About St. Peter Church /of St. Faustina Parish · Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
St. Faustina Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Pittsburgh located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, in the rolling farm country of Butler County. Established on January 4, 2021, it is a merged parish formed under Bishop David Zubik's "On Mission for The Church Alive!" initiative, bringing together the former parishes of St. Alphonsus (Boyers/Murrinsville/West Sunbury), St. Christopher (Prospect), and St. Peter (Slippery Rock). Today the parish is served from four church buildings — St. Peter, St. Anthony, St. Louis, and St. Christopher — as well as a Newman Center ministry to Slippery Rock University, with all sites remaining open for worship. Its vision is: "Guided by Sacred Scripture and Catholic Tradition, we are committed to creating a vibrant, compassionate, and welcoming Parish Community."
- Established
- 2021
- Patron
- St. Maria Faustina Kowalska (patroness of the parish; St. Peter, St. Anthony, St. Louis, and St. Christopher are the parish's church buildings)
- Rector
- Father Sean (referenced as 'Father Sean' on the official parish calendar hosting Bible Study; full staff listing not confirmed on the official site in this round)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
St. Faustina Parish is a multi-site parish that has preserved four historic church buildings across rural Butler County, so members can worship close to home in a familiar setting. The parish is deeply devoted to the Divine Mercy message of St. Faustina Kowalska — its patroness — offering daily Mass, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, extended adoration, and a vibrant calendar of devotions. With regular confession opportunities at several sites, a Newman Center serving Slippery Rock University students, and a clear pastoral vision rooted in Sacred Scripture and Catholic Tradition, the parish offers both traditional sacramental life and a warm, welcoming community.
Mass times at St. Peter Church /of St. Faustina Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM at the Newman Center
- Friday: 9:30 AM at St. Louis Church (after the 9:00 AM Mass)
- Saturday: 4:00 PM at St. Peter Church (directly after the 4:00 PM Mass)
- Saturday: 4:30 PM at St. Christopher Church (directly after the 4:30 PM Mass)
Adoration times
- Monday: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM in the small chapel
- Tuesday: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM in the small chapel
- Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM in the big chapel
Parish Vision & Pastoral Plan
St. Faustina Parish articulates its identity in a clear vision statement on the home page of stfaustinaparish.org: "Guided by Sacred Scripture and Catholic Tradition, we are committed to creating a vibrant, compassionate, and welcoming Parish Community." The parish invites visitors to download the St. Faustina Parish Pastoral Plan 2024, which lays out the practical steps the merged parish is taking to live out that vision across its multiple church sites.
History: From 2015 Initiative to 2021 Merger
St. Faustina Parish is the fruit of Bishop David Zubik's "On Mission for The Church Alive!," a consultative strategic-planning process launched April 12, 2015 to address declining Mass attendance and a shrinking pool of priests in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. After years of consultation, in 2018 the parishes of St. Alphonsus (Boyers/Murrinsville/West Sunbury), St. Christopher (Prospect), and St. Peter (Slippery Rock) were grouped under a single clergy team. On January 4, 2021, they were formally merged to create the new St. Faustina Parish, and all four church buildings remained open.
- 2015 — Bishop Zubik announces "On Mission for The Church Alive!"
- 2018 — Parishes grouped under one clergy team
- January 4, 2021 — Three parishes formally merged into St. Faustina Parish
- Four church buildings (St. Peter, St. Anthony, St. Louis, St. Christopher) remain open
St. Peter Church, Slippery Rock
St. Peter Church is the Slippery Rock church building that gives the parish a local anchor in the Slippery Rock community. According to the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the parish can be traced to a 1934 survey of local Catholics by the Missionary Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. A priest from St. Fidelis Seminary in Herman began celebrating Mass for the 35 Catholic families and the Catholic students at the State Teachers College (today Slippery Rock University) in the local Grange Hall. Ground was broken August 22, 1937, the cornerstone laid May 22, 1938, and the church dedicated November 13, 1938. The parish remained a mission of St. Fidelis until becoming independent on June 16, 1955. Today St. Peter Church hosts the 4:00 PM Saturday Vigil Mass, the 11:30 AM Sunday Mass, the 8:30 AM Thursday Mass, and the Thursday 8:15 AM Divine Mercy Chaplet.
- 1934 — MCCD survey of local Catholics
- 1937 — Ground broken for new church
- 1938 — Cornerstone laid; church dedicated November 13
- 1955 — Becomes an independent parish
- Sunday Mass at 11:30 AM; Saturday Vigil at 4:00 PM
Devotions: Divine Mercy Chaplet & Scripture-cize
The parish's identity as St. Faustina Parish is reflected in a strong devotional life centered on the Divine Mercy message of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. The official site offers an online version of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and a weekly in-person Chaplet on Thursdays at St. Peter Church and Mondays at St. Christopher Church. The parish calendar also features weekly Scripture-cize (a Scripture-based exercise/fellowship program) and Bible Study with Father Sean.
- Divine Mercy Chaplet online — available on the parish website
- Thursdays 8:15 AM — Divine Mercy Chaplet at St. Peter Church
- Mondays 8:45 AM — Divine Mercy Chaplet at St. Christopher Church
- Weekly Bible Study with Father Sean (per parish calendar)
- Weekly Scripture-cize (Scripture + exercise program)
Sacraments
The parish maintains a dedicated Sacraments page (stfaustinaparish.org/sacraments-1) outlining how parishioners can celebrate and prepare for the seven sacraments. The site is the canonical reference for parish-specific preparation, scheduling, and contacts related to baptism, first Communion, confirmation, reconciliation, marriage, anointing of the sick, and holy orders.
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation
- Reconciliation (see Confession Times)
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders / vocations support
Newman Center at Slippery Rock University
Because Slippery Rock is home to Slippery Rock University, the parish maintains a Newman Center ministry dedicated to Catholic university students. It hosts the 7:00 PM Sunday Mass when SRU's fall semester is in session and a Wednesday evening Mass, as well as Wednesday evening confessions from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. The Newman Center is a pastoral outreach to the campus community in addition to the parish's regular sacramental schedule.
- 7:00 PM Sunday Mass during SRU fall semester
- Wednesday evening Mass
- Wednesday 5:30–6:30 PM confessions
Stay Connected
The official parish website at stfaustinaparish.org publishes the parish calendar (Mass, adoration, confession, devotions, and parish events), an events and news page with diocesan announcements such as Bishop Mark Eckman's statement on the Minneapolis mass shooting, links to social media, and an online version of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Visitors can follow the parish on Facebook at facebook.com/stfaustinaparish.org.
- Parish calendar with daily Mass, adoration, confession, and devotions
- Events & News page (diocesan statements, parish announcements)
- Facebook: facebook.com/stfaustinaparish.org
- Online Divine Mercy Chaplet on the official site
- Downloadable Pastoral Plan 2024
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Sean2021–present (post-merger)
Identified on the official parish calendar as leading Bible Study; full staff details and successor pastors were not published on the official site