About St. Timothy · Curwensville, Pennsylvania
St. Timothy Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in Curwensville, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, established in 1884 and part of the Diocese of Erie. The parish shares a pastor with St. Bonaventure Church in nearby Grampian, and the two are formally merged under a single pastorate. Worship is offered in English, with a Saturday Vigil Mass and one Sunday Mass, plus the Sacrament of Penance before the Vigil.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- Saint Timothy
- Rector
- Rev. John J. Detisch (Parochial Administrator, effective August 12, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
St. Timothy is a close-knit country parish in the heart of Clearfield County where the faith has been kept alive since missionary priests first said Mass in a local home in 1850. The parish offers the faithful a place to worship at a Saturday Vigil Mass and a Sunday Mass, regular Confession before the Vigil, ongoing faith formation for public-school students, and the support of a diocese-wide Catholic Services Appeal that links this small community to the wider Church of northwest Pennsylvania. As a merged parish with St. Bonaventure in Grampian, it offers the stability of a resident priest and sacramental life in a small-town setting.
Mass times at St. Timothy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday from 3:15-3:50 p.m.
- By appointment
Parish History
Catholic life in Curwensville began around 1850 when missionary priests visiting the area celebrated Mass in the home of Patrick Kearns. For about thirty years, the sacraments were received in that domestic setting. Around 1883 Mr. Kearns donated land, and the first Saint Timothy Church was constructed in 1884 as a mission of Saint Francis Parish in Clearfield. It was reassigned as a mission of Saint Bonaventure, Grampian in 1904, and became an independent parish with a resident pastor in 1914. The present church on Walnut Street was built in 1915. In 1992 the parish began sharing a pastor with St. Bonaventure, and the Diocese of Erie later issued a decree formally merging St. Bonaventure, Grampian into St. Timothy Parish, Curwensville.
- c. 1850 — First Masses said in the home of Patrick Kearns by missionary priests
- c. 1883 — Patrick Kearns donates land for a church
- 1884 — First Saint Timothy Church constructed; mission of St. Francis Parish, Clearfield
- 1904 — Becomes a mission of Saint Bonaventure Parish, Grampian
- 1914 — Established as an independent parish with a resident pastor
- 1915 — Present church built on Walnut Street
- 1992 — Begins sharing one pastor with St. Bonaventure, Grampian
- Later decree — St. Bonaventure, Grampian formally merged into St. Timothy Parish
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by a Parochial Administrator appointed by the Bishop of Erie, with Sacramental assistance. Day-to-day parish operations are supported by a small staff, including a Religious Education Leader who coordinates faith formation for parish children.
- Rev. John J. Detisch — Parochial Administrator (effective August 12, 2025), continuing also as Pastor of St. Tobias Parish, Brockway, and Vicar Forane of the DuBois Deanery
- Rev. Mark J. Mastrian — Pastor, prior to the August 2025 reassignment
- Rev. Ross R. Miceli — Sacramental Assistant (effective August 12, 2025)
- Ronda Hamilton — Support Staff
- Harriet Carfley — Liturgical Music Contact
- Julia Genezro — Religious Education Leader
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish's Religious Education Program exists for faith formation — the ongoing development of the whole person into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. The parish teaches that all Catholics are on this journey from Baptism through eternal life. Classes are age-appropriate and provide a solid foundation in the faith, with public-school students encouraged to begin Religious Education classes in the first grade. The program is coordinated by Religious Education Leader Julia Genezro.
- Purpose: faith formation — ongoing development into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ
- Audience: public-school students, beginning in first grade
- Approach: solid, age-appropriate foundation in the Catholic faith
- Contact: Julia Genezro, Religious Education Leader
Music and Liturgy
Liturgical music at St. Timothy is coordinated through a designated parish contact, supporting the sung prayer of the Mass and other liturgical celebrations in the merged parish of St. Timothy, Curwensville and St. Bonaventure, Grampian.
- Liturgical Music Contact: Harriet Carfley
- Supports parish Masses at both St. Timothy, Curwensville and St. Bonaventure, Grampian
Catholic Services Appeal (CSA)
Each year St. Timothy joins the other parishes of the Diocese of Erie in the Catholic Services Appeal, the annual diocesan fundraising campaign uniting the faithful across all 13 counties of northwest Pennsylvania. The CSA supports diocesan projects, ministries and departments that sustain the Church's outreach; all funds raised are placed in a designated account used solely for diocesan programs and ministries. Parishioners are invited to pledge through the parish office.
- Diocesan-wide annual appeal of the Diocese of Erie
- Funds diocesan projects, ministries, and departments only
- Recent parish CSA goal year: $4,235,000 across the diocese
- Pledges made through the parish office
The Merged Parish: St. Bonaventure, Grampian
Under the Diocese of Erie's decree merging St. Bonaventure, Grampian into St. Timothy Parish, Curwensville, St. Bonaventure Church in Grampian continues as a secondary mission church of the parish. The first church in Grampian was blessed in 1840 by Bishop Francis Kenrick of Philadelphia; a new church was built in 1869, and the present church was completed in 1897. St. Bonaventure became its own parish with a resident pastor in 1904, and joined with St. Timothy in 1992 under one pastor before the formal merger.
- Address: 461 Main St., Grampian, PA 16838
- Sunday Mass: 11:00 a.m.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 p.m. at St. Timothy
- Confessions: Sunday at 10:30 a.m., or by appointment
- First Grampian church blessed in 1840 by Bishop Francis Kenrick of Philadelphia
- Present church completed in 1897
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Timothy by phone, fax, email, or through the parish website. The parish office is at the church address on Walnut Street in Curwensville. Weekly bulletins are posted on the parish website.
- Address: 306 Walnut St., Curwensville, PA 16833
- Phone: (814) 236-1845
- Fax: (814) 236-1196
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.sttimbon.org
- Weekly bulletin available on the parish website