About Holy Spirit/St. Mary · Mocanaqua, Pennsylvania
Holy Spirit Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Scranton serving the river-town communities of Mocanaqua, Glen Lyon, and Fairmount Springs/Stillwater in Luzerne County, northeastern Pennsylvania. Formed in 2010 by consolidating three historic parishes — St. Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Mocanaqua), St. Adalbert's (Glen Lyon), and St. Martha's (Stillwater) — it is pastored by Rev. Philbert Takyi-Nketiah as Administrator, who succeeded long-time pastor Rev. Louis T. Kaminski in 2024. The community worships across three worship sites, with weekly Saturday Vigil and weekday Masses, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays, an annual walking pilgrimage modeled on the treks of early coal-mining parishioners, and the beloved St. Mary's Labor Day Homecoming Picnic that has run since 1933.
- Established
- 1885 (Mocanaqua mission); parish formed 2010
- Patron
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help (at St. Mary's Church); parish named for the Holy Spirit
- Rector
- Rev. Philbert Takyi-Nketiah, Administrator (appointed July 1, 2024)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Holy Spirit Parish welcomes anyone seeking a Eucharistic community rooted in the Polish-American coal-country Catholic heritage of the Susquehanna valley. The parish offers the fullness of Catholic sacramental life — weekday and weekend Mass across three worship sites, Saturday confessions, perpetual Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration, RCIA, marriage and baptism preparation, religious education for children, and homebound visitation — alongside distinctive traditions such as the annual Walking Pilgrimage retracing the route of the original mining families, and the famous St. Mary's Labor Day Homecoming Picnic, now in its 90th year and recognized by the Library of Congress as a treasured local legacy.
Mass times at Holy Spirit/St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:15 p.m. (St. Mary, Mocanaqua)
- By appointment at St. Adalbert's (Glen Lyon) and St. Martha's (Stillwater) — 'heard upon request'
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration every Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (at St. Martha's Church, Fairmount Springs/Stillwater)
Parish Overview & Mission
Holy Spirit Parish is a multi-site Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Scranton, formed in 2010 by uniting the parishes of St. Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Mocanaqua), St. Adalbert's (Glen Lyon), and St. Martha's (Stillwater/Fairmount Springs). The parish's stated mission reads: 'We the Eucharistic Community of Holy Spirit Parish, in union with the teachings of our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and a people rich in tradition, commit ourselves to a formation and sustenance of Sacramental Christian family life. Through ongoing education, supported by prayer — especially celebration of the Eucharist — we practice a life of faith, hope, and charity based on humility before God, while courageously giving witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in support of a culture of life, justice and peace.'
Worship Sites
The parish maintains three worship sites across Luzerne and Columbia counties in northeastern Pennsylvania.
St. Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church — Mocanaqua
Located at 130 Rectory Road, Mocanaqua, this is the historic heart of the parish, with roots going back to 1885. The present church was dedicated in 1914 after a locomotive-sparked fire destroyed the previous wooden structure. Its gold-and-white steeple, partially encircled by tall pine trees, is a regional landmark visible from Route 11 as travelers cross the Susquehanna River.
- Address: 130 Rectory Rd., Mocanaqua, PA 18655
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:15 p.m.
- Monday Mass: 8:30 a.m.
- Wednesday Mass: 8:30 a.m.
- Holy Day Mass: 8:30 a.m.
- Confessions: Saturday 3:15 p.m.
St. Adalbert's Church — Glen Lyon
Located at 31 S. Market Street, Glen Lyon — the same address as the parish office — St. Adalbert's was founded in 1889 when Rev. Andrew Zychowicz celebrated the first Mass in the basement of a still-incomplete church. The current building was completed in 1914. According to the Diocese of Scranton, average weekend Mass attendance had declined to roughly 50–55 people before the church was closed under Vision 2030.
- Address: 31 S. Market St., Glen Lyon, PA 18617
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 a.m.
- Tuesday Mass: 8:30 a.m.
- Friday Mass: 8:30 a.m. (offered in St. Adalbert's Chapel)
- Holy Day Vigil Mass: 6:00 p.m.
- Confessions heard upon request
St. Martha's Church — Stillwater / Fairmount Springs
Located at 260 Bonnieville Road in the Stillwater/Fairmount Springs area, St. Martha's is the home of the parish's weekly Eucharistic Adoration. From Route 11, visitors turn at the old Hunlock Creek Post Office and follow signs to the church.
- Address: 260 Bonnieville Rd., Stillwater (Fairmount Springs), PA 17878
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 a.m.
- Tuesday Mass: 8:30 a.m.
- Holy Day Mass: 6:00 p.m.
- Eucharistic Adoration: every Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- Confessions heard upon request
History of the Parish
The parish's deep roots run through the Polish and Slovak mining communities of the Susquehanna valley, whose coal-country faith is celebrated each year through the Walking Pilgrimage and the Labor Day Homecoming Picnic. The most recent chapter was the 2010 consolidation that created Holy Spirit Parish, and most recently the Vision 2030 reconfiguration by which St. Mary became a secondary site of St. Faustina Kowalska Parish in Nanticoke and St. Martha a secondary site of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Hunlock Creek.
- 1885: Father J. Signorski celebrates first Mass in Mocanaqua in an old schoolhouse.
- 1887: Bishop William O'Hara makes it a mission of St. Stanislaus, Nanticoke.
- 1890: Becomes a mission of St. Adalbert's, Glen Lyon, under Monsignor Andrew Zychowicz.
- 1897: Fundraising drive raises $400 — origin of the annual picnic tradition.
- 1904: Construction of a new church near the railroad underpass begins.
- 1910 (Dec. 10): Rev. Felix Nowak appointed first resident pastor by Bishop Michael Hoban.
- 1914: Present St. Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church dedicated after original burns.
- 1933: Sobieski Park dedicated; Labor Day Homecoming Picnic tradition formalized.
- 1954: Golden Jubilee; parish exceeds 400 families.
- 1976: 1914 bronze church bell removed from steeple and placed on permanent outdoor display.
- 2004 (approx.): Library of Congress Local Legacies recognition of the picnic.
- 2010: Holy Spirit Parish formed by merging St. Mary's, St. Adalbert's, and St. Martha's.
- July 1, 2024: Rev. Louis T. Kaminski retires; Rev. Philbert Takyi-Nketiah appointed Administrator.
- 2025–2026: St. Adalbert Church closed; parish suppressed under Vision 2030.
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
Holy Spirit Parish is administered by Rev. Philbert Takyi-Nketiah, who was appointed by Bishop Joseph C. Bambera effective July 1, 2024, while continuing his service as Chaplain of Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre. He succeeded the long-time pastor Rev. Louis T. Kaminski, who retired for reasons of health the same day. Father Kaminski had earlier translated the parish's Polish motto from Polish for Bishop Bambera's homily at St. Adalbert's 125th anniversary Mass in 2014.
- Rev. Philbert Takyi-Nketiah — Administrator (since July 1, 2024); also Chaplain, Holy Redeemer High School, Wilkes-Barre.
- Rev. Louis T. Kaminski — Pastor Emeritus; retired July 1, 2024, for reasons of health.
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments and prepares parishioners through required formation programs.
Baptism
Parents are required to attend a Pre-Baptismal meeting so they can understand and better appreciate the sacrament. Parents should contact the parish office to make arrangements.
Marriage
Couples contemplating marriage are asked to notify the parish at least one year before the desired wedding date, before making any other arrangements. 'Pre-Cana' preparation is required.
Anointing of the Sick & Homebound Visitation
Holy Communion and the Anointing of the Sick are available to all parishioners in need; the parish also visits the homebound and welcomes volunteers for this ministry. Please contact the parish office to arrange.
Becoming Catholic (RCIA)
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the official five-stage process the Catholic Church uses to bring adult members into the faith. Anyone interested in becoming Catholic or completing their initiation is invited to contact the parish office.
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Religious Education classes and sacramental preparation are offered at St. Adalbert's and St. Martha's churches during the academic year. Families are asked to contact the parish office for enrollment information. New members are always welcome, and parishioners entering, leaving, or moving within the parish are asked to notify the parish office so records can be kept current.
Walking Pilgrimage
Each summer — typically a Saturday in late July — the parish hosts a six-mile Walking Pilgrimage that begins with 8:00 a.m. Confessions and prayer at St. Mary Church in Mocanaqua, then winds through the Mocanaqua Tract of the Pinchot State Forest, concluding with noon Mass at St. Adalbert's in Glen Lyon. Lunch is served at the end and bus transportation back to Mocanaqua is provided. About forty pilgrims typically take part. The walk intentionally echoes the 1890s trek that Mocanaqua's mining families made every other Sunday when no priest visited their town.
- Begins: 8:00 a.m. Confessions and prayer at St. Mary Church, 130 Rectory Rd., Mocanaqua.
- Distance: approximately six miles through the Pinchot State Forest.
- Concludes: Holy Mass around 12:00 noon at St. Adalbert's Church, Glen Lyon.
- Open to the public; prayer requests may also be submitted to be carried by walkers.
- Held rain or shine; modest dress requested.
Annual Homecoming Picnic & Sobieski Park
St. Mary's Annual Homecoming Picnic, held each Labor Day weekend in Mocanaqua, is one of the parish's best-loved traditions. Begun in 1933 — the same year Sobieski Park was dedicated — the picnic features homemade Polish and Italian foods such as halushki and strawberry shortcake. It was recognized by the Library of Congress through its Local Legacies Project of the American Folklife Center. Sobieski Park itself was built on land sold to parishioners by the coal company for $1; the men of the parish leveled the ground, cleared boulders, and dug a well to prepare it.
- Held annually over Labor Day weekend since 1933 (now in its 90th year and counting).
- Homemade Polish and Italian foods; halushki, strawberry shortcake.
- Recognized by the Library of Congress Local Legacies Project.
- Sobieski Park dedicated 1933 — site of picnic gatherings.
Parish Office & Contact
Parish business is handled through the central parish office in Glen Lyon. In emergencies outside office hours, a dedicated phone line is available.
- Parish Office: 31 S. Market St., Glen Lyon, PA 18617
- Phone: 570-736-6372
- Emergency Phone: 570-542-4158
- Website: http://www.holyspiritparishnepa.org/
2010 Consolidation & Recent Reconfiguration
In 2010 the Diocese of Scranton merged St. Mary's (Mocanaqua), St. Adalbert's (Glen Lyon), and St. Martha's (Stillwater) into Holy Spirit Parish under diocesan pastoral planning. After years of declining attendance and mounting maintenance costs at St. Adalbert's, the Diocese's Vision 2030 process led to the closure of St. Adalbert Church and the suppression of Holy Spirit Parish. Under reconfiguration, St. Mary's became a secondary worship site of St. Faustina Kowalska Parish in Nanticoke, and St. Martha's became a secondary worship site of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Hunlock Creek.
- 2010: Holy Spirit Parish formed from three consolidated parishes.
- St. Adalbert's closed; Holy Spirit Parish suppressed under Vision 2030.
- St. Mary's → secondary site of St. Faustina Kowalska Parish, Nanticoke.
- St. Martha's → secondary site of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Hunlock Creek.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father J. Signorski1885
Celebrated the first Mass in Mocanaqua in an improvised chapel (old schoolhouse), traveling from Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Scranton.
- Father Beneventus Gramlewicz1887
Traveled monthly from St. Stanislaus Parish, Nanticoke, after Bishop O'Hara designated Mocanaqua a mission of St. Stanislaus.
- Monsignor Andrew Zychowicz1890–early 1900s
Pastor of St. Adalbert's, Glen Lyon, who traveled to Mocanaqua monthly; oversaw the move of the mission to St. Adalbert's.
- Father Stanislaus Siedlickiearly 1900s
Succeeded Monsignor Zychowicz; oversaw construction of a new church near the railroad underpass beginning in 1904.
- Rev. Andrew Smeltz1908
Took over ministry to St. Mary's while it was still a mission church.
- Rev. Felix Nowak1910–
First resident pastor of St. Mary's Parish, appointed by Bishop Michael Hoban on December 10, 1910; oversaw the rebuilding and dedication of the present church in 1914 after the original burned.
- Rev. Louis T. Kaminskithrough July 2024
Pastor of Holy Spirit Parish; translated the Polish parish motto for the 125th anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Bambera at St. Adalbert's in 2014; retired for reasons of health July 1, 2024.
- Rev. Philbert Takyi-NketiahJuly 1, 2024–present
Appointed Administrator of Holy Spirit Parish; continues concurrently as Chaplain of Holy Redeemer High School, Wilkes-Barre.