About St. Michael the Archangel
VISION STATEMENT
As a faith community we believe and profess that “God so loved the world that he gave us his only son” (Jn.3:16) God invites us to be one with the Trinity. In response to the divine invitation the parish of St. Michael the Archangel gives praise, thanks, and obeys the word spoken by “the word made flesh”.
• "Do this in memory of me'' (Lk. 22:19) We celebrate the sacraments to encounter the Lord Jesus, especially the Eucharist, in which many become one and become increasingly the Body of Christ in this world.
• “Go teach all naƟons and bapƟze them....” (Mt. 28:19) We commit ourselves to live the gospel. In doing so we proclaim, teach, and model a way of life for all in this rural community.
• “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn.13:34) Convinced of the beauty and dignity of the human family, we minister to the needs of both our faith community and the wider community.
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish in Emlenton was founded in 1871 by Father Patrick Smith, whose sacramental records of parishioners still sit in our rectory safe written in Latin cursive. Before Father Smith, the booming little oil town of Emlenton was shepherded by Father John Koch, who travelled to Emlenton on horseback. The Parish was incorporated into the Diocese of Erie by Bishop Tobias Mullen.
St. Michael the Archangel Parish is situated in the beautiful Allegheny River Valley as it heads towards its confluence with the Clarion River. While the majority of our Parishioners reside in Emlenton, Parker, Foxburg, Knox and St. Petersburg, we have parishioners from Clintonville in the West. Clarion in the East, Cranberry Township in the North, to Petrolia in the South. Our area is also a faith “home away from home” for many part-time residents who visit this area each summer to enjoy God’s Creation.
