St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus

Welcome from the Pastor

On the parish homepage, Very Rev. Jonathan P. Sawicki, V.F., the eighth pastor, greets visitors: 'What a joy to be with you as the eighth pastor of St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus Parish! For nearly one-hundred years our community has stood on Bridge Street of New Cumberland to shine the light of Christ…' He invites visitors to encounter 'our vibrant community of faith' and asks the intercession of the parish's patron, the 'Little Flower' Thérèse of Lisieux, to 'help you do the little things of life with great love.'

Our History

The story of St. Theresa is essentially the story of Monsignor Roy C. Keffer, appointed by Bishop McDevitt in November 1926 to take charge of 200 Catholics scattered across 29 West-Shore towns. After helping the Dominican convent and building Our Lady of Lourdes in Enola, Msgr. Keffer bought a house at 1212 Bridge Street, New Cumberland, for $15,000, converted the living room into a chapel, and celebrated the first Mass on April 29, 1928. A 275-seat brick chapel followed later that year, then a 600-seat combined church-school in 1949, and finally the current all-brick 'church-in-the-round' dedicated by Bishop George L. Leech on December 8, 1968. As the parish grew past 5,000 members, new parishes were carved out — Our Lady of Lourdes, a York County assignment for Newberrytown Township in 1948, and Good Shepherd (Camp Hill/Lemoyne) in 1951. The parish has continued with a distinguished succession of pastors and remains, in the words of the Diocese of Harrisburg, 'a growing, thriving parish and a cornerstone in the New Cumberland community.'

• 1926 – Msgr. Roy C. Keffer appointed to West-Shore mission territory
• April 29, 1928 – First Mass in the Bridge Street house chapel, dedicated by Bishop McDevitt
• Late 1928 – Brick chapel of 275 seats built
• May 9, 1948 – Ground broken for the 600-seat church and eight-classroom school
• 1949 – Church-school opens ($225,000 project)
• 1948 – Newberrytown Twp. reassigned to a York County parish
• 1951 – Camp Hill / part of Lemoyne becomes Good Shepherd Parish
• Sept. 1965 – Fund drive for a new church announced
• July 2, 1967 – Ground broken for the church-in-the-round ($660,000)
• Dec. 8, 1968 – Bishop George L. Leech dedicates the new church

Faith Formation & Religious Education

The Office of Parish Faith Formation supports parents 'in their most important task' of guiding children toward Heaven through formal religious instruction for Grades 1–8 who do not attend Saint Theresa School. Two tracks are offered: a Traditional Program running September through May with weekly Wednesday classes in the school building, and a Family Program with one Sunday-evening session per month where parents and children learn together. Sacramental preparation for Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation is folded into Grades 2 and 8 instruction. All volunteers in youth programs must comply with the Diocesan Youth Protection Program.

• Traditional Program: Grades 1–5 Wednesdays 6:30–7:45 PM; Grades 6–8 Wednesdays 6:30–8:00 PM
• Family & Faith Program: one Sunday evening a month, 6:00–7:30 PM (Grades 1–8 with parents)
• Sacramental preparation in Grades 2 (First Reconciliation / First Eucharist) and 8 (Confirmation)
• Annual registration with early-bird discount by May 30; financial assistance available

REVIVE Youth Ministry

REVIVE is the parish's youth ministry for teens in Grades 7 through 12. Its goal is 'to be a place where your teen(s) get to dive into their spiritual journey — ultimately knowing who they are in Christ, while growing in Christian community and having fun.' A typical monthly meeting includes snacks, games, praise and worship, and a spiritual block with talks, Eucharistic Adoration, Lectio Divina, the Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet, and small groups. REVIVE also takes teens to the Steubenville Youth Conference each summer. Registration is free and ongoing; contact youth leader Melanie Rossi at [email protected].

• Meets 2nd Wednesday of the month, 6:30–8:00 PM
• Sept.–May in St. Theresa School Cafeteria
• June & July in Little Flower Social Hall
• Special summer and Christmas events for parents and teens
• Steubenville Youth Conference (Steubenville, Ohio, June) for high-school teens

Saint Theresa School

Saint Theresa School is the parish's Catholic elementary school at 1200 Bridge Street, New Cumberland. It shares the campus with the Adoration Chapel and other parish facilities (church, parking, restrooms, social hall). The school is staffed by Principal Mrs. Deborah Richard and continues the Catholic educational tradition begun when the original eight-classroom school opened alongside the church in 1949. (Detailed school information should be confirmed directly through the school's own pages.)

• Address: 1200 Bridge Street, New Cumberland
• Principal: Mrs. Deborah Richard
• Houses the Adoration Chapel and parish social hall on its grounds

Parish Staff

The parish staff includes the pastor and parochial vicar, two deacons, and lay administrators overseeing faith formation, music, parish operations, and the school. The parish office at 1300 Bridge Street (phone 717-774-5918) is the hub, with specific extensions for individual staff members.

• Rev. Jonathan P. Sawicki — Pastor (ext. 15)
• Rev. Arokiaraj Amalorpava, m.ss.cc. 'Fr Raj' — Parochial Vicar
• Deacon Thomas A. Hewitt
• Deacon Philip J. Ladouceur
• Adalene Noll — Coordinator of Parish Religious Education (ext. 25) — email [email protected]
• Elaine Herald — Parish / Business Manager (ext. 12)
• Jacob Donahue — Music Director
• Mrs. Deborah Richard — School Principal

Council of Catholic Women

The Council of Catholic Women (CCW) at St. Theresa is part of the National Council of Catholic Women, established in 1920 by the USCCB as a service organization. Local members promote and share the Catholic Christian faith through prayer, activities, and programs, continuing a long tradition of lay women's service in the parish.

• Affiliated with the National Council of Catholic Women (USCCB, founded 1920)
• Faith-sharing through prayer, activities, and programs

Sister Parish Committee

The Sister Parish Committee partners with parishes in Louisa, Kentucky, in the heart of poor Appalachia. The committee's mission is material help, a spiritual/prayer connection, visits by parishioners, and 'hands-on' work projects as needed; parishioners typically visit around Christmas. Anyone feeling called to help can contact the parish office at (717) 774-5918.

• Partners with parishes in Louisa, Kentucky
• Material aid, prayer support, and mission trips
• Annual visit typically around Christmas

Accessibility & Visitor Services

The parish campus at 1300 Bridge Street offers parking around the church and in the school parking lot, restrooms, and access to the social hall. The Diocese of Harrisburg notes that the parish provides assistive listening devices, and an interpreter can be requested by contacting the parish office ahead of the scheduled Mass or service.

• Parking around the church and in the school lot
• Assistive listening available
• Interpreter available on advance request through the parish office
• Church, parking, restrooms, and social hall all on the parish campus

Map & Directions

St. Theresa sits on the corner of Bridge Street and Park Avenue in New Cumberland, convenient to I-83. The parish website gives turn-by-turn directions from both north and south.

• From the North: I-83 South to Exit 42 (Lemoyne); left onto Third Street (becomes Bridge Street); continue ~6 blocks past 16th & Bridge; church on the right.
• From the South: I-83 North to Exit 40B toward New Cumberland; right, then right onto Simpson Road → Brandt Avenue; left onto Park Ave.; left onto Pine Street, or proceed to the school parking lot on the right before Bridge Street.
• Parking around the church or in the school lot on the next corner.

Contact

Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone at (717) 774-5918 or in person at the rectory at 1300 Bridge Street, New Cumberland, PA 17070. Individual staff extensions and emails (such as religious education at [email protected] and youth ministry at [email protected]) are listed on the parish staff page.

• Parish Office Phone: (717) 774-5918
• Address: 1300 Bridge Street, New Cumberland, PA 17070
• Religious Education email: [email protected]
• Youth Ministry email: [email protected]