About Holy Name of Jesus · Scranton, Pennsylvania
Holy Name of Jesus Church was a Roman Catholic parish serving Scranton's East Mountain neighborhood in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, as part of the Diocese of Scranton. Founded in 1938 at the request of East Mountain residents and with its church building dedicated in November 1939, it served the local faithful for more than 80 years before being formally closed and 'relegated to profane but not sordid use' by Bishop Joseph C. Bambera on July 17, 2022. From 2010 until its closure, Holy Name of Jesus served as a secondary worship site of Saint John Neumann Parish (a consolidation of Nativity of Our Lord, St. Mary of the Assumption, and Holy Name of Jesus), which itself later merged into the present-day Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish in November 2023.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- The Most Holy Name of Jesus
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Mass times at Holy Name of Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
History of Holy Name of Jesus Parish
The Holy Name of Jesus parish community was born in 1938 when residents of Scranton's East Mountain petitioned the Diocese of Scranton for a church of their own. Bishop William J. Hafey responded by commissioning a census that identified roughly 150 Catholic families scattered across the mountain and the South Side. The Diocese purchased property on July 9, 1938 and appointed Father Philip Rader as founding pastor. Even amid the Depression, parishioners pressed ahead: ground was broken in May 1939, construction cost about $35,853, and the new church was formally dedicated on November 12, 1939. Throughout the World War II era, Holy Name of Jesus became a gathering place for many local veterans and their families, sponsoring events such as the long-running annual Fall Roast Beef Dinner in its church hall.
- 1938: Residents petition the Diocese of Scranton; Bishop Hafey conducts census (≈150 Catholic families).
- July 9, 1938: Diocese purchases the East Elm Street property.
- May 1939: Ground broken for the new church.
- November 12, 1939: Holy Name of Jesus Church is dedicated.
- 2010: Parish consolidated into Saint John Neumann Parish as a secondary worship site.
- 2021–2022: Pastoral and Finance Councils review the site's future; weekly Mass attendance falls to 30–35.
- June 22, 2022: Bishop Joseph C. Bambera signs the formal closure decree.
- July 17, 2022: Final 8 a.m. Mass celebrated; Robert and Susan Barry lock the doors.
- November 30, 2022: Property sold to the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Pennsylvania.
- January 21, 2023: Building reopens as St. Demiana Coptic Orthodox Church.
Worship at Holy Name of Jesus
In its final years the church sustained only one weekly Mass — the 8 a.m. Sunday liturgy — which was briefly suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and reinstated in September 2021 to gauge continued need. After the Diocese of Scranton's decree of June 22, 2022, the final Mass was celebrated at 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 17, 2022.
- Sunday 8:00 AM Mass (English) — the church's final weekly liturgy.
- July 17, 2022 — final closing Mass, 8:00 AM, followed by the recessional outside the church.
Diocese of Scranton and Parish Consolidations
Holy Name of Jesus belonged to the Diocese of Scranton, the 11-county Catholic diocese of northeastern Pennsylvania led by Bishop Joseph C. Bambera. As part of the Diocese's Vision 2030 pastoral planning initiative, Holy Name of Jesus was first merged in 2010 into Saint John Neumann Parish (along with Nativity of Our Lord and St. Mary of the Assumption), then later consolidated alongside neighboring St. Paul of the Cross Parish into the present-day Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish in November 2023. Sacramental records for Holy Name of Jesus are maintained by Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish at 1217 Prospect Avenue, Scranton, PA 18505.
- Diocese of Scranton — Bishop Joseph C. Bambera.
- Vision 2030 Pastoral Planning Process launched by the Diocese in 2020–2022.
- Saint John Neumann Parish (2010) — formed from Nativity of Our Lord, St. Mary of the Assumption, and Holy Name of Jesus.
- Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish (November 2023) — formed by consolidating Saint John Neumann and Saint Paul of the Cross parishes.
Closure of Holy Name of Jesus (2022)
By early 2022, parish leaders reported that only 30–35 people attended the Sunday Mass at Holy Name of Jesus each week, and diocesan reviewers estimated about $130,000 in maintenance needs over the next decade. After three Joint Parish Pastoral and Finance Council meetings (March 9, April 20, and June 15, 2022) and consultation with the Presbyteral Council on June 21, Bishop Bambera signed the formal decree of closure on June 22, 2022. The final Mass on July 17, 2022 drew dozens of mournful parishioners, with Monsignor Quinn preaching on hope and quoting Pope Francis. The Diocese subsequently sold the property for $260,000 to the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Pennsylvania.
- Vision 2030 priority drivers: vibrancy of parish life, condition of facilities, financial viability, distribution of clergy.
- Estimated maintenance needs: ~$130,000 over the next decade.
- Sept 2021: Sunday 8 a.m. Mass reinstated after pandemic suspension.
- Mar–June 2022: Three Joint Parish Pastoral and Finance Council meetings.
- June 21, 2022: Presbyteral Council unanimously agrees to closure.
- June 22, 2022: Bishop Bambera signs the formal decree.
- July 17, 2022, 8:00 AM: Closing Mass.
- November 30, 2022: Sale of building and 1.5 acres to the Coptic Orthodox Diocese for $260,000 recorded.
Parish Identity and Community Life
Though small, Holy Name of Jesus was the social and spiritual hub of East Mountain Catholic life for more than eight decades. Its church hall hosted signature events such as the annual 'Lowell Neu Memorial Fall Roast Beef Dinner,' and the parish nurtured generations of East Mountain families, including many World War II veterans. Monsignor Quinn's closing-Mass homily stressed going forward in faith, telling parishioners: 'Things change. When your family home was sold and closed, was that the end of your family? No. You found new ways to go forward. We're called to do the same here.'
- Annual Lowell Neu Memorial Fall Roast Beef Dinner in Holy Name of Jesus Church Hall (most recent on record: November 6, 2016).
- Active community of East Mountain families and WWII veterans throughout the 1940s.
- Closing-Mass homily by Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn, focused on hope and continuing the parish's mission beyond the building.
Records and Continuing Pastoral Care
After the building's closure and sale, sacramental records and ongoing pastoral care for former Holy Name of Jesus parishioners were carried forward through Saint John Neumann Parish and, after November 2023, through Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish. The Diocese of Scranton directs inquiries about Holy Name of Jesus records to that parish.
- Records maintained by Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish, 1217 Prospect Avenue, Scranton, PA 18505.
- Phone: (570) 343-6420 (per diocesan listings).
- Website: http://www.stjnparish.org/ (former Saint John Neumann / Saint Teresa of Calcutta parish site).
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Philip Rader1938–
First pastor appointed by Bishop William J. Hafey when the parish was created in 1938; oversaw construction and dedication of the church in November 1939.