About St. Severin · Drifting, Pennsylvania
St. Severin Church is a Catholic mission located in the small community of Drifting, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Erie. Founded by German Catholic settlers in 1851, it was the pioneer Roman Catholic church in north-central Pennsylvania and remains an active mission today under the pastoral care of St. Agnes Parish in Morrisdale. The historic 1851 log church — built by Benedictine fathers from Latrobe and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places — sits near the present-day mission church on Kylertown–Drifting Highway. Following a December 2023 diocesan merger, St. Severin became a secondary mission church of the combined St. Agnes Parish, which serves five church buildings across three Catholic communities in the Moshannon Valley.
- Established
- 1851
- Patron
- Saint Severin of Bordeaux
- Rector
- Rev. Johnathan P. Schmolt
- Diocese
- Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
St. Severin is a small but living mission rooted in 175 years of Catholic faith in the Moshannon Valley — the original log church of 1851 still stands as a National Register landmark beside the present-day mission. As a member of the merged St. Agnes Parish, the Drifting community gathers for weekly Sunday Mass, rotating weekday Masses, and ongoing devotions, and shares in the life of a wider family of five Catholic churches (including the historic French-heritage parish of St. Mary of the Assumption in Frenchville). Visitors and parishioners find a warm, multi-community family supported by an active Knights of Columbus council (Holy Family Council 8701), a Rosary Society, faith formation programs, and a parish that still treasures its pioneer German-Catholic roots.
Mass times at St. Severin
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- As scheduled in the parish bulletin
- Sunday 9:00–9:15 AM (after 8 AM Mass, by request or appointment, per Discover Mass listing)
Adoration times
- 4th Wednesday at 5:30 PM with Exposition (parish-wide schedule)
St. Severin Mission — Drifting, Pennsylvania
St. Severin Church is a Catholic mission church in the community of Drifting, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, within the Diocese of Erie. It is one of five church buildings now served by St. Agnes Parish in Morrisdale, and it carries on a Catholic tradition in the Moshannon Valley that began with German Catholic pioneers in 1851.
- Established: 1851
- Patron: Saint Severin of Bordeaux
- Diocese: Diocese of Erie
- Pastoral care: St. Agnes Parish, Morrisdale
- Type: Secondary Mission Church
History & Heritage of St. Severin
The original St. Severin's Church was built by German Catholic settlers of Cooper Settlement and dedicated by Bishop Michael O'Conner of Pittsburgh on September 2, 1851. The hand-hewn log church, built by Benedictine fathers from Latrobe, served the community of about thirty-five founding families for roughly thirty years. A larger brick church was built around 1880–1891 to the same design as St. Agnes Church in Morrisdale Mines. The present church was built in 1964–1965 and dedicated in 1966. St. Severin served as the parish church in the Moshannon Valley before being cared for successively by the pastors of Immaculate Conception (Osceola Mills), St. Agnes (Morrisdale), and from 1994 St. Mary of the Assumption (Frenchville). Since December 2023, it has been a mission of the newly merged St. Agnes Parish.
- 1851 — Original log church dedicated by Bishop Michael O'Conner
- ca. 1880 — Larger church built; old log church taken out of regular service
- 1891 — A new church built to the same design as St. Agnes, Morrisdale
- 1894–1896 — Care of Morrisdale community transferred through St. Severin
- 1964–1965 — Present St. Severin church built
- 1966 — Present church dedicated
- 1967 — Old Log Church restored
- 1975 — Old Log Church listed on the National Register of Historic Places (June 5, 1975; #75001633)
- 1994 — Pastoral care transferred to St. Mary of the Assumption, Frenchville
- December 8, 2023 — St. Mary of the Assumption merged into St. Agnes Parish; St. Severin becomes a secondary mission of St. Agnes
The 1851 Old Log Church (National Historic Landmark)
St. Severin's Old Log Church — a 1½-story log cabin with a gable roof and steeple, roughly 45 ft × 24 ft on a rock foundation — was built around 1851 and served the congregation until about 1880. It was restored in 1967 and added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1975. It is one of the few surviving log churches that retains a cupola/steeple and is widely considered the pioneer Roman Catholic church of north-central Pennsylvania.
- Built by Benedictine fathers from Latrobe for German Catholic settlers
- Located off Route 5 / Route 53 in Cooper Settlement, Cooper Township
- Original land donated by Severin Nebel (for whom the settlement and saint are named)
- Not handicap-accessible
- Managed by the Diocese of Erie / St. Agnes Parish
Parish Life & Devotions
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, the St. Severin community shares in a wide range of parish activities: a Rosary Society, the Knights of Columbus Holy Family Council 8701, regular Adoration and Exposition, communion visits to the homebound, and an active prayer list for the sick and deceased. Weekly bulletins publish Mass intentions, prayer requests, and community news from all five churches.
- Rosary Society (St. Agnes) — hosts parish luncheons and devotions
- Knights of Columbus Holy Family Council 8701 — meets 4th Tuesday at 6:30 PM, St. Agnes Social Hall
- Adoration — 4th Wednesday at 5:30 PM with Exposition
- Homebound Communion — 1st Thursday of the month (call 814-342-2583 or 814-263-4354)
- St. Agnes Parish Bingo — 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6 PM, St. Agnes Social Hall
- Finance Council meetings (held periodically at St. Severin Social Hall)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for the parish family — including children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation — is coordinated at the parish level for all three Catholic communities (Morrisdale, Frenchville, and Drifting/Grassflat) served by St. Agnes Parish.
- Faith Formation Leader: Carla Heitsenrether
- Programs for First Communion, Confirmation, and ongoing catechesis
- Liturgical and family-faith opportunities across the five churches
- Bulletin is the primary source for current schedule and registration
Sacraments
All sacramental arrangements — Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Funerals — are made by contacting the pastor at the parish rectory. The Sacrament of Penance is offered as scheduled in the parish bulletin (with additional Sunday confession times available after the 8 AM Mass by request).
- Baptism — call the pastor
- Marriage — call the pastor
- Anointing of the Sick — call the pastor
- Funerals — Frenchville/Drifting/Grassflat: contact Amy at 814-263-4874
- Penance — as scheduled in bulletin
- First Communion & Confirmation — through Faith Formation
Cemeteries
Cemetery information for St. Severin (and the related Ss. Peter & Paul, Grassflat, and St. Mary of the Assumption, Frenchville) is handled through the Frenchville office. Amy Rowles serves as cemetery manager for the Frenchville, Grassflat, and Drifting cemeteries.
- Cemetery manager (Drifting/Grassflat/Frenchville): Amy Rowles — (814) 263-4874
- St. Mary office open Mondays & Tuesdays, 10 AM–12 PM (or by appointment)
- Other cemetery inquiries (Hawk Run, Morrisdale, Winburne) handled by the Morrisdale office
Staff & Contacts
St. Severin Mission is staffed and administered as part of St. Agnes Parish, Morrisdale. The pastor and parochial vicar oversee sacramental and pastoral life across all five church buildings, supported by parish staff and lay leaders in each community.
- Pastor: Rev. Johnathan P. Schmolt
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Cory L. Pius
- Deacon Assistant: Deacon Dennis Socash
- Parish Secretary: Rosemary Clawges (Morrisdale office, Mon–Wed 8 AM–5 PM)
- Mission / Cemetery Contact (Frenchville, Drifting, Grassflat): Amy Rowles — 814-263-4874
- Faith Formation Leader: Carla Heitsenrether
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Parish phone: (814) 342-2583
Visit, Giving & Getting Involved
St. Severin Mission — and the wider St. Agnes Parish — welcomes visitors and new parishioners. The mission church is generally open Monday–Saturday, 10 AM–12 PM for private prayer. The combined parish publishes a weekly bulletin and runs an annual Catholic Services Appeal; St. Severin's 2025 CSA goal was $10,193. To get involved, contact the parish office or join one of the parish ministries listed above.
- Mass-contact for Frenchville/Drifting/Grassflat: Amy — 814-592-4091
- Mass-contact for Morrisdale/Hawk Run/Winburne: Rosemary — 814-342-2583
- Weekly bulletin submission: [email protected] (deadline Monday at noon)
- 2025 CSA — St. Severin Goal $10,193
- Volunteer opportunities: Rosary Society, Knights of Columbus, Faith Formation, Finance Council, cemetery care, hospitality
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Johnathan P. Schmolt
Current pastor/pastoral administrator of St. Agnes Parish, Morrisdale, which oversees St. Severin Mission after the December 2023 merger.
- Rev. Cory L. Pius
Current Parochial Vicar of St. Agnes Parish.