About Holy Family · Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania
Holy Family Parish was a Roman Catholic parish in Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania, rooted in the faith and traditions of Polish immigrants who settled in the area at the turn of the 20th century to work in the local coal mines. For 118 years it served as a spiritual home, school, and community anchor before holding its closing Mass on September 19, 2021. Parishioners were then invited to join Saint Leo the Great Parish in Ashley, carrying forward the legacy of prayer and heritage forged in Sugar Notch.
- Established
- 1903
- Patron
- Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
- Rector
- Reverend Vincent H. Dang
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Origins and Early Years
Holy Family Parish was founded in 1903 to minister to Polish immigrants who came to the Sugar Notch area to work in the coal mines. The community first worshiped in a wooden church that was destroyed by lightning fire in June 1910.
The Present Church
The brick church that parishioners knew for more than a century was built over three years and dedicated on September 13, 1913. It became the enduring landmark of Catholic life in Sugar Notch.
School and Community Life
Holy Family operated an elementary school under the Bernardine Sisters beginning in 1916. The school closed in the 1960s, but for decades it anchored Catholic education in the borough.
Closure and Legacy
On September 19, 2021, Reverend Vincent H. Dang celebrated the parish’s closing Mass, assisted by Father Joseph R. Kakareka. The parish’s territory was incorporated into Saint Leo the Great Parish in Ashley.