Church Closings

June 7, 2010

St. Stan’s is Nanticoke’s 5th recent closing

St. Stanislaus, Luzerne County’s oldest Polish parish, to become part of new St. Faustina’s.

RALPH NARDONE Times Leader Correspondent

NANTICOKE – Another church closed as the consolidation of the Catholic Community of Nanticoke continued. The Church of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr conducted its closing liturgy on Sunday afternoon. It was the fifth church to close in the Nanticoke area with the last one, Holy Child in Sheatown, closing next week.

The six will be combined into one larger parish named St. Faustina’s.

The pastor of St. Stan’s, Rev. James Nash, and the future pastor of the new St. Faustina’s asked for tolerance and forgiveness from the dedicated congregation.

The 135-year-old parish was founded by Polish immigrants in 1875 and is the fourth oldest Polish parish in the United States, the oldest one in Luzerne County.

Nash acknowledged the importance of the rich history involved in the church. He added Sunday was a very “heart wrenching” day.

“I was fortunate to be your pastor,” he told the parishioners, some who were openly weeping. “Your welcoming faith and spirit encouraged me. You are good holy people.”

Looking forward to a new assignment overseeing St. Faustina’s, Nash pleaded with the parishioners to support the change.

“Let’s make it vibrant and spirit-filled,” he said. “Take your power and strength to the new parish.”

He also asked for help. “I can’t do it alone,” he said. “I need each one of you to make it happen,” he said.

The congregation applauded as he reminisced about the many different pastors who have served St. Stan’s over the years. Several sat on the altar during the closing ceremony to revisit their old flock.

After the ceremony, the congregation somberly walked about two city blocks to Holy Trinity Church, where St. Faustina’s will be based. Holy Trinity had spun off from St. Stanislaus in 1894.

The choir sang Polish hymns and members of the youth group carried the religious artifacts and books over to be placed on the altar at the new church. They also brought a statue of St. Stanislaus that now sits at the new altar.

Leon Simoncavage, a parishioner of St. Stan’s for 30years, said most of the members at St. Stan’s wanted it to remain open even if the name changed.

He said the church has no steps, a strong climate control system and easy access to rest room facilities for the older members.

More than anything, Simoncavage said the closing left him feeling “terrible.”

Barbara Wideman, of Luzerne, attended St. Stan’s for more than 30 years before moving out of Nanticoke. She made the trip back for the closing.

She pointed out how “less and less” people attended services there over the last few years. She often wondered how they were able to manage the church with so few active members.

She went there on Sunday to say goodbye to the priests she’s known over the years who have baptized her son, buried her parents and her first husband.

“It’s a sad day,” she said.

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