A Parish Rooted in Western Berks County
St. Ignatius Loyola Parish sits in the Whitfield community of West Lawn, a residential pocket of western Berks County where streets curve through neighborhoods that grew up around former farmland. The parish church and rectory on St. Albans Drive serve a community that draws from the Reading, Sinking Spring and West Lawn area. By the late 2000s, the parish family included more than three thousand households and roughly eleven thousand souls, and the parish itself describes its identity in Ignatian terms: rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist, doing all "for the greater honor and glory of God."
St. Ignatius belongs to the Diocese of Allentown and is one of the larger parishes in the western end of Berks County. It runs a regional Catholic school, an active CYO athletics program, a large religious education program for children who do not attend Catholic school, and a long roster of lay organizations. The current pastor is the fifth to lead the parish since Bishop Joseph McShea established it in the mid-1960s.
From a Fire Company Hall to an Octagonal Sanctuary
Bishop Joseph McShea, the founding bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, established St. Ignatius Loyola to serve the growing population of western Berks County. New territorial boundaries were drawn and about 475 families who had belonged to Sacred Heart in West Reading became the founding members. The name reflected a real geographic link: the parish boundaries included the Jesuit Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues in Wernersville, where the Society of Jesus, founded by St. Ignatius Loyola in 1539, had been rooted in the area long before American independence.
Weddings, baptisms, funerals and confessions continued to be celebrated at Sacred Heart until November 1965, when daily Mass, baptisms and confessions moved into the renovated garage of the newly occupied rectory on Bressler Drive. Sunday Mass gathered in the social hall of the West Lawn Fire Company as the new buildings took shape. Eight acres of farmland along Van Reed Road had been purchased for the project.
The school came first. On September 6, 1967, two hundred and thirty students filled eight classrooms in the new school, staffed by the School Sisters of St. Francis, who lived in a wing attached to the building. Sister M. Perpetua was the first principal. With the school complete, Mass moved to its auditorium while construction continued on the church.
On April 13, 1968, the parish family of St. Ignatius Loyola celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the first time in their brand new church. It was a contemporary octagonal structure with a raised open sanctuary, a white marble altar and matching altar of repose, blue-tinted windows, turquoise carpeting, and seating for eight hundred and fifty people. A statue of St. Ignatius Loyola now stands on the corner of Van Reed Road and Whitfield Boulevard.
Rev. Joseph Radocha, the first pastor, shepherded those founding years, with Rev. Robert Coll serving as administrator. After Fr. Radocha's death in 1969, Rev. Stephen Bednarik became the second pastor. Under Fr. Bednarik the parish family grew past one thousand households, a new rectory was built on the parish grounds by 1976, and a pipe organ was added. He died in 1977.
Rev. Pascal Sabas took over as the third pastor in October 1977, and the parish continued to grow, reaching thirteen hundred families by 1980. In 1982 the Diocese established St. Francis de Sales parish in Robesonia from the St. Ignatius census, making St. Ignatius a "mother parish" for the first time in its seventeen-year history. In the same year stained glass depicting Gospel scenes replaced the original blue-tinted windows.
Rev. Msgr. James A. Treston was named the fourth pastor in August 1983 and served for thirty years. Under Msgr. Treston the parish library, gymnasium, religious education offices, science lab, computer classroom and meeting rooms were added to the school in 1991. Five years later, the church itself was enlarged with a narthex, a one-hundred-seat chapel, a new sacristy, a ministry room, a bride's room, a choir room, additional confessionals and a church office, and made accessible for those with disabilities. A porte cochere was added at the entrance and a larger-than-life crucifix installed above the new marble sanctuary. Msgr. Treston introduced the biblically based concept of Stewardship, giving back to God a portion of time, talent and treasure, that the parish still follows today.
Fr. Thomas Bortz, a Reading native who had begun his own priestly ministry as an assistant to Msgr. Treston at St. Ignatius, was assigned as the fifth and current pastor in 2013. He had served at the Cathedral and at St. Anne's in Bethlehem, and was the first chaplain of the new Berks Catholic High School. Under Fr. Bortz the church interior has been refreshed with new padded pews, new carpeting, a new tabernacle, brass railings, and a devotional area dedicated to St. Ignatius Loyola.
Mass Times, Confession and Eucharistic Adoration
Daily Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 6:30 AM and 8:00 AM, with an additional 9:00 AM School Mass on Mondays during the school year. Saturday morning Mass is at 8:00 AM, with the Vigil for Sunday at 4:00 PM. Sunday Masses are celebrated at 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM and 12:00 PM. Holy Days of Obligation are observed with a Vigil Mass at 5:30 PM and daytime Masses at 6:30 AM, 8:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM, with variations on Christmas and New Year's Day.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM in the church and by appointment. The parish offers examinations of conscience for adults, teenagers and younger children to help people prepare.
Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel is a regular rhythm of the parish. On Tuesdays, adoration begins after the 8:00 AM Mass and continues until 10:00 PM. On Wednesdays, adoration begins at 6:30 AM and closes at 7:00 PM with Evening Prayer (Vespers) and Benediction. Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist also visit the homebound and bring Communion to those who are sick at home or in the hospital.
The Seven Sacraments at the Heart of Parish Life
St. Ignatius Loyola offers all seven Catholic sacraments, with a particular emphasis on the Most Holy Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life.
Baptisms are scheduled on the third Sunday of each month at 1:30 PM. Parents who are baptizing a child for the first time are asked to attend a Baptism Seminar on the first Sunday of the month at 1:30 PM in the John Paul II room of the church. Families contact the Rectory to schedule both.
First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are typically prepared for in Level 2 of PREP, with a Sacramental Catch-Up program offered for students in grades three through seven who have missed earlier steps. Confirmation is normally received in seventh or eighth grade through Catholic school, PREP or home schooling, and a Confirmation Boot Camp is offered each summer for students in grades eight through twelve who need to catch up before high school graduation.
Couples preparing for marriage are asked to contact the Rectory at least a year before the proposed wedding date, and no later than six months prior, to begin marriage preparation with a priest or deacon. Preparation includes periodic meetings with clergy and an online program that pairs couples with a mentor couple.
For those facing serious illness, frailty due to age, or major surgery, the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is available by calling the Rectory. The Anointing can be received more than once, and priests are available for Last Rites (Reconciliation, Anointing, Viaticum, the Apostolic Pardon and Commendation of the Dying) through the Rectory's emergency line after hours.
P.R.E.P.: Forming Young Disciples
The Parish Religious Education Program, known as P.R.E.P., is the parish's faith-formation ministry for the children and youth of the parish who do not attend the regional school. Classes meet in the St. Ignatius Education Center from September through April each year, roughly eighteen sessions, on Sunday mornings from 10:15 to 11:45 AM. The program is divided into PREP Junior for Levels K-4 and PREP Senior for Levels 5-8, with each level matched to age-appropriate learning.
Jenny Matlack serves as PREP Coordinator, supported by Assistant Coordinator Kristen Hook and Office Manager Dagmara Chrobak. The program is built around three pillars described by the parish: education in the teachings of the Catholic faith, Sacred Scripture, prayer and the sacraments; service opportunities that connect faith to action; and the building of community through shared prayer, learning and service.
The year is anchored by signature events at each level: a Joyful Praise Concert by the youngest students in spring; a Wax Museum of Saints pairing Level 1 and Level 7 students around All Saints Day in fall; a Eucharistic Art Gallery in Level 2 in spring; Stations of the Nativity in Level 3 in fall; a Works of Mercy Fair in Level 4 in spring; Stations of the Cross in Level 5 in spring; and a Living Rosary in Level 6 in spring. Catechists and student volunteers are recruited each year, and the parish offers adult and student volunteer forms online.
Youth Ministry and Altar Serving
St. Ignatius Loyola Youth Ministry, known by the acronym SILYM, gathers high school students on Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM in the John Paul II room at the parish. Director of Youth Ministry Tim Wood describes the nights as a place to relax, hang out with like-minded teens, ask real questions and get to know Jesus and the Church in ways that surprise young people who thought they already knew what church was about. No sign-ups are required.
Altar Serving is open to boys and girls from fifth through twelfth grade, with training sessions offered at least twice a year. Adults also assist at daily and Sunday Masses. The parish maintains a published Altar Server Schedule and an altar server email contact.
Becoming Catholic through OCIA
Adults who are unbaptized, baptized in another tradition, or baptized Catholic but not yet fully initiated are invited into the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, called OCIA. Sessions meet Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the Parish Education Center meeting rooms A and B. Deacon Rick Lanciano is among the regular presenters, and the parish archives an extensive video library of past OCIA talks on YouTube covering topics from the revelation of God through the Trinity, the marks of the Church, the seven sacraments, conscience, the moral life and the Last Things.
Gary and Candice Wheeler are the parish contacts for those who wish to begin the OCIA journey, and a Prayer for Vocations is offered for the men and women of the parish who may be called to priesthood, religious life or the permanent diaconate. St. Ignatius Loyola is also home to Kolbe Eidle, a diocesan seminarian from the parish currently studying at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia.
Organizations and Adult Parish Life
The parish is home to a long roster of lay organizations. The Knights of Columbus Light of Christ Council 8726 and the Columbiettes, the Legion of Mary, the King's Men, the Apostles of the Rosary who lead weekend rosary prayer, and a parish Prayer Group all give shape to adult spiritual life. A Men's Bible Study meets weekly, and a Thursday Morning Women's Bible Sharing Group gathers under Marilyn Alberts.
Ushers, Lectors, Special Ministers of the Eucharist (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion), Parish Greeters, the Flower Coordinator for Altar and Weddings, Church Decorators, Church Cleaners and the Bereavement Ministry all serve the liturgy and the building itself. The parish also hosts a Home and School Association tied to the school and an Emergency Management Team.
Boy Scout Troop 430 and Cub Scout Pack 862 round out the youth-serving organizations, alongside the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) athletics program registered through the diocese. CYO registration is handled through the parish.
The St. Ignatius Seniors group meets on a regular cadence, gathers for a weekly senior hike along the Wyomissing Creek trail, and hosts group trips throughout the year. Membership in the seniors group is not required to join parish trips.
Music Ministry
Music at St. Ignatius is directed by Martin Pastor. The Music Ministry supports the parish's Sunday and daily liturgies, weddings, funerals, and the Confirmation and First Communion celebrations that mark the sacramental year. The 1996 renovation of the church added a dedicated choir room.
Parish Outreach: Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry and Beyond
The parish runs a Catholic Soup Kitchen and a Food Pantry as part of its outreach, organized through Terry and Mary Dugan and the Friends of St. Vincent de Paul conference. The Transportation Ministry, coordinated by Donna Unger, assists parishioners who need a ride to Mass or to appointments. Hospital Visitors bring Communion and company to those who are hospitalized.
The Bereavement Ministry, led by Funeral Coordinator Amy Brown, walks with families through the funeral liturgy and the weeks that follow. An Addiction Awareness Ministry offers support to parishioners and families dealing with substance abuse. The St. Gianna Pro Life / Respect Life ministry promotes the Church's teaching on the dignity of life, and the Nurturing Needles Ministry produces prayer shawls for those in need of comfort.
St. Ignatius Loyola Regional School
Adjacent to the church, St. Ignatius Loyola Regional School serves the wider Catholic community of the area. The school was the first building completed on the campus in 1967, taught at the start by the School Sisters of St. Francis, and has been expanded over the decades with a parish library, gymnasium, religious education offices, science lab, computer classroom and meeting rooms. Today the school is led by Principal Emilia Ward. An Angel Fund invites donors to support students directly. Older students feed into Berks Catholic High School, and the parish's CYO sports program, run by parish coordinator Bubba Mills, registers athletes for diocesan competition.
Clergy and Staff
Fr. Thomas Bortz serves as pastor, supported by two parochial vicars, Rev. George Osei Ababio and Rev. Guency Isaac. Three permanent deacons assist at the parish: Deacon Rick Lanciano, Deacon Tom Devaney and Deacon Dan Osle. Sheryl Lanciano is the Director of Parish Life, Tim Wood is the Director of Youth Ministry, Jenny Matlack is the PREP Coordinator, Martin Pastor directs music, and Emilia Ward is principal of the regional school. The parish rectory is open Monday through Friday, with registration forms available at the rectory and in the Church Office off the narthex after Sunday Masses.