St. Vincent de Paul

Parish History

St. Vincent de Paul Parish was established by Cardinal John Krol on May 28, 1968 with Father William T. McBride as founding pastor. From about 450 founding families, the parish has grown to roughly 1,875 families. The parish's milestones include the November 1970 opening of the church (dedicated May 8, 1971), the 1983 Religious Education Building, the 2000 Father McBride Memorial Window, the 2008 Parish Center/Chapel of St. Louise de Marillac, the 2015 installation of 20 stained-glass windows relocated from Glens Falls, NY, the 50th anniversary (2017–2018) with a Paris pilgrimage, and the June 2022 transition from Fr. Joseph McLaughlin to Fr. Stephen H. Paolino.

Clergy & Staff

The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Stephen H. Paolino. Rev. Joseph McLaughlin serves as Pastor Emeritus after 29 years as pastor. Permanent Deacon Rich Malamut ministers actively; Deacon John Golaszweski is retired. Jeanne Flowers is Parish Secretary; Diana Sherman is Business Manager; Mike Roberts is Parish Bookkeeper; Gary Mueller is Facilities Manager; Elaine Potalivo is Director of Religious Education; Susan Hesketh is Pre-School Director; and Eric Jorgenson is Coordinator of Sacred Music & Liturgy.

• Pastor: Rev. Stephen H. Paolino ([email protected], Ext. 102)
• Pastor Emeritus: Rev. Joseph McLaughlin
• Permanent Deacon: Deacon Rich Malamut
• Retired Permanent Deacon: Dea. John Golaszweski
• Parish Secretary: Jeanne Flowers (Ext. 101)
• Business Manager: Diana Sherman
• Parish Bookkeeper: Mike Roberts (Ext. 104)
• Facilities Manager: Gary Mueller (Ext. 106)
• Director of Religious Education: Elaine Potalivo
• Pre-School Director: Susan Hesketh (215-322-8423 Ext. 351)
• Coordinator of Sacred Music & Liturgy: Eric Jorgenson

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Religious education at St. Vincent de Paul began with volunteers teaching in the church basement and grew through the ministry of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (MFIC), whose leadership established the program from 1973 to 1984. Today, with Elaine Potalivo as Director of Religious Education (since 2018), the parish continues a longstanding PRE program for the children of the parish and works in conjunction with St. Vincent de Paul Pre-School. Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered at the 10:30 (formerly 9:30) AM Sunday Mass for children ages 4 through 4th grade, and a High School Youth Group is in development.

• Directors of Religious Education (past): Mary Kelly (1984–1995), Sister Geraldine Dranginis, IHM (1995–2009), Sister Alice Gallagher, SSJ (2009–2017), Mary McFillin (2017–2018)
• Current Director of Religious Education: Elaine Potalivo
• Religious Education Building completed 1983
• Children's Liturgy of the Word for ages 4–Grade 4
• Pre-School (Director: Susan Hesketh)
• High School Youth Group (Coming Soon)

Music Ministry & Liturgy

Liturgical music is coordinated by Eric Jorgenson, Coordinator of Sacred Music & Liturgy. The Adult Choir rehearses on Tuesday evenings (7:30–9:00 PM) and sings at the 1st and 3rd Sunday Masses (October through May) plus Christmas Eve, Holy Week, and the Easter Vigil. The Youth Choir, led by Sister Alice Gallagher, SSJ, is open to all elementary-school children of the parish and sings once a month plus Christmas Eve, Palm Sunday, and Easter Sunday (rehearsals on Thursdays 4:30–5:15 PM). Cantors lead the congregation at weekend Masses, Liturgy of the Hours (Morning Prayer, Vespers, Night Prayer), special feasts, and Holy Days, and lead Friday-night devotions in May and October.

• Adult Choir (rehearses Tuesdays 7:30–9:00 PM)
• Youth Choir (elementary age; rehearses Thursdays 4:30–5:15 PM)
• Cantors for weekend Masses and special feasts
• Liturgy of the Hours (Morning Prayer, Vespers, Night Prayer)
• Coordinator: Eric Jorgenson ([email protected])

Parish Outreach & Charity

Outreach lies at the heart of the parish's identity, reflecting the spirituality of its patron — St. Vincent de Paul, the patron saint of charitable societies. St. Vincent's Hands Ministry (established March 2021) coordinates real-time assistance to anyone in need from a dedicated phone line and uses donations from the parish Poor Box to provide food, shelter, heating oil, electric bills, mortgage payments, and health-insurance premiums. People-to-People Sunday collects nonperishable food on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month for the Jesus Focus Ministry / Bethanna food cupboard in Southampton, which helps over 24,000 people annually. The parish also prepares frozen casseroles for St. John's Hospice in Philadelphia (each casserole feeds about 6 men; the hospice uses about 80 per day), supports the Christmas Baskets Program, and runs an Angel Food / Food Angels meal-delivery ministry that supports families during illness, the arrival of a new baby, bereavement, or other circumstances.

• St. Vincent's Hands Ministry (established 2021; voicemail 215-357-3517 Ext. 501)
• People-to-People Sunday (1st & 3rd Sundays — food collections for Bethanna food cupboard)
• Meals for the Homeless (casserole program for St. John's Hospice, Philadelphia; collection at 20 Worthington Mill Road on the Sunday/Monday before the 3rd Tuesday of the month)
• Angel Food / Food Angels meal-delivery ministry
• Christmas Baskets Program
• Support for DePaul Catholic School (Germantown, Philadelphia; partnership began October 2012)
• Outreach Ministry (Coordinator: Hubert Rutkowski)

International Mission — Building a Bridge

Through its 'Building a Bridge' mission the parish supports communities abroad, including helping to build Pope John Paul II High School outside Kampala, Uganda, which opened in February 2012 and now operates across six grades. The parish and its parishioners also support a school in Rwanda, a parish in Tanzania, and the Diocese of Tezpur in India.

• Pope John Paul II High School, Kampala, Uganda (opened February 2012, six grades)
• School in Rwanda
• Parish in Tanzania
• Diocese of Tezpur, India

Liturgical & Devotional Ministries

A wide range of liturgical ministers serve the parish at Masses and bring the Eucharist to the homebound and to residents of the Richboro Care Center and Brookdale Northampton after Sunday Mass. The Wedding Ministry supports couples on their rehearsal and wedding day; Altar Servers (school-age and adult) assist at Mass and funerals; Lectors proclaim the Word. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons, and Monday Adoration provides a sustained weekday period of eucharistic devotion.

• Ministers of Hospitality (Nancy Staller)
• Lectors (training: Kathy Dougherty)
• Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Bob Flowers)
• Altar Servers (Fr. Paolino, coordinator)
• Wedding Ministry (Jeanne Flowers)
• Monday Eucharistic Adoration, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Facilities & Campus

The parish campus at 654 Hatboro Road includes the 1970 church (dedicated 1971), the 1983 Religious Education Building, the 1975 rectory, and the 2008 Parish Center designed by architect Martin A. De Sapio, AIA — including the Chapel of St. Louise de Marillac where weekday Masses are celebrated. The campus also houses the St. Vincent de Paul Pre-School (Director: Susan Hesketh), the parish walkway and prayer garden (designed pro bono by Russell Gardens in memory of Ed Adamow, proposed 1997), and the Father McBride Memorial Window behind the choir loft installed in 2000. Twenty stained-glass windows from St. Alphonsus Church, Glens Falls, NY were installed in 2015.

• Church (1970 / dedicated 1971)
• Rectory (1975)
• Religious Education Building (1983)
• Parish Center & Chapel of St. Louise de Marillac (dedicated April 27, 2008)
• St. Vincent de Paul Pre-School
• Walkway & prayer garden (Russell Gardens, in memory of Ed Adamow)
• Father McBride Memorial Window (2000)
• 20 stained-glass windows relocated from St. Alphonsus, Glens Falls, NY (2015)

Visiting & Getting Involved

Visitors and new parishioners are warmly welcomed. Registration begins by introducing yourself to Fr. Paolino after any Mass. Masses are live-streamed on the parish's YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person. The parish encourages participation across a wide range of ministries — from Liturgy of the Word and Music Ministry to charitable works such as casseroles for St. John's Hospice, food collections for Bethanna, and the Building a Bridge international mission. The Richboro parish site offers wheelchair-accessible facilities (per the Archdiocese of Philadelphia).

• Register by introducing yourself to the Pastor after Mass
• Live-stream Mass on YouTube for those who can't attend in person
• Volunteer with hospitality, lectors, EMs, music, altar serving, or outreach
• Donate to St. Vincent's Hands Ministry or People-to-People Sunday food collections