St. Thomas the Apostle

About St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Erie that serves Corry, Union City, and the surrounding area of northwest Pennsylvania. After the 2024 merger it now includes its mission church, St. Teresa of Avila in Union City. The parish describes its mission as 'to be a welcoming Catholic community by living our faith more fully through charity, education, evangelism, service, celebrating the sacraments, and proclaiming the Word,' and it asks parishioners to 'rejoice in doing our very best to live and love like Christ.' The parish office sits at 203 W. Washington Street, Corry, PA 16407, and is the home base for sacramental scheduling, faith formation, cemetery care, and pastoral outreach.

History

The parish was founded in 1862 by the Diocese of Erie to serve the Irish-Catholic immigrants arriving in the Corry area beginning in 1855. Father Thomas Lonergan (1855-1905) was its founding pastor; the first church on Fourth Avenue was dedicated on September 7, 1862, and the current West Washington Street church was finished and dedicated in December 1885, later rededicated after renovation on February 18, 1996. For decades the parish ran a religious-sister convent and parish school, and it also founded a mission church, Our Lady of Victory in Spartansburg, which was served from St. Thomas until the 1980s.

Clergy, staff, and parish office

The parish is led by pastor Rev. Thomas J. Whitman, who was assigned in 2023. He is assisted by Permanent Deacon Randy Kondrlik (active) and retired Permanent Deacon William Saborsky. Lay staff include Melissa Silka (Business Manager and Faith Formation Administrator), Susan Johnston (Parish Secretary), Carol Huffman (Bookkeeper), Michelle Demeter (Coordinator of St. Thomas & St. Elizabeth Cemeteries), and Chris Slocum (Coordinator of St. Teresa Cemetery, 814-462-6375). The parish office at 203 W. Washington Street is open Monday 12:30-3:30 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Thursday 8:30 a.m.-12:00 noon, and closed Friday.

• Pastor: Rev. Thomas J. Whitman ([email protected])
• Deacon: Randy Kondrlik ([email protected])
• Deacon (Retired): William Saborsky
• Business Manager / Faith Formation Administrator: Melissa Silka — [email protected]
• Parish Secretary: Susan Johnston — [email protected]
• Bookkeeper: Carol Huffman — [email protected]
• Cemetery Coordinator (St. Thomas / St. Elizabeth): Michelle Demeter — [email protected]
• Cemetery Coordinator (St. Teresa): Chris Slocum — 814-462-6375

Faith formation and youth ministry

Faith formation is a major pillar of parish life, led by Faith Formation Administrator Melissa Silka. The Religious Education program meets on Sunday mornings across both worship sites and serves students from Pre-K through high school, with First Communion, EDGE (6th-8th grade), and Confirmation preparation (9th grade). Parents of First Communion candidates attend class with their child from late September through November. Adults preparing to become Catholic enter the OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (the program formerly known as RCIA) — with classes that typically begin in October. Youth are also invited to 'Small Group' gatherings after Confirmation and to the Divine Mercy Encounter (DME) retreat for teens and young adults.

• Religious Education (PreK-8) and Confirmation (9th Grade)
• EDGE middle-school youth ministry (6th-8th Grade)
• First Communion preparation (parent + child)
• OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — adult formation
• Small Group for confirmed youth (meals, faith talks, service outings)
• Divine Mercy Encounter (DME) retreat for teens and young adults
• Catechists include Deacon Randy & Mrs. Anne Kondrlik (1st Grade), Mrs. Donna Blessing, Mrs. Heather Wilson, Mr. Seth Moss & Mr. Eric Williams, Mrs. Natalie Moss, and Mrs. Jeannette Boyd with Mr. Jack Brigham (Confirmation).

Sacraments

Parishioners are asked to contact the Parish Office for Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and home Communion. Baptisms are scheduled through the office and first-time parents must attend a Baptism Class (the parish recommends taking it before the child is born and before godparents are chosen). Weddings must be scheduled at least ten months in advance. The Sacrament of the Sick and weekly Holy Communion for the homebound can be arranged by notifying the office, and reconciliation is offered Saturday afternoons and by appointment.

• Baptism — schedule through the Parish Office; first-time parents attend a Baptism Class
• First Communion & Confirmation — through the Faith Formation program
• Marriage — schedule at least 10 months in advance through the Parish Office
• Anointing of the Sick & homebound Communion — contact the Parish Office
• Reconciliation — Saturday afternoons or by appointment

Outreach and parish life

Among the parish's active ministries is Hearts & Hands: Cooking with Compassion, a senior-meal program that prepares and delivers meals to seniors in the area; the ministry recently received a $9,700 grant from the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Erie. The parish also runs an annual Lawn Festival (a long-running summer fundraiser) and is organizing a new Parish Council focused on planning and implementing ideas to keep the parish moving forward. Each October the churches place a Book of the Remembrance near the altar for parishioners to record the names of deceased loved ones, which is then kept near the altar through November to encourage prayers for the faithful departed.

• Hearts & Hands: Cooking with Compassion (senior meals; supported by a Catholic Foundation grant)
• Lawn Festival (annual summer parish fundraiser)
• Book of the Remembrance (October-November prayer memorial)
• Parish Council (relaunching as a planning-and-implementation body)

Cemeteries

The parish maintains three associated Catholic cemeteries. Michelle Demeter coordinates St. Thomas and St. Elizabeth Cemeteries in Corry ([email protected]), and Chris Slocum coordinates St. Teresa Cemetery in Union City (814-462-6375). These remain an important part of the parish's pastoral care for the families of Corry and Union City, especially in the wake of the closures of St. Elizabeth Church (2019) and the addition of St. Teresa of Avila in 2024.

• St. Thomas Cemetery — Corry
• St. Elizabeth Cemetery — Corry
• St. Teresa Cemetery — Union City (814-462-6375)

Visiting, joining, and getting involved

New parishioners are warmly welcomed in the parish bulletin: 'If you are new to our parish, we extend a warm welcome and hope you will find here a place where your faith will be nourished.' Registration is done by completing the form on the front of the bulletin and returning it to the Offertory Collection or the Parish Office. Bulletins and announcements invite participation in Parish Council, the Lawn Festival, Catechist service, and other committees, and anyone interested is encouraged to contact Father Tom directly at the parish office (814-663-3041) or by email.

• Parish membership: complete the bulletin form and return it to the Offertory Collection or Parish Office
• Phone the Parish Office at (814) 663-3041 to learn about ministries or to volunteer
• Email Father Tom directly ([email protected]) to inquire about Parish Council or the Lawn Festival
• Office hours: Mon 12:30-3:30 p.m.; Tue/Wed 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; Thu 8:30 a.m.-12:00 noon; closed Friday