About Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary · Jermyn, Pennsylvania
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish is a Roman Catholic parish located at 624 Madison Avenue in Jermyn, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Scranton's Lackawanna County Upper Valley. Its roots reach back to 1875, when Irish immigrants and coal-mining families first gathered for Mass in Jermyn. The parish was formally established in 1889, and the present church on Madison Avenue — cornerstoned in 1892 and dedicated in 1908 — served generations of Catholics from Jermyn, Mayfield, Archbald and Eynon. In July 2024, as part of Bishop Joseph C. Bambera's Vision 2030 restructuring, the parish was consolidated with Christ the King Parish in Archbald, with the three worship sites of Christ the King (St. Thomas Aquinas in Archbald, Sacred Heart of Mary in Jermyn, and St. Mary of Czestochowa in Eynon) remaining open under a single unified parish.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Ryan P. Glenn (Pastor of consolidated Christ the King Parish, which absorbed Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary on July 1, 2024)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary has been the spiritual home of Upper Valley Catholics for more than 130 years — a parish whose roots lie with Irish-immigrant coal-mining families and whose Madison Avenue church has welcomed generations of worshippers from Jermyn and Mayfield. The parish community is grounded in daily and Sunday Mass, the sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturdays, devotions such as First Friday Adoration, and a long tradition of missionary outreach and support for those in need. As of July 2024 the parish has joined with Christ the King Parish in Archbald and Eynon, so visitors and new parishioners now find a unified Catholic community spanning three worship sites committed to 'proclaim the Gospel, worship the Lord, and serve the needy.'
Mass times at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (Main Church)
Adoration times
- First Friday of the Month: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM, Rectory Chapel
Parish History
Catholic life in Jermyn began in 1875 with Mass celebrated in Rymer's Hall for Irish-immigrant coal-mining families. A plot on Washington Street was purchased in 1879, and for the next decade priests from St. Thomas Aquinas in Archbald rode on horseback to bring the sacraments to Jermyn. The parish was formally established in 1889, the cornerstone of the present church on Madison Avenue was laid in 1892, and the first Mass there was celebrated in 1893. Construction of the upper church was delayed by coal-mine strikes, and the building was formally dedicated in 1908. The parish remained a hub of community life for the Upper Valley for more than a century, with parishioners traditionally seated on the 'Mayfield side' and 'Jermyn side' of the church.
Consolidation into Christ the King Parish (2024)
In October 2023 Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary entered a 'linkage' with Christ the King Parish, Archbald, under the leadership of Father Ryan Glenn. On June 4, 2024 Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, Diocese of Scranton, issued a decree formally consolidating the two parishes effective July 1, 2024, under the retained name Christ the King Parish. The three worship sites of the new Christ the King Parish — St. Thomas Aquinas in Archbald, Sacred Heart of Mary in Jermyn, and St. Mary of Czestochowa in the Eynon section of Archbald — all remained open.
- Linkage began October 2023 under Father Ryan Glenn
- Decree of consolidation signed by Bishop Bambera, June 4, 2024
- Effective July 1, 2024 — unified as Christ the King Parish
- Three worship sites retained: St. Thomas Aquinas (Archbald), Sacred Heart of Mary (Jermyn), St. Mary of Czestochowa (Eynon)
Closing of Sacred Heart of Mary Church (2026)
A 2024 facility analysis estimated nearly $450,000 in infrastructure repairs at the 1908 Madison Avenue church, including roof and boiler replacement. Weekend Mass attendance across the three Christ the King sites had fallen nearly 45% from 2018 to 2025 (from 1,238 to 685). Bishop Bambera signed a decree in February 2026 closing the church, and on June 7, 2026 — the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ — Father Ryan P. Glenn celebrated a Solemn Mass of Relegation as the final Mass at the church, ending more than 130 years of continuous worship at the Madison Avenue site. Concelebrating priests included Assistant Pastor Father Michael Amo Gyau and several priests of the Diocese of Scranton.
- Bishop Bambera signed closing decree in February 2026
- Final (closing) Mass celebrated June 7, 2026 by Father Ryan Glenn
- Principal celebrant: Father Ryan P. Glenn; Assistant Pastor: Father Michael Amo Gyau
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
The parish's most internationally recognized pastor was Rev. Msgr. Shane L. Kirby, S.T.L., J.C.L., a native of Waynesburg (Diocese of Pittsburgh) ordained for the Diocese of Scranton in 2004. While serving as pastor of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish, Monsignor Kirby was also Chancellor and Episcopal Vicar for Canonical Affairs for the Diocese. In November 2017 he was assigned to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Clergy, was elevated to the rank of Monsignor, and on March 5, 2024 Pope Francis appointed him Substitute Promoter of Justice of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
- Rev. Msgr. Shane L. Kirby, S.T.L., J.C.L. — former pastor (ordained 2004)
- Rev. Ryan P. Glenn — current pastor of consolidated Christ the King Parish
- Rev. Michael Amo Gyau — Assistant Pastor, Christ the King Parish
Parish Outreach & Giving
The parish offered online E-Giving as a convenient way to support the parish's mission, with the parish noting it is 'more environmentally friendly as there are no paper envelopes, and it is more economical for the church, as we can save from mailing boxes of envelopes to each parishioner.' Father Glenn emphasized that the consolidated parish 'continues to do the good work of the Gospel… our community outreach to the hungry and those who are in need, catechizing and educating our children.'
- E-Giving online program (sacredheartschurch.com/e-giving)
- Community outreach to the hungry and those in need
- Catechesis and education of children
Diocese & Vision 2030
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary has always belonged to the Diocese of Scranton, the 11-county Roman Catholic diocese of northeastern Pennsylvania. The parish's recent history is shaped by the diocese's Vision 2030 pastoral planning process, launched in January 2022 to address 'significant challenges' of changing demographics, declining Mass attendance, infrastructure needs, and a diminishing number of priests as retirements outpace ordinations. Under Vision 2030, Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary was consolidated into Christ the King Parish in July 2024, and the Madison Avenue church was formally closed in June 2026.
- Diocese of Scranton — 11-county diocese of northeastern Pennsylvania
- Vision 2030 pastoral planning process launched January 2022
- Bishop Joseph C. Bambera — diocesan bishop who issued the consolidation (2024) and closing (2026) decrees
Visiting & Contact
Parishioners and visitors historically contacted the parish through its rectory at 624 Madison Avenue, Jermyn, PA. The parish also maintained an E-Giving portal at sacredheartschurch.com/e-giving. Following the July 2024 consolidation, sacramental life and parish activities now operate under Christ the King Parish; the Madison Avenue church remained open as a worship site of Christ the King until its closing Mass in June 2026.
- Rectory Phone: (570) 876-1061
- Address: 624 Madison Ave., Jermyn, PA 18433-1697
- Website: http://www.sacredheartschurch.com/
- E-Giving: http://www.sacredheartschurch.com/e-giving
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. Shane L. Kirby, V.E., S.T.L., J.C.L.until 2017 (continued as Chancellor and Episcopal Vicar for Canonical Affairs until 2024 appointment to Vatican)
A native of Waynesburg in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, ordained for the Scranton Diocese in 2004 at the Cathedral of Saint Peter. Served in the Vatican's Dicastery for the Clergy from November 2017; elevated to the rank of Monsignor; named by Pope Francis as substitute Promoter of Justice of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in March 2024.
- Rev. Ryan P. Glennfrom 2023 linkage; pastor of consolidated Christ the King Parish from July 1, 2024
Led the linkage and merger with Christ the King Parish, Archbald, and oversaw the eventual closing Mass of Sacred Heart of Mary Church on June 7, 2026.