The Diocese of Scranton is closing a small West Scranton church and will link two parishes in North Pocono this summer.
The Most Rev. Joseph Bambera, bishop of Scranton, issued a decree Saturday closing the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel on Oram Street. The final Mass will be celebrated June 27.
Officials in the Diocese of Scranton also announced St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Moscow and St. Eulalia Parish in Roaring Brook Twp. will link beginning July 15. Under the linkage, the parishes will share one pastor, the Rev. Thomas Muldowney, the current pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish.
Bambera wrote in his decree that Mass attendance at the chapel has declined 66% from 2017 to 2025, from 157 to 54 people.
The IHM Chapel is a secondary worship site of St. Patrick Parish, whose primary church is on Jackson Street in West Scranton. It has one Mass on Saturday evenings.
Upkeeping the chapel, which was built in the early 1950s, coss $27,920 yearly. With the Mass collection at about $24,000 a year, it operates at a loss of nearly $4,000 a year, according to the decree.
In addition, there are $90,000 in deferred maintenance costs, including $20,000 to replace the front entrance steps, $10,000 to replace the doors to comply with state emergency egress requirements, $10,000 for new window framework and $20,000 to install a new furnace, which are a financial strain to the parish.
“Paying for the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church repairs and annual maintenance costs would significantly drain funds that cannot be afforded by Saint Patrick Parish,” Bambera wrote in his decree.
St. Eulalia Parish in Roaring Brook Twp. pictured Sunday, June 14, 2026. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo)
St. Catherine of Siena Parish pictured Sunday, June 14, 2026. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo)
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St. Eulalia Parish in Roaring Brook Twp. pictured Sunday, June 14, 2026. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo)
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Opportunity for growth
Bambera announced the linkage between St. Catherine of Siena and St. Eulalia last month and parishioners were informed about it that same month. Although the parishes will remain independent while sharing a single pastor, he said linked parishes are encouraged to do things cooperatively, such as programming, and establish common ministries and committees.
Bambera noted the growth in both parishes, pointing out that St. Eulalia Parish had 30 baptisms and 22 funerals last year, while St. Catherine of Siena Parish had 33 baptisms and 21 funerals. The two parishes also have among the largest religious education programs in the diocese, serving a combined nearly 500 children in religious education programs — approximately 230 at St. Eulalia and 240 and St. Catherine of Siena.
“This linkage is intended not simply as an administrative change, but as an opportunity to strengthen and build upon the many gifts both parishes already share,” Bambera wrote.
Bambera said in his letter announcing the linkage that Muldowney has served St. Catherine for several years with “dedication, pastoral care, and a deep love of the Church” and is confident he will guide the parishes with wisdom, compassion and a collaborative spirit rooted in the Gospel. He also expressed gratitude to the Rev. David Cramer for his service as pastor of St. Eulalia.
The changes are part of the diocese’s Vision 2030 restructuring process, which launched in January 2022 as a revision to the diocese’s previous Vision 2020. Vision 2030 attributes the restructuring plans to “significant challenges” faced by the diocese due to changing demographics, including fewer parishioners, financial challenges and parish infrastructure needs, and diminishing numbers as retiring priests outpace ordained priests.
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