St. Rocco

Welcome to SS. Anthony & Rocco Parish

St. Rocco Church is one of two worship sites of SS. Anthony & Rocco Roman Catholic Parish, located in Dunmore, Pennsylvania. The parish office is at 303 Smith Street and the parish website invites visitors to browse its history-rich pages and contact the office to register as parishioners. Pastor Fr. Dave Cappelloni signs the welcome message, invoking Saints Anthony and Rocco as patrons and protectors.

St. Rocco Parish — History

St. Rocco's Parish was organized in 1904 by Italian immigrants from Guardia dei Lombardi who formed the Society of the Congregation of St. Rocco's Church. The Society purchased a former Presbyterian church and dedicated it on August 20, 1905. It was a mission of St. Anthony of Padua for 17 years before becoming independent in 1922 under its first resident pastor, Rev. Pasquale Pussomando. Each subsequent pastor shaped the parish through renovations, new societies, religious education, and devotional life.

• First baptism: Philomena Mamie Castellano, March 16, 1904, by Rev. Clement Cavaletti
• Church dedicated: August 20, 1905
• Independent parish: 1922
• Fire and restoration: January 1999, refurbishment completed by Easter

The Annual Italian Festival & Procession of Saints

Each year around the August 16 Feast of St. Rocco, the parish holds a three-day Italian Festival on the St. Rocco Church grounds at 122 Kurtz Street, with ethnic foods, pastries, live bands (including the Luongo Brothers), fireworks, and a raffle. The highlight is the Feast Day Mass followed by a procession through the streets of the Bunker Hill section, where statues of St. Rocco, St. Anthony, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St. Joseph are carried on beams by the men of the parish while the pastor blesses bystanders with the relic of St. Rocco. Started in 1906, the procession has taken place every year — including during COVID-19 — and is described by Fr. Cappelloni as a way to "show and signify that we, ourselves, are also striving to become saints."

• Held at St. Rocco Church Grounds, 122 Kurtz Street, Bunker Hill, Dunmore
• Three-day festival with Italian food, music, fireworks
• Feast Day Mass and procession traditionally on the Sunday closest to August 16
• Over 100 parish volunteers participate
• Procession with relic of St. Rocco blessing bystanders

Italian Heritage & Guardia dei Lombardi Connection

The parish was founded by immigrants from Guardia dei Lombardi, a small Southern Italian town east of Naples in the Province of Avellino, who brought with them devotion to St. Rocco. Their descendants continue to honor that heritage through the festival, the procession, and ongoing community ties to Guardia dei Lombardi — itself the home of the first recorded procession in honor of St. Rocco in 1656, when townspeople prayed to him during a devastating plague.

• Origin town: Guardia dei Lombardi, Province of Avellino, Campania, Italy
• 1656 Guardia plague killed 1,110 of 1,475 residents
• First Bunker Hill procession in St. Rocco's honor: August 1906

Parish Ministries & Organizations

St. Rocco's has a rich tradition of lay societies and ministries that grew under successive pastors — including the Holy Name Society, Mount Carmel Society, Blessed Virgin Sodality, Holy Rosary Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and Altar & Rosary Society. The parish also has a long-standing religious education program, men's and children's choirs, scouting programs (Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts), and an active Italian Festival committee with more than 100 volunteers.

• Holy Name Society (since 1920s)
• Mount Carmel Society (since 1920s)
• Blessed Virgin Sodality (since 1920s)
• Holy Rosary Society for the Propagation of the Faith
• Altar & Rosary Society (re-vitalized 1960s)
• Men's Choir and Children's Choir
• Religious Education / Faith Formation
• Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts
• Liturgical ministries
• Community outreach
• Italian Festival committee

Sacraments

St. Rocco's celebrates the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church. The parish registers date back to 1904, and sacramental preparation is coordinated through the parish office at 303 Smith Street, Dunmore.

• Baptism
• First Holy Communion
• Confirmation
• Marriage preparation
• Anointing of the Sick and pastoral visits to the sick and elderly (longstanding ministry)

Clergy & Staff

The parish is led by Rev. David P. Cappelloni, V.F., as Pastor, with Rev. Thomas J. Dzwonczyk serving as Assistant Pastor and Deacon Andrew A. Fazio assisting. The same clergy team serves all three linked worship sites: St. Anthony of Padua, St. Rocco, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

• Rev. David P. Cappelloni, V.F. — Pastor
• Rev. Thomas J. Dzwonczyk — Assistant Pastor
• Deacon Andrew A. Fazio

Contact, Office Hours & Location

Parish office: 303 Smith Street, Dunmore, PA 18512. Office hours are Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM and Friday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. The St. Rocco Church worship site is at 122 Kurtz Street, Dunmore. Phone: (570) 344-1209. Fax: (570) 344-1200. Email: [email protected].

• Office: 303 Smith Street, Dunmore, PA 18512
• St. Rocco Church: 122 Kurtz Street, Dunmore, PA 18512
• Phone: (570) 344-1209
• Email: [email protected]
• Office hours: Mon–Thu 9 AM–4 PM; Fri 9 AM–12 PM

The 2010 Parish Merger and Beyond

In July 2010, St. Anthony of Padua Parish and St. Rocco Parish — both more than a century old — were combined as Saints Anthony and Rocco Parish under one pastor, Rev. David P. Cappelloni. The Diocese of Scranton lists the parish's year founded as 2010, reflecting the merged entity. The two worship sites continue to operate at 208 Smith Street and 122 Kurtz Street respectively, and the collaboration has been extended to Our Lady of Mount Carmel as a community of parishes in Dunmore.

• Merger effective July 2010
• Diocese of Scranton records list founding year as 2010
• Worship sites: St. Anthony (208 Smith St.) and St. Rocco (122 Kurtz St.)
• Linked with Our Lady of Mount Carmel