About Holy Spirit/St. Adalbert · Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania
Holy Spirit Parish was a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Scranton that united three churches in the Wyoming Valley of northeastern Pennsylvania: St. Adalbert Church in Glen Lyon (31 S. Market St.), Our Lady of Perpetual Help / St. Mary Church in Mocanaqua, and St. Martha Church in Fairmount Springs / Stillwater. Formed through the 2010 consolidation of these communities, the parish was served by Rev. Louis T. Kaminski as pastor and offered daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), religious education classes, and homebound visitation. Following the Diocese of Scranton's Vision 2030 pastoral planning process, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera announced in 2025 that St. Adalbert — the last Roman Catholic church in Newport Township — would close; a final Mass was celebrated on January 11, 2026, and Holy Spirit Parish was suppressed, with its territory absorbed by St. Faustina Kowalska Parish in Nanticoke and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Hunlock Creek.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- St. Adalbert (Adalbert of Prague), bishop and martyr
- Rector
- Rev. Louis T. Kaminski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Holy Spirit Parish was a small but enduring community rooted in the Polish Catholic faith of Glen Lyon's coal-country founders, and it served the Wyoming Valley across three worship sites — the "Church on the Hill" at St. Adalbert, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Mocanaqua, and St. Martha in Fairmount Springs. Despite its size, the parish offered the full sacramental life of the Church: daily and Sunday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration every Tuesday, RCIA for adults discerning the Catholic faith, religious education and sacramental preparation for children, homebound Communion and Anointing of the Sick, and a parish mission centered on the Gospel, a culture of life, justice, and peace. Following the Diocese of Scranton's 2025–2026 reconfiguration, parishioners continue that heritage at St. Faustina Kowalska Parish in Nanticoke and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Hunlock Creek.
Mass times at Holy Spirit/St. Adalbert
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confessions heard upon request (at St. Adalbert, Glen Lyon)
- Confessions heard upon request (at St. Martha, Stillwater/Fairmount Springs)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration every Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Parish Identity & Mission
Holy Spirit Parish was the Roman Catholic community uniting three historic churches in Luzerne and Columbia counties of northeastern Pennsylvania: St. Adalbert in Glen Lyon, Our Lady of Perpetual Help (St. Mary) in Mocanaqua, and St. Martha in Fairmount Springs. The parish's stated mission was to form and sustain a Sacramental Christian family life through ongoing education and prayer, especially the celebration of the Eucharist, grounded in humility before God and courageous witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a culture of life, justice, and peace.
- Motto/Mission: formation and sustenance of Sacramental Christian family life
- Witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in support of a culture of life, justice and peace
- Roman Rite; Latin (Roman) Catholic; Diocese of Scranton
History & Heritage (1889–2026)
Founded in 1889 by Polish and Eastern European coal-mining families, St. Adalbert's rose from a small devotional society into the heart of Glen Lyon life, opening its present ornate church in 1914 after the original was destroyed by fire. Through the late 20th century the parish sponsored a school, numerous sodalities, and devotional societies. Successive diocesan consolidations in 2001 and 2010 reshaped the parish — first merging St. Adalbert with St. Mary's in Wanamie, then in 2010 forming Holy Spirit Parish from St. Adalbert, St. Mary's in Mocanaqua, and St. Martha. Bishop Joseph C. Bambera announced in 2025 that, under the Vision 2030 process, St. Adalbert would close and Holy Spirit Parish would be suppressed; the final Mass was celebrated on January 11, 2026.
- 1889: Society of St. Adalbert founded in Morgantown (Glen Lyon) by ~150 Polish immigrants, many coal miners
- c. 1908: Original church destroyed by fire
- 1909: Cornerstone of present edifice laid
- 1914: Current St. Adalbert Church opened
- 1998: Pastor of St. Adalbert already responsible for St. Michael's, St. Denis, St. Joseph (Hanover), and St. Mary's Wanamie
- 2001: New parish formed from St. Adalbert and St. Mary's Wanamie
- August 2010: Holy Spirit Parish constituted from St. Adalbert, St. Mary's (Mocanaqua), and St. Martha (Fairmount Springs)
- 2025: Closure announced by Bishop Bambera
- January 11, 2026: Closing Mass at St. Adalbert celebrated by Bishop Bambera; Father James E. McGahagan preaching
Worship Sites
The parish was served across three worship sites that together spanned rural Newport Township, Mocanaqua, and Stillwater/Fairmount Springs.
- St. Adalbert's Church — 31 S. Market St., Glen Lyon, PA 18617 (parish office here)
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help / St. Mary — Mocanaqua, PA (later absorbed into St. Faustina Kowalska Parish, Nanticoke)
- St. Martha Church — 260 Bonnieville Rd., Fairmount Springs / Stillwater, PA 17878 (later absorbed into Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Hunlock Creek)
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
Holy Spirit Parish was led by Rev. Louis T. Kaminski as pastor. The Diocese of Scranton, under Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, oversaw the parish's suppression as part of the Vision 2030 process. Father James E. McGahagan — a native son of Glen Lyon, longtime Scranton priest, and retired pastor of St. Andrew's Parish — returned to preach at the final Mass on January 11, 2026, opening in Polish and paying tribute to the sacrifice of the parish's miner-founders.
- Rev. Louis T. Kaminski — Pastor
- Rev. James E. McGahagan — homilist for closing Mass (native son)
- Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera — Bishop of Scranton; presider at closing Mass
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Religious education classes and sacramental preparation were offered at St. Adalbert's and St. Martha's churches during the academic year, with enrollment handled through the parish office. The parish also hosted the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), the formal five-stage process by which adults enter the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.
- Religious Education classes for children at St. Adalbert's and St. Martha's
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick arrangements by contacting the parish office
Outreach & Pastoral Care
In keeping with its mission statement, the parish extended the sacraments beyond the church walls: Holy Communion and the Anointing of the Sick were brought to homebound parishioners in need, and the community encouraged a culture of life and peace in the wider Wyoming Valley. The parish also participated in Polish Catholic devotion through events such as Gorzkie Zale.
- Homebound Visitation — Holy Communion and Anointing of the Sick brought to parishioners in need
- Sodality tradition (descended from 20th-century societies such as Rosary Society, Holy Name, Children of Mary)
- Participation in Gorzkie Zale Polish Lenten devotion (Diocese of Scranton)
Music & Liturgy
St. Adalbert's was known for its choral tradition. The Holy Spirit Parish choir sang through Masses at the parish and was joined by singers and instrumentalists for special occasions including the January 2026 closing liturgy, for which the Diocese of Scranton recruited participants under the coordination of Raphael Micca. The ornate interior built by Polish immigrants is described as acoustically resonant and visually striking.
- Holy Spirit Parish Choir — sang at weekly Masses and special liturgies
- Instrumentalists and orchestral musicians welcomed for major feasts and closing liturgy
- Stations of the Cross observed in Lent
Visiting & Contact
The parish office was located at St. Adalbert's in Glen Lyon. Following the 2026 suppression, parishioners of St. Adalbert's territory were welcomed at St. Faustina Kowalska Parish in Nanticoke, while St. Mary's in Mocanaqua became a secondary worship site of the same parish, and St. Martha joined Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Hunlock Creek.
- Parish Office: 31 S. Market St., Glen Lyon, PA 18617
- Phone: 570-736-6372
- Emergency Phone: 570-542-4158
- St. Faustina Kowalska Parish, 520 S. Hanover St., Nanticoke, PA 18634
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Hunlock Creek (absorbs St. Martha site)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James E. McGahagan
Native son of the Glen Lyon community; longtime priest of the Diocese of Scranton; returned as homilist for the Jan. 11, 2026 closing Mass and opened his homily in Polish, honoring the sacrifices of the parish's miner-founders.
- Rev. Louis T. Kaminski
Pastor of Holy Spirit Parish at the time of its suppression in 2025–2026.