Saint Patrick Church

Saint Patrick Church is a vibrant community of 2,500 households. Parish boundaries extend over some 500 square miles (between the North mountain and the South mountain).

Saint Patrick Church was founded and served by Irish Jesuits from 1779 until 1804, when it became a Diocesan parish (first of the Baltimore Diocese until 1808, the Philadelphia until 1868, at which point it was incorporated into the newly established Harrisburg Diocese.

Two American saints visited this parish. Between 1835 and 1857 Saint John Neumann, Bishop of Philadelphia, came to Saint Patrick Church to administer the sacrament of confirmation. In 1894 Saint Katharine Drexel, from the invitation of pastor, Rev. Dr. Henry Ganss, gave a significant contribution to build a larger church structure on Pomfret Street. From 1901 - 1918, Saint Katharine Drexel provided sisters to teach African-American students at the Select Colored School (now the parish Rectory) and Native American students at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (now the Army War College).

In 1947, Monsignor Schmidt established Saint Patrick's School, which has had 3 locations since that time and in 1986 located to 85 Marsh Drive, Carlisle, PA 17015.

The Marsh Drive campus of Saint Patrick Church includes 800 seat capacity church, the School for day students and evening religious education classes. On June 19, 2011, Bishop Joseph McFadden dedicated the Rev. Andrew J. Fontanella Parish Activity Center, a 31,000 sqaure foot facility which includes adult education classrooms, Life Teen youth ministry room, Scout rooms, a Board room, large gym with bleachers and stage, and full kitchen.