About St. Stephen · Port Carbon, Pennsylvania
St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church in Port Carbon, Pennsylvania, is a historic coal-country parish founded by Saint John Neumann in 1847. For more than 170 years it served Irish and immigrant mining families in the Schuylkill Valley before the Diocese of Allentown merged it into St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Saint Clair in January 2020. In 2022 the church, rectory, and garage were sold to the nonprofit Society of St. Stephen, a group of former parishioners dedicated to preserving the landmark. Today the building remains a cherished symbol of Port Carbon’s Catholic heritage and hosts occasional sacred celebrations.
- Established
- 1847
- Patron
- Saint Stephen, the first martyr (protomartyr)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Allentown
Why belong here
St. Stephen Parish is no longer an active parish; its territory was merged into St. Clare of Assisi Parish, Saint Clair. The historic St. Stephen church building is preserved by the Society of St. Stephen for heritage, prayer, and occasional liturgical celebrations.
History
St. Stephen Parish began as a log-cabin mission on the highest ground in Port Carbon. It was officially established on July 17, 1847, by Bishop John Neumann to serve a wide swath of Schuylkill County coal towns. Irish immigrant Father Daniel Magorien became the first pastor and, with the labor of miners and dockworkers, built the stone church and rectory. Over the decades the parish added a steeple, stained-glass windows, and a school. It marked its 150th anniversary in 1997, by which time it had baptized more than 9,300 people and witnessed more than 2,100 marriages.
Closure and Preservation
After years of financial stress and declining attendance, the Diocese of Allentown announced in December 2019 that St. Stephen Church would close and its parish would merge into St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Saint Clair, effective January 12, 2020. Msgr. William Glosser, administrator since 2016, informed parishioners of the difficult decision. In October 2022 the Diocese sold the former church, rectory, and garage to the Society of St. Stephen, a nonprofit of former parishioners, in a landmark arrangement intended to preserve the historic building for prayer, heritage, and occasional liturgies.
Notable Parish Facts
- First baptism: July 16, 1847 — Mary Donnelly
- First Confirmation class: July 22, 1849 — 162 candidates
- First marriage: July 23, 1847 — Thomas Crolly and Margaret Horan
- Father Daniel Magorien served as pastor for 39 years
- Parish school centenary celebrated in 1986
- Church, rectory, and garage sold to the Society of St. Stephen in 2022
Location and Contact
The former St. Stephen church stands at 218 Valley Street, Port Carbon, PA 17965. The parish phone was (570) 622-6600. For current sacramental and pastoral needs, Catholics in the area are now served by St. Clare of Assisi Parish, Saint Clair, within the Diocese of Allentown.