About St. Rita · Connellsville, Pennsylvania
St. Rita of Cascia Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, serving the city's historic West Side — the neighborhood once known as Connellsville's 'Little Italy,' settled by Italian immigrants who came to work in the region's coal, coke, and steel industries. Founded in 1914 by an Italian missionary priest, Father Enrico (Henry) De Vivo, the parish is today part of the Yough Catholic Community (formally Our Lady, Queen of the Yough Catholic Community), a partnership grouping St. Rita with neighboring Immaculate Conception, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Aloysius parishes under the Diocese of Greensburg. The parish is well known locally for its deeply rooted Italian-American heritage, its annual summer festival, and the long-standing tradition of broadcasting its Christmas Midnight Mass on local radio.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Rita of Cascia
- Rector
- Father Robert T. Lubic (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Greensburg
Why belong here
St. Rita offers an unusually personal parish home for Catholics in Connellsville's West Side and the wider Yough region, with weekday Masses multiple days a week, a Wednesday Eucharistic Adoration hour from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and the celebrated tradition of Christmas Midnight Mass. The parish is the spiritual heart of a tight-knit Italian-American community, sustained by an annual parish festival that has run for nearly a century, and it is now part of a larger pastoral family — the Yough Catholic Community — that shares faith-formation, RCIA, outreach, and sacramental ministry across Connellsville and Dunbar.
Mass times at St. Rita
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 11:30 AM at St. John the Evangelist (partner parish)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (Adoration at St. Rita)
Parish History & Heritage
St. Rita of Cascia was founded in December 1914 by Rev. Enrico (Henry) De Vivo, an Italian missionary priest from Paduli, to serve the Italian-American families settling Connellsville's West Side. Within a year, the parishioners themselves — twenty-five men, plus women and children — had dismantled a condemned schoolhouse, hauled 74,000 salvaged bricks, and raised a Romanesque church on South Second Street. Father De Vivo celebrated the first Mass at midnight on Christmas Eve 1915 in an unfinished building heated only by coal stoves. The parish grew steadily through the twentieth century, adding a bell tower and bell in 1922–23, a new rectory in 1926, a marble altar and new pews in 1953, a social hall in 1964, a pipe organ in 1975, and major 1980s renovations that included a cemetery chapel and an accessibility ramp.
- Founded: December 1914 by Rev. Enrico (Henry) De Vivo
- Cornerstone laid: October 24, 1915 by Father John T. Burns of Immaculate Conception
- First Mass: Midnight, Christmas Eve 1915
- Bell tower and 'Laura' bell: 1922–1923
- New rectory: 1926
- Marble altar, communion rail, pews, lighting: 1953
- New social hall: 1964
- Pipe organ: 1975
- Stained-glass restoration, steeple repair, cemetery chapel, ramp: 1980s
Italian-American Heritage
St. Rita's has long been the spiritual home of Connellsville's 'Little Italy' — the West Side neighborhood populated between 1880 and 1930 by Italian immigrants drawn to the region's coal, coke, and steel industries. The parish retains strong Italian-American traditions, including an annual summer festival famous for its homemade Italian food and the 'Mangia Mania' Italian eating contest. Father De Vivo himself was recognized by the Italian government in 1939 as a Chevalier of the Crown of Italy for his work among Italian nationals.
- Anchors Connellsville's historic Little Italy / West Side neighborhood
- Annual Italian festival with homemade food, bingo, games, 50/50, basket raffle
- Mangia Mania Italian eating contest
- Live Italian-American band entertainment each festival night
The Yough Catholic Community (Parish Partnership)
Since 2007 St. Rita has been partnered first with St. John the Evangelist (under Father Ron Cyktor) and then, in 2009, with Immaculate Conception (under Father Joseph Bonafed). The grouping, also known as 'Our Lady, Queen of the Yough Catholic Community,' now also includes St. Aloysius in Dunbar and partner parishes in Mount Pleasant (St. Pius X, Visitation BVM), Scottdale (St. John the Baptist), and Everson (St. Joseph). Together they share clergy, faith formation, RCIA, liturgy, and outreach.
- St. Rita of Cascia, Connellsville
- Immaculate Conception, Connellsville
- St. John the Evangelist, Connellsville
- St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Dunbar
- St. Pius X & Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mount Pleasant
- St. John the Baptist, Scottdale
- St. Joseph, Everson
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
St. Rita is currently led by Administrator Father Robert T. Lubic and served by Parochial Vicars Father Tomas P. Avila and Father Julius U. Capongpongan (the latter from the Diocese of Tagum in the Philippines). The priests serve the entire Yough Catholic Community from parishes in Connellsville, Dunbar, Mount Pleasant, Scottdale, and Everson.
- Rev. Robert T. Lubic — Administrator
- Rev. Tomas P. Avila — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Julius U. Capongpongan — Parochial Vicar
Christmas Midnight Mass Tradition
A particular point of pride for the parish is the Christmas Midnight Mass — first celebrated by Father De Vivo in the unfinished church at midnight on Christmas Eve 1915. That liturgy has continued without interruption for more than a century and was long broadcast annually on Connellsville radio station WCVI. The Mass remains one of the signature liturgical events of the Yough Catholic Community.
- First celebrated: midnight, Christmas Eve 1915
- Long broadcast annually on WCVI radio
- Continues as a beloved Connellsville tradition
Annual St. Rita Parish Festival
Held on the parish grounds on South Second Street the second weekend of July, the St. Rita Parish Festival will mark its 98th year in July 2026, making it one of the longest-running parish festivals in the Diocese of Greensburg. The festival features homemade Italian food, games, bingo, a 50/50 drawing, a basket raffle, and the popular 'Mangia Mania' Italian food eating contest, with live entertainment each evening.
- Dates: Thursday–Saturday, second week of July
- Hours: 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM each evening
- Homemade Italian food
- Bingo, games, 50/50, basket raffle
- 'Mangia Mania' Italian eating contest (Saturday)
- Live band entertainment each night
Faith Formation & Sacraments
Religious education, sacramental preparation, and RCIA are coordinated at the Yough Catholic Community level. Parishioners can register for Faith Formation through the community office. Sacraments celebrated include Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, Confirmation, and adult initiation through the RCIA process.
- Faith Formation registration (K–8 and teen)
- RCIA / adult initiation
- Baptism preparation
- Marriage preparation
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
Outreach & Community Support
The Yough Catholic Community, of which St. Rita is a member, runs a notable outreach to families affected by addiction — a major concern in the region. In partnership with Connellsville Counseling, Catholic Charities, Nar-Anon, and other local agencies, the community hosts a monthly grief-recovery group, a weekly Nar-Anon family group, and an annual Recovery Month event with a candlelight prayer service for those lost to addiction.
- Vision of Hope Nar-Anon Family Group — Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 PM at St. John the Evangelist Social Hall
- Monthly grief-recovery group (second Tuesday, 6:00–8:00 PM)
- Annual Recovery Month event with candlelight prayer service
- Partner agencies: Catholic Charities, Connellsville Counseling, Axiom, Nar-Anon, CPP Behavioral Health, Fayette County Drug and Alcohol Commission, Highlands Hospital
Communications & Online Giving
The parish shares an active communications program with the Yough Catholic Community, including a weekly bulletin, a Facebook Live Stream of Masses, Liturgical Minister Schedules published online, and an Online Giving portal.
- Weekly bulletin (digital)
- Facebook Live Stream of Masses
- Liturgical Minister Schedules
- Online Giving program
Visiting St. Rita
St. Rita's is located in the heart of the West Side neighborhood of Connellsville, on South Second Street. Parking is available on the parish grounds. Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office — shared with the Yough Catholic Community — at (724) 628-6840.
- Address: 116 South Second Street, Connellsville, PA 15425
- Phone: 724-628-6840
- Located in Connellsville's historic West Side / Little Italy
- Shared parish office with the Yough Catholic Community at 148 E Crawford Ave, Connellsville, PA 15425
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Enrico (Henry) De Vivo1914–
Italian missionary priest from Paduli who founded the parish in December 1914, broke ground in 1915, and celebrated the first Mass at midnight on Christmas Eve 1915. Named a chevalier of the Crown of Italy in 1939; personally accompanied nearly 300 parishioners through citizenship court over 20+ years.
- Rev. Ron Cyktor2007–
Pastoral leader when St. Rita was first partnered with St. John the Evangelist Parish.
- Rev. Joseph Bonafed2009–
Took leadership when Immaculate Conception was added to the partner-parish grouping.
- Rev. Robert T. Lubic
Current Administrator of the Yough Catholic Community parishes.