About St. John the Evangelist · Susquehanna, Pennsylvania
St. John the Evangelist is a Roman Catholic worship site in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, and the historic anchor church of Most Holy Trinity Parish in the Diocese of Scranton. Since 2019 it has been linked with St. Lawrence Church in Great Bend and St. Martin of Tours in Jackson under the mission "To Worship God, To Serve Others, To Make Disciples." The parish is currently administered by Rev. Sudhir Toppo with Deacon Ronald D. Maida, and offers Sunday Mass at 8:30 AM, daily Mass in the IHM Chapel, and confessions before Sunday Mass.
- Established
- 1847
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Reverend Sudhir Toppo (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Most Holy Trinity Parish is a friendly, three-church family rooted in more than 175 years of Catholic faith in Susquehanna County. Worshippers can attend Sunday Mass at any of the three worship sites — St. John the Evangelist in Susquehanna at 8:30 AM, St. Martin of Tours in Jackson at 10:30 AM, or the Saturday Vigil at St. Lawrence in Great Bend at 4:00 PM — and gather for confession, daily Mass in the IHM Chapel, the annual parish family picnic, and shared faith formation. It's a small parish with a real history, a building tied to the Erie Railroad and the Starrucca Viaduct, and an immigrant-Irish Catholic heritage that still shapes its identity today.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00 AM (before 8:30 AM Mass) at St. John the Evangelist
- Saturday 3:30 PM (before 4:00 PM Vigil Mass) at St. Lawrence, Great Bend
- Sunday after the 10:30 AM Mass at St. Martin of Tours, Jackson
Parish Identity & Mission
St. John the Evangelist is the anchor worship site of Most Holy Trinity Parish, Susquehanna, in the Diocese of Scranton. The parish mission statement is "To Worship God, To Serve Others, To Make Disciples," and the three linked churches — St. John the Evangelist, St. Lawrence, and St. Martin of Tours — share one pastor, one faith formation program, and a common life of liturgy and outreach.
- Parish mission: To Worship God, To Serve Others, To Make Disciples
- Diocese of Scranton parish, founded as a consolidated entity in 2019
- Three worship sites across Susquehanna County
Worship Sites
Most Holy Trinity Parish spans three churches in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. St. John the Evangelist sits at 15 East Church Street in Susquehanna borough; St. Lawrence stands at 380 Franklin Street, Great Bend, PA 18821; and St. Martin of Tours is located at 8175 State Route 492, Jackson, PA 18825. Each church hosts its own weekend Mass so that parishioners in any of the three communities have a local place to worship.
- St. John the Evangelist — 15 East Church Street, Susquehanna, PA 18847 (Sunday Mass 8:30 AM, confessions 8:00 AM)
- St. Lawrence — 380 Franklin Street, Great Bend, PA 18821 (Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM, confessions 3:30 PM)
- St. Martin of Tours — 8175 State Route 492, Jackson, PA 18825 (Sunday Mass 10:30 AM, Spanish Mass 12:00 PM)
- IHM Chapel — site of daily Mass on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and First Saturdays
History of St. John the Evangelist
The parish was born with the Erie Railroad. Father John Vincent O'Reilly built the original St. John's Church and a cemetery in 1847 to minister to the Irish and other Catholic laborers constructing the Starrucca Viaduct, one of the great engineering landmarks of nineteenth-century railroading. As those workers moved with the Erie repair shops and rail yard, the parish relocated to Susquehanna in 1853, and the present St. John the Evangelist Church was dedicated in 1880. Through the twentieth century the parish ran a parochial school and was closely tied to Laurel Hill Academy, the regional Catholic secondary school staffed by the IHM Sisters. A 125th anniversary Mass was celebrated on November 6, 2005 by Bishop Joseph Martino, with several former pastors and IHM Sisters in attendance; then-pastor Father Robert (Bob) Simon compiled a commemorative history book for the occasion.
- 1847 — original St. John's Church and cemetery founded by Fr. John Vincent O'Reilly near the Starrucca Viaduct construction site
- 1853 — parish relocates to Susquehanna to follow Erie Railroad workers
- 1880 — present St. John the Evangelist Church dedicated
- November 6, 2005 — 125th anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Martino
- 2019 — consolidated into Most Holy Trinity Parish
Clergy & Staff
Most Holy Trinity Parish is currently administered by a priest-administrator from the Heralds of the Good News (Mother Teresa Province, India) and served by a permanent deacon. Fr. Sudhir Toppo was appointed Administrator by Bishop Joseph C. Bambera in September 2024, coming from parochial vicar assignments at Saint Ann Parish, Shohola; Saint John Neumann Parish, Hawley; and Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, Milford. Deacon Ronald D. Maida assists at the parish.
- Rev. Sudhir Toppo — Administrator (appointed September 2024)
- Deacon Ronald D. Maida
- Parish office: (570) 853-4634, fax (570) 853-3356, [email protected]
Parish Life & Outreach
Beyond the Sunday liturgy, Most Holy Trinity Parish nurtures community through an annual family picnic and a tradition of honoring parishioners for long service to the parish and its predecessor churches. According to the Diocese of Scranton, the second annual parish family picnic drew about 100 parishioners together with Fr. Toppo and Deacon Maida for a catered dinner, corn hole tournament, pie contest, basket raffle, and 50/50 drawing. Joe Bucci, Lorraine James, and Frank Supancik were recognized with Lifetime Dedication awards for their service to the parish and its three churches.
- Most Holy Trinity Parish Family Picnic (annual, held at Green Gables in New Milford)
- Lifetime Dedication recognition for longtime parishioners
- Shared faith formation across the three worship sites
Susquehanna Catholic Heritage
The history of St. John the Evangelist is inseparable from the history of Susquehanna County and the Erie Railroad. The Starrucca Viaduct — built 1847–48 and still the oldest stone railroad bridge in Pennsylvania in use today — was constructed largely by Irish Catholic immigrant labor, and it was to minister to those workers that the parish was first founded in nearby Lanesboro. Laurel Hill Academy, the Catholic high school long associated with St. John's, was taught for generations by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM). Today the parish still gathers for daily Mass in the IHM Chapel.
- Erie Railroad and the Starrucca Viaduct — the parish's founding context
- Laurel Hill Academy — long-time Catholic high school served by IHM Sisters
- IHM Chapel — daily Mass site honoring the sisters' legacy
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Vincent O'Reilly1847–
Founded the original St. John's Church to serve Erie Railroad workers building the Starrucca Viaduct.
- Father James Walshlate 1930s
Pastor of St. John the Evangelist who recognized the need for a new parish in Jackson/Gibson area, leading to the 1940 founding of St. Martin of Tours.
- Very Rev. William Flynn
Former pastor; returned for the 125th anniversary Mass in 2005.
- Very Rev. Charles Connor
Former pastor; returned for the 125th anniversary Mass in 2005.
- Father Robert (Bob) Simon
Compiled and published the parish/school anniversary history book and hosted the 125th anniversary celebration in 2005.
- Father David Cramer2009–
Served as pastor of the three linked parishes (St. John's, St. Martin of Tours, St. Lawrence).