About Sts. Cyril & Methodius Parish/St. Joseph · Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Saints Cyril & Methodius Parish, located at the Church of Saint Joseph at 604 N. Laurel Street in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Scranton. The parish has the distinction of being the oldest Slovak Roman Catholic parish in the Western Hemisphere, having been organized in 1882. In 2010 the parish was reconstituted through a merger that brought together four historic Hazleton parishes — Saint Joseph Church, Saint Ladislaus Church, Holy Trinity Slovak Church, and Saint Stanislaus Polish Church — under the single Saints Cyril & Methodius name. Today the parish serves its community with daily and weekend Masses, a live-streamed liturgy, First Friday adoration, a novena to Saint Joseph, and a long tradition of Slovak cultural events including an annual ethnic food sale.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- Saints Cyril and Methodius (Apostles of the Slavs)
- Rector
- Reverend Brian J.W. Clarke, V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Saints Cyril & Methodius is the spiritual home of Hazleton's historic Slovak-Catholic community and the oldest Slovak Roman Catholic parish in the Western Hemisphere, with a story stretching back to 1882. A parishioner here becomes part of a congregation that still gathers daily for the 8:00 AM Mass, supports active liturgical ministries for lectors, extraordinary ministers, and altar servers, sustains a Holy Name Society and parish council, and keeps Slovak devotional and culinary traditions alive through events like the annual ethnic food sale (pirohy, haluski, halupki) and the Solemnity of Saint Joseph novena each March. The parish also broadcasts its Masses online, offers First Friday adoration and benediction, and welcomes families, children, and visitors into a community rooted in over 140 years of faith on the hilltop of North Laurel Street.
Mass times at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Parish/St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month — Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after the 8:00 AM Mass, with Benediction at 11:00 AM (times subject to bulletin changes)
Welcome & About Our Parish
Saints Cyril & Methodius Parish, at the Church of Saint Joseph in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Scranton and the oldest Slovak Roman Catholic parish in the Western Hemisphere. The parish was organized in 1882, and the present church was rebuilt and consecrated on the Feast of Saint Joseph, March 19, 1966, after a devastating 1963 fire. In 2010 the parish was reconstituted through a merger of four historic Hazleton parishes — Saint Joseph, Saint Ladislaus, Holy Trinity Slovak, and Saint Stanislaus Polish — under the single Saints Cyril & Methodius name. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, and the staff can be reached at 570-454-0881 or [email protected].
- Oldest Slovak Roman Catholic parish in the Western Hemisphere (organized 1882)
- Merged parish of Saint Joseph, Saint Ladislaus, Holy Trinity Slovak, and Saint Stanislaus Polish (2010)
- Roman Catholic Parish of the Diocese of Scranton
- Parish office: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
- Email: [email protected] • Phone: 570-454-0881
History of the Parish
Father Ignatius Jaskovic, a Slovak priest from Šariš, arrived in Hazleton on November 17, 1882 and within a year organized the Slovak Catholic faithful into what would become the oldest Slovak Roman Catholic parish in the Western Hemisphere. The first church was built and dedicated on the Feast of St. Nicholas, December 6, 1885. Successive pastors expanded the complex: Father Francis Prybil rebuilt the church on its original foundations and constructed a new rectory, while Father Matthew Jankola organized parish programs, brought in the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius to teach in the school, and established the congregation cemetery on North Church Street. Two major fires — one in 1905 and another in 1963 — destroyed the church building, but each time the congregation rallied and rebuilt. The present church, consecrated on March 19, 1966, houses an Allen Digital Computer Organ installed in 1993 and a main altar with relics of Saints Digna, Castus, and Maria Goretti.
- 1882 — Father Ignatius Jaskovic arrives in Hazleton and organizes the parish
- 1885 — First St. Joseph's Church dedicated on December 6
- 1905 — Devastating fire destroys the church under Father Matthew Jankola
- 1963 — Second church fire causes about $1 million in damage
- 1966 — Present church altars consecrated on March 19, Feast of Saint Joseph
- 1993 — Allen Digital Computer Organ installed
- 2005 — Parish school merges into Holy Family Academy
- 2010 — Merged with St. Ladislaus, Holy Trinity Slovak, and St. Stanislaus Polish parishes
- 2020 — 125th anniversary of the congregation celebrated
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is currently led by Reverend Brian J.W. Clarke, V.F., who was appointed pastor by Bishop Joseph C. Bambera effective October 1, 2025, arriving from Most Holy Trinity Parish in Cresco. He succeeds Reverend Michael J. Piccola, V.F., who now serves as Pastor Emeritus after leading the parish through the 2010 merger era and who was honored with a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving on September 28, 2025. Two deacons — Deacon Leonard G. Kassick and Deacon Thomas A. Kostic (also principal of Holy Family Academy elementary school) — assist in liturgical and pastoral life. Lay staff includes Mrs. Stephanie Betterly (Parish Secretary / Financial Director), Suzette Kokinda, and Mr. John Philips (Parish Custodian).
- Rev. Brian J.W. Clarke, V.F. — Pastor (since Oct 1, 2025)
- Rev. Michael J. Piccola, V.F. — Pastor Emeritus
- Deacon Leonard G. Kassick
- Deacon Thomas A. Kostic — also principal of Holy Family Academy
- Mrs. Stephanie Betterly — Parish Secretary / Financial Director
- Suzette Kokinda
- Mr. John Philips — Parish Custodian
Novenas & Devotions
Each year the parish marks the Solemnity of Saint Joseph with a novena running from Wednesday, March 10 through Friday, March 19 (the Feast of Saint Joseph). The parish also publishes novena information for other major feasts such as the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Feast of All Souls, and Christmas, and offers Father's Day novena Mass cards through the parish office. First Friday Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament are a central monthly devotion, with the parish specifically inviting the faithful to 'stop in church on First Friday's to ask Our Lord and Blessed Mother for peace and help in Our World.'
- Saint Joseph Novena — March 10 to March 19 (Solemnity)
- Assumption Novena — beginning August 15
- All Souls Novena — beginning November 2
- Father's Day Novena with Mass cards
- Christmas Novena
- First Friday Adoration and Benediction
Liturgical Ministries
Saints Cyril & Methodius Parish welcomes parishioners to serve in its liturgical ministries. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist the priest and deacon in distributing Communion at Mass and bring Communion to those unable to attend; any Catholic over 18 in good sacramental standing with the Church may apply, with pastor approval and initial training. Lectors proclaim the Word of God at Sunday liturgies and special celebrations — schedules are prepared quarterly by the deacon, and lectors must be confirmed, in good standing, and members of the parish. Altar Servers are welcomed from children in grade 3 and up who have received First Eucharist. All liturgical ministers may contact the parish office at 570-454-0881.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (age 18+, pastor-approved, take Communion to the homebound)
- Lectors (confirmed, parishioners, quarterly schedule prepared by the deacon)
- Altar Servers (grade 3 and up, must have received First Eucharist)
Religious Education & Sacraments
The parish continues a Religious Education (CCD) program for the formation of children in the faith and the preparation of students for the Sacraments of Initiation. In recent years the parish has hosted the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Church of Saint Joseph (most recently on Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 2:00 PM). Baptism, First Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick are all prepared and celebrated through the parish; Reconciliation is offered every Saturday afternoon and by appointment. The parish also ministers to the sick and homebound through its Extraordinary Ministers, who bring Holy Communion to parishioners unable to attend Mass.
- Religious Education / CCD program
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Eucharist
- Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick and Communion for the homebound
Parish Organizations & Community Life
The parish sponsors several lay organizations that shape its community life. The SS Cyril & Methodius Holy Name Society meets regularly in the church cafeteria and welcomes new members. The SSCM Parish Council meets in the church cafeteria to advise on parish governance. Each year the parish holds an Ethnic Food Sale featuring Slovak and Eastern European specialties such as pirohy, haluski, halupki, chicken soup, and sausage and peppers — pre-orders are taken in the weeks before the sale, and proceeds support parish life. The parish also participates in the Diocese of Scranton's Vision 2030 pastoral planning initiative through the Hazleton Deanery.
- SS Cyril & Methodius Holy Name Society
- SSCM Parish Council
- Annual Ethnic Food Sale (pirohy, haluski, halupki, chicken soup, sausage and peppers)
- Vision 2030 / Hazleton Deanery pastoral planning
- Parish Finance Council
School, Cemetery & Historic Campus
The historic parish campus on North Laurel Street includes the church, the former school building, the parish rectory, and a parking lot on North Church Street from 6th to 7th Street (entered off Lee Court at 6th Street). The parish school, long staffed by the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, was merged in 2005 with other Hazleton-area Catholic schools into Holy Family Academy, and Deacon Thomas Kostic now serves as principal of Holy Family Academy's elementary school. The Sisters' convent was eventually sold and converted into an assisted living facility, but the stained glass windows from the convent chapel were carefully removed and reinstalled at the entrances of the church. The congregation cemetery, acquired by Father Matthew Jankola in the early twentieth century, lies on North Church Street.
- Church of Saint Joseph (consecrated March 19, 1966)
- Former St. Joseph's School — now part of Holy Family Academy (merged 2005)
- Rectory at 604 N. Laurel Street
- Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius convent (now an assisted living facility, with stained glass preserved in the church)
- Parish cemetery on North Church Street
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Ignatius Jaskovic1882–1890
Founding pastor; arrived from Slovakia via New York, organized the first Slovak Catholic congregation in Hazleton and laid the groundwork for the first church.
- Reverend Joseph Kossalko1890–c. 1892
Second pastor; returned to Europe after about two years, leaving the parish briefly without a resident priest.
- Reverend Francis Prybilfrom 1893
Third pastor; presided over demolition and reconstruction of the church on its original foundations and a new rectory.
- Reverend Matthew Jankolaearly 1900s–1916
Fifth pastor; oversaw the 1905 fire and rebuilding, organized parish programs, brought in the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, and acquired the North Church Street cemetery. The school gymnasium was dedicated in his memory.
- Reverend Michael J. Piccola, V.F.until October 1, 2025
Longtime pastor; led the merged Saints Cyril & Methodius Parish; retired to Pastor Emeritus status in October 2025 with a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving on September 28, 2025.
- Reverend Brian J.W. Clarke, V.F.October 1, 2025–present
Current pastor; appointed by Bishop Bambera from Most Holy Trinity Parish, Cresco, where he had previously also served Holy Rosary Parish in Hazleton.