SCRANTON – After more than 120 years as a spiritual home to generations of Catholics in South Scranton, Nativity of Our Lord Church closed its doors for the final time on Sunday, June 8, 2025.
The church, filled to capacity with more than 500 parishioners, was filled with both sorrow and gratitude as the community gathered for the closing Mass.
“It was a solemn and sad occasion but one that was also filled with faith and love,” Father Jonathan Kuhar, pastor of Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish, explained.
Father Kuhar served as principal celebrant of the Mass and was assisted by Deacon Albert Giacometti. Seven other priests who are either native sons or served at Nativity Church concelebrated the liturgy.
“I thought the nine priests and a deacon on the altar for the consecration was incredible. It was beautiful to see them all up there and consecrating the hosts together,” parishioner Katie Kearney stated.
The final Mass, rich in symbolism and tradition, honored the sacred history of the church. Following the Prayer after Communion, the congregation participated in the Church’s traditional rites for the closing of a sacred space.
Together, the community prayed over the baptismal font that welcomed new life, the ambo from which the Word of God was proclaimed, and the Stations of the Cross that guided the faithful through the Passion and Death of Jesus.
But it was the final act of veneration – when parishioners were invited to approach the altar one last time – that brought the deepest emotion. One by one, young and old, families and longtime parishioners stepped forward.
Some touched the altar gently; others knelt and kissed it, a deeply personal goodbye to a place that had shaped their lives.
“As a Eucharistic Minister, I’ve been giving Communion out for 38 years now. That is the centerpiece of the church,” parishioner George Schneider, Jr., said. “It was beautiful the way they closed it, acknowledging the baptismal font, stained glass, altar, and statue of Mary.”
The closure of Nativity of Our Lord Church comes after several years of prayerful consultation and difficult discernment by parish leaders. With a decline in Mass attendance and growing financial pressures, it was concluded that the community could no longer sustain two worship sites.
In his homily, Father Kuhar acknowledged the heartbreak while pointing the community toward hope. He also thanked many people, including the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who helped build the faith community.
“Nothing that is loved by God is ever lost. It might pass through our fingers for a moment, but it is never lost,” Father Kuhar said. “Even though we say goodbye today, we entrust it to God’s hands. We are a pilgrim people. We journey through this life, and we do as best we can the work of our God.”
Following the Mass, many parishioners left Nativity together on foot, walking approximately 20 minutes to Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Church on Prospect Avenue – a symbolic procession from the past into the future. Following a prayer service, a reception allowed the faithful to share stories, memories and hope for the future.
LOCKING THE DOORS
Four long-time parishioners were invited to serve as closing sacristans to lock the doors of Nativity Church and seal them with ribbon.
Paul Bracey, 92, never thought he would be asked to perform the important task.
“I locked the doors many times through the years for different services. It was tough to see it go,” he admitted.
Even though it has been more than 80 years since he received his First Holy Communion in Nativity Church, Bracey still remembers being part of the first class to receive the Holy Eucharist in the Upper Church.
“It was the first time they opened up the Upper Church to children,” he said. “Before that, all the children’s Masses were held in the Lower Church. The pastor even brought the children up on the top step to receive Communion. That sticks with me all these years.”
HONORING FOUNDING PASTOR
As part of its closing weekend, Father James O’Reilly, the founding pastor of Nativity Church was honored and remembered.
On Saturday, June 7, parishioners prayed Morning Prayer together in remembrance of former cleric who died in 1907. After his death, Father O’Reilly was interred in the lower chapel at his request so that he could remain with the community.
Following Morning Prayer, the parish community reinterred him at the Sacred Hearts Cemetery. He was buried in a place of honor on the hill next to Bishop Henry Klonowski, the longtime pastor of Sacred Hearts Parish.
“From there may they both watch over the flock of our parish while we wait together for the Day of Resurrection,” a note in the Closing Mass program stated.
PARISHIONERS MOVE FORWARD IN FAITH
While Nativity Church will no longer be a location for liturgies, parishioners say the legacy of Nativity of Our Lord Church will continue to live on in the hearts of its people.
Two years ago, the faithful of Nativity Church and Sacred Hearts Church consolidated to form Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish serving South Scranton and East Mountain.
Since that time, the church congregations have merged and learned from one another.
“While the church is beautiful, it is a building,” parishioner Victoria Ayala said. “But it is not just about a building. It’s the faith inside of us and what we hold in God’s love. That is what we transport from here to there.”