About St. Peter the Apostle · Reading, Pennsylvania
St. Peter the Apostle is the historic Catholic parish at the heart of Reading, Pennsylvania, a faith community of about 1,600 families in downtown Reading served by the Diocese of Allentown. The parish is bilingual (English and Spanish), with daily and Sunday Masses, an extensive CCD/Religious Education program, the parish school founded in 1859, and a wide range of liturgical, social-justice and family ministries. Worship is centered on the Eucharist and the sacraments, and the parish has welcomed waves of immigrants over its long history — German Catholics in the 18th century, and Mexican, Puerto Rican, Colombian and Dominican faithful in recent decades.
- Established
- 1752
- Patron
- Saint Peter the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Monsignor Thomas J. Orsulak
- Diocese
- Diocese of Allentown
Why belong here
St. Peter the Apostle offers an unusually rich sacramental and community life for a downtown parish: daily Mass in both English and Spanish, weekly confession, CCD and OCIA programs for adults and children, a parish school serving children from five continents and 26 countries, and active liturgical, social-justice and family ministries — from choir, lectors and extraordinary ministers to food pantries, the St. Barnabas Society, youth ministry and men's/women's groups. As one of the oldest Catholic communities in Pennsylvania (since 1752) it is a stable, bilingual home for long-time residents and the immigrant faithful alike.
Mass times at St. Peter the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:45 P.M.
- Saturday 3:15 P.M.
- Sunday 9:30 A.M. at SS. Cyril & Methodius
- Sunday 5:45 P.M.
- Also by appointment (También por cita)
Parish History & Heritage
Founded in 1752 by German Jesuit missionaries from Goshenhoppen, St. Peter the Apostle is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in Pennsylvania. The brick church at 326 South Fifth Street was dedicated on May 24, 1846, and the present granite church was rebuilt 1900–1905 under Father James E. Cleary, with dedication by Archbishop James Cardinal Gibbons on July 2, 1905. The parish marked its 250th anniversary in 2002 and welcomed the consolidation of the Lithuanian parish at 8th and Bingaman in 2004 — honored today through St. Anthony Chapel in the Parish House.
Father James E. Cleary and the 1905 Rebuilding
Father Cleary, pastor from 1889 until his death in 1904, began the rebuilding in 1900 and saw it finished in 1905. The old brick walls were reused as the inner shell, with new granite walls built outside them, and the main altar was dedicated to Father Cleary's memory. His remains rest beneath the church's south tower.
Consolidated Communities
In 2004 the Lithuanian parish at 8th and Bingaman Streets was consolidated into St. Peter Parish. St. Anthony Chapel inside the Parish House (the former rectory, renamed in December 2008) honors that community's heritage.
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Monsignor Thomas J. Orsulak (since 2005), assisted by Monsignor William T. Baker and an active diaconate. Religious education is directed by Sister Margaret Pavluchuk, I.H.M., and the parish school by Sister Anna Musi, I.H.M.
- Rev. Monsignor Thomas J. Orsulak — Pastor (since 2005)
- Rev. Monsignor William T. Baker — Assistant Pastor
- Deacon Jaime Peña (active) and Deacons Mariano Torres, Jesus Centeno, Julio Colon (retired)
- Sister Anna Musi, I.H.M. — School Principal
- Sister Margaret Pavluchuk, I.H.M. — Director of Religious Education (CCD)
- Ylma Yagual — Parish Secretary; Business Manager on staff
Parish School (St. Peter School)
Founded in 1859 by Bishop John Neumann and staffed from the start by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Peter School serves children from kindergarten through eighth grade. As of September 2003 the student body represented five continents and 26 countries. The school celebrated its 150th anniversary on April 25, 2009. A parish high school was added in 1911 and evolved into Reading Catholic High School (accredited 1930), which became Holy Name High School in 1964.
- Opened Sept. 5, 1859 (girls) and Sept. 12, 1859 (boys in church basement)
- Staffed by I.H.M. Sisters from Monroe, Michigan
- Kindergarten through Grade 8 today
- 150th anniversary celebrated April 25, 2009
Religious Education & OCIA (RCIA)
The parish runs a full CCD program for children from first grade through high school (September–May; registration April–August) and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) for adults 18 and older seeking Baptism, Eucharist and/or Confirmation.
- CCD for grades 1 through high school
- OCIA/RCIA process with stages: Pre-Catechumenate, Catechumenate, Rite of Election, Sacraments of Initiation at Easter Vigil, Mystagogia
- OCIA team of sponsors supports inquirers and catechumens
Liturgical Ministries
Lay faithful serve at Mass as lectors, altar servers (3rd grade and up), extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion (including bringing Communion to the homebound), ushers and choir members. The parish has both an English and Spanish choir.
- English choir rehearses Saturday 5:00 P.M. in the choir loft; sings at 4:00 P.M. Saturday Vigil
- Spanish choir rehearses Thursday 7:00 P.M.; sings at Sunday 10:30 A.M. Mass and Sunday morning
- Altar Servers (grades 3 and up)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (including to the sick and homebound)
- Lectors and Ushers
Social Justice & Outreach
Outreach ministries include visiting the homebound, food pantry work, the St. Barnabas Society, and the historically important Kennedy House (530 Spruce Street), which was founded under Father Dennis Rigney in 1969 to serve the social and material needs of Spanish-speaking parishioners.
- St. Barnabas Society
- Food pantry volunteers
- Homebound visitation
- Kennedy House — Spanish-speaking outreach
Faith-Building & Community Groups
Beyond formal ministries, the parish hosts Bible study (Sundays, English), a healing prayer group, men's and women's parish groups, youth ministry, an annual parish picnic, and a couples' retreat that helps engaged couples build communication skills.
- Bible study — Sundays, English
- Healing prayer group with intercessory prayer
- Men's and women's parish groups
- Youth Ministry
- Annual Parish Picnic
- Engaged-couples weekend retreat
Sacraments
Information on Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation is available through the parish office; the OCIA process is the normal path for adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church.
- Baptism, Eucharist (First Communion), Confirmation
- Marriage / Weddings (Wedding Mass times listed on the schedule page)
- Anointing of the Sick & homebound ministry
- Reconciliation — Wed/Sat/Sun and by appointment
- OCIA/RCIA for adults and older children
Devotions
The chapel is used for praying the rosary and gatherings of the healing prayer group, and the parish regularly offers a communion-engagement retreat for couples.
- Rosary in the chapel
- Healing prayer group with intercessory prayer
- Couples' communication weekend retreat
Getting Involved at St. Peter's
The parish encourages parishioners to share their gifts through liturgical service, social-justice outreach, parish groups, or by proposing a new ministry. Contact the rectory at (610) 372-9652 to get involved or to stay informed through the weekly bulletin and the online parish calendar.
- Contact the Rectory at (610) 372-9652 to volunteer
- Weekly bulletin for parish news
- Online parish calendar for events and Mass schedules
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Theodore Schneider, S.J. (and Father Farmer, S.J.)1752–
Jesuit missionaries from Goshenhoppen who began serving Catholics in Reading; oversaw the first log-cabin meeting house.
- Father George Schoenfelder1818–
First resident pastor after St. Peter the Apostle was incorporated as an independent parish in 1818.
- Father James E. Cleary1889–1904
Rebuilt the church in granite (1900–1905); remains rest beneath the south tower; the main altar is dedicated to his memory.
- Monsignor Joseph P. O'Donnelluntil 1977 (retirement)
20-year pastor; dean of Berks County 1961–69; chairman of the Allentown Diocesan Liturgical Commission 1964–68; donated more than 1,000 volumes on Scripture and theology to Mount St. Mary's College.
- Father Dennis Rigney1966–
Began regular Spanish-language Masses at St. Peter's on September 6, 1966, and inspired the founding of the Kennedy House.
- Monsignor John S. Campbellfrom June 1986
Diocesan director of the Spanish Apostolate since 1978; in 1986 named pastor of St. Peter's and administrator at St. Anthony's, Reading.
- Father Charles Marcianountil 2003 (death)
Served until his death in 2003.
- Rev. Monsignor Thomas J. Orsulak2005–present
Current pastor since 2005.