St. Michael's R.C. Slovak Church
124 East Abbot Street
Lansford PA
established 1891
1950 Postcard

https://stjscatholicchurch.org/saint-katharine/

Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Lansford was established in June 1891 to serve the area Slovak Catholics. On September 21, 1890, the Slovaks of the Lansford area first organized a fraternal society under the protection of the Sacred Heart. In June 1891, Father William Heinen, pastor of Saint Joseph’s in East Mauch Chunk, called a meeting at the Lansford Opera House to discuss founding a Slovak parish. The parish was established and placed under the patronage of Saint Michael the Archangel. On July 28, 1891, Father Heinen purchased a plot of ground and immediately the men of the parish began preparing the foundation of the church. The cornerstone was laid on August 30, 1891. While the church was being completed, services were held at Saint Joseph’s in Summit Hill. On December 20, 1891, the new church was completed. Due to the scarcity of Slovak priests, Saint Michael’s became a mission chapel of Saint Joseph’s and Father Heinen traveled to Saint Michael’s each Sunday to celebrate Mass. Two side chapels and a steeple were added to the church in 1893. In December 1894, Father Joseph Kasparek was appointed pastor. After only nine months, he was transferred and Saint Michael’s again became a mission-chapel administered by Father Heinen. Father Peter Schaaf became pastor in May 1903. The church was painted and plans for a parochial school were begun. The cornerstone of the school was laid on July 1, 1906. On September 1, 1907, the school was blessed by Monsignor Fisher of Philadelphia. Since the original Saint Michael Church was destroyed by fire earlier in 1907, two of the classrooms were used for Mass. The school was opened by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart on September 5, 1908. Attention then turned to the erection of a new church. On Memorial Day 1908, the cornerstone was laid and the church was dedicated by Archbishop Prendergast on November 30, 1911. In 1968, a tunnel connecting the church and school was built. Bishop Welsh celebrated the parish’s 100th anniversary on September 29, 1991. The rededication of the church cornerstone took place on Thanksgiving Day, 1991. Father Lawrence Bukaty was the last pastor of Saint Michael the Archangel Parish.