St. Francis Xavier
Parish Council of Catholic Women
Celebrating 87 years
of Loving Service
1937 - 2024
 
Next PCCW Meeting
Tuesday,
December 10, 2024
6:00 PM - Mass
7:00 PM - Dinner
(Dobbin House:
Cost $ 30.00)
Click to download the current SFX Parish Bulletin
You can do what I can't do. 
I can do what you can't do. 
Together we can do something beautiful
for God.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta


St. Francis Xavier Parish

Council of Catholic Women

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

The Council of Catholic Women mission statement:
We are here to Support, Empower and Educate
all Catholic women in Spirituality,
Leadership and Service.

We take our founding mission seriously and our

local focus is on Living the Corporal and Spiritual

Works of Mercy.

Corporal
Works of Mercy
  1. Feed the hungry
  2. Shelter the homeless
  3. Clothe the naked
  4. Visit the sick
  5. Visit the imprisoned
  6. Give drink to the thirsty
  7. Bury the dead 
Spiritual
Works of Mercy
  1. Comfort the sorrowful
  2. Forgive injuries
  3. Pray for the living and the dead
  4. Advise the doubtful
  5. Instruct the uninformed
  6. Admonish sinners
  7. Bear wrongs patiently
Our Church Home:
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
25 West High Street
Gettysburg, PA  17325

Parish founded
2 October 1831

Present Church consecrated
31 July 1853
by St. John Neumann

Council of Catholic Women
1st Meeting
 October 1937

click on photo to go to Parish Web site
During the Battle of Gettysburg,
our church on High Street, a mere 10 years old at the time, was the second church to open its doors to the the wounded and was in use by noon of July 1st.  The most seriously wounded were brought here for amputation and treatment.  The Sisters of Charity from Emmitsburg, MD were part of those who tended the wounded and dying at SFX.  Listen to their account: "The Catholic Church was filled with wounded, mutilated men... The first man put in the sanctuary was soon Baptized with truly Christian sentiments.  His pain was excruciating and when sympathy was offered to him he said, 'Oh! What are these pains I suffer in comparison with those my Redeemer suffered for me.' In these sentiments he died..."
Because of the severity of the wounds of those who had been brought to our church, it remained a hospital until the end of September, 1863.   A stained glass window was dedicated to their act of mercy.