SCRANTON – For more than 70 years, Catholics found a spiritual home inside Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel in West Scranton, where they celebrated baptisms and weddings, mourned loved ones at funeral Masses, and gathered week after week around the altar in prayer.
On Saturday, June 27, 2026, those memories filled the small church one final time as approximately 150 parishioners gathered with gratitude, but also sadness, to celebrate the Closing Mass of the IHM Chapel, which was a secondary worship site of Saint Patrick Parish in West Scranton.
Father Richard E. Fox, Pastor of Saint Patrick Parish, served as principal celebrant and homilist of the 5:30 p.m. Mass. Concelebrating was Father Joseph R. Kakareka, a retired Diocesan priest, who has assisted at the Chapel for many years.
“Thank you all for coming and being part of this sad Mass,” Father Fox said in welcoming the faithful. “It is certainly not a happy occasion for anybody.”
The history of Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel dates back to 1953, when it was constructed at the direction of Bishop William Hafey, Fourth Bishop of Scranton, following a devastating fire that destroyed the nearby Saint Ann’s Maronite church.
In constructing the IHM Chapel, Bishop Hafey had hoped the new church would lead to a cooperative effort involving Saint Patrick Parish and Saint Ann’s Maronite Parish – but that did not materialize – with hundreds of letters exchanged between Scranton, Rome, Beirut, and Washington, D.C.
Fast forward to 2026, the decision to close Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel came after discussion and consultation through the Diocese of Scranton’s Vision 2030 Pastoral Planning Process. After examining Mass attendance trends, the significant financial challenges facing Saint Patrick Parish, and mounting maintenance needs at the Chapel, the recommendation was made to close the worship site.
Rather than dwelling on those realities during his homily, Father Fox encouraged parishioners to reflect upon the countless memories of grace they had experienced inside the church since its dedication in 1953.
“So, I have to ask this question,” Father Fox began his homily by saying. “Has anybody in this church been here since the first Mass that started way back in the early 1950s?”
Several hands rose throughout the pews.
“You’ve seen the span from the first parenthesis when it opened to the second parenthesis tonight,” the long-time pastor continued. “It certainly is a world of experiences. Certainly, a world of memories.”
Looking around the church, Father Fox invited parishioners to absorb every familiar detail one last time.
“This Mass not only brings back all those memories, it helps us to experience once again all of those times in our lives,” he said. “After tonight, you are expected to be able to take those memories and carry them in your hearts.”
Comparing memories to dreams that quickly fade, Father Fox encouraged the faithful to create what he described as a mental “reel” of the chapel so they can continue sharing its story for years to come.
“When people talk about this particular place … you can enter into that conversation with your particular perspective because you remember all the things that happened,” he explained. “I believe that we can keep that same technique alive here in our own day and age – to continue to tell the stories of what happened here at the corner of North Garfield and Oram Street.”
The conclusion of the liturgy provided parishioners with a final opportunity to say goodbye.
Father Fox led prayers throughout the church, stopping at the ambo, the cry room, the Marian statue and finally the altar before inviting everyone to come forward individually. Each person was encouraged to touch the altar, make the Sign of the Cross, and process out of the church one final time.
Among those given the honor of locking the Chapel doors for the last time were longtime parishioners John (Jack) and Paula Keenan.
“It is a sad day, bittersweet because we have been coming here for so many years,” Paula Keenan said.
She said she will especially remember the chapel’s crucifix and Marian statute as well as the atmosphere that made the church unique.
“It was so intimate coming to Mass here,” she reflected. “That is what I appreciated the most.”
Following the locking of the doors, the Blessed Sacrament was reverently transferred by limousine from Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel to Saint Patrick Church on Jackson Street, where the People of God will continue to carry the church’s mission forward.