A brief history of Holy Trinity Parish
The Ideals of the Polish National Catholic Church reached Lackawanna, N.Y., through the agency
of Scrantonians, who were transferred to new jobs at Lackawanna Steel Co., when it moved from Scranton to West Seneca, N.Y., now Lackawanna. These former members of the St. Stanislaus Parish of Scranton, decided to establish a parish of the PNCC. Bishop Francis Hodur visited the people several times and celebrated Holy Mass for them.
The Holy Trinity parish was organized on March 1st, 1929. The blessing of the ground for the construction of
the church took place on the 21st of July, 1929 and the blessing of the cornerstone and foundation on the 1st
of June, 1930.
In August of 2008 our Church Building was struck by lightning and the damage was significant. God blessed
us with the opportunity to purchase a new Church home in Woodlawn, NY on Lakeshore Road.
On November 14, 2009, Bishop Peplowski, Fr. Spencer, the faithful of Holy Trinity Parish, other PNCC clergy
and guests celebrated the dedication and consecration of our new church home.
Holy Trinity is a parish of the National Catholic Church and is part of the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Diocese. At Holy
Trinity we celebrate the contemporary rite mass in English. We invite all to join us on Sunday mornings in
celebrating the Holy Eucharist.
For more information please contact Fr. Gary Spencer or visit our national church website at www.pncc.org or
our diocesan website at: www.buffalopittsburghdiocesepncc.org.
Thank you and may the Peace and Love of Christ be with you always! +++
___________________________________________________
Our Beginnings:
The Polish National Catholic Church was organized as the result of the plight of Polish Immigrants in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The first Polish immigrants settled in Scranton around 1871 mostly finding work in the local coal mines. Isolated by their language and culture, the Poles inhabited the poorest section of the city called Slocum Hollow. Feeling oppressed by their working and living conditions they turned to their local parish. The parish priest, who was not a Pole, kept demanding additional offerings from the parishioners for the expansion of the church cemetery. The cemetery fund never seemed to grow which caused the parishioners to become suspicious of their pastor. The parish priest threatened to excommunicate anyone who would resist or criticize his actions.
The Poles left that church and built a new one nearby, but the bishop of Scranton refused to consecrate it.
The parishioners of the newly formed St. Stanislaus parish contacted a Polish priest named Father Francis Hodur who proposed a Church Constitution, and helped them organize a new, Catholic, Church called the Polish National Catholic Church. The first High Mass was celebrated on March 14, 1897 at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr church in Scranton, PA.
Father Hodur was consecrated a bishop in 1907 by Dutch Old Catholic Bishops in Utrecht, Holland.
The Ideals of the Polish National Catholic Church reached Lackawanna, N.Y., through the agency
of Scrantonians, who were transferred to new jobs at Lackawanna Steel Co., when it moved from Scranton to West Seneca, N.Y., now Lackawanna. These former members of the St. Stanislaus Parish of Scranton, decided to establish a parish of the PNCC. Bishop Francis Hodur visited the people several times and celebrated Holy Mass for them.
The Holy Trinity parish was organized on March 1st, 1929. The blessing of the ground for the construction of
the church took place on the 21st of July, 1929 and the blessing of the cornerstone and foundation on the 1st
of June, 1930.
In August of 2008 our Church Building was struck by lightning and the damage was significant. God blessed
us with the opportunity to purchase a new Church home in Woodlawn, NY on Lakeshore Road.
On November 14, 2009, Bishop Peplowski, Fr. Spencer, the faithful of Holy Trinity Parish, other PNCC clergy
and guests celebrated the dedication and consecration of our new church home.
Holy Trinity is a parish of the National Catholic Church and is part of the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Diocese. At Holy
Trinity we celebrate the contemporary rite mass in English. We invite all to join us on Sunday mornings in
celebrating the Holy Eucharist.
For more information please contact Fr. Gary Spencer or visit our national church website at www.pncc.org or
our diocesan website at: www.buffalopittsburghdiocesepncc.org.
Thank you and may the Peace and Love of Christ be with you always! +++
___________________________________________________
Our Beginnings:
The Polish National Catholic Church was organized as the result of the plight of Polish Immigrants in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The first Polish immigrants settled in Scranton around 1871 mostly finding work in the local coal mines. Isolated by their language and culture, the Poles inhabited the poorest section of the city called Slocum Hollow. Feeling oppressed by their working and living conditions they turned to their local parish. The parish priest, who was not a Pole, kept demanding additional offerings from the parishioners for the expansion of the church cemetery. The cemetery fund never seemed to grow which caused the parishioners to become suspicious of their pastor. The parish priest threatened to excommunicate anyone who would resist or criticize his actions.
The Poles left that church and built a new one nearby, but the bishop of Scranton refused to consecrate it.
The parishioners of the newly formed St. Stanislaus parish contacted a Polish priest named Father Francis Hodur who proposed a Church Constitution, and helped them organize a new, Catholic, Church called the Polish National Catholic Church. The first High Mass was celebrated on March 14, 1897 at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr church in Scranton, PA.
Father Hodur was consecrated a bishop in 1907 by Dutch Old Catholic Bishops in Utrecht, Holland.