Church Closings

February 7, 2009

Closed church to become funeral parlor

GINO TROIANI Times Leader Intern

JENKINS TWP. – A Dupont couple plans to reopen the recently closed St. Joseph’s Church and convert it into a funeral parlor.

Susan Baloga, a 19-year veteran of the funeral home business and licensed funeral director with the Ruane and Regan Funeral Home in Avoca, has decided to venture out on her own.

She and her husband, John, began searching for a building within their community to house the Baloga Funeral Home. They bought the church property and an adjacent lot in December from the Diocese of Scranton for $135,000.

“I’ve wanted to do the funeral home business since I was 12,” Susan said. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.”

The site on Main Street, in the Port Griffith section, has a sentimental connection for the Balogas. The historical marker noting the Knox Mine Disaster of 1959 is located there. John Baloga’s grandfather lost his life in the collapse and inundation of coal mines below the Susquehanna River.

The memorial will remain at the soon-to-be funeral home, which pleases Monsignor John Bendik, former pastor of the church and current pastor of the parish community.

“I would not sell it to anyone that would not keep the mine monument,” Bendik said.

When St. Joseph’s closed its doors in May due to a consolidation, the Balogas knew they had found their building.

“It’s a beautiful place,” Susan said.

The Jenkins Township Zoning Board voted in October to rezone the property from residential to commercial. The Balogas expect to receive approval from the state board and open the parlor by the summer, which would make it the only funeral home in Jenkins Township.

According to the Balogas, renovations will include a chapel, casket showroom, office, indoor restrooms, and embalming area.

As for the community, Susan said the only concerns that were expressed were parking and traffic problems during funerals. In the end, it was agreed the building would best serve that purpose.

“It’s a wonderful addition to the community because that building could have been used for anything … for it to become a funeral home where people can honor the dignity of their loved ones is great,” Bendik said.

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