About Holy Name of Jesus · West Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Holy Name of Jesus Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, part of the Diocese of Scranton. The parish was formed in 2011 when Bishop Joseph C. Bambera consolidated three historic West Hazleton churches — Transfiguration, St. Francis of Assisi, and Ss. Peter and Paul — into a single new parish using the former Transfiguration Church on Green Street. Today the parish serves a large and growing Latino population in addition to its longtime congregants, offering Mass in both English and Spanish, an active Hispanic outreach ministry, religious education, and a parish hall adapted from the neighboring former Transfiguration School. The parish is pastored by Rev. Brian J.W. Clarke (since 2019), with Msgr. Arthur J. Kaschenbach serving in retirement and Deacon Vincent Oberto assigned to assist.
- Established
- 2011
- Patron
- Holy Name of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Brian J.W. Clarke
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Holy Name of Jesus is a bilingual (English and Spanish) parish where longtime coal-country Catholic families worship side by side with newer Latino members, with a Sunday Mass in Spanish at 12:30 p.m. and a weekly Tuesday evening Mass in Spanish. The parish is grounded in the legacy of three merged West Hazleton congregations — Transfiguration, St. Francis of Assisi, and Ss. Peter and Paul — and has transformed the historic 1930 Transfiguration School next door into a parish hall, community room, and religious-education space available for rent and emergency use. Active ministries include Hispanic outreach (free ESL classes, translation services, cultural trips), Confirmation preparation together with neighboring Hazleton parishes, a parish youth group that hosts monthly breakfasts, and ongoing evangelization through fundraising events such as Lenten food sales.
Mass times at Holy Name of Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM (per parish listing)
- Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM (per Discover Mass listing)
- Sunday 11:15–11:45 AM in Spanish
- Anytime upon request
Parish Identity and Heritage
Holy Name of Jesus Parish is a Roman Catholic community in West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Scranton. It was canonically erected in 2011 by merging three predecessor parishes — Transfiguration Church, St. Francis of Assisi, and Ss. Peter and Paul — and worships in the former Transfiguration church at 213 West Green Street. The parish carries the spiritual legacy of all three communities while serving today's diverse, bilingual congregation.
- Patron: Holy Name of Jesus
- Diocese: Scranton
- Rite: Roman-Latin
- Founded: 2011
- Worship site: former Transfiguration Church, 213 W. Green St.
History
The Transfiguration building that houses Holy Name of Jesus was built by Polish immigrant coal miners, some of whom hauled stone from Green Ridge on mules. A parochial school was discussed as early as 1920; ground was broken on October 25, 1930, and the school opened in 1931 with eight classrooms, a library, and an auditorium. The Bernardine Sisters, led by Sister Mary Loyola, staffed the school for 72 years (1931–2003), and 196 sisters served there over time. The school closed in 2006 with 140 students.
- First Transfiguration enrollment: 437 pupils
- Nine grades taught until 1959; 7th–8th moved to Bishop Hafey High School in 1990
- Kindergarten added 1976; preschool added 1987
- First lay teacher: Margaret Boyle (taught 7th grade 19 years)
- Bernardine Sisters withdrew in 2003; school closed 2006
The 2011 Consolidation
Bishop Joseph C. Bambera's reorganization merged Transfiguration, St. Francis of Assisi, and Ss. Peter and Paul into the new Holy Name of Jesus Parish, effective in mid-2011. The Rev. Peter J. O'Rourke was appointed founding pastor, and the parish set about preserving the heritage of all three predecessor churches.
- Administrator at formation: Rev. Phillip S. Rayappan
- Founding pastor (2011): Rev. Peter J. O'Rourke (transferred from St. Patrick's, Scranton)
- Stained-glass windows and pews salvaged from St. Francis of Assisi were reused in the new parish hall
Hispanic Ministry and Outreach
Holy Name of Jesus runs one of the more active Hispanic outreach programs in the Hazleton area. Through a Diocese of Scranton Hispanic Ministry grant, parishioner Johanna Milot launched free ESL classes (beginner and intermediate, with about 20 students) and a free translation service that helps people connect with Spanish-speaking providers, schedule appointments, and access community services. The translation service also assists Msgr. Kaschenbach with his Spanish-Mass homilies.
- ESL classes — Tuesdays 6:00–8:00 PM in the parish
- Free translation service — Thursdays 1:00–4:00 PM (by appointment)
- Cultural field trips (Eckley Miners Village, Greater Hazleton Historical Society)
- Open to anyone in the community, not just parishioners
- Volunteer tutors welcome
Faith Formation and Sacraments
Religious education classes are held in the renovated upper floors of the former Transfiguration School, which were designed to host CCD programs and to be rentable to private or charter schools. Confirmation is celebrated jointly with neighboring Hazleton parishes (Annunciation and Holy Rosary) under the Diocese of Scranton.
- Religious Education / CCD
- Confirmation (joint with Annunciation and Holy Rosary parishes)
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick available by contacting the rectory
The Parish Hall and Former School
After the 2006 closure of Transfiguration Parochial School, the parish spent years debating the building's fate. Beginning in 2014, a three-phase, ~$1.2 million adaptive-reuse campaign — run without debt — replaced the roof, gutted and rebuilt the lower level (kitchen, hall, elevator, handicap-accessible ramp and wheelchair lift), removed asbestos, and updated the electrical and heating systems. The upper floors are intended for religious education and long-term lease to schools or community groups, and the building can serve as an emergency feeding station or weather shelter.
- Original school opened 1931 with eight classrooms, library, auditorium
- Closed 2006 with 140 students
- $1.2 million adaptive-reuse completed in phases starting 2014
- Lower level: parish hall, kitchen, community room
- Parish Hall address: 317 W. Green St., West Hazleton
Parish Life and Events
The parish supports a youth group that hosts monthly breakfasts, hosts annual Lenten food sales featuring traditional items like potato pancakes and haluski, and runs an active fundraising committee that organizes tricky-tray auctions, pool tournaments, and discount-ticket sales. The Parish Hall at 317 W. Green Street can be rented for gatherings, and community groups can use it for meetings.
- Monthly youth-group breakfasts
- Lenten food sales (potato pancakes, haluski)
- Tricky-tray auctions and pool tournaments
- Parish hall rentals for community use
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the rectory by phone, email, or in person. The parish publishes a weekly bulletin via Discover Mass, with email signup available.
- Address: 213 West Green Street, West Hazleton, PA 18202-3797
- Phone: 570-454-3933
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.holynamewhaz.com/
- Diocese: Scranton — https://www.dioceseofscranton.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Phillip S. Rayappan2011 (administrator)
Served briefly as administrator of Holy Name of Jesus at its formation in 2011, before being reassigned as assistant pastor at Queen of Angels, Jessup.
- Rev. Peter J. O'Rourke2011–2019
Transferred from St. Patrick's, Scranton to become the founding pastor of Holy Name of Jesus at its 2011 consolidation. Led the $1.2 million adaptive-reuse project of the former Transfiguration School into a parish hall. Granted Pastor Emeritus status on June 24, 2019.
- Rev. Brian J.W. Clarke2019–present
Appointed pastor effective June 24, 2019; continues also as Pastor of Holy Rosary Parish, Hazleton.