Saint Isidore Roman Catholic Church serves Quakertown from its church at 2545 West Pumping Station Road, while its parish office and food pantry are at 603 West Broad Street. The parish is known for bilingual worship, a pre-school through eighth-grade school, an extensive religious education program, and ministries that serve families throughout the community. Sunday worship includes Mass in English at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. and Spanish Mass at 1:00 p.m., with Saturday Mass at 9:00 a.m. and an evening vigil at 5:00 p.m. Weekday Mass, Eucharistic adoration, confession, music, education, and food assistance form an active parish life around the church.
Sunday Mass in English and Spanish
The church building at 2545 West Pumping Station Road is the place for Mass, adoration, and confession. In addition to the Sunday schedule, Saturday includes a 9:00 a.m. morning Mass and a 5:00 p.m. evening vigil. The 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Masses are in English, and the 1:00 p.m. Sunday Mass is in Spanish. The parish also maintains a Day Chapel, with the confessional room at its rear. A complete video camera system captures both the interior and exterior of the church to support the safety teams responsible for people attending Mass. All Masses are streamed, so worshipers can take part live or watch at a later time through the Mass livestream.
A Week of Prayer: Mass, Adoration, and Confession
Mass is celebrated at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and Friday. Friday has a distinct rhythm: the Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed at 3:00 p.m., followed by adoration from 3:00 to 4:15 p.m. and Benediction before the 4:30 Mass. The Most Blessed Sacrament is also exposed for a full hour from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday and from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Thursday.
Confessions are heard Tuesday evening from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 to 4:45 p.m., and Sunday from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. The schedule places prayer, silence, sacramental celebration, and care for the community within the same week, from a Wednesday morning Mass to Thursday morning adoration.
Hispanic Ministry and Spanish Catholic Life
The Hispanic Ministry exists to bring the word of Jesus Christ to the Hispanic community and help integrate that community into parish life while celebrating cultural values in a spirit of communion and collaboration. Spanish Mass is celebrated every Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The ministry welcomes people to serve as lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, ushers, greeters, choir musicians and singers, altar servers, and baptism preparation instructors.
Formation is offered in Spanish alongside worship. Maria Crisostomo serves as the parish's Spanish liaison and teaches candidates in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. Spanish family materials cover parish religious education, creative faith formation, and preparation for Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. These resources support Spanish-speaking families as they move through parish life and sacramental preparation.
Sacraments, Catechesis, and the Mass
Saint Isidore prepares adults and families for the sacraments within the life of the Roman Catholic Church. Baptism preparation and arrangements must be completed at least one month before the baptism, and classes for parents and godparents meet on the first Thursday of every month from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the church. Matrimony requires six months of preparation through a diocesan marriage-preparation program. Families arranging a visit to the sick or the Anointing of the Sick work through the parish office; for someone preparing for serious surgery, the parish recommends anointing after a Mass on the preceding Sunday.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are practicing Catholics who assist at regularly scheduled Masses and also serve at area nursing homes and with homebound parishioners. The parish's sacramental theology places the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Real Presence of the Lord in the Eucharist at the source and summit of Catholic faith. Its formation also addresses moral life, conscience, the Gospel, the Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
St. Isidore School and PREP Formation
St. Isidore School is the parish's pre-school through eighth-grade school and a vital part of its teaching mission. Teachers, staff, and parents share the Good News of the Kingdom of God with children, seeking to grow in Catholic faith, life, tradition, service, and prayer. Families are encouraged to worship together. More information about the school is available at St. Isidore School.
The Parish Religious Education Program, known as PREP, serves more than 300 parish families each year with a staff of 60 volunteer catechists and aides. Its philosophy recognizes parents as the primary catechists of their children and presents formal religious education as assistance to the responsibility parents accept at baptism. The stated mission is to form intentional disciples of Jesus Christ by teaching families the Roman Catholic faith and encouraging their participation in the Church's sacramental life.
Two years of formal religious education are required for Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation. Students in PREP must be baptized Catholics, and a baptismal certificate is required for verification when a child was baptized elsewhere. The children's OCIA process welcomes children ages 7 to 16, including those unbaptized, those baptized in another faith, and baptized children who have not received First Communion or attended Catholic school or PREP. The program is willing to accommodate students with special needs, and families can also choose home-based religious education. Spanish families can find translated resources through the parish's Spanish resource program.
Children, Teens, and Family Life
Vacation Bible School is a week-long summer program for children ages 4 through fourth grade. Registered children learn, pray, craft, dance, play games, and build community with trained teen and middle school volunteers and an adult supervisory team. The St. Isidore VBS program also welcomes youth and adult volunteers.
The youth ministry is open to teens in grades 8 through 12 and meets Sunday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Father Riegler Center. Activities have included service projects, road trips, bonfires, movies, fishing, cooking, and other social events, along with an annual summer trip to the Steubenville Youth Conference at Franciscan University in Ohio. Athletics CYO builds on fair play and sportsmanship through cross country, volleyball, basketball, track and field, flag football, and high school volleyball, with grades varying by sport.
Family life has its own regular rhythm. The Moms' Group gathers for a monthly meeting on the first Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. and holds a monthly Moms Night Out on the third Wednesday at various local venues. Dads are welcome at couples' and family events, and the group's service projects support a pregnancy center, the parish food bank, and holiday outreach. Parents As Partners Association supports school help, social activities, fundraising, and solicitation. Altar servers, who must be at least in fourth grade and have received the sacraments through the Eucharist, assist the priest, carry the cross or candle, prepare the altar, and help those distributing Holy Communion.
Music That Serves the Liturgy
Music ministry has several expressions. The Adult Choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m., sings hymns and special music, and includes parishioners who love to sing. The Contemporary Group gathers on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. and leads one Saturday vigil Mass each month, along with special liturgies such as Confirmation and Christmas. The Children's Choir welcomes parish school and parish children in grades 1 through 8, rehearses Thursday from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m., and sings at a Saturday vigil Mass and special liturgies such as Confirmation and Christmas Eve.
Experienced cantors lead the congregation in hymns and sing the response and Alleluia verses. This mix of hymn-led, choral, and contemporary music gives the parish a blended worship style, while the central shape of worship remains the Mass and the Liturgy.
Food for Neighbors: Pantry and Mobile Manna
The Food Pantry serves area residents, both parishioners and non-parishioners, who cannot feed themselves or their families. It is located in the parish office at 603 West Broad Street and opens Saturday from 9:00 to noon, with visits also available by special appointment. Volunteers provide food and kindness, stock and organize shelves, buy groceries with donated money or gift cards, collect donations from area stores, and handle special projects. Adults and children can volunteer, with volunteers under 18 accompanied by a parent. Nonperishable food can be placed in Food Bank containers at the church doors; perishable and nonperishable donations can be delivered to the Broad Street office during business hours or on Saturday morning. Supermarket gift cards are also welcomed.
Mobile Manna extends the pantry to clients who cannot physically reach it because of illness, disability, or lack of transportation. Paired volunteer teams deliver food weekly or every two weeks according to need and communicate with clients about dietary needs and preferences. The St. Vincent de Paul Society offers financial and spiritual assistance to people in local communities, while Saint Isidore Council 4649 of the Knights of Columbus provides financial aid, mutual aid, and assistance to members and their families, including those who are sick or disabled.
Missionary Discipleship Beyond the Church
The Missionary Hub at Saint Isidore is a regional ministry of the Catholic Church of Philadelphia. Rooted in the parish and animated by the Holy Spirit, it unites prayer, formation, and service so the parish and surrounding community can bring people home to Christ. Its focus reaches into homes, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods, joining parish worship and formation with service in everyday life.
The Respect Life group meets monthly to consider issues at every stage of life, with particular attention to giving voice to the unborn. Its fundraising supports crisis pregnancy centers and pro-life groups with money, clothing, and other material needs. Alcoholics Anonymous also meets in the Father Riegler Center, Monday evening from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Thursday evening from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., offering a no-dues fellowship centered on shared experience, strength, and hope.
Many Ways to Serve
Parish membership is expressed through many concrete ministries. Altar Linen Caretakers wash and iron linens used for liturgies and baptisms; lectors proclaim the Scripture readings and Mass intentions; extraordinary ministers assist with Holy Communion; and the Facilities, Finance, Landscaping, and Pastoral Council groups support property, finances, the church grounds, and pastoral planning. Sacred Seasons decorates the main church and Day Chapel for Christmas and Easter and tends the sanctuary throughout the liturgical year.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets monthly and knits or crochets prayer shawls, shawls for retired veterans, baby blankets, hats, booties, baptismal shawls, and fleece blankets for chemotherapy patients. The Women's Book Club, Walking with Purpose, reads and discusses books of interest. These groups, along with the Moms' Group, Knights of Columbus, Respect Life group, food pantry, Mobile Manna, and Missionary Hub, show how worship, family life, and service belong together at Saint Isidore.
Parish Giving supports one-time and recurring electronic contributions, credit card or bank transfer payments, multiple organizations, a selected billing date, and year-end contribution reports. Contributions can be made through Parish Giving. This practical support connects the parish mission with the routine stewardship of families and individuals.
Generations of Priestly and Diaconal Leadership
Father Ken Brabazon has served as pastor since August 15, 2020. A native of South Philadelphia who was ordained in 2011, he previously served as parochial administrator and in pastoral and vocation roles elsewhere in the Archdiocese. Father Fred Riegler, a Philadelphia native ordained in 1967, was pastor of Saint Isidore from June 1998 until his retirement in June 2019. His twenty-one years of service earned the title Pastor Emeritus. He also spent nineteen years teaching at St. Charles Seminary.
Deacon David Mitchell and Deacon Patrick O'Donnell were both ordained permanent deacons in 2012 and continue to assist the parish's worship and formation work. Jeffrey Daley has served as Director of Religious Education since 2021, bringing experience as a pastoral associate, a diocesan director of religious education, a Catholic publishing professional, and a liturgical planner. The parish office at 603 West Broad Street is open weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a lunch closure from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. New parishioners register after Sunday Mass in the sacristy, and the office can be reached at (215) 536-4389 or office@stisadors.org. Through worship, formation, service, and shared stewardship, Saint Isidore remains a Quakertown parish family centered on faith in Jesus Christ and care for one another.