About St. Patrick Historical Shrine · Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Saint Patrick Parish in Carlisle, Pennsylvania is a Roman Catholic community of the Diocese of Harrisburg, founded on February 5, 1779 by Jesuit missionary Father Charles Sewall — making it the first church in America named in honor of Ireland's patron saint. Today the parish operates two campuses: the original 1893 Shrine Church on East Pomfret Street in downtown Carlisle (the historical shrine) and a larger 1971 church with parochial school on Marsh Drive in South Middleton Township. Serving roughly 2,450 households (about 5,500 individuals) across 500 square miles of Cumberland County, the parish lives out a mission to 'introduce people to Jesus and together fully follow Him' through gathering, connecting, serving and going out.
- Established
- 1779
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Donald H. Bender
- Diocese
- Diocese of Harrisburg (under the administration of Most Reverend Timothy Senior, twelfth Bishop of Harrisburg)
Why belong here
Saint Patrick offers the rare combination of a living downtown historic shrine — the 1893 Norman Gothic church on Pomfret Street — and a full-service campus on Marsh Drive with a parish school, gymnasium, and the larger worship space where most parish life takes place. Members can pray in a 24/7 Perpetual Adoration Chapel, send their children to Saint Patrick School, take part in more than a dozen ministries (Prison Ministry, Stephen Ministry, Seven Sisters Apostolate, That Man Is You, Little Saints, Bereavement, and more), and attend Mass even in summer at the Saint Eleanor Regina Chapel in Pine Grove Furnace State Park. It is a multi-generational family parish of about 2,450 households in the heart of historic Carlisle.
Mass times at St. Patrick Historical Shrine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM at the Marsh Drive Church
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel at 140 East Pomfret Street — open 24/7; side entrance off parking lot (access code available from parish office). Chapel Hotline for weather closings: (717) 243-4875.
Our Story: Two Campuses, One Parish
Saint Patrick Parish maintains two distinct campuses that together form one Catholic family. The historic Pomfret Street campus in downtown Carlisle includes the 1893 Shrine Church, the rectory (St. Katherine Drexel Hall), the parish offices, the 24/7 Perpetual Adoration Chapel, the Deacon Kole Memorial Library, and meeting rooms. The Marsh Drive campus in suburban South Middleton Township includes the larger 1971 church, the parish school, the social hall, and the Parish Activity Center gymnasium and meeting space. Most liturgical and parish life now centers on Marsh Drive, while the Shrine Church remains the spiritual heart of the parish and a community landmark in historic Carlisle.
- Pomfret Street: 152 East Pomfret Street, Carlisle, PA 17013
- Marsh Drive: 85 Marsh Drive, Carlisle, PA 17015
- 2,450 households / ~5,500 parishioners across 500 square miles
History of Saint Patrick Parish
Founded February 5, 1779 by Jesuit Father Charles Sewall on a Pomfret Street lot, the parish is the first church in America named for Ireland's patron saint. A log chapel followed in 1784; a brick church was built in 1806 and enlarged in 1825, was destroyed by fire in 1858 and rebuilt in 1859. The present Norman Gothic Shrine Church was constructed in 1893 under Father Henry G. Ganss (pastor 1891–1910) and restored after a 1923 fire. In 1971 the parish opened its second campus on Marsh Drive.
- 1779 — Land purchased by Father Charles Sewall, S.J.
- 1784 — First log chapel built
- 1806 / 1825 — Brick church built and expanded
- 1858 / 1859 — Church destroyed by fire and rebuilt
- 1893 — Present Norman Gothic Shrine Church erected under Fr. Henry G. Ganss
- 1923 — Fire damages Shrine Church; restored to original architecture
- 1971 — Marsh Drive campus opened
Parish Mission & Purpose
The parish mission is to 'introduce people to Jesus and together fully follow Him.' Its purpose as a family is to Gather, Connect, Serve and Go Out — gathering to worship God through Word and Eucharist, connecting through relationships for spiritual growth, serving within the parish community, and going out to make a difference beyond its walls.
- Gather — worship God through the Word and the Eucharist
- Connect — relationships for spiritual growth
- Serve — follow Jesus' example within the Church community
- Go Out — make a difference in the wider community
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
Saint Patrick offers Mass at both campuses plus a summer mission chapel. Weekday Masses are celebrated Monday through Saturday, with weekend Vigil and Sunday Masses at Marsh Drive and an early Sunday Mass at the Shrine Church.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:15 PM — Marsh Drive Church
- Sunday: 8:00 AM — Shrine Church; 9:30 AM & 11:30 AM — Marsh Drive Church
- Weekday Mass: Mon/Tue/Sat 8:30 AM at Shrine Church; Wed–Fri 8:30 AM at Marsh Drive Church
- Summer Sunday Mass: 11:30 AM at Saint Eleanor Regina Chapel, Pine Grove Furnace State Park (Memorial Day – Labor Day)
- Sacrament of Penance: Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM at the Marsh Drive Church
- Masses are livestreamed from the Marsh Drive Church via the parish YouTube channel
Clergy & Staff
Saint Patrick is served by a pastor, parochial vicar, and two permanent deacons, supported by a full staff of parish, school, faith-formation, music, communications, and facilities ministers.
- Rev. Donald H. Bender — Pastor
- Rev. George Valliamthadathil, MSFS — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Virgilio A. (Billy) Centenera
- Deacon George B. Salzmann
- Stephanie Conrad — Director of Religious Education / RCIA
- Cecelia Salzmann — Youth Ministry Leader
- Dr. David O'Donnell — Director of Music
- Elaine Seckar — Director of Ministries and Volunteers
- Michael Kromka — Principal, Saint Patrick School
- Justin Chaudrue — Parish Manager
- Bevin Landrum — Communications and Digital Media Coordinator
- Heather Hall — Financial Manager
- Robin Lees — Office Manager
- Lily Key, Margie Flatley-Carpenter — Cemeteries
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith formation spans cradle-to-grave programs: Little Saints welcomes children from birth through kindergarten with a caregiver, the parish school (Saint Patrick School) provides Catholic elementary education, and Youth Ministry/Life Teen serves middle and high school students. Adult formation centers on RCIA and ongoing adult education through the Director of Religious Education.
- Little Saints — meets 1st and 3rd Mondays, 9:30 AM, Parish Activity Center
- Saint Patrick School — elementary Catholic school at the Marsh Drive campus
- Youth Ministry / Life Teen
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation
Parish Ministries & Outreach
More than a dozen lay-led ministries give parishioners concrete ways to serve. Pastoral-care ministries walk alongside the grieving, the aging, and the incarcerated; formation ministries accompany men, women, and families in spiritual growth; liturgical ministries serve at the altar and ambo during Mass.
- Prison Ministry — bringing Christ to the incarcerated (contact: Deacon Centenera or Elaine Seckar)
- Bereavement Ministry — annual Mass of Remembrance in November
- Healing and Caring
- Hospitality Ministry
- Saint Monica Ministry
- Stephen Ministry — one-on-one lay caring
- Senior Life Committee — Lunch and Learn programs, third Thursday each month
- That Man Is You (TMIY) — men's fellowship, Saturdays 6:00 AM
Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical service is open to adults and youth (altar servers in grade 4 and up who have received First Communion). Extraordinary Ministers are invited by the priests and complete diocesan and parish training; lectors receive parish-provided training.
- Ushers
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- Altar Servers (grade 4+, post-First Communion)
- Lectors (training: Luke Seckar, 724-840-5008)
- Saint Eleanor Regina Chapel — summer Sunday Mass in Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Shrine Church Heritage & Historic Carlisle
The Shrine Church is recognized as a Historic Carlisle landmark. A Pennsylvania historical marker at the site notes its 1779 founding, the 1893 construction under Father Ganss, and Mother Katharine Drexel's adjacent school for Black and Native American students (1901) taught by her Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Saint Patrick Parish is also notable as the first church in America named for Ireland's patron saint.
- Norman Gothic architecture, 1893
- Restored after 1923 fire
- Site of former St. Catherine's Industrial School (now the rectory)
- First church in America named for St. Patrick of Ireland
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Charles Sewall, S.J.1779
Founder; Jesuit missionary from the Conewago Mission who purchased the Pomfret Street lot on February 5, 1779.
- Father Henry G. Ganss1891–1910
Built the present 1893 Shrine Church; historian, composer, and author of the 1895 parish history. Persuaded Mother Katharine Drexel to found St. Catherine's Industrial School.