About St. Lawrence/ Most Holy Trinity Parish · Great Bend, Pennsylvania
St. Lawrence / Most Holy Trinity Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the borough of Great Bend, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Scranton. Since 2019 it has been united with two neighboring Susquehanna County churches — St. John the Evangelist in Susquehanna borough and St. Martin of Tours in Jackson Township — under one pastoral family with the mission "To Worship God, To Serve Others, To Make Disciples." The parish serves the rural northern tier of Pennsylvania with Sunday Masses rotating across all three worship sites, a weekly Spanish Mass at St. Lawrence for the local Hispanic community, daily Mass in the IHM Chapel at St. John the Evangelist, and Saturday confessions before the vigil. The present St. Lawrence Church on Franklin Street is the heir to a Catholic congregation in Great Bend that has worshipped locally since the 1840s.
- Established
- 1847 (St. Lawrence congregation); 2019 (Most Holy Trinity Parish formed by merger)
- Patron
- St. Lawrence (the Great Bend worship site is named for the early Christian martyr St. Lawrence)
- Rector
- Rev. Sudhir Toppo (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Most Holy Trinity Parish is a small, multi-site Catholic family that brings together three historic Susquehanna County churches — St. Lawrence in Great Bend, St. John the Evangelist in Susquehanna, and St. Martin of Tours in Jackson — under one pastor and one mission: "To Worship God, To Serve Others, To Make Disciples." Active membership is built on regular Sunday Mass, stewardship of time, talent and treasure, and hospitality across the three worship sites. The parish also serves the area's Hispanic Catholic community with a Spanish Mass on the first and third Sundays at St. Lawrence.
Mass times at St. Lawrence/ Most Holy Trinity Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 PM (before 4:00 PM Vigil Mass at St. Lawrence, Great Bend)
- Sunday: 7:45 AM (before 8:30 AM Mass at St. John the Evangelist, Susquehanna)
- Sunday: 10:45 AM (after 10:30 AM Mass at St. Martin of Tours, Jackson)
About Most Holy Trinity Parish
Most Holy Trinity Parish is a single canonical Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Scranton that unites three historic Susquehanna County worship sites: St. John the Evangelist Church in Susquehanna borough, St. Lawrence Church in Great Bend borough, and St. Martin of Tours Church in Jackson Township. The parish was canonically formed on January 1, 2019, bringing together communities that had been linked administratively since 2009. The parish's stated mission is: 'To Worship God, To Serve Others, To Make Disciples.' Membership is understood as regular Sunday Mass attendance, active stewardship of time, talent and treasure, and participation in parish life across the three sites.
- Mission: To Worship God, To Serve Others, To Make Disciples
- Formed January 1, 2019, in the Diocese of Scranton
- Three worship sites in Susquehanna County, PA
- Parish office: 15 East Church Street, Susquehanna, PA 18847
History of St. Lawrence Church, Great Bend
Catholic life in Great Bend goes back to the 1840s. According to the Susquehanna County Historical Society, St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church was formed about 1847, with early Masses celebrated in private homes. A separate building was acquired for worship, and in 1866 construction of the present church on Franklin Street was begun; it was completed in 1867. That 19th-century church is the same St. Lawrence building that still serves the community today as part of Most Holy Trinity Parish.
- St. Lawrence congregation formed c. 1847
- Early worship in private homes, then a separate building
- Present church begun 1866, completed 1867
- Located on Franklin Street, Great Bend
Parish Consolidation and Recent History
In 2009, under Bishop Joseph Martino's diocesan reorganization plan, St. Lawrence Parish (Great Bend), St. John the Evangelist Parish (Susquehanna), and St. Martin of Tours Parish (Jackson) were placed under one pastor, Rev. David W. Cramer, with Rev. Alfhones Perikala assigned as assistant pastor. On January 1, 2019, the three parishes were formally merged into Most Holy Trinity Parish. Rev. Kevin M. Miller was announced as Administrator in August 2022 and was later succeeded by Rev. Sudhir Toppo, the current Administrator. Deacon Ronald D. Maida has continued in diaconal ministry with the parish through these transitions.
- 2009: three parishes linked under one pastor
- January 1, 2019: canonical merger into Most Holy Trinity Parish
- August 4, 2022: Rev. Kevin M. Miller named Administrator
- Current Administrator: Rev. Sudhir Toppo (from India)
- Deacon Ronald D. Maida serves the parish
Worship Sites
The parish operates three worship sites spread across rural Susquehanna County. Sunday Masses rotate across all three, with weekday Masses celebrated in the IHM Chapel at St. John the Evangelist. A Spanish Mass for the local Hispanic community is celebrated at St. Lawrence on the first and third Sundays of the month.
- St. Lawrence Church — 380 Franklin Street, Great Bend, PA 18821 (Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM; Wednesday 8:00 AM; Spanish Mass 1st & 3rd Sundays 12:00 PM)
- St. John the Evangelist Church — 15 East Church Street, Susquehanna, PA 18847 (Sunday 8:30 AM; IHM Chapel weekday Mass Tue/Thu/1st Sat 8:00 AM)
- St. Martin of Tours Church — 8175 State Route 492, Jackson, PA 18825 (Sunday 10:30 AM)
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by an Administrator and a deacon, supported by the parish office staff in Susquehanna. The Diocese of Scranton's October 16, 2025 Catholic Light notes that Rev. Sudhir Toppo is one of 23 international priests serving in the diocese, which he represents as part of a missionary tradition now contributing roughly a quarter of the diocese's active priests.
- Rev. Sudhir Toppo — Administrator
- Deacon Ronald D. Maida — Diaconal Ministry
- Parish office: 15 East Church Street, Susquehanna, PA 18847
Parish Life and Ministries
The parish's published mission — 'To Worship God, To Serve Others, To Make Disciples' — frames the everyday life of the community. Active parishioners are encouraged to share God's gifts through hospitality and service. The parish also serves the area's Hispanic Catholic community with a Spanish Mass at St. Lawrence on the first and third Sundays of the month.
- Multi-site worship and pastoral care across three churches
- Hispanic ministry with Spanish-language Mass (1st & 3rd Sundays)
- Diaconal ministry and outreach by Deacon Ronald D. Maida
- Annual Most Holy Trinity Parish Family Picnic (held at Green Gables, New Milford, PA)
Parish Family Picnic and Community Events
Since the 2019 merger the parish has hosted an annual Most Holy Trinity Parish Family Picnic at Green Gables in New Milford, PA. The event brings together parishioners from all three worship sites for a shared meal, games, a cornhole tournament, a pie contest, basket raffle, and a 50/50 drawing. At the first picnic, parishioners Joe Bucci, Lorraine James, and Frank Supancik were recognized for their lifetime dedication to the churches and the newly formed parish.
- Annual Most Holy Trinity Parish Family Picnic
- Hosted at Green Gables, New Milford, PA
- Cornhole tournament, pie contest, basket raffle, 50/50 drawing
- Lifetime Dedication honorees: Joe Bucci, Lorraine James, Frank Supancik
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or fax during office hours, or follow the parish on its social media pages for current news and events. The parish website is hosted on Google Sites and provides the up-to-date Mass and confession schedule for each of the three worship sites.
- Phone: (570) 853-4634
- Fax: (570) 853-3356
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://sites.google.com/view/mostholytrinitynepa/home
- Office hours: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. David W. Cramer2009
Appointed by Bishop Martino as pastor of St. John the Evangelist, St. Lawrence, and St. Martin of Tours parishes, Susquehanna County, as part of diocesan consolidation.
- Rev. Alfhones Perikala2009
Appointed assistant pastor to the three linked parishes of Susquehanna, Great Bend, and Jackson.
- Rev. Kevin M. Miller2022
Announced August 4, 2022 as Administrator of Most Holy Trinity Parish, Susquehanna, while continuing as Pastor of St. Brigid Parish, Friendsville.
- Rev. Sudhir Toppopresent
Current Administrator; listed as one of 23 international priests (from India) serving in the Diocese of Scranton in the October 16, 2025 Catholic Light.