About Blessed Sacrament · Throop, Pennsylvania
Blessed Sacrament Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Mid-Valley region of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, situated in the Borough of Throop. Established in December 2009 by the Diocese of Scranton, it was formed by merging the borough's four historic ethnic parishes — St. Anthony of Padua (Polish), St. Bridget, St. John the Baptist (Slovak) and St. Mary (Hungarian/Magyar) — into a single worship community that uses St. Anthony of Padua Church at 215 Rebecca Street. On July 1, 2025, Blessed Sacrament was consolidated with neighboring Holy Cross Parish in Olyphant to create Saint Carlo Acutis Parish (named for the late Italian teen soon to be canonized), with the Throop site continuing as the Church of St. Anthony of Padua under one pastor and staff. The parish is pastored by Rev. Scott P. Sterowski and assisted by Deacon John Musyt.
- Established
- 2009
- Patron
- Blessed Sacrament (the Holy Eucharist)
- Rector
- Rev. Scott P. Sterowski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Blessed Sacrament (now the Throop worship site of Saint Carlo Acutis Parish) welcomes parishioners into a Mid-Valley Catholic community with deep roots in the immigrant heritage of Throop and a clear forward-looking identity as one of the world's first parishes named after soon-to-be millennial saint Carlo Acutis. The parish offers daily and Sunday Mass, the sacraments (Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick), a K-8 religious education program, youth ministry events, active liturgical ministries (altar servers, lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Communion), and longstanding traditions like the annual Family Festival that has united the community since 2006.
Mass times at Blessed Sacrament
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 – 3:45 PM at St. Patrick's Church, Olyphant
- By appointment (call the parish office at 570-489-0752)
Parish History & Heritage
Blessed Sacrament Parish in Throop is the latest chapter in more than 125 years of Catholic life in the borough. From 1895 onward, immigrant coal-region communities founded four distinct ethnic parishes: St. Mary's Hungarian Magyar (1895), St. John the Baptist Slovak (1905), St. Anthony of Padua Polish (1909), and St. Bridget Territorial (1916). As demographics shifted, St. Mary closed in 1997, and on December 13, 2009 Bishop Joseph F. Martino merged the remaining three parishes into the new territorial parish of Blessed Sacrament, with St. Anthony of Padua Church designated as the sole worship site. The four predecessor parishes are formally listed as the parish's heritage.
- St. Mary (Hungarian/Magyar) – founded 1895, closed 6/29/1997
- St. John the Baptist (Slovak) – founded 1905, closed 11/21/2009
- St. Anthony of Padua (Polish) – founded 1909, closed 12/13/2009
- St. Bridget (Territorial) – founded 1916, closed 11/15/2009
- Historical marker dedicated April 21, 2012
From Linkage to Consolidation (2010–2025)
In 2010, Blessed Sacrament entered into a 'linkage' with Holy Cross Parish in Olyphant, sharing a pastor while remaining canonically independent. In July 2021, Rev. Scott P. Sterowski was appointed pastor of both parishes. As part of the Diocese of Scranton's Vision 2030 Pastoral Planning Process, the two parishes were formally consolidated on July 1, 2025 into a new parish named Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish — to be renamed Saint Carlo Acutis Parish upon the September 7, 2025 canonization of Italian teen Carlo Acutis by Pope Leo XIV. The consolidated parish encompasses 2,200 families and two worship sites.
- 2010: linkage established with Holy Cross Parish (Olyphant)
- July 2021: Fr. Scott Sterowski named pastor of both parishes
- June 2024: Sterowski asked by diocese to organize parish council on future
- July 1, 2025: formal consolidation into Saint Carlo Acutis Parish
- Sept. 7, 2025: Carlo Acutis canonization; parish renamed Saint Carlo Acutis
Worship Sites & Cemeteries
The former Blessed Sacrament worship site is the Church of St. Anthony of Padua at 215 Rebecca Street, Throop, PA 18512. The consolidated parish also worships at St. Patrick's Church, 200 Delaware Avenue, Olyphant, PA 18447. Several cemeteries remain part of the parish's care, reflecting its merged heritage.
- St. Anthony of Padua Church – 215 Rebecca Street, Throop, PA 18512
- St. Patrick's Church – 200 Delaware Avenue, Olyphant, PA 18447
- St. John / St. Mary Cemetery, Throop
- St. Anthony Cemetery, Dickson City
- St. Patrick Cemetery, Blakely
- St. Michael Cemetery, Blakely
- Holy Ghost Cemetery, Blakely
Clergy & Staff
Rev. Scott P. Sterowski ('Father Scott'), a native of Swoyersville, PA and the only child of the late Leonard and Theresa (Slovinski) Sterowski, has served as pastor of the linked/merged parishes since July 2021 and was named pastor of the newly consolidated Saint Carlo Acutis Parish effective July 1, 2025. He was ordained on June 29, 1991. He is assisted by Deacon John Musyt, who has long ties to Blessed Sacrament and Holy Cross and shares responsibility for monthly visits to homebound and nursing-home parishioners. A Director of Religious Education also serves the parish.
- Rev. Scott P. Sterowski – Pastor (ordained June 29, 1991)
- Deacon John Musyt – shares homebound/nursing-home visits monthly
- Director of Religious Education (staff)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments, including Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, Confirmation (administered by the Bishop, celebrated every three years), Anointing of the Sick, and Matrimony. First Penance is celebrated around the first weekend of February each year, following two years of preparation in the 1st- and 2nd-grade Religious Education program. Parishioners who are homebound or in a nursing home may receive monthly Communion visits from Fr. Scott and Deacon Musyt.
- Penance / Reconciliation – Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM at St. Patrick's, or by appointment
- First Penance – first weekend of February (after 1st–2nd grade RE)
- First Holy Communion
- Confirmation – celebrated every three years by the Bishop
- Anointing of the Sick – call parish office to arrange
- Matrimony – contact parish office
- Homebound Communion visits – monthly, Fr. Scott and Deacon Musyt
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education is a core ministry of the parish, with 217 children enrolled in the K-8 program and another 79 attending nearby Catholic schools (figures cited by Bishop Bambera in 2025). Two years of preparation in 1st and 2nd grade are required before receiving First Penance, and Confirmation preparation precedes that sacrament. Inquiries about enrolling children can be directed to the parish office at 570-489-0752.
- K-8 Religious Education program (217 students)
- Nearby Catholic schools (79 students)
- Two-year First Penance and First Communion preparation in 1st–2nd grade
- Confirmation preparation program
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the liturgy as Junior and Senior Altar Servers, Lectors, and Extraordinary Ministers of Communion. Altar servers assist the priest by carrying the processional cross and candles and preparing the altar; eligibility requires having received First Holy Communion and completing training. Lectors proclaim the first and second readings and, in the absence of a deacon, the petitions. Extraordinary Ministers of Communion assist in distributing Holy Communion at Mass and must be at least 21 (with allowances for college-aged E.M.C.s).
- Junior Altar Servers – open to students who have made First Holy Communion (training required)
- Senior Altar Servers
- Lectors – proclaim readings and petitions
- Extraordinary Ministers of Communion – age 21+ (training required)
- Contact parish office at 570-489-0752 to volunteer
Youth Ministry & Community Life
The parish supports a youth ministry for children and teens, with activities such as the long-standing Blessed Sacrament Christmas tradition (food, a visit from Santa, and, in 2022, a magician). The annual Family Festival, started in 2006 as a way for Throop's then-three Catholic churches to work together, has become the parish's signature community event. Other parish societies include the Joseph C. Karolewicz Chapter of the Holy Name Society.
- Youth Ministry – events and activities for children and teens
- Annual Family Festival (begun 2006) – food, games, bingo, 50/50, music
- Joseph C. Karolewicz Chapter, Holy Name Society
- Volunteers ages 4 to 93 contribute to parish life
Visiting, Contact & Parish Identity
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at 570-489-0752 or by email at [email protected]. The mailing address for the Throop site remains 215 Rebecca Street, Throop, PA 18512. Following the 2025 consolidation, the parish community identifies as Saint Carlo Acutis Parish — one of the first parishes in the world to take the name of the teen who will be canonized as the Church's first millennial saint on September 7, 2025 — while continuing to maintain the historic worship site of St. Anthony of Padua in Throop.
- Parish office phone: 570-489-0752
- Email: [email protected]
- Throop site address: 215 Rebecca Street, Throop, PA 18512
- Diocese: Diocese of Scranton (Bishop Joseph C. Bambera)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Scott P. SterowskiJuly 2021 – present
Native of Swoyersville, PA; ordained June 29, 1991; named pastor of both Blessed Sacrament and Holy Cross in July 2021; oversaw 2025 consolidation into Saint Carlo Acutis Parish.
- Msgr. Michael J. Delaney
Listed as pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in parish directories prior to Fr. Sterowski's appointment.