About St. Patrick · Scranton, Pennsylvania
Saint Patrick Parish is a historic Roman Catholic parish in the West Scranton neighborhood of Scranton, Pennsylvania, founded in 1874 as a mission of St. Peter's Cathedral and served today under the Diocese of Scranton. The current church on Jackson Street — the oldest Catholic church on Scranton's West Side — was rebuilt almost entirely in 2018, preserving the original steeple cross and bell tower from its 1917 predecessor. Worship is offered at three sites: Saint Patrick Church (1403 Jackson St.), the IHM Chapel (1605 Oram St.), and, since the December 3, 2023 consolidation with Saint Lucy Parish (949 Scranton St.), Saint Lucy Church. The parish is led by longtime pastor Reverend Richard E. Fox, with Deacon Paul Jennings assisting.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Reverend Richard E. Fox
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Saint Patrick Parish welcomes anyone seeking a devout, historically rooted Catholic community on Scranton's West Side, with three worship sites (the 2018 church on Jackson Street, the IHM Chapel on Oram Street, and the consolidated Saint Lucy Church on Scranton Street) and a daily Mass schedule that keeps weekday devotion practical. The parish's 1874 founding, its nearly 150-year West Side legacy, and the recent opening of the 1917 cornerstone time capsule give it a rare sense of continuity between generations of the same families. Father Richard Fox and Deacon Paul Jennings lead a faith community that combines traditional Irish-Catholic heritage with the merged Italian heritage of Saint Lucy's parishioners, supported by a unified music ministry and combined parish staff.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (St. Patrick's)
History of Saint Patrick Parish
Saint Patrick's roots go back to 1855, when visiting priests celebrated Mass in West Scranton families' homes. Parishioners raised $250 in 1874 to build a church, but it wasn't until 1877 that Bishop Louis Fink received the current property for $1 and a small donated-stone church seating 120 was erected. In 1879 Bishop William J. O'Hara established St. Patrick's as a separate parish under its first pastor, Rev. P. T. Roche. The Jackson Street site was purchased around 1880, the cornerstone laid in 1883, and the church consecrated in November 1891 — making it the oldest Catholic church on Scranton's West Side.
- 1874 – Parishioners' first fundraising effort
- 1877 – Property deeded to Bishop Fink for $1; first stone church built
- 1879 – Established as separate parish under Fr. P. T. Roche
- 1883 – Cornerstone laid on Jackson Street
- 1891 – Church consecrated (six months after construction was completed)
The 1917 Church and the Cornerstone Time Capsule
Under Father Owen Degan, a larger St. Patrick Church was built and opened in October 1917. During construction the building committee buried a sealed tin time capsule under the cornerstone. Its contents — revealed on December 16, 2023 — included regional and national newspapers, church missals, Bibles, prayer books, donor ledgers, Father Degan's typewritten baccalaureate sermon, lists of parishioners, photographs, archdiocesan directories, rosaries, scapulars, and Father Degan's own handwritten envelopes (one with a rosary and medals and a blessing for whoever found it, and another playfully reading 'Finders Keepers Losers Weepers' containing a dollar bill and old coins). The event drew about 75 parishioners and was led by then-pastor Father Ray May at the five-year anniversary of the old church's demolition.
- Father Owen Degan's handwritten notes included 'May God bless the person who finds this and may we meet in heaven' and 'Finders Keepers Losers Weepers'
- Old church demolished after construction of the new 2018 church
- Original steeple cross and bell tower preserved into the new building
The 2018 Church Building
The present Saint Patrick Church was constructed in 2018 — almost exactly a century after the 1917 building — on the same Jackson Street footprint. As a living link to the parish's past, the original steeple cross and bell tower were preserved and incorporated into the new structure. The new church sits alongside the IHM Chapel at 1605 Oram Street, which the parish had overseen for many years before the Saint Lucy consolidation.
- Steeple cross and bell tower preserved from the 1917 building
- Worship sites: Saint Patrick Church (1403 Jackson St.) and IHM Chapel (1605 Oram St.)
2023 Consolidation with Saint Lucy Parish
Under the Diocese of Scranton's Vision 2030 Pastoral Planning Process, Saint Patrick Parish and Saint Lucy Parish were linked in September 2023 and formally consolidated on December 3, 2023. The consolidation, led by longtime pastor Father Richard Fox, brought together 'two very strong and proud parish communities,' combining staff, music ministry, and weekend Masses across the West Side. Saint Lucy's history as the Italian mother church of Scranton now enriches the parish family.
- Part of the Diocese's Vision 2030 process addressing declining Mass attendance, demographics, finances, and clergy availability
- Support staff and music ministries merged
- Saint Lucy Church retains a 9:00 AM Sunday Mass
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The parish is served by Reverend Richard E. Fox as pastor and Deacon Paul Jennings. Father Fox is also chaplain for the Hook O'Malley Memorial Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, which named him 'Man of the Year' in recognition of his pastoral care during the pandemic.
- Pastor: Rev. Richard E. Fox
- Deacon: Paul Jennings
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. P. T. Roche1879–
First pastor when St. Patrick's was made a separate parish by Bishop William J. O'Hara.
- Rev. James B. Whelanearly 20th century
Initiated planning for the parish convent and school (cornerstone 1911, finished 1912).
- Rev. Owen Deganby 1917
Built the second St. Patrick Church (opened October 1917); buried the cornerstone time capsule.
- Rt. Rev. Monsignor Vincent P. Burke1960
Announced plans for a new high school and parish center.
- Rev. Richard E. Fox
Longtime pastor; oversaw the 2018 rebuild and the 2023 consolidation with Saint Lucy Parish. Named 'Man of the Year' by the Hook O'Malley Memorial Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.