About St. Paul · Erie, Pennsylvania
St. Paul Parish is a small Catholic church located at 1617 Walnut Street in the City of Erie, Pennsylvania, founded in 1891 and now serving as a secondary mission church of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish under the pastoral care of the St. Joseph/Bread of Life Community cluster in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. The parish self-describes as a 'wonderful welcoming Family of Faith' committed to loving God, loving others, and making disciples. It currently offers a weekly Saturday Vigil Mass (4:00 p.m.) and Saturday confessions, and is supported by a small, faithful staff led by a pastor and two permanent deacons.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen Schreiber
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania
Why belong here
St. Paul Parish offers a small, welcoming worship community in the heart of Erie where families, founders, long-time parishioners, and newcomers are all welcomed as part of a 'Family of Faith' committed to loving God, loving others, and making disciples. As a mission church partnered with the St. Joseph/Bread of Life Community, it provides a regular Saturday Vigil Mass and Saturday confessions in a beautiful Romanesque church whose walls literally carry the history of the City of Erie. Visitors and parishioners find a place where their presence, prayer, and service genuinely shape the life of the parish.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday from 3:15–3:45 p.m.
About St. Paul Parish
St. Paul Parish is a welcoming Catholic community of faith located at 1617 Walnut Street in the City of Erie, Pennsylvania, founded in 1891. The parish describes itself as a 'wonderful welcoming Family of Faith' committed to loving God, loving others, and making disciples — and it extends a particular welcome to founders, long-time parishioners, newcomers, and visitors to the area.
- Founded: 1891
- Patron: St. Paul the Apostle
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania
- Style: Welcoming, family-oriented, small-church community
History of the Parish
Saint Paul's Parish was organized in May 1891. In its early years the new congregation acquired the frame Presbyterian church building at Seventeenth and Chestnut Streets, moved it to the east side of Walnut Street between Sixteenth and Seventeenth Streets, and remodeled it for Catholic worship. A succession of pastors — Rev. Francis Becherini (1891–1894), Rev. Francis J. Bender (from January 6, 1895), Rev. Agresti (from 1896), and Rev. Louis Marino — shaped the parish's growth through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
- 1891 — Parish organized in May
- Early 1890s — Frame church moved from 17th & Chestnut to Walnut Street between 16th & 17th
- July 1894 — Rev. Francis Becherini departs
- January 6, 1895 — Rev. Francis J. Bender assigned
- 1896 — Rev. Agresti becomes pastor
- c. early 1920s — Rev. Louis Marino becomes pastor; debt retired, new-church movement begins
- August 19, 1928 — Ground broken for the new church
- October 5, 1929 — Bishop of Erie lays the cornerstone
- 1929–1933 — Construction halted due to the Great Depression
- March 17, 1935 — New church dedicated (St. Patrick's Day)
Architecture & Building
The present St. Paul Church was designed by architect G. Wesley Stickle in a Romanesque pattern with traces of late Umbrian delineation in the interior. Because parish finances were restricted during construction, the stone for the outer walls was salvaged from the discarded curbing of Erie's city streets — which were then being modernized — and was carefully refashioned into building blocks by Italian stonemasons. The result is a distinctive Romanesque edifice whose very walls carry the history of the city around it.
- Architect: G. Wesley Stickle
- Style: Romanesque with late Umbrian interior detailing
- Construction note: Outer walls built from salvaged Erie street curbing
- Workmanship: Italian stonemasons
- Dedication: March 17, 1935
Clergy & Staff
St. Paul Parish is currently served by Rev. Stephen Schreiber as pastor, with the assistance of two permanent deacons and a small support team. Following the Diocese of Erie's 2024 restructuring, day-to-day pastoral and administrative support flows through the St. Joseph / Bread of Life Community cluster at 147 W. 24th Street.
- Pastor: Rev. Stephen Schreiber
- Permanent Deacon: Deacon Anthony Alleruzzo
- Permanent Deacon: Deacon Douglas Konzel
- Pastoral Minister / Support Staff: Jean Malthaner
- Liturgical Music Contact: Michael Malthaner
Diocesan Restructuring & Cluster Partnership
On April 11, 2023 Bishop Lawrence T. Persico of the Diocese of Erie unveiled a sweeping restructuring of Catholic parishes across Erie County. The plan, effective July 9, 2024, paired and merged parishes into new configurations. Under this restructuring, St. Paul Church now serves as a secondary mission church partnered with Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, with shared pastoral leadership through the St. Joseph / Bread of Life Community cluster. Parish mail is handled at 147 W. 24th Street, Erie, PA 16502.
- Effective date of restructuring: July 9, 2024
- Partner parish: Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
- Cluster lead: St. Joseph / Bread of Life Community
- Cluster address: 147 W. 24th St., Erie, PA 16502
- Cluster phone: 814-452-2982
- Cluster email: [email protected]
Visit & Contact
St. Paul Church is located at 1617 Walnut Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, between 16th and 17th Streets. The mailing address and parish office are operated through the St. Joseph / Bread of Life Community cluster. Visitors are warmly welcomed at the Saturday Vigil Mass and at Saturday confessions.
- Physical address: 1617 Walnut St., Erie, PA 16502
- Mailing address: c/o St. Joseph Parish/Bread of Life Community, 147 W. 24th St., Erie, PA 16502
- Phone: 814-452-2982
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stpaulrcerie.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis Becherini1891–July 1894
Presided over the organization of the parish in May 1891 and the acquisition/remodeling of the former Presbyterian church building on Walnut Street.
- Rev. Francis J. BenderJanuary 6, 1895–1896
Assigned to direct parochial affairs; previously late pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Erie.
- Rev. Agresti1896–c. early 1920s
Succeeded Father Bender in the pastorate.
- Rev. Louis Marinoc. 1920s–1935+
Long-tenured pastor who paid off parish debt, organized sodalities and youth societies, broke ground for the new church (August 19, 1928), presided over the cornerstone laying (October 5, 1929), and saw the church completed and dedicated on March 17, 1935.