SILVER LAKE TOWNSHIP – As the Diocese of Scranton continues to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, one faith community is preparing to mark a milestone that connects the past, present and future of Catholic life in northeastern Pennsylvania.
On Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, a special Mass will be held at Saint Augustine Church in Susquehanna County to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the beginnings of the church community.
Saint Augustine Church is the oldest Catholic church in the Diocese of Scranton.
The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will be the principal celebrant for the 10:30 a.m. liturgy.
“There is so much joy. Our people are really preparing to receive the Bishop,” Father Thomas Augustine, Administrator pro tem, Saint Brigid Parish, Friendsville, explained. Saint Augustine Church is a worship site of Saint Bridgid Parish.
The celebration comes as Saint Augustine Church is also recognized as one of the eight pilgrimage sites designated by Bishop Bambera for the Jubilee Year of Hope, inviting the faith to encounter Christ in historic places of worship and renewal.
“God has powerfully worked through this community,” Father Augustine added. “Since we are celebrating 200 years … this is a big blessing!”
LEGACY ROOTED IN MISSION
The roots of Saint Augustine Church stretch back to 1825, when Father Jeremiah Francis O’Flynn responded to an urgent invitation from Robert Rose, a prominent Catholic layman in the Silver Lake area.
With the blessing of Bishop Henry Conwell of Philadelphia, Father O’Flynn invested his savings into purchasing a farm at Silver Lake, on which the first Catholic church in Susquehanna County was built.
It was not until Oct. 2, 1828, that Father O’Flynn was able to celebrate the first Mass in the vestry of the partly built church of Silver Lake – but after that time the congregation increased rapidly.
Father O’Flynn died while on a sick call in Danville, approximately 80 miles from Silver Lake, on Feb. 8, 1831. His body was brought back to Silver Lake and laid to rest in the cemetery of Saint Augustine Church.
From these humble beginnings, the Catholic presence continued to grow in the region long before the Diocese of Scranton itself was officially formed on March 3, 1868, when the Pope signed a decree to separate 10 counties from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Lackawanna County was formed 10 years later, bringing the Diocese of Scranton to its current number of 11 counties.
PILGRIMS ON A JOURNEY
In anticipation of the bicentennial celebration, pilgrims from across the Diocese of Scranton have already started visiting Saint Augustine Church as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope.
On Sunday, Aug. 10, more than 50 parishioners from Saint John the Apostle Parish in East Stroudsburg made the two-hour journey from the Poconos to pray, worship, and learn about the sacred site.
Their pastor, Father Greg Reichlen, a native son of Susquehanna County, was excited to bring his parishioners to the oldest church in the diocese.
“It has been an incredible, beautiful and amazing day to celebrate our faith, to go on a journey, on a pilgrimage, to this very holy site,” Father Reichlen said.
The visit included participation in the Sunday Mass, a tour of the church grounds, and a shared parish picnic with the community.
“Parishioners are very thrilled to learn about this little piece of history,” Father Reichlen added. “Our life is a journey, and I think it has been an incredible experience for every single one of us to be together on this journey.”
OUR FAITH IS ALIVE AND LIVING
For those who made the pilgrimage, it wasn’t simply about history – it was about witnessing how the Church remains alive in small rural communities, just as much as in large parishes.
“I think it’s really nice. I like the more simple vibe,” Tha’riann Daurilas, a young adult from Saint John’s Parish who made the trip up with family members, said. “I know it’s an older church and I like to see other pretty churches around the diocese.”
Bill Montgomery, a longtime Eucharistic Minister from Saint John the Apostle Parish, shared a similar sentiment.
“It has been a very rewarding day,” he said. “My wife and I travel to a lot of shrines and different areas. It’s really nice to come to a rural area like this and to see the beauty in the older churches. They are magnificent.”
Montgomery appreciated the pilgrimage as an opportunity to grow in faith.
“There is something about the smallness and the beauty of this place, especially where our diocese grew from where it started. There is a lot of history there,” he added.
ALL ARE STILL WELCOME
Though smaller in size, Saint Augustine Church continues to be a place of active worship, prayer, and community.
“I welcome everyone to come and visit this church and receive the blessings as the Diocese has selected it as a few pilgrimage churches,” Father Augustine added.
All are especially welcome to attend the upcoming 200th Anniversary Mass celebration on Sept. 14 with Bishop Bambera to reflect on its history, mission, and the enduring presence of God.