St. Paul Catholic Church sits on South Second Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania, just a short walk from the parish center on South Woodward. The parish is best known for being thoroughly bilingual: Mass is offered in English and in Spanish every day of the week, a Saturday vigil brings the two languages together in one celebration, and most ministries, formation programs, and parish groups have both English and Spanish components. Under the leadership of Father Angel L. García-Almodóvar, the parish carries forward a simple mission statement, "Loving Christ, Loving Others," and a longer one that names the work clearly: "Jesus is our Lord, God and Savior who cleanses, nourishes and strengthens us poor sinners through His Holy Word and Sacraments, so that we may be united to Him always and so we may imitate what we receive by sharing His Truth, Life and Mercy with our neighbor."
Mass in Two Languages, Seven Days a Week
The parish keeps a full weekly Mass schedule that pivots between English and Spanish, and between the main church and the chapel.
The Saturday vigil begins at 4:00 p.m. in English and continues at 6:00 p.m. as a bilingual Mass. Sunday Masses are offered at 8:00 a.m. in English, 10:00 a.m. in Spanish, and 12:00 p.m. in Spanish, all celebrated in the church.
Daily Mass is celebrated in the chapel at 8:30 a.m. in English on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and at 6:00 p.m. in Spanish in the church on Tuesday and Thursday. The chapel is also open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for private prayer, giving visitors a quiet space outside of Mass times.
Reconciliation, Adoration, and a Spanish Holy Hour
The sacrament of penance is offered three times a week. Confessions are heard on Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. in the church, on Friday from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. in the chapel, and on Saturday from 2:30 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. in the church. Appointments can also be made by calling the parish office.
Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel on Friday afternoons from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the Blessed Sacrament exposed for anyone who wants to spend time in prayer before the Lord. A weekly Hora Santa, or Holy Hour, is held in Spanish on Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. The parish invites anyone who is able to step away for a moment - or a full hour - to come and rest in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Becoming Catholic: RCIA in English and RICA in Spanish
Adults who want to join the Catholic Church, or who were baptized in another Christian tradition and want to come into full communion, walk through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. The English-language RCIA meets in the parish center on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. from September through May. The Spanish-language RICA meets in the parish center on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. over the same months. Deacon Gary Granato coordinates the English group, and Felix Pereira coordinates the Spanish group.
The process moves through the periods of inquiry, catechumenate, election, and mystagogy, with the sacraments of initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist - typically received at the Easter Vigil. Parishioners are invited to serve on the RCIA Formation Team, walking alongside those who are preparing to enter the Church.
Baptism at St. Paul
The parish welcomes the baptism of infants and young children, and follows a clear step-by-step process for parents. To have a child baptized at St. Paul, the family must be registered members of the parish, or have a letter of delegation from their home parish. A copy of the child's birth certificate is required, and the family selects a godparent who can provide a Letter of Eligibility from their own pastor. A minimum donation of $25 is requested to help support the celebration. Children who are seven or older enter the process through the Religious Education program rather than infant baptism.
Godparents are asked to take the role seriously. The parish requires that they be active Catholics who attend Sunday Mass weekly, contribute to the parish, be at least sixteen years old, have received the sacraments of initiation, and be in a state of grace. If married, they must be married in the Catholic Church, and if they have children, those children should be raised in the faith. Members of St. Paul who wish to serve as a godparent must have been registered for at least three months and use the parish envelopes.
Marriage Preparation
Couples who want to be married at St. Paul are asked to contact the parish office at least six months before their proposed wedding date to schedule an appointment with the secretary. The parish sees marriage as a covenant and a sacrament that images the union of Christ and the Church, and the preparation process is meant to give couples the spiritual and practical grounding for a lifelong bond.
Anointing of the Sick and Funerals
The Anointing of the Sick is available to any baptized Catholic who is seriously ill, preparing for surgery, or of advanced age. The sacrament is best received while the person is conscious and able to participate, ideally within the Eucharist. To arrange it, the parish asks individuals or family members to call the parish office; hospital patients can also ask the staff to contact the Catholic chaplain assigned to that hospital.
When a loved one dies, the parish walks with the family from the first call to the graveside. A Funeral Director typically contacts the parish to set the date and time, and a member of the parish Bereavement Support team reaches out to the family to plan the readings, music, and other details. A priest or deacon presides at the graveside service, and the parish continues to remember the deceased in its prayers.
Religious Education for Children
The Parish Religious Education Program, known as PREP, serves public school students in first through twelfth grade. Classes meet on Sunday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., running from late August through May, and are designed to help young people know the fullness of truth, beauty, and love that Jesus Christ gives and to resist the deceptions of the world. Raysa Rodríguez, the parish's Religious Education Director, oversees registration and the program itself. Children seven and older who have not been baptized follow the Rite of Christian Initiation adapted for their age.
St. John Vianney Regional School
Many parish families send their children to St. John Vianney Regional School, a Catholic school that partners with St. Paul and other parishes in the area. The school operates Monday through Friday from August through June. Students pray and receive religious instruction every day, and usually attend Mass once a week on Wednesdays. The parish notes that even students enrolled in Catholic school still need to take part in retreats, practices, and the reception of the sacraments in their home parish. Families who want more information or to register can call the school at 610-435-8981.
Liturgical Ministries at the Heart of the Parish
Like most Catholic parishes, St. Paul relies on an army of lay ministers to make the Sunday and weekday liturgies possible. The parish invites parishioners to consider serving in several roles.
Ministers of Holy Communion assist with the distribution of Communion at Mass when there are not enough priests and deacons, and also bring Communion to those who are homebound because of illness. The parish asks that ministers be at least eighteen, have received the sacraments of initiation, live in accord with Catholic teaching, and be willing to undergo training and ongoing formation before being approved by the Bishop.
Lectors proclaim the readings at Mass. The parish encourages men and women who have received the sacraments of initiation and are in a state of grace to consider the ministry, recognizing that the Word of God is an encounter with the Father that draws the community closer to Christ.
Altar Servers are boys and girls who have completed the fourth grade and received First Communion. They lead processions, carry the crucifix, candles, incense, and bells, assist the priest or deacon with sacred vessels, gifts, and the Missal, and help safeguard the Eucharist.
Ushers arrive at least fifteen minutes before Mass to help maintain decorum, safety, and order, collect the offering, respond in emergencies, distribute bulletins, and invite parishioners to consider the various ministries of the parish.
Music Ministry brings the English and Spanish choirs together. Janice DeMatto coordinates the English choir, and Lisandra Matos coordinates the Spanish choirs. Anyone with a love of singing and a desire to lead the congregation in praise is welcome to join.
The Pastoral Council and Finance Council
Two consultative bodies assist the pastor in leading the parish. The Parish Pastoral Council serves as a bridge between clergy and parishioners, helping to discern pastoral priorities, evangelization efforts, and the life of the parish. Members are appointed by the pastor for three-year terms. The Parish Advisory Finance Council brings together parishioners with expertise in finance, administration, or related fields to advise on budgeting, financial planning, and the proper use of parish funds, and to support the long-term financial stability of the parish.
Parish Groups: Friends for Life, Seeds of Faith, and the Basket Raffle
Beyond the formal ministries, three parish groups give parishioners a way to serve that does not require formation in theology or training at the altar.
Friends for Life is the parish pro-life group, committed to defending the sanctity of life from conception to natural death through prayer, education, and action. The group welcomes anyone who wants to be a voice for the voiceless and to support mothers in need.
Seeds of Faith is a gardening group that plants, nurtures, and maintains the flowers and greenery around the parish grounds. No experience is required - only a willing heart and a love of service.
The Basket Raffle Team organizes the parish's Spring and Fall Basket Raffle Events, putting together baskets, selling tickets, and setting up the festivities that have become a key fundraiser and gathering for the parish.
The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
The parish's outreach to neighbors in need runs through its St. Vincent de Paul Society, which operates a food pantry in the basement of the rectory at 920 S. Second Street. The pantry is open on Fridays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and serves as many as fifty local families each week. The parish is especially in need of pancake mix, pancake syrup, cereal, peanut butter, and spaghetti sauce, though any non-perishable food item dropped off at the church foyers or the rectory office is welcome.
Prayer, the Prayer Wall, and Catholic Essentials
Prayer is treated as the air the parish breathes. A Prayer Wall on the parish site invites anyone to share a need, a burden, or a word of gratitude, knowing that the rest of the community will intercede for them. The parish also teaches about traditional Catholic prayers - the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory to the Father, Act of Contrition, Hail Holy Queen - and offers practical suggestions for daily prayer, including silent prayer, Lectio Divina, and keeping a prayer journal.
For those who want a deeper look at the faith, the parish has organized a section called Catholic Essentials, which gathers the central teachings: the Seven Corporal and Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy, the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Three Theological Virtues and Four Cardinal Virtues, the Ten Commandments, the Two Greatest Commandments, the Eight Beatitudes, the Fourteen Stations of the Cross, the Seven Last Words of Christ, the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Four Marks of the Church, and the Precepts of the Church. It is a useful one-stop reference for newcomers and returning Catholics alike.
The Sacraments in the Life of the Parish
St. Paul celebrates all seven sacraments instituted by Christ. Baptism introduces the faithful into the divine life and incorporates them into the Church, freeing them from original and actual sin. Confirmation, typically received in the eighth grade or later, perfects baptismal grace through the anointing of chrism oil and the laying on of hands by the Bishop, and binds the confirmed more closely to the mission of the Church. The Eucharist is the source and summit of Catholic life, and the parish teaches the doctrine of transubstantiation - that the bread and wine become the true Body and Blood of Christ. Reconciliation (Penance) is the ordinary way for those who have sinned after baptism to be restored to grace, with individual confession to a priest as the principal means. Marriage is a covenant that images the union of Christ and the Church and is understood to be lifelong. Holy Orders continues the work of the apostles through bishops, priests, and deacons.
Online Giving, Registration, and the Bulletin
The parish makes it easy to register online, set up recurring or one-time gifts, and read the weekly bulletin. Online giving through the parish's secure portal allows donors to choose a fund, set up recurring contributions, and receive a year-end statement for tax purposes. Parish registration can be completed online in either English or Spanish, and is required for receiving the sacraments, getting a letter of good standing, and helping the parish stay in touch with its members. The Sunday bulletin, which carries the most current information about Mass schedules, special events, and parish life, is published weekly.
Faith, Culture, and the Catholic Life
St. Paul teaches the fullness of the Catholic faith: belief in the Holy Trinity, in the Incarnation and Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, in the communion of saints, in the seven sacraments, in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and in the Pope as the successor of Peter and chief pastor of the whole Church. The parish shares Catholic News and Perspectives through Our Sunday Visitor, and provides daily readings, a liturgical calendar, and resources on returning Catholics, becoming Catholic, and the basics of the faith. Visitors to the parish can walk into a worshipping community that takes its mission statement literally, welcoming them in English or Spanish and inviting them to grow as disciples of Christ in the heart of Allentown.