About St. Francis of Assisi · Mildred, Pennsylvania
St. Francis of Assisi Church in Mildred, Pennsylvania is an auxiliary worship site of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in the Diocese of Scranton, serving the rural Endless Mountains region of Sullivan County. The parish was formed in 2010 when Bishop Joseph C. Bambera consolidated four historic worship sites — St. Basil the Great in Dushore (the main church), St. Francis of Assisi in Mildred, St. Francis of Assisi Chapel in Eagles Mere, and the Saint John Neumann Shrine (Sts. Philip and James) in Sugar Ridge. Sunday Mass at St. Francis of Assisi is celebrated at 7:30 AM in English, and the parish is pastored by Reverend Bert S. Kozen, appointed by Bishop Bambera effective June 20, 2025. The current St. Francis of Assisi congregation traces its origins to a Gothic-style church built and dedicated in 1896 that served the community for over six decades before being destroyed by fire on the Friday before Holy Week in 1957.
- Established
- 1896
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Reverend Bert S. Kozen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi is one of four historic worship sites that make up Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, the Catholic faith community of the greater Dushore-Mildred area in the Endless Mountains of Sullivan County. Sunday Mass at 7:30 AM is celebrated year-round at the Mildred church, supported by weekday Masses, Saturday confession, and a Knights of Columbus council that the parish describes as 'very active.' The parish also runs a food pantry with the local ministerium, a St. Vincent de Paul fund, and Extraordinary Ministers who bring Communion to two nursing homes — concrete ways to put faith into action in a small rural community.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM (at St. Basil's Church, Dushore) or by appointment
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish — One Parish, Four Worship Sites
St. Francis of Assisi in Mildred does not stand alone: it is an auxiliary worship site of Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Parish, the consolidated Catholic community that serves the greater Dushore area of Sullivan County, Pennsylvania. IHM was formally recorded as founded in 2010 and unites four historic churches. St. Basil the Great in Dushore is the main worship site and is open year-round. St. Francis of Assisi in Mildred, on St. Francis Drive, is open year-round as an auxiliary site. St. Francis of Assisi Chapel in Eagles Mere (226 Eagles Mere Avenue, Eagles Mere, PA 17731) and Sts. Philip and James — better known as the Saint John Neumann Shrine — in Sugar Ridge are open seasonally.
- St. Basil the Great, Dushore — main worship site (year-round)
- St. Francis of Assisi, Mildred — auxiliary worship site (year-round)
- St. Francis of Assisi Chapel, Eagles Mere — seasonal
- Sts. Philip and James / Saint John Neumann Shrine, Sugar Ridge — seasonal
History of St. Francis of Assisi, Mildred
The parish traces its roots to 1896, when a Gothic-style church was built in Mildred and dedicated on August 2, 1896 by the Rt. Rev. Michael J. Hoban, coadjutor Bishop of Scranton. The founding rector, Rev. J. A. Enright, donated the great stained-glass window above the entrance. The building — 100 feet long, 50 feet wide, with a 107-foot spire and a 2,000-pound McShane bell — served the Mildred-Bernice community for more than sixty years before being destroyed by fire on the night of Friday, April 12, 1957. The pastor, Rev. Luke F. Hally, discovered flames in the altar area shortly after 10 p.m.; the rectory was also lost. Services were temporarily held in the Turnpike school while a new St. Francis of Assisi Church was built on St. Francis Drive.
- 1896 — Original Gothic church built; dedicated Aug. 2, 1896 by Bishop Hoban
- April 12, 1957 — Original church and rectory destroyed by fire on the Friday before Holy Week
- Original McShane bell rescued, briefly sold to a junk dealer, retrieved by parishioners, and re-hung July 4, 1983
Clergy and Staff
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish is pastored by Reverend Bert S. Kozen (ordained 1982), who was appointed by Bishop Joseph C. Bambera effective June 20, 2025, returning from a leave of absence for reasons of health. The parish office is staffed Monday–Friday (with reduced hours mid-week) and is located at 123 Churchill Street, Dushore, PA 18614.
- Reverend Bert S. Kozen — Pastor (appointed June 20, 2025)
- Parish Secretary / office staff based at 123 Churchill Street, Dushore
Parish Office, Contact, and Hours
Although Mass at St. Francis of Assisi is celebrated in Mildred, the parish's administrative home is in nearby Dushore. The office can be reached by phone at (570) 928-8865 or by email at [email protected]. Office hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM; the office is closed Wednesday and Friday.
- Phone: (570) 928-8865
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.ihmdushore.com
- Office address: 123 Churchill Street, Dushore, PA 18614
- Office hours: Mon, Tue, Thu 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM (closed Wed & Fri)
Parish Life, Ministries, and Outreach
IHM is a small but active rural parish with a weekend Mass attendance of about 306 across all four worship sites. The Diocese of Scranton's parish profile lists several active ministries, including a Food Pantry run jointly with the local ministerium, a St. Vincent de Paul Fund for those in need, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who bring the Eucharist to the homebound, and a Knights of Columbus council that the diocese describes as 'very active.' Extraordinary Ministers lead a monthly Mass at two local nursing homes, and the parish hosts a popular Annual Picnic on the Fourth of July weekend, an Annual Bazaar in mid-November, and seasonal social events such as a Halloween Costume Ball and Mardi Gras party.
- Food Pantry (with the local ministerium)
- St. Vincent de Paul Fund
- Knights of Columbus — 'very active'
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — homebound and nursing-home visits
- Monthly Mass at two nursing homes
- Annual Picnic (July 4th weekend), Annual Bazaar (mid-November)
- Halloween Costume Ball and Mardi Gras social events
The Saint John Neumann Shrine (Sister Worship Site)
One of IHM's seasonal sites is the Saint John Neumann Shrine in Sugar Ridge — the simple country church that stands on the very site where Saint John Neumann, then Bishop of Philadelphia, blessed the original chapel in July 1854. According to local history passed down by Pastor Father Bert Kozen, Katherine Leahy of Towanda walked several miles to ask the five-foot-two bishop to visit the Irish Catholic families near Sugar Ridge; he made the journey on foot, celebrated the sacraments, blessed the land, and helped the local men begin clearing timber for the chapel. The site was formally designated the Diocese of Scranton's official Saint John Neumann Shrine in September 1977 and is one of four worship sites in today's IHM Parish.
- Bishop Neumann blessed the original chapel on the site in July 1854
- Designated the Diocese of Scranton's official Saint John Neumann Shrine in September 1977
- Open seasonally — call the parish office for Mass times
Getting Involved
Visitors and parishioners interested in getting involved at St. Francis of Assisi can join any of the parish-wide ministries that span IHM's four worship sites: the Knights of Columbus council, the food pantry with the local ministerium, the St. Vincent de Paul Fund, or the team of Extraordinary Ministers who take Communion to the sick and homebound. The parish encourages sign-ups through its 'Parish Life Email Registration' page on ihmdushore.com so that newcomers receive schedules, calendars, and event announcements directly.
- Parish Life Email Registration via ihmdushore.com
- Knights of Columbus membership
- Volunteer for food pantry / St. Vincent de Paul outreach
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion training
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. J. A. Enrightfounding rector (1896)
Founded the parish and donated the large stained-glass window above the entrance at the August 2, 1896 dedication by Coadjutor Bishop Michael J. Hoban.
- Rev. Luke F. Hally1957 (and earlier)
Pastor at the time of the April 12, 1957 fire that destroyed the original church and rectory; kept the broken original bell until his death in 1970.