About St. Theresa of the Child Jesus · Hellertown, Pennsylvania
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus is a Roman Catholic territorial parish located at 1408 Easton Road in Hellertown, Bucks County (Lehigh Valley region), Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Allentown. Founded in 1921 as a mission of SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish to serve Slovak Catholic immigrants working at Bethlehem Steel, it was canonically established as a parish on November 12, 1925. The parish's mission statement describes it as 'a Roman Catholic Family of Faith, centered in the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, faithful to the Church's teachings, bringing the Light of Christ to each other and to our Community.'
- Established
- 1921
- Patron
- St. Theresa of the Child Jesus (Thérèse of Lisieux)
- Rector
- Rev. Dr. John A. Krivak
- Diocese
- Diocese of Allentown
Why belong here
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus offers a deeply Eucharistic-centered Catholic life in the small-town setting of Hellertown, with a committed parish identity rooted in nearly a century of Slovak-American Catholic heritage. Daily Mass Monday through Friday and three Sunday Masses serve a wide range of schedules, complemented by weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays and Saturday and First Friday confessions. Active lay organizations — including the Ladies Guild, Holy Name Society, and Knights of Columbus — together with ministries for lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, the choir, RCIA, and baptism preparation make it easy for new parishioners to get involved in the life of the parish.
Mass times at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:30 PM
- First Fridays 12:00–1:00 PM
- Tuesday Holy Hour 6:00–7:00 PM includes Confession (per Discover Mass listing)
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesdays 6:00–7:00 PM (No Confessions during this hour)
Parish History
Founded in 1921 as a Slovak mission church of SS. Cyril and Methodius (now Incarnation of Our Lord) on Bethlehem's Southside, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus was canonically established as a territorial parish on November 12, 1925. The parish traces its origin to Father George Check's 1923 purchase of land on Leonard Street and Easton Road in Hellertown, the dedication of a basement church on May 30, 1925, and the renaming of the parish in honor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who had been canonized just thirteen days earlier on May 17, 1925. The present church building was dedicated on October 16, 1956.
- Founded 1921 as SS. Nereus and Achilleus mission
- Renamed St. Theresa of the Child Jesus on May 30, 1925
- Canonically established November 12, 1925
- Present church dedicated October 16, 1956
- Sixth pastor installed June 15, 2021
Parish Ministries
St. Theresa's offers a wide range of lay ministries for parishioners of all ages. Liturgical roles include lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion (including to the sick and homebound), altar servers (open to boys and girls from third grade), and the Adult Choir which sings at the 9:30 AM Sunday Mass. Devotional and formation ministries include Eucharistic Adoration, the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), and Baptism Preparation. Parish societies include the Ladies Guild (meeting the second Tuesday of each month), the Holy Name Society, and the Knights of Columbus.
- Music Ministry / Adult Choir
- Ladies Guild
- Holy Name Society
- Knights of Columbus
- Altar Servers
- Eucharistic Adoration
- Baptism Preparation
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- RCIA
Religious Education and Faith Formation
The parish's religious education program uses the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based approach to forming children in the Catholic faith. The parish also offers a preschool program that has continued to grow even after the closure of the elementary school in 2020. Adult faith formation is supported through the RCIA process and ongoing spiritual programs introduced under past pastors.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (children)
- Preschool program (continues to operate)
- RCIA (adults)
- Baptism Preparation
Parish School
St. Theresa's operated an elementary school that was part of the parish for approximately 80 years. Enrollment declined from 129 students in the 2017–18 school year to 81 in 2019–20, and combined with reduced parish collections during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pastor Rev. Jerome Tauber announced the elementary school's closure at the end of the 2019–20 school year. The parish preschool program, however, remained open and continued to grow.
- Elementary school closed June 2020
- Preschool continues to operate
- Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters previously served the school (departed 2020)
Pastoral Staff and Diocesan Connection
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus is a parish of the Diocese of Allentown. The parish has special diocesan significance: its former pastor, Monsignor Alfred A. Schlert, was named the fifth Bishop of Allentown by Pope Francis on June 27, 2017, becoming the first diocesan priest in the history of the diocese to be named Bishop. Bishop Schlert celebrated his first Mass as Bishop-Elect at St. Theresa's. The parish's current pastor, Rev. Dr. John A. Krivak, was named the parish's sixth pastor on June 15, 2021.
- Diocese of Allentown
- Bishop Alfred A. Schlert — former pastor, named fifth Bishop of Allentown June 27, 2017
- Rev. Dr. John A. Krivak — sixth pastor, installed June 15, 2021
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Trescak1921–1922
Administrator of the SS. Nereus and Achilleus mission church in Hellertown; moved into the rectory on Jefferson Street in 1921
- Rev. Tomko1922–1923
Curate from SS. Cyril and Methodius, Southside Bethlehem, who traveled to Hellertown to care for the faithful between assigned administrators
- Rev. George Check1923–1965
Founding pastor; purchased land in 1923, dedicated the basement church May 30, 1925, renamed it St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, and saw the parish canonically established November 12, 1925. Oversaw the building of the convent (1935) and dedication of the present church (Oct. 16, 1956). Died April 3, 1965.
- Rev. Msgr. Stephen J. Daday1965–1984
Installed as pastor June 1, 1965; implemented Vatican II liturgical reforms including a versus populum altar; elevated to Right Rev. Monsignor as a domestic prelate of Pope Paul VI; retired in 1984
- Rev. Msgr. Raymond Merman1984–2008
Priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, previously pastor of Holy Trinity in Whitehall; oversaw parish growth and the flourishing of the parish school; welcomed the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters; retired July 15, 2008
- Rev. Msgr. Alfred A. SchlertJuly 2008–February 2010
Reappointed by Bishop Barres as full-time Vicar General of the Diocese of Allentown in February 2010; later named fifth Bishop of Allentown by Pope Francis on June 27, 2017 — the first diocesan priest named Bishop in the diocese's history
- Rev. Jerome A. Tauber2010–2021
Previously arrived as curate in July 2008 under Msgr. Schlert; named pastor in 2010. Added parish center, parking, and new spiritual programs; led the parish through the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic; oversaw the closure of the elementary school (though preschool continued)
- Rev. Dr. John A. KrivakJune 15, 2021–present
Named sixth pastor of St. Theresa's; leads the parish's religious education program using the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd