About St. Michael the Archangel · Scranton, Pennsylvania
St. Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, distinguished as the only parish in the diocese that exclusively offers the Traditional Latin Mass (the 1962 liturgical books). Since 2025 the parish has been housed at the historic St. Lucy Church on Scranton's West Side. It is staffed by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a society of apostolic life founded by Pope John Paul II in 1988 to preserve the ancient Roman liturgy, and serves faithful across the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre Valley, Hazleton, Stroudsburg, and the rest of northeast Pennsylvania who desire the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Reverend Anthony Dorsa, F.S.S.P.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
St. Michael the Archangel is a faithful home for Catholics attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite — the only parish in the Diocese of Scranton that offers the Traditional Latin Mass exclusively. It pairs the liturgical life of the ancient Roman liturgy with a pastor and assistant pastor from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, daily Mass, ample confession times before every Mass, weekday Eucharistic Adoration, Benediction, and a daily Rosary. Now settled into the larger, historic St. Lucy campus, the parish offers room to grow in catechesis, hospitality, and outreach, while drawing faithful from across the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre Valley, Hazleton, Stroudsburg, and beyond.
Mass times at St. Michael the Archangel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:15 a.m. and 9:45 a.m.
- Monday: 7:10 – 7:25 a.m.
- Tuesday: 7:10 – 7:25 a.m.
- Wednesday: 7:10 – 7:25 a.m.
- Thursday: 7:10 – 7:25 a.m.
- Friday: 5:10 – 5:40 p.m. (During Lent: 4:45 – 5:15 p.m.)
- Saturday: 8:10 – 8:40 a.m.
Adoration times
- Friday: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Parish Identity & FSSP Mission
St. Michael the Archangel Parish is an apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). The FSSP is a society of apostolic life established by Pope John Paul II in 1988 whose charism is the sanctification of priests through community life and the celebration of the Mass and sacraments using the liturgical books of 1962. At St. Michael's, the pastor and assistant pastor are FSSP priests entrusted by the Bishop of Scranton with the spiritual care of souls and the management of the parish facilities — much like any diocesan parish, yet shaped by the order's distinctive liturgical and communal charism.
- Personal Parish for the Latin Mass in the Diocese of Scranton
- Staffed by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP)
- Pastoral care entrusted by the Diocesan Bishop
- Ancient liturgy as the wellspring for forming priests and faithful
History & Founding
The parish was founded in 1914 as a personal parish for the Lithuanian community of Scranton, with the church at 1703 Jackson Street dedicated by Bishop M.J. Hoban in 1917. As the Lithuanian community in the Diocese waned during the late 1990s, Bishop James Timlin relocated the small but growing diocesan Latin Mass community into the St. Michael's site, and the parish took on its present character as the Diocese of Scranton's home for the Traditional Latin Mass.
- 1914 — parish founded for the Lithuanian community of Scranton
- 1917 — St. Michael's Church at 1703 Jackson Street dedicated by Bishop M.J. Hoban
- Late 1990s — Bishop James Timlin moves diocesan Latin Mass community to the parish
- Becomes a permanent FSSP apostolate and personal parish for the Latin Mass
Move to St. Lucy Church (2025)
On Sunday, September 28, 2025, St. Michael the Archangel Parish officially opened a new chapter in its history by relocating from its longtime 1703 Jackson Street church to the historic St. Lucy Church at 949 Scranton Street on Scranton's West Side. At the conclusion of the final Mass at the Jackson Street site, parishioners carried the Blessed Sacrament in a public Eucharistic Procession through the streets of Scranton to the new home. The move was approved by Bishop Joseph C. Bambera after months of parish council meetings, town halls, and consultation, and is part of the Diocese of Scranton's Vision 2030 Pastoral Planning Process.
- First Traditional Latin Mass at St. Lucy Church: Sunday, September 28, 2025
- Public Eucharistic Procession from Jackson Street to Scranton Street
- More classroom, hospitality, and parking space for the growing parish
- Frescoed ceiling, large choir loft, and acclaimed acoustics in the new worship space
Clergy
The parish is currently served by two priests of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.
- Rev. Anthony Dorsa, F.S.S.P. — Pastor
- Rev. Matthew Kane, F.S.S.P. — Assistant Pastor
Sacraments
The parish offers the traditional Roman sacraments in the Extraordinary Form. Office visits and registration are handled by appointment, and a dedicated Sacramental Emergencies line is available for urgent needs outside of parish office hours.
- Sacraments celebrated according to the liturgical books of 1962
- Office hours by appointment
- Sacramental Emergencies: (570) 677-5989
Music & Liturgy
St. Michael's is known for its sung liturgy, with a men's schola and a mixed polyphonic choir that lead the Sunday High Mass. Parishioners and visitors consistently highlight the quality of the music and the way the choir and organ fill the worship space, and the move to St. Lucy Church has been praised specifically for its acoustics and choir loft.
- Men's schola
- Mixed polyphonic choir
- Sunday High Mass at 10:30 a.m.
Faith Formation, Youth & Community Life
Catechesis for children has been a long-standing priority of the parish; one of the main motivations for the move to St. Lucy Church was the lack of classroom space at the Jackson Street site. The parish also maintains a youth ministry that has organized mission trips, and engages young adults in the traditional liturgical life of the Church. With the new campus, Father Dorsa has emphasized the parish's renewed opportunity for catechesis, hospitality, groups, and outreach to the surrounding West Side neighborhood.
- Catechism / religious education for children
- Youth ministry and mission trips (e.g. Mission 2017 to San Juan, Texas)
- Young-adult tradition and conference activities
- Hospitality, gatherings, and outreach at the St. Lucy campus
Visit, Register & Support
The parish invites new faithful to register online through its website and to support the parish through online giving. Office visits are by appointment, and the easiest ways to reach the parish are by phone, email, or the dedicated Sacramental Emergencies line.
- Office Phone: (570) 961-2284
- Email: [email protected]
- Sacramental Emergencies: (570) 677-5989
- Register online and give online via saintmichaelsrcc.org
St. Lucy Church: The New Worship Site
St. Lucy Church is a landmark on Scranton's West Side with deep Italian-American roots — the Italian congregation began gathering as early as 1888, and the parish was officially established in 1899, long serving as the Italian mother church of the Diocese of Scranton. After consolidating with St. Patrick Parish in 2023, the church was entrusted to St. Michael the Archangel Parish in 2025, which now uses it as the home for the Traditional Latin Mass in the diocese.
- Italian mother church of the Diocese of Scranton (parish est. 1899; Italian roots from 1888)
- Consolidated with St. Patrick Parish in 2023
- Entrusted to St. Michael the Archangel Parish in 2025
- Noted for ceiling frescoes, choir loft, and acclaimed acoustics