About St. Teresa of Avila · Union City, Pennsylvania
St. Teresa of Avila is a Roman Catholic parish located at 9 Third Avenue in Union City, Erie County, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Erie. The parish traces its roots to 1857, when twenty Catholic families built the original church in Union Mills; the present church building was laid cornerstone July 1906 and dedicated in May 1907. After a long history that included founding the seasonal mission of Our Lady of Fatima at Canadohta Lake (1950), the parish was partnered with St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Corry in 2019 and was formally merged into St. Thomas the Apostle as a secondary mission church by decree of Bishop Lawrence Persico effective July 9, 2024. Today Mass continues to be celebrated in the historic Union City church building, served by the pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish and supported by a devoted lay community that maintains the parish's ministries, Lawn Festival, and Rosary-Altar Society.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- St. Teresa of Avila (St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church)
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas J. Whitman
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
St. Teresa of Avila remains the spiritual home of a tight-knit Catholic community in Union City with deep roots going back to 1857. The parish offers daily and Sunday Mass at its historic 1907 church, ongoing faith formation for children and adults, the venerable Rosary-Altar Society, a Knights of Columbus council, the long-running Lawn Festival tradition, a Scripture Discussion Group, Small Faith Communities, and an active Cursillo movement. As a secondary mission church of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish (Corry), it continues to celebrate the Mass on Sundays and holy days, offers the Sacrament of Penance on Saturday afternoons, and welcomes new parishioners to register — all in the spirit of charity, education, evangelism and service that has defined the parish for more than 160 years.
Mass times at St. Teresa of Avila
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:00 p.m. at whichever church hosts the Vigil Mass that month (alternates between St. Thomas, Corry and St. Teresa, Union City)
- By appointment through the Parish Office
Parish History
The parish traces its origins to 1857, when twenty Catholic families built the first church in the railroad town then known as Union Mills and called a pastor — Fr. Thomas Lonnergan — to lead it. Within three years a larger church had to be built (1860), followed by a parochial school (1874) staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph. After the school closed in 1901, a much larger brick church replaced the wood-framed original; the cornerstone was laid in July 1906 and the building dedicated in May 1907, fitted with a Carnegie-funded Grand Tellers organ. Through world wars, the Great Depression (Fr. Ring even sold his life insurance to keep the parish afloat), a lightning fire in 1930, and a structural crisis in 1986 that forced Mass into the parish auditorium, the community rebuilt and redecorated repeatedly. Recent decades brought the revival of the Lawn Festival, the 2007 sesquicentennial, and in 2024 formal incorporation into St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Corry as a secondary mission church.
The 1907 Church Building
Built 1906–07 under Fr. Cantlin at a reported cost of $16,000, the present church anchors the parish and is still in active use. Major renovations followed in 1955 (bondstone exterior, interior refurbishment), 1984 (handicapped-accessible ramp), the late 1980s (structural-wall reinforcement), 1993 (front facade, doors, parking, landscaping), and 2007 (full interior re-plastering and repaint).
The Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries
From Fr. Cantlin through Frs. Ring, Trembly, Robaczewski, Skinner, Peterson, Smith, Martin, Schill, Prez, and Suppa, the parish sustained its ministries through war, depression, fire and structural peril. The sesquicentennial was celebrated in August 2007.
2024 Merger with St. Thomas the Apostle Parish
Following steep declines in registered households and Mass attendance, Bishop Lawrence Persico sought and received Presbyteral Council approval on February 28, 2024 to merge St. Teresa of Avila Parish (Union City) into St. Thomas the Apostle Parish (Corry) by extinctive union, effective July 9, 2024. The St. Teresa church became a secondary mission church (with Sundays and holy days Mass permitted), sacramental records transferred to Corry, and Our Lady of Fatima ceased to have mission-church status. The parish continues to worship at 9 Third Avenue, Union City.
Leadership & Staff
Rev. Thomas J. Whitman serves as pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish and its secondary mission church St. Teresa of Avila. He is assisted by Deacon Randy Kondrlik (active) and Deacon William Saborsky (retired). The parish office is staffed by business manager/faith-formation administrator Melissa Silka, parish secretary Susan Johnston, office manager Kathy Roggenkamp, bookkeeper Mary Harned, and cemetery coordinator Chris Slocum. Pastoral and finance leadership is provided by pastoral council chair John Mineo and finance committee chair Darrell Combs. Liturgical music is coordinated by Natalie Malec Wilmoth.
Sacramental Life
Baptism, Marriage, the Sacrament of the Sick (Anointing), and Reconciliation are all offered through the Parish Office. First-time parents are asked to attend a Baptism Class before their child is baptized and before godparents are chosen; weddings must be scheduled at least ten months in advance. The Sacrament of the Sick is available on request, and Holy Communion can be brought to the homebound weekly through the office.
Parish Ministries & Organizations
St. Teresa of Avila carries a remarkably full portfolio of lay ministries for a parish of its size — including liturgical roles (altar servers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, sacristan, liturgical environment, choir), faith formation (Religious Education Guild, RCIA, Small Faith Communities, Cursillo liaison), community groups (Rosary-Altar Society, Knights of Columbus, Girl Scouts, Prayer Chain), and ongoing outreach (Funeral Dinners, Baptismal Garments, Cemetery Committee, Lawn Festival and Indoor Garage Sale fundraisers).
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is coordinated through the Religious Education Guild (contact Kelly Geer) and is led at the parish level by Melissa Silka. The Religious Education Guild meets during the school term, and Fr. Tom Suppa's earlier revitalization of the RCIA program remains part of the parish's adult initiation ministry.
Devotions & Prayer Life
The parish maintains a Prayer Chain (Yvonne Stauffer and Mary Louise Capan), a Small Faith Community (Noreen Hurlburt), a Wednesday 1:00 p.m. Scripture Discussion Group (September–May), Cursillo engagement, and the historic Angelus bell — automated in memory of Fr. Lawrence Trembly in the 1950s and rung daily to call the parish to prayer.
Service, Fundraising & Outreach
Long-running traditions include the annual Lawn Festival (Thursdays, a parish tradition since Fr. Cantlin in 1912), an Indoor Garage Sale, the Knights of Columbus Coal Sweepstakes, the Rosary-Altar Society Bake Sale, and the combined-parish Catholic Services Appeal (with a 2026 goal of $27,000 for St. Teresa's portion of the $64,881 diocesan goal). Funeral Dinners ministry and the Parish Center rental (contact Matt Moon, 814-490-1494) round out parish hospitality.
Cemetery
St. Teresa Cemetery is actively maintained by a parish Cemetery Committee coordinated by Chris Slocum (with Dave Sabol), who serves as Coordinator of the Parish Cemetery and can be reached at 814-462-6375. The cemetery was landscaped under Fr. James 'Pete' Peterson's pastorate and is part of the current parish's continued care of its historic grounds. The parish recently sought a Cemetery Maintenance Manager to oversee daily maintenance, burials and compliance.
Facilities & Parish Center
The historic 1907 church continues in active liturgical use, supported by a parish hall that was refurbished under Fr. Tom Suppa (1999+) to include nine classrooms, a library, office space, and a renovated kitchen. The Parish Center is available for rental (contact Matt Moon, 814-490-1494) and hosts parish festivals, sales, Religious Education, and community gatherings.
Getting Involved & New Parishioners
New parishioners are warmly welcomed and can register by completing the form found in the front of the weekly bulletin and returning it to the offertory or the parish office. The parish bulletin regularly calls for volunteers — most recently a Lawn Festival chairperson — and offers roles in liturgical ministry, faith formation, cemetery care, maintenance, and parish organizations. Anyone interested is invited to contact Fr. Tom or the relevant ministry head listed on the Ministries page.
Stay Connected
Parish life is communicated through the weekly bulletin (available on st-teresa-unioncity.org and from stthomastheapostle.church), the combined Facebook page 'St. Thomas the Apostle & its Mission St. Teresa', and the diocesan Catholic Services Appeal. The Parish Office at 203 W. Washington Street, Corry, PA 16407 (814-663-3041, [email protected]) is the central contact for both parishes.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Thomas Lonnerganfounding, 1857
First pastor; based in Corry, built the first Catholic churches in seven other railroad towns.
- Fr. Maloney / Fr. Maurel / Fr. Mada1868–1869
Series of short-term pastors.
- Fr. Dunnfrom 1869
Opened St. Teresa Parochial School in 1874, staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph.
- Fr. Bernard Lynch1892–1894
- Fr. David Hanleyafter 1894
Added a second story to the school and redecorated the church; school later declined and closed in August 1901.
- Fr. James Fieldingfrom 1897
Began preliminary study for the new brick church.
- Fr. Cantlin1904–1930 (death)
Built current church (1906–07), introduced catechism classes, founded the Rosary-Altar Society in 1912, started the annual Lawn Festival tradition.
- Fr. John Ring1930–
First Mass on Palm Sunday 1930; church gutted by lightning one month later and rebuilt; shepherded the parish through the Great Depression.
- Fr. Lawrence Trembly1941–1954
Founded Our Lady of Fatima chapel at Canadohta Lake in 1950; died of a heart attack in 1954.
- Fr. Charles Hackerl / Fr. Malloy1954–1955
Temporary pastors.
- Fr. Anthony Robaczewskifrom 1955
Covered exterior with bondstone and refurbished the interior.
- Fr. Charles Skinnerfrom 1968
Winterized Our Lady of Fatima; led drive to preserve the local hospital.
- Fr. James 'Pete' Peterson1975–
Revived Lawn Festivals, landscaped the cemetery, founded Horizon House (women's facility), and added the 1984 handicap ramp.
- Fr. Tom Smithfrom Sept 1985
Administrator, then pastor; led during the 1986 structural-wall crisis.
- Fr. Dennis Martinfrom Dec 1986
Oversaw repair of the leaning side walls; liturgy held in parish auditorium during the work.
- Fr. Paul Schillfrom Nov 1992
Temporary administrator.
- Fr. Dan Prezfrom Jan 1993
Front-of-church facelift, thermopane entrance doors, paved parking lot, improved landscaping.
- Fr. Tom Suppafrom Aug 1999
Revitalized RCIA, refurbished parish hall with nine classrooms, library and kitchen, and celebrated the parish sesquicentennial in 2007.
- Rev. Matthew J. StrickenbergerPastor (predecessor)
Listed as pastor in an earlier bulletin period.
- Rev. Thomas J. Whitmancurrent pastor
Pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish; serves St. Teresa of Avila as a secondary mission church since the 2024 merger.