About St. Peter · Conneautville, Pennsylvania
St. Peter Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Erie located at 501 Washington Street in Conneautville, Pennsylvania, in Crawford County. It is one half of the St. Peter & St. Philip Parish 'Family of Faith,' sharing a pastor and pastoral staff with St. Philip the Apostle Parish in nearby Linesville. Established in 1853 — the same year the Diocese of Erie itself was created — the parish is rooted in the historic wave of Catholic settlement in northwestern Pennsylvania. Today's parishioners gather for Sunday Mass, weekday devotions, food pantry outreach, the Altar & Rosary Society, and Conneaut Area Religious Education (C.A.R.E.), a regional faith-formation program that links St. Peter with St. Philip and Our Lady Queen of the Americas.
- Established
- 1853
- Patron
- St. Peter the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Chris Hamlett
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania
Why belong here
St. Peter offers a small, close-knit Catholic community with deep roots in Conneautville going back to 1853, while benefiting from the resources of a larger 'Family of Faith' that includes neighboring St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Linesville. The parish welcomes founders, long-time parishioners, newcomers, and visitors with the simple mission of 'loving God, loving others, and making disciples.' Active members participate in weekday Mass, the Altar & Rosary Society, Knights of Columbus, St. Philip's Helping Hands outreach, a regional food pantry, and the combined Conneaut Area Religious Education (C.A.R.E.) faith-formation program — making it a faithful, family-friendly place to belong.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday from 3:15-3:45 p.m. at St. Philip the Apostle Church (Linesville)
- By appointment
Parish Identity and Family of Faith
St. Peter Parish in Conneautville is one half of the St. Peter & St. Philip Parish 'Family of Faith,' a Diocesan arrangement that links St. Peter (Conneautville, est. 1853) with St. Philip the Apostle (Linesville, est. 1959). The two parishes share one pastor — Rev. Chris Hamlett — and a common secretarial and finance staff, while each church retains its own Sunday Mass schedule and its own liturgical music director. The parish describes its mission as 'loving God, loving others, and making disciples,' and explicitly welcomes 'founders, long-time parishioners, newcomers and visitors.'
- St. Peter Church — 501 Washington St., Conneautville, PA 16406 (Sunday Mass at 8:30 a.m.)
- St. Philip the Apostle Church — 401 S. Mercer St., Linesville, PA 16424 (Saturday Vigil 4 p.m.; Sunday 10:15 a.m.)
- Combined parish office hosted at St. Philip, Linesville
History
St. Peter Parish dates to 1853, the founding year of the Diocese of Erie itself. It belongs to the first generation of parishes created as the new diocese organized Catholic life across thirteen northwestern Pennsylvania counties. In more recent decades the parish was twinned with St. Philip the Apostle to form the present 'Family of Faith,' allowing two small Crawford County parishes to share clergy and resources while keeping their own worship spaces and traditions.
- Established: 1853
- Diocese founded the same year (July 29, 1853) under Bishop Michael O'Connor
- Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Father Chris Hamlett, pastor, who serves both St. Peter and St. Philip. Support staff includes parish secretary Jayne Denne and finance secretary Maureen Vorisek (the Diocese of Erie directory also lists David Hineman in Finance). Liturgical music for St. Peter is coordinated by Becky Matczak (with Vicki Bocan also listed as a music contact on the diocesan directory); St. Philip's music is coordinated by Lynn Niemi.
- Rev. Chris Hamlett — Pastor
- Jayne Denne — Secretary
- Maureen Vorisek — Finance Secretary
- David Hineman — Finance (Diocese directory listing)
- Becky Matczak — Liturgical Music, St. Peter
- Lynn Niemi — Liturgical Music, St. Philip
Faith Formation — C.A.R.E.
Religious education at St. Peter is delivered through Conneaut Area Religious Education (C.A.R.E.), a regional program formed by combining the religious education programs of St. Philip, St. Peter, and Our Lady Queen of the Americas (OLQA). The program prepares children for First Communion and Confirmation, and connects teens to events such as the Franciscan University Teen Conference in Steubenville, Ohio. C.A.R.E. is coordinated by Amanda Sovisky ([email protected]).
- C.A.R.E. — Conneaut Area Religious Education (combined St. Philip / St. Peter / OLQA)
- Coordinator: Amanda Sovisky — [email protected]
- Parish office line for C.A.R.E.: 814-382-7252
- Confirmation typically celebrated at St. Agatha Church, Meadville
- First Communion, Baccalaureate Mass, and Teen Conference events held annually
Adult Faith and Bible Study
An Adult Bible Study meets on Mondays at 6:00 p.m. and is open to parishioners from across the combined parishes. Inquiries are directed to Amanda Sovisky via [email protected] or through the parish office.
- Adult Bible Study — Mondays, 6:00 p.m.
- Contact: Amanda Sovisky, [email protected]
Parish Ministries and Outreach
St. Peter parishioners participate in a network of ministries that serve both the church and the wider Conneaut community. The Altar & Rosary Society gathers monthly for prayer and fellowship; St. Philip's Helping Hands recruits volunteers for visitation, respite care, home services, transportation, bereavement support, and a prayer line; and the parish supports a Food Pantry hosted at St. Philip on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.
- Altar & Rosary Society — meets 1st Wednesday after 9:00 a.m. Mass (President: Gladys Mickle)
- St. Philip's Helping Hands — Visitation, Respite Care, Home Services, Transportation, Bereavement, Prayer Line
- Food Pantry (at St. Philip) — 1st & 3rd Wednesday each month; donations welcome (contact Maureen Vorisek)
- Knights of Columbus — 2nd Monday, 6:30 p.m., Monsignor Tolland Park, Conneaut Lake (contact James McNalley, 724-629-0444)
Sacraments
The Sacrament of Penance is offered on Saturday afternoons from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m. at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Linesville, with additional times available by appointment. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation is organized through the C.A.R.E. program; families are encouraged to contact the parish office or Amanda Sovisky for current schedules. Mass intentions and other sacramental requests are coordinated through the parish office at 814-683-5313.
- Reconciliation: Saturdays 3:15-3:45 p.m. at St. Philip, or by appointment
- First Communion and Confirmation: prepared through C.A.R.E.
- Mass intentions: arranged through the parish office
Contact and Visit
The parish office is hosted at St. Philip Parish, 401 S. Mercer St., Linesville, PA 16424, and serves both St. Peter and St. Philip. The mailing address for St. Peter Parish is therefore given as c/o St. Philip Parish. The church itself remains at 501 Washington St., Conneautville, PA 16406, and is open for its scheduled Sunday Mass and weekday services.
- Parish Office: c/o St. Philip Parish, 401 S. Mercer St., Linesville, PA 16424
- Phone: (814) 683-5313
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stspeterphilip.com/