_edited.jpg)
Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church
Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter
MASS SCHEDULE
Sunday - 10:00 a.m. (Solemn Mass with music and incense)
followed by fellowship in the parish hall
Monday - 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday - 10:00 a.m. (healing prayer and laying on of hands after Mass)
Thursday - 6:00 p.m.
Friday - 12 p.m.
Saturday - 9:00 a.m.
All Masses are offered according to the Ordinariate's Divine Worship Missal.
All Catholics may fulfill their Sunday or holy day obligation by attending our form of Mass.
CONFESSION SCHEDULE
Sunday - 9:00-9:45 a.m.
Monday - 5:30 p.m.
Thursday - 5:30 p.m.
DAILY OFFICE SCHEDULE
Sunday - 9:30 a.m. (Terce)
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday - 5:00 p.m.
Our clergy lead the public prayer of the Church, known as the Divine Office or the Liturgy of the Hours, every day according to the Ordinariate's approved breviary, Divine Worship: Daily Office.
The Ordinariate's Office may also be prayed online at this link.
During the Mass of installation of Father William Cantrell as Pastor of St. John the Baptist, celebrated by Bishop Steven Lopes. September 5, 2021.
St John's has the care of a Catholic church formerly known as Our Lady of Mount Carmel: formed in 1926 to serve the Italian-American community of Bridgeport, PA. The upper church was built in 1940 and dedicated in 1949.
The Last Gospel at the end of our solemn Mass on the eve of the Presentation (Candlemas): February 1, 2022.
During the Mass of installation of Father William Cantrell as Pastor of St. John the Baptist, celebrated by Bishop Steven Lopes. September 5, 2021.
Overview
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a joyful Catholic parish in the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter. The Ordinariate is the North American diocese created by Pope Benedict XVI in answer to decades of earnest prayer that enabled formerly Anglican parishes, priests and individuals to come into full communion with the Holy See. We are a missionary diocese obedient to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church in all things.
Our liturgy is deeply reverent and rich with traditional music, Anglican and Gregorian chant, and Biblical preaching. Our form of Mass--Divine Worship: The Missal--is approved by the Vatican for use in the Ordinariate. We are permanently settled in Bridgeport, PA and serve the Philadelphia area.
News & Events
**Required Safe Environment training - Article 12 of the USCCB Charter for the protection of children and young people requires that Dioceses maintain safe environment programs which the bishop deems to be in accord with Catholic moral principles. They are to be conducted cooperatively with parents, civil authorities, educators and community organizations to provide education and training for children, youth, parents, ministers, educators, volunteers and others about ways to create and maintain a safe environment for children and youth. Dioceses are to make clear to clergy and all members of the community the standards of conduct for clergy and other adults who have contact in ministry with children and youth.
Every year we are required to provide the latest information about providing a safe environment for our children. If you have children or if you are in contact with children during any parish activities you need to attend this training. This session will be presented by Clare Finegan and Leslie Altena, immediately following Mass on November 20, 2022.
More info about the Safe Environment program can be seen on the Ordinariate's main website HERE. Thank you for making the safety of our children a priority!
**Next Patricians discussion: Nov 16 - Have you ever wondered about Purgatory? Now is your chance to get answers to your questions! Please join us for our next Patricians discussion on Wednesday, November 16 from 6:45 - 8:45 p.m. in the coffee hour room.
The Society of the Patricians is an informal group of Catholic adults who meet monthly under the direction of Fr. Bill Cantrell to learn more about the Catholic Faith so that we can better share it with others. Please come, and bring a friend! Refreshments will be served and free literature will be available. For more info, email HERE.
**Rorate Mass by candlelight: Dec 17 - Mark your calendars! Our Rorate Mass by candlelight last Advent was remarkably well-attended. We will offer another Rorate Mass in honor of Our Lady this year on Saturday, December 17 at 6 a.m. This liturgy takes its name from the Introit antiphon, Rorate caeli ("Drop down, ye heavens"). This year's celebration will, once again, draw upon a special choir under the direction of Dr. Rebecca Ostermann for the singing of the ancient Gregorian chants of this Mass.
**On Mass intentions - All are welcome to make use of the special graces of our daily Masses to pray for friends and loved ones. The Code of Canon Law says of this practice:
“Christian faithful who make an offering so that the Mass may be applied for their intention contribute to the good of the Church and by their offering take part in the concern of the Church for the support of its ministers and works.” (CIC 946)
If you wish to make a Mass intention, please email Fr Cantrell (here) with the name of the person to be prayed for, whether they are living or deceased, and a preferred date. The Ordinariate's suggested donation is $10 per Mass intention, but an offering is not required. It is praiseworthy to attend the Mass that the intention is requested for.
Note: the Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation at St John's are, by canon law, always offered pro populo (for the benefit of the people of the parish). Non-parishioners who frequently worship at St John's are encouraged to register with us so that they may benefit from the special graces of our Masses on these days. More information about the practice of Mass intentions may be read in an article by Fr William Saunders HERE.
Photo Gallery
On October 9, 2022, we celebrated our annual Ordinariate Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Philadelphia in celebration of Saint John Henry Newman.
On October 9, 2022, we celebrated our annual Ordinariate Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Philadelphia in celebration of Saint John Henry Newman.
On September 14, 2022, the clergy of St. John the Baptist visited St. Agatha-St. James Church in west Philadelphia to officiate Evensong according to the Ordinariate's form of the Divine Office, for the benefit of the student community of Penn and Drexel universities.
On September 14, 2022, the clergy of St. John the Baptist visited St. Agatha-St. James Church in west Philadelphia to officiate Evensong according to the Ordinariate's form of the Divine Office, for the benefit of the student community of Penn and Drexel universities.
Photos from our solemn Requiem Mass on Memorial Day: May 30, 2022.
Photos from our solemn Requiem Mass on Memorial Day: May 30, 2022.
Photos from the Great Vigil of Easter, 2022 at St John's. Photos by Peter Tulay.
Photos from the Great Vigil of Easter, 2022 at St John's. Photos by Peter Tulay.
October 7, 2021, with Bishop Lopes and Archbishop Perez. Photos by Peter Tulay.
October 7, 2021, with Bishop Lopes and Archbishop Perez. Photos by Peter Tulay.
Photos by Allison Girone.
Photos by Allison Girone.
Photos by Peter Tulay.
Photos by Peter Tulay.
How to join
Are you interested in learning more about the Catholic faith? We invite you to use our contact form at the bottom of this website. Whether you come from another Christian denomination, a different faith tradition, or no religion in particular, our parish offers catechesis (formation and initiation in the Catholic faith) to all.
Are you already Catholic and wish to join our parish? Please contact us and we will register you as a member of the parish and add you to our mailing list. (Note: you do not need to have been formerly an Anglican to register as a member St. John's.)
Are you interested in joining the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter? For those who have not been baptized or confirmed at St. John's (or another Ordinariate community), joining the Ordinariate is a separate process. More info on becoming a canonical member of the Ordinariate may be seen here. To view the Ordinariate member registration form, click HERE. Please fill in the blanks, print and sign the form, then submit or mail it to the parish.
The Baptism of Christ, by Piero Perugino. 1482, Sistine Chapel, Rome.
How to serve
The life of our parish depends upon the sacrifice and support of our members and friends. Below are a few of the several ministries and apostolates we continually need volunteers for. Click on any of the images below for more information.
Altar Servers
Parish Choir
Hospitality
(Coffee Hour)
Altar Guild
Clergy & Staff
Father William C. Cantrell
Pastor
Email
Father Matthew M. Hummel
Parochial Vicar
Email
Deacon Roger W. Converse
Deacon
Email
Dr. William J. Gatens
Organist & Choirmaster
Email
James T.M. Griffin
Master of Acolytes
Email
Parish History
Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church was formed in 2015 after acquiring the property of the former Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania. The first liturgy was offered on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, 2015.
Bishop Steven J. Lopes, first Bishop of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, established Saint John the Baptist as a canonical parish of the Ordinariate. He visited Bridgeport on November 18, 2016 to erect the parish, and to install Fr David A. Ousley as the first Pastor. Following Fr Ousley’s retirement in August 2021, Fr William C. Cantrell became the second Pastor in September 2021.
Soon after St. John the Baptist was established, came the development of a variety of ministries in Bridgeport and the surrounding area. Together with the Legion of Mary, the parish regularly makes calls on the homes in Bridgeport through Evangelization Days reaching out to those seeking full Communion with the Catholic Church. A new thrift shop opened in 2017, providing material as well as spiritual service to our neighbors. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which began in 2021, serves families from outside the parish as well as parishioners. St John’s hosts a number of groups from both within and outside the parish. The Holy Family Council of the Knights of Columbus meets monthly at St John’s and has been unfailingly supportive of our mission in innumerable ways.
Safe Environment
“Jesus, however, called the children to himself and said, ‘Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” (Luke 18:16)
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, and the entire Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, are committed to providing a safe environment for all our parishioners - from the youngest to the oldest.
As a part of that effort, the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter has instituted a robust Safe Environment program. Here at St. John the Baptist, we participate fully in this program. We provide mandatory training (including detailed background checks) for all volunteers who work with children. We also provide parents with materials to use in discussing safe environment issues with their own children.
If you would like to read about the Ordinariate's Safe Environment Policy in detail, please go HERE.
Parish Calendar
Thrift Shop
We are open most Tuesdays and Saturdays (weather permitting) from 10am to 3pm (closed during summer).
Note: the Thrift Shop is accessible from an entrance in the rear parking lot.
