About St. Peter · Scranton, Pennsylvania
St. Peter's Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, located at 315 Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania. Consecrated on September 28, 1884, the cathedral traces its roots to the parish of St. Vincent de Paul, founded November 13, 1853, making it one of the oldest Catholic communities in northeastern Pennsylvania. The cathedral is also the seat (or residence) of the Bishop of Scranton and serves as a busy downtown parish with daily Mass, an extensive music program, and dozens of pontifical liturgies celebrated each year by the diocesan bishop.
- Established
- 1853
- Patron
- St. Peter (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Reverend Jeffrey D. Tudgay, J.V., V.E., J.C.L.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Cathedral of Saint Peter is the spiritual and ceremonial heart of the Diocese of Scranton: a daily-Mass parish where the faithful can attend the Bishop's liturgies in person more than fifty times a year, participate in a centuries-old choral and organ tradition, and serve in a wide range of lay ministries. It offers rare programs such as the Scranton Mental Health Ministry (a joint effort with Immaculate Conception and Mary, Mother of God parishes), a Grief Support Ministry, ministry to the homebound, and youth and adult acolyte and lector corps. For visitors to downtown Scranton, it is also a living piece of Pennsylvania history — the same building consecrated in 1884, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and televised globally on EWTN.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
About the Cathedral of Saint Peter
The Cathedral of Saint Peter is a unique and diverse, faith-filled downtown parish community exercising servant leadership by offering prayerful, inspiring worship and working to meet the spiritual, educational, and personal needs of those it serves. As the mother church of the Diocese of Scranton, it is more than a parish church: it is the official seat (cathedra) of the diocesan bishop, the venue for more than fifty pontifical Masses each year, and a center of historic, musical, and liturgical heritage for the Catholics of northeastern Pennsylvania.
History
The parish was founded November 13, 1853, as the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in a wood-frame building. Between 1865 and 1867 architect Joel Amsden designed a more permanent Romanesque Revival church, which opened in 1867. When Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Scranton on March 3, 1868, the new bishop, the Right Reverend William O'Hara, made the church his cathedral. In 1883–84 the Philadelphia architect Edwin Forrest Durang dramatically enlarged and reworked the building into the Baroque-inflected structure seen today, with twin bell towers, a projecting pedimented entrance bay, and a richly decorated interior. Archbishop Patrick John Ryan of Philadelphia consecrated the remodeled building as the Cathedral of St. Peter on September 28, 1884.
Key Dates in Cathedral History
- 1853 — Parish of St. Vincent de Paul founded (November 13)
- 1865–1867 — Amsden-designed Romanesque Revival church built
- March 3, 1868 — Diocese of Scranton erected by Pope Pius IX; William O'Hara named first bishop
- 1883–1884 — Major remodel by Edwin Forrest Durang; stained-glass program begun
- September 28, 1884 — Cathedral consecrated and renamed Cathedral of St. Peter
- 1888 — Bishop O'Hara founds St. Thomas College (now University of Scranton) next door
- 1908 — Rectory constructed, designed by Lewis Hancock
- 1921 — New painted al fresco Stations of the Cross installed
- 1956–1957 — Stations of the Cross re-rendered as mosaics in Italy under Gonippo Raggi; reinstalled Pentecost Sunday 1957
- 1976 — Cathedral complex added to U.S. National Register of Historic Places
- 1979 — Current Casavant Frères tracker organ installed
- 1991–1992 — Major exterior and interior renovation under Bishop James C. Timlin (architects Leung Hemmler Camayd)
- February 2008 — EWTN Cathedrals Across America globally televised Mass for the Chair of St. Peter
- October 2018 — Consecration of new altar, baptismal font and crucifix for the diocese's 150th anniversary
Architecture, Art, and Music
The cathedral is Romanesque Revival in its bones but wears a Baroque face: Durang's 1883–84 remodel hid Amsden's plain brick structure behind a twin-towered, pedimented front with a projecting central bay. Inside, fifteen monumental stained-glass windows by Durang and the German designer Frank Mayer illustrate the life of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and saints including Patrick, Margaret Mary Alacoque, and Vincent de Paul. Italian-made mosaic Stations of the Cross line the nave.
- Romanesque Revival core by Joel Amsden (1865–1867)
- Baroque remodel by Edwin Forrest Durang (1883–1884); interior work by John Howley and Anthony Melone
- Rectory (1908) by Lewis Hancock; restored 1992 by Leung Hemmler Camayd
- Fifteen stained-glass windows (Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Last Supper, and others)
- Casavant Frères tracker organ (1979, Opus 3414, 37 stops / 55 ranks), designed by Gerhard Brunzema
Music & Liturgy
Music at the Cathedral has always been characterized by dignity and solemnity. The Music Ministry is led by Linda Phillips Orseck, Director of Liturgical Music, and includes the Cathedral Organist and Associate Director of Liturgical Music. The volunteer Cathedral Choir rehearses Wednesdays in Bishops' Hall and typically sings at the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass from September through June, in addition to lending their voices at nearly forty pontifical liturgies each year. Cantors — volunteer men and women from the local community — round out the sung prayer of the parish. The parish also cooperates with Catholic Television (CTV) of the Diocese of Scranton to broadcast the daily Mass.
Sacraments
The Cathedral is the regular venue for sacramental celebrations of the diocese, including the annual diocesan Rite of Election. Baptisms are scheduled through the Parish Office; families having a first child baptized are asked to attend an Information Session facilitated by Deacon Edward Shoener. Adults seeking baptism, full communion with the Catholic Church, or the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation participate in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA).
- Baptism — schedule through the Parish Office; first-child parent Information Session with Deacon Shoener
- OCIA / RCIA — for unbaptized adults, baptized Christians seeking full communion, and Catholics needing First Communion / Confirmation
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturdays 10:30–11:30 AM
- Eucharist — daily and Sunday Mass; Eucharistic ministry to the homebound
- Rite of Election / Call to Continuing Conversion — annual diocesan celebration hosted at the Cathedral
Parish Ministries and Groups
Cathedral of Saint Peter runs a wide range of lay ministries and welcomes new members throughout the year. Liturgical roles include adult acolytes (who assist at funeral liturgies), youth acolytes (ages 10+ who have made First Communion), lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Ministers of Hospitality who greet and direct parishioners. Pastoral ministries include the Ministry to the Homebound, a Grief Support Ministry for those mourning the loss of a loved one, and the Scranton Mental Health Ministry — a partnership with Immaculate Conception and Mary, Mother of God parishes offering a monthly spiritual support group.
- Music Ministry (Cathedral Choir & cantors)
- Minister of Hospitality
- Lector Ministry
- Adult Acolyte Ministry (funerals)
- Youth Acolyte Ministry (grades 4+)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Ministry to the Homebound (private homes and high-rise apartments)
- Grief Support Ministry
- Scranton Mental Health Ministry (with Immaculate Conception and Mary, Mother of God parishes)
- Young Adult Ministry
- Religious Education
Mental Health Ministry
Launched in partnership with Immaculate Conception Parish and Mary, Mother of God Parish, the Scranton Mental Health Ministry provides a safe, supportive space for individuals in the community who are experiencing mental illness. A spiritual support group meets at 10:00 AM on the second and fourth Saturday of the month in Bishops' Hall (the lower level of the Cathedral Rectory), with each session lasting about 90 minutes. The ministry emphasizes that it is not group therapy but a community of mutual support and spiritual growth; involvement is coordinated through Deacon Ed Shoener.
Grief Support Ministry
The Grief Support Ministry was formed to assist members of the parish and wider community who are grieving the loss of a loved one. It is run by a small group of dedicated individuals who have personal experience of loss, formal bereavement-group training, and the special empathy needed to accompany mourners. The ministry is open to anyone in the community seeking comfort and accompaniment in their grief.
Clergy and Staff
The Cathedral is staffed by a resident team of priests, deacons, and lay professionals who serve both the parish and the wider Diocese of Scranton. The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, and the Reverend Gerald W. Shantillo, Vicar General, are in residence at the Cathedral. The pastoral team is complemented by permanent deacons, a Director of Liturgical Music, a Business Manager, a Director of Communications, a Director of Facilities, a Coordinator of Young Adult Ministry, and a Director of Religious Education.
- Rev. Jeffrey D. Tudgay, J.V., V.E., J.C.L. — Pastor
- Monsignor Dale R. Rupert — Senior Priest; Pastor Emeritus; Director of Worship for the Diocese of Scranton
- Rev. Gerald W. Shantillo, V.G., S.T.L. — In Residence; Vicar General, Diocese of Scranton
- Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L. — In Residence; Bishop of Scranton
- Rev. John V. Polednak, V.E. — Episcopal Vicar for Clergy
- Deacon Edward R. Shoener — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon J. Patrick McDonald — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon Michaelangelo Colaneri — Permanent Deacon
- Kathleen Geiger — Business Manager
- William J. Manley — Director of Communications
- Vera Radice — Executive Assistant
- Linda Phillips Orseck — Director of Liturgical Music
- Cathedral Organist — Associate Director of Liturgical Music
- Marty Castaldi — Director of Facilities
- Coordinator of Young Adult Ministry
- Director of Religious Education
Visiting and Contact
Parish Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and Friday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The Cathedral is open daily for Mass and personal prayer; the daily 12:10 PM Mass is broadcast on Catholic Television (CTV) of the Diocese of Scranton and is also available to view online.
- Address: 315 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503
- Phone: (570) 344-7231
- Fax: (570) 344-4749
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stpeterscathedral.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Most Reverend William O'Hara, D.D.1868–1899
First Bishop of Scranton; resided at the cathedral, which served as both mother church and episcopal residence. Buried beneath the main altar after his death in 1899.
- Monsignor Dale R. Rupertthrough at least 2008
Long-serving pastor (served as Pastor at the time of the 2008 EWTN televised Mass); currently Pastor Emeritus and Senior Priest, also serving as Director of Worship for the Diocese of Scranton.
- Reverend Patrick J. McLaughlin
Listed as Pastor Emeritus on parish materials.
- Reverend Jeffrey D. Tudgay, J.V., V.E., J.C.L.present
Current pastor; previously serves as Rector of St. Mary of Mount Carmel / Saints Anthony and Rocco Parish in Dunmore and as Director of the Diocesan Office for Vocations.
