A Main Line Parish Built on Sacrifice
Saint Katharine of Siena Parish stands on South Aberdeen Avenue in Wayne, a stretch of Philadelphia's Main Line where it has anchored Catholic life for more than 130 years. The mission statement is simple and direct: "We, the people of Saint Katharine of Siena Parish, believe that we have been gifted with life, faith and discipleship. Empowered by Jesus in word and sacrament, we are called to grow in wisdom and grace, in fidelity to His Church, and in service to our brothers and sisters."
The parish story begins in 1892, when the developers of Wayne offered each denomination a parcel of land on the condition that a church be built on the site within three years and cost at least $25,000, the equivalent of more than a million dollars today. If the terms were not met, the land and any interim improvements would revert to the donors. With a congregation of only 70 families, mostly poor and recently arrived, the task looked daunting. Through the dedication and sacrifice of poor Irish working women, the cornerstone was laid and the original church was dedicated in 1895. Archbishop Patrick J. Ryan of Philadelphia formally established the parish on June 7, 1893 when he appointed Reverend Matthew Hand as founding pastor. In 1916, the first St. Katharine's school opened with 168 students.
By the early 1960s, the parish had grown to over 900 families, but the old church could only seat 400, so it was demolished and the present structure was built on the same site in 1966. To mark the centennial in 1993, around 250 volunteers produced a history book under the theme "We Remember, We Celebrate, We Believe." A capital campaign called "Continue the Tradition" raised $4.5 million between 1998 and 2000 to add classrooms and administrative space to the school and to replace the old gym and parish center. Today the parish counts more than 2,100 families and serves as home to a parish school, a religious education program, CYO athletics, an active music ministry built around a new Fratelli Ruffati organ, and a network of service and faith-sharing groups that reach across the region.
The Sanctuary and Its Stained Glass
The 1966 church is filled with floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows, designed in the early 1960s through a collaboration among Reverend William J. O'Donnell, the pastor at the time, his associate pastors, architect Henry D. Dagit, and designer and artist Bolton Morris. The windows teach as well as glow. Entering from the Lancaster Avenue side, scenes from the Old Testament fill the windows to the right and scenes from the life of Christ and the Church fill the windows to the left, beginning with God and Creation, where God, represented by the all-seeing eye, contemplates the making of the world with Wisdom embodied in two female figures. The second window moves from Noah to Moses, with the baptismal font, hand, and paschal candle in the lower section recalling the first letter of Saint Peter. The third window tells of David, Solomon, and the prophets, with Bethlehem, the city of David, shown at the center. The fourth traces the transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament through the Jesse tree, with a shoot sprouting from the stump of Jesse as Isaiah foretold.
The fifth window marks the Annunciation and Birth of Jesus, with the burning bush at the base representing God's presence, a bush that burns but is not consumed. The sixth depicts scenes from the public life of Jesus, beginning with his baptism by John in the Jordan. The seventh presents the Paschal Mystery, with the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension, while the eighth shows Pentecost, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, and the Church. Above the choir loft, a window of deep azure directs the assembly toward the Parousia, the second coming of the Lord. A separate window depicts Saint Catherine of Siena herself, clothed in the habit of the mantellate, the lay Dominican women of her era. Catherine (1347 to 1380), the youngest of twenty-five children, was so influential in returning the papacy from Avignon to Rome that her work has been compared to the Second Vatican Council. She has been referred to within the Church as the Doctor of Unity, and along with Saint Teresa of Avila is one of only two women named a Doctor of the Church. The varied spellings of her name have been part of the parish's own history; above the door of the old grade school the title read "St. Catherine of Siena School," and it is said that the first pastor, Father Matthew Hand, may have changed the spelling to match his mother's name.
Mass, Confession, and Adoration
The parish offers two daily Masses, Monday through Friday, at 6:30 AM and 8:00 AM, and a Saturday morning Mass at 8:00 AM. The Sunday vigil is at 5:00 PM on Saturday, and two Sunday Masses are celebrated at 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM. Holy Days bring a vigil at 6:00 PM and four Masses the following day at 6:30 AM, 8:00 AM, 12:10 PM, and 7:00 PM. Reconciliation is heard every Saturday from 4:00 to 4:45 PM in the church. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament fills each Monday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, beginning with the Rosary and closing with a fifteen-minute Benediction. Visitors may stay for as few or as many minutes as they wish, and weekly and substitute hours are scheduled so that the Lord is never alone in the tabernacle. The Saturday 5:00 PM vigil on the first Saturday of each month is celebrated as a Teen Mass with the teen choir, lectors, and cantors leading the assembly.
Mass is livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel, and a complete archive of recordings, including a Hymns and Psalms playlist and a Choir Meditations playlist, is available there. Monsignor Brouwers also publishes weekly reading reflections, written commentary on the Sunday scriptures that gives the background for each reading, a better understanding of its message, and a sense of how the readings together address the assembly.
The Fratelli Ruffati Organ and Music Ministry
Music is a particular point of pride at Saint Katharine's. The 1966 building inherited an organ that had never been intended for church use, sat in the choir loft, lacked volume control, and needed constant repair. Pastors had investigated a replacement since 1995, and the parish finally installed a custom Fratelli Ruffati organ built by the renowned Italian organ builder, alongside a Bösendorfer grand piano nicknamed "Gisele," finished in a custom wood to complement the sanctuary. The music director has called the Bösendorfer "the most stunning instrument" he has ever played, noting that "Gisele sounds even better than she looks, and that is saying something." Recordings of Mendelssohn's Sonata No. 6 in D minor and Bach's Trio Sonata No. 6, BWV 530, both performed on the Ruffati, are available through the parish's YouTube channel.
The Adult Choir sings at two or three Masses a month from September to May, with rehearsals two Wednesdays per month from 7:00 to 8:30 PM and a brief rehearsal on the morning of the Mass. The Young Adult Choir, Teen Choir, and Children's Choir round out the program, with the Children's Choir singing twice a month at the 9:30 AM Sunday Mass and rehearsing during lunch for school students and from 10:30 to 11:00 AM for PREP students. A Cecelia Scholar program supports visiting musicians; recent scholars include Sarah Connors, Tessa Ellis, Ezgi Yargici, Melissa Brun, and Tess Varley. Cantors lead the assembly at every liturgy, and the parish Director of Liturgical Music, Laura Kerr, oversees the choirs and serves as organist and adult choir director. Steph Twohig coordinates the Children, Teen, and Young Adult Choirs.
Sacraments
Baptism is celebrated each Sunday at 12:45 PM and is arranged through the rectory. First-time parents attend a Pre-Jordan session that reviews the history and theology of the sacrament and offers a chance to share faith with other parents. Reconciliation is ordinarily first received in the second grade, and First Holy Communion is celebrated in the third grade, in the spring. Confirmation is the second of the three Sacraments of Initiation, with students typically confirmed in the eighth grade and adults confirmed through contact with the rectory. Sponsors must be at least sixteen, fully initiated, in a marriage recognized by the Church if married, and active in the Eucharist, and Confirmation candidates are urged to invite one of their baptismal godparents to serve. Sponsors from other parishes present a certificate of eligibility from their pastor.
Couples planning to marry at Saint Katharine's notify the pastor at least six months in advance, and weddings are normally scheduled on Saturdays no later than 2:00 PM, with Friday evenings also available. Visiting priests are welcome. The Sacrament of the Sick is offered to anyone who is seriously ill, aged, or infirm, and those preparing for surgery are encouraged to ask for it. A spring liturgy each year offers the anointing to anyone who is seriously ill, physically, mentally, or emotionally, and the date is posted on the parish calendar.
Becoming Catholic: OCIA
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, recently renamed from the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, meets on weeknights from mid-September to just before Easter, gathering to listen to and reflect on the Word of God and the teachings of the Church. The journey moves through the Period of Inquiry, where inquirers reflect on Salvation History as revealed in Sacred Scripture; the Period of Teaching, where catechumens and candidates learn specifically about the Catholic Church with the help of a sponsor and members of the community; Purification and Enlightenment during Lent, the final preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation; and Mystagogia, the fifty days from Easter to Pentecost during which the newly received find their place in the community. The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are ordinarily received at the Easter Vigil. Monsignor Brouwers leads the parish OCIA process, and there is no obligation for those who come to inquire, only an invitation to listen, ask, and grow in faith.
The Parish School and PREP
Saint Katharine of Siena School, located on the parish grounds, opened in 1916 and now enrolls 410 students. Principal Jeanne Mulvanerty leads a faculty that also organizes the school's annual science fair, talent show, and Spring Cultural Arts Night. The Parish Religious Education Program, or PREP, serves children whose families do not send them to Catholic school, with classes on Monday afternoons from 4:30 to 5:30 PM for grades K through 7 and Monday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 PM for grades 1 through 4 and 6 through 7. PREP and the parish school together prepare children for Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation, with the Director of Religious Education and Director of Youth Formation overseeing both programs. The school also sponsors a Home and School Association that links parents and faculty, and a Wildcats Dance Team that performs at CYO basketball games.
Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during the 9:30 AM Sunday Mass for children in pre-K through fourth grade. After the opening prayer, the children gather in the Parish Center for readings and activities suited to their level, then return to the congregation after the General Intercessions. A volunteer typically has an assignment every four to six weeks.
Bible Study, Walking with Purpose, and Evenings of Reflection
On Thursday mornings from 9:00 to 10:30 AM in the Parish Center, Monsignor Brouwers leads a Bible Study and Faith Sharing group of two dozen parishioners, drawing on Catholic tradition to bring the upcoming Sunday's readings to life. The group meets in person and virtually, and participants may come every week or when they can.
Walking with Purpose, a women's Bible study in its twelfth year at Saint Katharine's, gathers sixty or more women on Tuesday mornings from 9:15 to 11:00 AM in the Parish Center, running from late September through early April. The 2026-27 study is "Fearless and Free," a six-lesson study of the Book of Ephesians focused on wholeness of heart and freedom from past wounds, structured around three movements: wakening to who we are in Christ, wrestling with the battle in our minds, and being strengthened as warriors. The group includes women of all ages, from those new to Bible study to those with years of experience.
The Women's Evening of Reflection meets on the first Thursday of each month from October through May, beginning with Mass at 6:30 PM, followed by dinner in the Parish Center at 7:00 PM, a guest speaker, and a testimonial from a woman in the community. Confession is available at 7:30 PM. About thirty to forty women attend each month, drawn from across age groups. Visiting priests from Daylesford Abbey, Villanova, the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, and the Legionaries of Christ celebrate the Mass. A parallel Men's Evening of Reflection is also offered.
Youth Ministry and Young Adults
The Youth Ministry serves teens in grades 7 through 8 (Junior High) and 9 through 12 (Senior High), following the three S's of Service, Spirituality, and Social development. Youth Minister Stephanie Twohig coordinates the program, organizing several meetings each month that rotate through spiritual, service, and social activities. The first Saturday of every month features a 5:00 PM Youth Mass prepared by teens of the parish. Adult parishioners serve as mentors, and a dedicated Facebook page and Instagram account keep teens and families connected.
For adults in their twenties and thirties, the SKS Young Adults group meets on Mondays from 7:30 to 9:00 PM in the Parish Center for Lectio Divina-style discussion of the upcoming Sunday's readings, sharing impressions, learnings, and questions in a non-judgmental and spiritually focused environment, then finishing the discussion with practical applications for the week ahead. A Children's Open Play is hosted once a month after the 9:30 AM Mass in the SKS Gym by the Faithful Families ministry.
Family Life: Faithful Families, MOYC, and CYO Sports
Faithful Families brings parish families together for simple acts of service and fellowship. The group hosts the annual Palm Sunday craft and Advent wreath-making workshop, the monthly virtual Rosary, and children's service projects at the monthly Parish Coffee, which is held after the 9:30 AM Sunday Mass and welcomes newcomers into the community. The annual Blessing of the Animals takes place in the SKS School Yard in October, with Monsignor Brouwers blessing pets, leashes and crates encouraged.
Mothers of Young Children, also known as MoYC, meets most Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:00 AM in the Parish Center, welcoming mothers, fathers, grandparents, and caregivers with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers for a casual morning of play and adult conversation. The Cub Scouts round out the parish's family life, with a local pack that meets regularly and welcomes new members.
The parish CYO program fields teams in cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer, volleyball, flag and tackle football, cheerleading, basketball, track and field, girls' and boys' lacrosse, tennis, and baseball. The Fall, Winter, and Spring Sports coordinators, along with the Athletic Director, organize the program, which welcomes any child who attends the parish school, PREP, or a neighboring parish that does not offer comparable CYO sports. Coaches are required to complete the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Safe Environment clearances.
Service: Mercy Hospice, Family Promise, H.O.P.E., and Caring for Friends
The parish supports Mercy Hospice, a Philadelphia community at 334 South 13th Street that has offered temporary residential services to about 40 women and their young children for more than 35 years. Mercy Hospice also offers a daily hot meal to 50 to 70 homeless women living on the street, with case management, the use of restrooms and showers, and groceries for growing children. Saint Katharine's cooks eight casseroles each month, rotates freezer items and non-perishables, supports a Christmas gift program, and collects toiletries for the daily showers. The parish also supports Caring for Friends, a regional network of 10,000 volunteers that prepares and delivers meals to homebound neighbors, with each volunteer matched with the same client each week, building deep friendships through regular visits.
Family Promise of the Main Line, formerly the Interfaith Hospitality Network, brings volunteers to Wayne Presbyterian Church several times a year, where they buy groceries, drop off meals, and host families experiencing homelessness. H.O.P.E., Helping Other People in Emergency, is a network of volunteers organized into eight rotating groups that drive parishioners to medical and dental appointments, prepare meals in emergencies, do grocery shopping for shut-ins, take people to Mass on a Saturday evening or Sunday morning once a month, and offer help with no questions asked. The St. Martin de Porres Outreach Committee, Parish Nurse, Parish Library, and Retrouvaille marriage help program complete the parish's web of service.
A Sister Parish at St. Martin de Porres
Saint Katharine's longstanding sister parish is St. Martin de Porres, at 24th and Lehigh Streets in Philadelphia. Pastored by Father Addisalem Mekonnen and serving more than 820 families, the parish school educates 460 children in K through 8 under principal Dr. Sean Murray. Each year the two parishes gather for shared feast days, with St. Martin de Porres coming north in April and Saint Katharine's visiting in October. The relationship includes food drives for the food pantry in May and at Thanksgiving, the Christmas Adopt-a-Family program that delivers gifts and all the fixings for Christmas dinner, school supply collections at Labor Day and in February, Catholic Schools Week fellowship with the 8th grade, and a monthly food drive on the third Sunday of each month whose funds are split with St. Martin de Porres. The annual appeal brings Father Mekonnen and the St. Martin de Porres choir to Saint Katharine's in late April, where he speaks at all the weekend Masses about the status, hopes, and goals of his parish.
Respect Life and the Knights of Columbus
The Respect Life Committee meets four times a year with other Main Line parishes, working to build a culture that protects human life from conception to natural death through evangelization, catechesis, pastoral outreach, works of charity, and public policy formation. The committee educates parishioners about abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning, assisted suicide, euthanasia, human sexuality, contraception, natural family planning, marriage, infertility procedures, and the death penalty. Annual events include the bus trip to the March for Life in Washington in January, the Culture of Life Concert and Dinner, and the October Life Chain.
Saint Katharine of Siena Council #15982 of the Knights of Columbus was chartered on June 10, 2014, through the encouragement of Monsignor Brouwers, joining a worldwide Catholic men's organization established in 1882 by Blessed Michael J. McGivney. The local council supports the parish and school through scholarships, donations toward the new organ, charity drives, and special Advent and Holy Thursday adoration services. The Knights meet from September to June, with annual dues of $40, and sponsor coffee and donuts after the 9:30 AM Mass for parishioners several times a year.
The Staff and Joining the Parish
Monsignor Hans A.L. Brouwers serves as pastor, supported by Priest in Residence Rev. Kien Do. Kim O'Neill is the Coordinator of Parish Life and Ministries. Stephanie Twohig is the Director of Religious Education and Director of Youth Formation. Laura Kerr is the Director of Evangelization, Director of Liturgical Music, and Organist and Adult Choir Director. Jeanne Mulvanerty is the school principal, and MaryAnn Crowe serves as parish nurse. Elise Parisi is the communications coordinator. Angela Kusterbeck is the business manager, and Barbara Lombardi is the parish secretary.
New parishioners register by contacting Kim O'Neill at the rectory at 610-688-4584 or koneill@sksparish.org. The parish offers online giving, weekly bulletins, livestreamed Mass, and Flocknote email updates. The parish school has its own site at sksschool.org, and youth and school programs each maintain their own calendars. A Flocknote sign-up keeps parishioners connected to news and events throughout the year.