St. Mary’s Church of the Immaculate Conception in Wilkes-Barre had a final Mass with a full-throated choir accompanied by hand bells and rumbling timpani on Sunday.
The Rev. Joseph Verespy — pastor to both St. Mary’s and St. Nicholas Churches since they merged in 2023 — offered a farewell sermon that properly acknowledged the emotional loss the closing means for many. He mentioned it had been dubbed the “Mother Church” because it was the first Catholic Parish in Luzerne County. Founded in 1845, it is credited with establishing thirteen separate parishes between 1858 and 1929.
The current church was built in 1872 by miners after their shifts ended, and Verespy noted a fact that may have disappeared into history for some: It had an imposing steeple, knocked down by a tornado in 1890.
He could have spoken for hours on the many firsts the building housed and some of the famous guests it welcomed. The parishioners had a history booklet available for free.
Verespy talked of the children baptized, the couples wed and the funerals grieved “within these four walls.” Along with multiple priests con-celebrating, he conducted the last consecration of water and wine, and at the end of Mass, said final words over key components of the church, including a statue of St. Mary in a niche high and to the left of the altar.
Then one of the most touching moments you may ever see occurred as parishioners took turns saying goodbye to the altar itself. Long lines formed. Some knelt, some kissed, some tapped gently with fingers. Some wiped tears away.
Once the church was empty, long-time parishioners Alice Rodgers and Janice Oliver locked the front doors. Rodgers tied a purple bow across the handles and made the sign of the cross as she turned to descend the steps for one last time.
Carrying the Eucharist, Verespy led a procession one block to St. Nicholas Church, where he was greeted by parishioners in Aztec warrior regalia beating drums and burning incense. St. Nicholas became the center for the Latin Catholic community when other churches were closed years ago.
Inside the church, Verespy placed the Eucharist on the altar and said “We are home.”
Inevitably, the response to a church closing is personal.
“Wonderful. Beautiful. Spiritual. And bittersweet,” Mary Pat Cosgrove said, summing up the service.
“It feels like a funeral today,” Jim Harris of Dallas said. “But whenever I go to a funeral, I celebrate the life of the person and all the good memories. “
Sadly, Catholic Church closings have been old news for many years here. Parishioner numbers dropped, finances became unsustainable, and priests became increasingly sparse. That doesn’t make this one any less painful to long-time St. Mary’s members. But we believe that the grand dame of Washington Street went out in a style befitting its physical beauty and deep, powerful history.