ST. MARGARET'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

925 Centre Avenue
Reading, PA, 19601
610.376.2919

History:

The long-awaited celebration of the first mass took place in the basement church of St. Margaret on Easter Sunday, April 16th, 1922. Later that same year, St. Margaret School was opened, where four classrooms divided by curtains were set up on opposite sides of the building. In April 1926, the new building was erected over the former basement church. The basement transformed into a social center where services were held on the first floor, and classrooms with other rooms on the second floor. Later in November of the same year (1926), a plot of land was excavated next to the church/school to construct a new rectory. It was eventually finished in 1927.

During WWII, the size of the congregation grew as well as the enrollment of the school. A celebration was held on May 25th, 1954, for the mortgage obligation being met, as a result being debt-free for the moment.

In 1960, properties were purchased along Centre Avenue that included the Bausher Estate, and the Fegley property in hopes for a larger church. The priests ended up moving into the former Bausher estate and the old rectory became the convent for the sisters; the old convent was later demolished. Furthermore, in the latter years of the congregation’s history, during Father Lenahan’s ministry, many decrees of the council affecting parish life were introduced. Father Lenahan’s primary task was overseeing construction of the new church, which was completed in 1970. Today, Father Angel Garcia has been the senior pastor at the parish since 2014.

Congregation/Space:

The congregation has about 2,700 registered families, with 1,100 – 1,300 people coming to three services on Sunday. Weekly, at least 1,100 people come in for different purposes, including service. There is a mixed diversity of people within the congregation as well. The church occupies a rectory, a convent, a school, and the church itself. The church has elegant features such as open spaces that include a garden and lawn and a remodeled altar that has marble flooring and concrete walls. The stained glass windows are from Western Europe; the church also has photocopies of the shrouds that represent the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The church is located on the corner of Centre Avenue and Spring Street within the Centre Park Historic District.

Programs: