First Posted: 2/20/2015
PITTSTON — The Very Rev. Gary Mensinger is about to celebrate 100 years.
Well, Mensinger is not turning 100, but his church, St. Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church, is.
Mensinger has been priest for St. Michael’s since August 2013 and has preached at many churches throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but said he’s never been part of a parish hitting this sort of milestone.
“It’s my first church I’ve been assigned to that’s had a 100-year anniversary,” said Mensinger. “It’s actually pretty special to me. I haven’t had a chance to celebrate a 100th anniversary with any of my parishes, and this is the first. So, it’s uncharted water for me and for many other people here.”
Before coming to St. Michael’s, Mensinger was pastor of St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine in Old Forge for over 11 years and said it’s ironic how he is connected to Old Forge and St. Michael’s as they are both connected to each other as well.
“This parish was founded 100 years ago by people from Old Forge going south,” said Mensinger. “It’s history lies in with the people coming from Old Forge and founding this parish 100 years ago.”
It was in 1911 when those moving to the Greater Pittston area held a meeting to open another church in Pittston where they could celebrate their Byzantine traditions.
One year later, property at 205 N. Main St. in Pittston was purchased for $5,000 and construction began immediately on building the St. Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church. It was completed in 1915.
Liturgies during the time of construction were held in Mt. Carmel Parish, now referred to as St. Joseph Marello Parish, on William Street. When the basement of St. Michael’s was completed, liturgy was held there until the remainder of the church was completed.
The church has gone under many physical changes over the years, including a remodeling of the interior rectory, air conditioning, and the church dome repaired and repainted after it once collapsed. Liturgies were held in the church hall during the time it took to repair the dome.
The parish also had a new tabernacle installed as well as an altar and iconostasis, which are the pictures on the top of the dome’s interior.
Longtime church member Jerry Dziak of Duryea said another change the church made was switching languages in which liturgies were spoken.
“The biggest change was when we went from Russian to English. The whole liturgy was in Russian,” said Dziak.”We had practice, you could say, every Sunday when we were saying the liturgy in parts. We didn’t change the whole thing at once, we did it in sections.”
Not only is Dziak a longtime church member but he is also co-chairperson, alongside Judy Smith of Waname, for the church’s 100th anniversary events which will take place later this year.
The anniversary liturgy will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, which will include a Hierarchial Divine Liturgy in which Bishop Kurt Benette of the Eparchi of Passic in New Jersey will be the main celebrant as well as other possibly celebrants that include bishops from the Eparchi of Passic and past priests of St. Michael’s.
There will be a special banquet following the liturgy at Via Appia Catering in Taylor.
According to Mensinger there will be other events throughout the year to help commemorate the church’s 100th year including various dinners and the annual flea market in the summer. Mensinger also said they will be looking to get a spot in the Tomato Festival Parade in August.
“Jerry dreams of decking my dog out in some kind of specially-made sweater,” joked Mensinger. “A tomato sweater that says ‘St. Michael’s 100 Anniversary.’ I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”
Mensinger said they are also looking for advertisements from local businesses for the church’s 100th anniversary commemorative book that will feature letters from Mensinger, the Pope, Bishops of the Eparchi of Passic, the Pittston mayor, and mayors of surrounding areas.
Although the festivities are not for many more months, plans are currently underway and Mensinger said he is inviting anybody in the Greater Pittston area to the Hierarchial Divine Liturgy who would like to attend.
“I want to extend this invitation to the whole city of Pittston, Duryea, West Pittston, Exeter, Avoca and Dupont because we have parishioners all those places, even in Waname,” said Mensinger. “We want to extend this invitation to all, not just our parishioners, but to all those communities to be involved in our anniversary. Come participate in our liturgy and for businesses to be part of that commemorative book because that will benefit everybody.”
