annual Paschal Candle sponsorship, and an Edward T. Maleskas Scholarship Fund for school-age parishioners, all of which give newcomers and long-time members concrete ways to live the faith together. The church's ornate sanctuary houses a rare relic of the True Cross and the parish maintains ten historic Catholic cemeteries in and around Minersville, connecting new members to generations of local Catholic heritage.
Mass times at St. Matthew the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM at St. Matthew's
- Sunday 7:45 AM at St. Michael's
Parish History
St. Matthew the Evangelist Parish was born in July 2008 from the consolidation of four Schuylkill County parishes under the Diocese of Allentown's restructuring plan: St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Barbara (all of Minersville) and St. Mary, Star of the Sea of Branchdale. The new parish took over the ornate former St. Stanislaus Kostka church on Spruce Street. In June 2020 the parish itself was merged with neighboring St. Michael the Archangel to form Holy Family Parish of Minersville, with Father Jason Stokes named pastor and both church buildings kept open. Today Holy Family serves about 1,100 households across Minersville and surrounding communities.
- Formed July 2008 from four predecessor parishes
- Occupies the former St. Stanislaus Kostka church
- Merged with St. Michael the Archangel on July 1, 2020 to form Holy Family Parish of Minersville
- Father Jason Stokes has been pastor of the combined parish since the 2020 merger
- First pastor of the 2008 parish was Rev. Leo J. Maletz
Clergy & Parish Staff
Holy Family Parish is led by Pastor Rev. Jason F. Stokes, M.Div., M.A., and assisted by Deacon Dr. James P. Henninger, O.D., two Sisters of St. Joseph (Sister Catherine Therese Brennan and Sister Mary Jane Dunleavy) serving as Assistants to the Pastor, and Director of Parish Life Katie Cartwright. Lay staff handle music, finances, and maintenance.
- Rev. Jason F. Stokes, M.Div., M.A. — Pastor
- Deacon Dr. James P. Henninger, O.D.
- Sister Catherine Therese Brennan, SSJ — Assistant to the Pastor
- Sister Mary Jane Dunleavy, SSJ — Assistant to the Pastor
- Katie Cartwright — Director of Parish Life and Assistant to the Pastor / Local Safe Environment Coordinator
- Heather Capuano — Finance / Bookkeeping
- Donald Bowers — Maintenance Foreman
- Frank Kuchta, Greg Senich, Jane Yourey — Music Ministry
Contact & Visiting
St. Matthew the Evangelist Church is at 139 Spruce Street, Minersville, PA 17954; the parish rectory phone is (570) 544-2211 and the central Holy Family Parish Office is at 538 Sunbury Street (phone 570-544-4741, fax 570-544-4742). Office hours are 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, closed Friday. Email: [email protected].
- Church address: 139 Spruce St., Minersville, PA 17954
- Rectory: (570) 544-2211
- Parish Office (538 Sunbury St.): (570) 544-4741; Fax 570-544-4742
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9 AM–2 PM; closed Friday
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: minersvillecatholic.com (stmatthewtheevangelistparish.org)
Parish Pastoral & Finance Councils
In keeping with Canon 537, Holy Family Parish maintains both a Parish Pastoral Council, which assists the pastor with overall pastoral leadership, and a Parish Finance Council, which advises the pastor on stewardship of parish fiscal resources, long-range financial planning, strategic planning and oversight of the parish budget.
- Parish Pastoral Council
- Parish Finance Council (per Canon 537)
Music & Liturgy
The parish Music Ministry supports liturgy at both church buildings and is staffed by Frank Kuchta, Greg Senich and Jane Yourey. Monthly Children's Masses (typically the first Sunday) engage younger parishioners in the liturgical life of the parish, and Divine Mercy Sunday brings Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, a Scripture service, sung Chaplet, Benediction and confessions beginning at 2:00 PM.
- Music directors: Frank Kuchta, Greg Senich, Jane Yourey
- Monthly Children's Masses
- Divine Mercy Sunday service with Exposition, sung Chaplet, Benediction
Community Outreach & Food Pantry
Holy Family Parish operates a food pantry that distributes from the parish office building, with visitors entering via the back door from the Lewis Street parking lot. In addition, the parish runs regular Lenten food sales and Ham Bingo fundraisers that bring the community together and support parish finances.
- Food pantry distribution (typically first Wednesday, 10 AM – 12 noon)
- Lenten food sales
- Ham Bingo fundraiser
- Paschal Candle sponsorship ($350 per candle)
- Parish 50/50 monthly drawing
Faith Formation & Schools
While Holy Family Parish does not operate its own school, the parish actively supports Catholic education in the area through the Edward T. Maleskas Scholarship Fund (applications for college, Catholic high school and Catholic elementary school are administered by trustee Rev. Msgr. Daniel J. Yenushosky) and through referral to local diocesan schools.
- Edward T. Maleskas Scholarship Fund (administered by Rev. Msgr. Daniel J. Yenushosky)
- Nativity BVM High School — (570) 622-8110
- Assumption BVM Grade School — (570) 622-0106
- St. Joseph Center for Special Learning — (570) 622-4638
Cemeteries
Holy Family Parish maintains a network of ten Catholic cemeteries inherited from its seven predecessor parishes — two within the Minersville borough and eight in surrounding communities. Annual mowing alone costs the parish roughly $90,000, and the parish and finance council work closely to budget for ongoing maintenance.
- 10 cemeteries total (2 in Minersville borough; 8 in nearby communities)
- Annual mowing budget ≈ $90,000
- Stewardship coordinated by the pastor, finance council and maintenance foreman
Devotions & Notable Relics
Inside St. Matthew the Evangelist Church, a relic of the True Cross — a sliver believed to come from the cross on which Christ was crucified — has been preserved by the parish for many years and was rediscovered by Father Stokes in a closet. A first-class relic of St. Faustina Kowalska has also been brought to the church for veneration on Divine Mercy Sunday. Lenten devotions include Stations of the Cross on Fridays (6:00 PM at St. Michael's).
- Relic of the True Cross housed at St. Matthew's
- First-class relic of St. Faustina venerated on Divine Mercy Sunday
- Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent (6:00 PM at St. Michael's)
Safe Environment & Diocesan Reporting
The parish follows the Diocese of Allentown's Safe Environment policies. The local coordinator is Katie Cartwright (570-544-4741); the diocesan coordinator is Pamela J. Russo, MSW, MS. The Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator is Wendy S. Krisak, M.A., NCC, LPC (1-800-791-9209). Reports may also be made through the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service at www.ReportBishopAbuse.org or 800-276-1562.
- Local Safe Environment Coordinator: Katie Cartwright, 570-544-4741
- Diocesan Youth Protection / Safe Environment Coordinator: Pamela J. Russo, MSW, MS
- Victim Assistance Coordinator: Wendy S. Krisak, M.A., NCC, LPC — 1-800-791-9209
- Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service: www.ReportBishopAbuse.org / 800-276-1562
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Leo J. Maletz2008–c.2020
First pastor of the newly formed St. Matthew the Evangelist Parish after the 2008 consolidation; parishioners in 2009 praised his leadership during the difficult merger of four parishes.
- Rev. Jason F. Stokes, M.Div., M.A.c.2020–present
Became pastor of both St. Matthew and St. Michael parishes and led their 2020 merger into Holy Family Parish of Minersville.