Church Closings - Diocese of Scranton
Announced January 31, 2009 by Bishop Joseph F. Martino
This page is dedicated to all the generous and devout Catholics, many of them poor immigrants, who built and sustained these Catholic Churches in more spiritual times.

We pray that these blessed souls will ask God to revitalize the faith of so many of our young people who have fallen away from the Catholic Church.

Amen.


CLUSTER 1: Gate of Heaven, Dallas, and Our Lady of Victory, Harveys Lake, will be linked no later than July 2009 and consolidated into Gate of Heaven no later than July 2011. St. Therese's, Shavertown, and St. Frances X. Cabrini, Carverton, will consolidate by July 2011 into St. Therese's. St. Frances will close. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Lake Silkworth, will partner with the remaining parishes.

CLUSTER 2: St. Mary Annunciation, Kingston, will consolidate with St. Ignatius, Kingston, by July 2010, but the bishop urged the congregation to do it sooner. St. Ann's Chapel will stay open until July 2010 but will then be reviewed. Holy Name/St. Mary's, Swoyersville, and Holy Trinity, Swoyersville will link by July 2009. They will then consolidate in July 2012 at Holy Trinity. Holy Family Parish, Luzerne, will partner with the Kingston and Swoyersville churches by sharing resources.

CLUSTER 3: St. Boniface, Wilkes-Barre and Holy Rosary, Wilkes-Barre will close and consolidate at St. Patrick's, Wilkes-Barre, by July 2010. St. Joseph's, Wilkes-Barre and Holy Trinity, Wilkes-Barre will close and consolidate with Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Park Avenue, Wilkes-Barre by July 2010.

CLUSTER 4: St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Wilkes-Barre, and St. Nicholas, Wilkes-Barre, will enter into a partnership effective this July. St. Joseph's, Wilkes-Barre and St. Therese, Wilkes-Barre will consolidate into St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Wilkes-Barre no later than July 2011. Both St. Joseph's and St. Therese will close. St. Aloysius, Wilkes-Barre, and St. Casimir's, Hanover Township, will consolidate no later than July 2011 to the St. Aloysius site. If renovation costs of St. Aloysius are acceptable, St. Casimir's will close no later than July 2011. St. Aloysius, Wilkes-Barre, and Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Hanover Township, will link no later than July 2009.

CLUSTER 5: Blessed Sacrament, Wilkes-Barre; St. Francis, Wilkes-Barre; St. John the Baptist, Wilkes-Barre will close and consolidate into St. Dominic's Church, Austin Avenue, Wilkes-Barre by July 2010.

CLUSTER 6: All parishes will consolidate at St. Stanislaus Kostka, Wilkes-Barre, by July 2010, with an additional worship site at Holy Savior. Sacred Heart/St. John the Evangelist, Wilkes-Barre and the St. Christopher Mission in Bear Creek Township will close by 2010.

CLUSTER 7: St. Jude, Mountain Top; Our Lady Help of Christians, Dorrance; St. Patrick, White Haven will be linked by July 2010.

CLUSTER 8: All six parishes will consolidate at the current Holy Trinity site on Hanover Street, Nanticoke, no later than July 2010. St. Mary's will remain as an "additional worship site" for weddings or funerals. The need for the additional site will be reevaluted after two years. St. Stanislaus is to close no later than July 2010. St. Francis is to close no later than July 2009. St. Joseph's is to close no later than July 2010. Holy Child is to close no later than July 2010.

CLUSTER 9: St. Cecelia's, Exeter; St. John the Baptist, Exeter; and St. Anthony Padua, Exeter will consolidate at St. Anthony's. St. Cecelia's will remain as an additional site. St. John's will close by July 2010. Our Lady of Sorrows, West Wyoming and St. Joseph's, Wyoming will consolidate by July 2011 at St. Joseph's, with Our Lady of Sorrows remaining as an additional site. Immaculate Conception, Harding, and Holy Redeemer, Harding will consolidate by July 2011 at Immaculate Conception. Holy Redeemer will close by July 2011.

CLUSTER 10: Blessed Sacrament, Hughestown; St. Mary Help of Christians, Pittston; and St. Mary Assumption, Pittston will consolidate by July 2012 at St. Mary Help of Christians. Blessed Sacrament and St. Mary Assumption will close by July 2012. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pittston and St. Rocco's, Pittston will consolidate at Our Lady of Mount Carmel by July 2012. St. Rocco's will close by July 2012. St. John the Evangelist, Pittston, will parner with the new parishes by July 2012.

CLUSTER 11: St. Martha's, Fairmont Springs; Ascension, Mocanaqua; Corpus Christi, Glen Lyon; St. Mary's, Mocanaqua

CLUSTER 12: St. Leo's Church, Ashley, will remain open. St. Charles Borromeo, Sugar Notch, will close by next July and consolidate with Holy Family Church, Sugar Notch, which will remain open. St. Leo's and Holy Family will enter into a partnership and share some services. Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Hanover Township, was not mentioned during the taped address but was referred to in Cluster 4.

CLUSTER 13: Holy Rosary, Duryea; Sacred Heart, Duryea; and St. Joseph's, Duryea will consolidate at Holy Rosary no later than July 2011. Sacred Heart and St. Joseph's will close by July 2011. St. Mary's, Avoca, and Ss. Peter and Paul, Avoca will link by this July and consolidate at St. Mary's by July 2012. Ss. Peter and Paul will then close. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Dupont, will partner with the consolidated parishes.

CLUSTER 14: St. Joseph's, Hudson, and Sacred Heart Church, Plains Township will close and consolidate with Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Plains Township by July 2010. St. Mark's in Inkerman will close by July 2009 and consolidate with St. Maria Goretti Church, Laflin.

CLUSTER 15: All Saints, Plymouth and St. John the Baptist, Larksville will partner by July 2009. The parishes will consider consolidating in 2012.

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