Mass Schedule

Weekdays: 7:30 AM
Saturday: 8 AM and 5 PM
Sunday: 8 AM and 10 AM

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

A Review of St. Michael's First 100 Years

In May, 1891, the Rev. William Heinen, Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in East Mauch Chunk, was passing the home of W.Z. Zehner, superintendent of mines, when the gardener addressed him. We recognize this caretaker as Mr. Michael Provaznik, who played a pivotal role in the affairs of the incipient parish. During their conversation, the talk turned to the erection of a church for the exclusive use of Slovak immigrants who settled in the Panther Valley area.

It was late June of that year when Fr. Heinen called a meeting of the Slovaks, again in the Opera House. Prior to the meeting, he canvassed the whole vicinity, personally inviting the people to the scheduled conference. All went well regarding the formation of the Slovak parish until Fr. Heinen informed the gathering that a plot of ground for the proposed church would cost about $300, with a further expenditure of $3,000 for an unfurnished church. The people were more than a little hesitant, for those were the days when a miner received 90 cents for nine hours of back-breaking labor. This drawback and other difficulties vanished before the intense desire to have a Slovak Catholic Church wherein they would once again hear the word of God in their beloved mother tongue. The members of the newly-formed parish decided to place their trust in the patronage of Saint Michael the Archangel.

Construction of Original Church Begins

While the first church of St. Michael the Archangel was being constructed, the parishioners of the fledgling parish attended St. Joseph Church in nearby Summit Hill. Fr. Heinen had obtained permission to celebrate Mass in the Slovak language at 6:45 AM or at 12:45 PM on alternate Sundays.

Working at a feverish pitch, within a month it was possible to lay the cornerstone on Sunday, August 30, 1891. Building operations progressed so rapidly that on Sunday, December 20, 1891, the Slovak people of the Lansford and the surrounding Panther Valley area saw the realization of their dreams and the fulfillment of their hopes. The air was crisp and the sun smiled as the Slovak Roman Catholic Church of St. Michael the Archangel was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. James Garvey, Rector of St. James Church in Philadelphia, acting as the Delegate of Archbishop Patrick Ryan.

The little church could accommodate 260 people independent of the choir's seating capacity. During the day, ten beautiful stained-glass windows bathed the interior in natural illumination. A marbelized altar filled the sanctuary. Life-sized statues of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph adorned the two side altars. The interior walls were neatly frescoed, and the altar railing was of yellow pine with walnut trimmings. This church, completely furnished, cost $5,200 and was an ornament to the neighborhood and a testimonial to Fr. Heinen and his parishioners. (Click here to see a picture of the original church.)

Until they settled in Lansford in sufficient numbers and constructed their own church structures, Greek Catholic (Byzantine) and Polish immigrants either attended the Slovak devotions or celebrated their own liturgy in the Church of St. Michael. The steady influx of Slovaks to the community necessitated the addition of two side chapels in 1893. At the same time, a steeple was erected and three bells were purchased and installed in the belfry.

On Thursday, February 21, 1907, the frame church, the fruit of hard labor and many sacrifices, was destroyed by fire. Within an hour, the small church was a mass of charred ruins. From that sorrowful day, the parish had to utilize the parochial school building, dating from just the previous year, for their services of divine worship. St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, located just across the street, offered the use of their church to celebrate the Holy Liturgy, which was gratefully accepted. Years later, when the Byzantine Church suffered the same fate, St. Michael's Parish reciprocated.

Present "Cathedral - Style" Church of Granite Built

Wasting no time, on February 24, 1907, after Sunday Liturgy, the then-Pastor Fr. Joseph Kasparek called a meeting of the congregation to discuss the question of building a new church. It was decided to erect a church of stone. With funds seeded by insurance from the former church, on February 27 the parish purchased property from James McMichael which measured 60 by 150 feet. It was situated immediately north of the first site. On Memorial Day, 1908, the cornerstone, inscribed "Rim. Kat. Slovensky Kostol, Sv. Michala 1908-Roman Catholic Slovak Church, St. Michael 1908" was laid by the Most Rev. Edmond Prendergast, Bishop of Philadelphia. The officiating prelate was escorted from the Lansford train station by a mile-long procession formed by the parishioners and Slovak Catholics from throughout the region. At the time, the construction had progressed to the completion of the basement, where the Mass was celebrated while the remainder of the church was being built.

The construction of the church, which began in 1907, was completed by Thanksgiving Day, November 30, 1911. On that day, the new edifice, truly one of the most beautiful in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was dedicated by the late Archbishop Edmond Prendergast. The church, Gothic in design, is built of Gouverner, New York State gray dolomite marble in broken range.

Stretching from Abbott to Water Street, St. Michael Church is 150 feet deep and 60 feet wide: the transept measures 84 feet across. Original seating capacity was 1,100 worshipers. The lofty steeple is 169 feet tall with an attractive electrified timepiece set by the E. Howard Clock Co. Within the belfry are three bells, christened St. Michael (weight; 3,000 lbs), St. Stephen (1,500 lbs), and St. George (750 lbs). The mechanism was designed so that St. Michael strikes off the hours, St. George the quarter hours, and St. Stephen chimes the Angelus. To summon the faithful for Mass, all 3 bells were originally rung by hand ropes, but now are electrified. (Click here to see a picture of the present church.)

For the next five decades during which St. Michael Church was in the Philadelphia Diocese, for obvious reasons it became known affectionately as the "Cathedral in the coal region." The parish was incorporated into the Diocese of Allentown when it was established by Pope John XXIII on January 28, 1961, from the Northern Philadelphia Archdiocesan counties of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill.

Priests, Religious and Pastors

From 1891-1894 and 1895-1903, St. Michael was a mission-chapel attached to St. Joseph Church in nearby East Mauch Chunk, where Fr. Heinen was the pastor.
Pastors who served St. Michael Church since its founding:

Rev. Joseph Kasparek (1894-1895, 1905-1912)
Rev. Peter Schaaf (1903-1905)
Rev. Paul J. Lisicky (1912-1955)
Msgr. Joseph A. Baran (1955-1978)
Rev. Joseph D. Hulko (1978-1982)
Rev. Thomas A. Derzack (1982-present)

St. Michael Parish boasts a total of 33 ordinations to the priesthood and 59 women who have entered the religious life.

Paul J. Hackash, a parishioner of St. Michael, provided the above history from information gleaned from parish archives and then edited. It also appeared in the 238th issue, April 1992 Edition of "The Valley Gazette".

Centennial Souvenir Book Published

In celebration of its centennial, St. Michael Parish has published a well documented book detailing its first 100 years of Faith and Heritage. The photos seen in this homepage are part of this book.

*259 pages, *Hard cover binding, 8.5 by 11", *Page index, *193 color photos with 2-double page fold-outs, *Stations of the Cross, stained-glass windows, paintings, etc, *185 B&W photos, *287 immigrant families listed, *Valuable genealogical information about early parishioners, *ISBN 0-9643755-0-8, * Official Library of Congress copyright certification

"The beautiful hard cover book is perhaps one of the finest ever produced by a Slovak Parish in the United States....The book is replete with interesting fact and figures which combine to form a beautiful memorial to those who have gone before us and to those who continue to be part of the faith community of St. Michael...The book beautifully reflects St. Michael's important and active role in Slovak American life over the past century." Slovak Catholic Falcon (Slovensky Katolicky Sokol) Newspaper, Passaic, New Jersey, Daniel F. Tanzone, Editor, Dec. 20, 1995.

"The final result is an outstanding literary achievement...But most of all it was published for the Church's younger members-it's a story of their ethnic heritage-it answers the time-honored question of--Who are we?", News-Observer Newspaper, Tamaqua, PA, Thursday, December 28, 1995.

St. Michael's Slovak Genealogy

St. Michael Parish records between 1881-1933 contain detailed information about early parishioners. Over 1,300 marriages are recorded, plus 2,600 immigrant surnames from over 250 villages from Nitra, Bratislava, Trencin, Orava, Spis and Zemplin Counties of Slovakia. Much of this data is displayed in lists published in the Centennial Book and also appear within the text itself.

For more information about the Centennial Souvenir Book or if you think that you may need some help with Slovak genealogy, contact either:

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