About St. Pius X · Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
St. Pius X Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Harrisburg serving about 650 families in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, and the Catholic students of neighboring Susquehanna University. Located at 112 Fairview Drive on 'University Heights,' the parish is the first Catholic church in Snyder County, tracing its roots to a 1952 mission and dedicated under its present name in 1954. It celebrated the opening of a new church in 2008 and is currently led by Rev. Joshua R. Cavender as pastor and campus minister, with Deacon Chris J. Darrup assisting.
- Established
- 1954
- Patron
- St. Pius X
- Rector
- Rev. Joshua R. Cavender
- Diocese
- Diocese of Harrisburg
Why belong here
St. Pius X offers a tight-knit Catholic community of about 650 households in the Susquehanna Valley that also reaches out to the students of Susquehanna University — with the pastor doubling as the university's Catholic Campus Minister. Daily and Sunday Mass is offered in a comfortable Adoration Chapel and a large 700-seat nave, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration runs Monday morning through Friday morning, and confession is available twice weekly. Active ministries include Religious Education classes, Catholic Campus Ministry, community outreach such as the Shepherd's Pie food-recovery meal program for hungry families in Snyder County, and ongoing formation for both children and adults.
Mass times at St. Pius X
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 5:00–6:00 PM
- Saturday: 3:30–4:30 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration, Monday 9:00 AM through Friday 8:00 AM (Our Lady of the Way Chapel)
- Eucharistic Adoration follows each daily Mass in the Adoration Chapel (Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat 8:00 AM; Wed 6:00 PM)
Parish History
St. Pius X was named on July 19, 1954, as a Catholic mission in Selinsgrove and was separated as an independent parish on June 29, 1964, with Father Anthony E. Burakowski named its first pastor. The parish grew from a chapel in a Broad Street house to a dedicated 1959 church on University Avenue, then to an enlarged building in 1983–84, and finally to the present 700-seat church dedicated in 2008. Throughout its life the parish has served both local families and the students of nearby Susquehanna University.
Catholic Life Before the Parish
Before there was a Catholic church in Selinsgrove, Jesuit missionaries from Canada are believed to have evangelized the area's Indian villages, and in 1791 Father John Heilbron of Holland baptized the children of Major Anthony Selin (the Swiss Catholic founder of Selinsgrove) in the family home. An 1828 effort by Irish canal laborers to build a brick chapel on the Isle of Que was never finished, and for more than fifty years Catholics traveled to Milton, Sunbury, or Shamokin for Mass.
From Mission to Parish (1952–1964)
In 1952 Bishop George L. Leech established a mission 'attached' to St. Michael's in Sunbury. Father Francis X. Butler celebrated the first Mass in the American Legion Hall on March 2, 1952, and a house chapel on Broad Street was purchased in April 1954. After the mission was transferred to St. Thomas More in Northumberland, Bishop Leech laid the cornerstone of a new church on December 13, 1959.
Building and Expansion (1964–2008)
The parish grew quickly under successive pastors and added a new rectory with basement classrooms in December 1976 and an expansion with a social hall dedicated by Bishop William H. Keeler on May 26, 1984. In 2000 Father Joseph A. Celia purchased land on Fairview Drive for a larger church, and a capital campaign under Father Edward J. 'Ted' Keating Jr. funded construction of the present building, dedicated by Bishop Kevin J. Rhoades on May 24, 2008.
Patron: St. Pius X
The parish is named for Pope St. Pius X (1835–1914), whose feast day in the Roman Catholic calendar is August 21. St. Pius X is honored for his catechetical writings and his motto to 'restore all things in Christ,' especially the frequent reception of Holy Communion and the catechesis of young people.
- Memorial: August 21
- Pope from 1903 to 1914
Architecture and Facilities
The present church, designed by Noelker and Hull Associates and opened in 2008, is set on a hillside overlooking the Susquehanna River valley. The 700-seat nave shares the site with an adjacent office wing that includes a 50-seat daily chapel and an ornate marble altar and reredos salvaged from a closed church in New Jersey. Operable panels on the lower level let classrooms and gathering space flexibly serve parish needs. The Diocese of Harrisburg confirms that the church, parking, restrooms, and social hall are accessible.
- 700-seat nave
- 50-seat Adoration Chapel / Our Lady of the Way Chapel
- Marble altar and reredos from a closed New Jersey church
- Multi-purpose lower level with operable panels
- Social hall
- Accessible parking, restrooms, and social hall
Mass and Worship Schedule
Weekend Masses are celebrated on Saturday at 5:00 PM (Vigil) and Sunday at 9:00 AM, with an additional noon Mass while Susquehanna University is in session. Daily Mass is offered Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00 AM and Wednesday at 6:00 PM, all in the Adoration Chapel. Holy Day Masses are scheduled by contacting the parish office.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 9:00 AM
- Sunday (university in session): 12:00 PM Noon
- Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat: 8:00 AM (Adoration Chapel)
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM (Adoration Chapel)
Faith Formation / Religious Education
Religious Education is coordinated by MaLu Bautista de Medina and provides year-round faith formation for the parish's children and youth, with classes offered on Sundays for both parishioners and university students. The program is supplemented by Sacramental preparation celebrated within the parish.
- Coordinator: MaLu Bautista de Medina
- Sunday Religious Education classes
Catholic Campus Ministry at Susquehanna University
Because Susquehanna University sits in the parish's neighborhood, the pastor of St. Pius X also serves as the university's Catholic Campus Minister — a tradition that has continued since 1980. Campus Ministry helps Catholic students fulfill their Sunday obligation, supports faith life on campus, and welcomes students into parish ministries and service opportunities.
- Sunday Mass on campus and at the parish
- Campus minister is also the parish pastor
Outreach and Charity
The parish runs Shepherd's Pie, a community-meal program that rescues food from local businesses and volunteers' donations to provide free, healthy homemade meals to neighbors facing food insecurity. Meals are distributed at the parish on the last Thursday of each month from 2:00 to 6:00 PM — no forms or questions required — and donations of surplus food from households or businesses are welcomed.
- Shepherd's Pie meal program
- Meals distributed last Thursday of each month, 2:00–6:00 PM
- Food donations welcomed from individuals and local businesses
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Rev. Joshua R. Cavender, who serves as pastor and Catholic Campus Minister of Susquehanna University. Deacon Chris J. Darrup assists, and MaLu Bautista de Medina coordinates Religious Education. Parish office hours are Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM and Friday 8:30 AM–12:00 Noon, and inquiries can be directed to the office by phone, fax, or email.
- Pastor: Rev. Joshua R. Cavender
- Deacon: Deacon Chris J. Darrup
- Religious Education Coordinator: MaLu Bautista de Medina
- Office hours: M–Th 8:30 AM–4:30 PM; Fri 8:30 AM–12 Noon
Visit, Contact, and Office
St. Pius X welcomes visitors at 112 Fairview Drive, Selinsgrove, PA 17870, on the hilltop 'University Heights' near Susquehanna University. New parishioners are invited to register with the parish office by phone, email, or in person, and the office can provide information about scheduling sacraments, participating in ministries, and joining the perpetual Adoration chapel.
- Address: 112 Fairview Drive, Selinsgrove, PA 17870
- Phone: 570-374-4113
- Fax: 570-374-0156
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Francis X. Butler1952
Celebrated the first Mass of the Selinsgrove mission at the American Legion Hall on March 2, 1952, while pastor of St. Michael's Church, Sunbury (under whose mission the work began).
- Reverend Mathias Siedlecki1957
Assigned as the mission's priest under St. Thomas More Parish, Northumberland; sold the Broad Street house chapel and bought land for a church.
- Reverend Anthony E. Burakowski1964–1966
First pastor of the independent parish; also chaplain of the Selinsgrove State School and Hospital.
- Reverend Joseph T. Klespis1966–1969
- Reverend Francis J. Hudak1969–1971
- Reverend Martin T. Brown1971–1974
- Reverend Gerald A. Lytle1974–1980
- Reverend John G. Allen1980–1986
First pastor also serving as Catholic Campus Minister to Susquehanna University.
- Reverend Joseph A. Celia1986–2002
Purchased the Fairview Drive property in 2000 for a new, larger church.
- Reverend Edward J. Keating Jr.2002–2012
Led the successful capital campaign; oversaw construction of the present church dedicated May 24, 2008 by Bishop Kevin J. Rhoades.
- Reverend Daniel F.X. Powell2012–2016
- Reverend Tukura Pius Michael, O.P.2016–
Dominican priest; listed by parish sources as pastor until transition to Fr. Cavender.
- Reverend Joshua R. Cavender
Current pastor and Catholic Campus Minister at Susquehanna University, appointed from Parochial Vicar of St. John the Baptist Parish, New Freedom.