From the Times leader: Joint leap of faith: Parishes end years of conflict, unite for holiday

A battle between two churches had divided families for generations in tiny Dupont borough.

Marriages and friendships with members of the opposing parish were frowned upon and even banned by parents and grandparents.

Some children were forbidden to walk near the rival church.

And so it went for nearly a century.

But a few years ago, parishioners from Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and Holy Mother of Sorrows Polish National Catholic Church started questioning the sense of carrying on this legacy of hostility.

Ever so gingerly, they began reaching out to each other.

Their efforts will culminate with the first joint service —“ a community Thanksgiving celebration —“ on Saturday night at Holy Mother of Sorrows.

—This is a very historical event for this community,— said Holy Mother of Sorrows’ Rev. Zbigniew Dawid.

Sacred Heart’s Rev. Joseph D. Verespy said the dismantling of the invisible wall between the parishes has created a sense of openness.

—I think this is wonderful because we are neighbors,— he said.

There was only one church —“ Sacred Heart of Jesus —“ when a dispute over a pastoral appointment that eventually proved deadly erupted toward the end of 1915.

Some parishioners who wanted to have the assistant pastor fill the opening blocked the priest sent by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton. According to news articles from the time, over the course of a month they formed angry mobs that repeatedly blockaded the church, attacked supporters of the appointed priest and assaulted a subsequent diocesan appointee.

The turmoil came to a head on Jan. 16, 1916 when a crowd that numbered more than 1,000 fought with police. One man was killed by gunfire and both rioters and officers were injured by blows from rocks, clubs and other weapons. Seventy-one male rioters were arrested, many of them unable to speak English.

The dissident parishioners went on to form Holy Mother of Sorrows and affiliate with the Polish National Church that was organized in Scranton in 1871. The sect broke from the Vatican in part because parishioners wanted Polish clergy and Masses in their native tongue.

The Rev. Francis Kurkowski, the appointed priest who was beaten, remained at Sacred Heart until 1938, according to a church publication.

Reaching out to each other

The idea to reach out came from the parish council at Sacred Heart about three years ago, and Holy Mother’s council embraced the suggestion.

The priests and councils visited each other’s churches, learning about the structure and history. The two parish councils started getting together to brainstorm ideas.

As a result, events held by each parish were posted in the other’s church bulletin and tickets for church dinners were sold before Mass at both parishes.

Senior citizens from Holy Mother were invited to bingo at Sacred Heart.

Sacred Heart parish council member Dee Lacomis said she was touched when several accepted the invitation. She recalled a game when the Sacred Heart bingo caller had a family emergency, and a parishioner from Holy Mother chipped in to perform the task.

More cooperation is planned.

The parishes are in the midst of a joint food drive for the Greater Pittston Food Pantry, and there are plans to go Christmas caroling together next month.

—We’re all excited about this. We truly are,— Lacomis said. —There’s a much greater understanding about each other.—

Carol Bondurich, 67, of Holy Mother, said she was never prohibited from friendships with Sacred Heart parishioners, but she is glad that the pressure is now lifted for others who were.

—I thought it was about time,— she said.

She has many friends from Sacred Heart and was comforted when some attended a family member’s recent funeral at Holy Mother. One of her Sacred Heart friends commented that she had never been inside Holy Mother and thought the church was beautiful.

Bondurich speaks of her church with pride. She has been a member of Holy Mother her entire life, and her parents and grandparents also belonged. She grew up listening to her grandparents speak Polish.

The two churches have similar Masses for the most part. The main difference is that Holy Mother does not fully accept Vatican teaching and incorporates Polish language in its music and services, Bondurich said.

Some parishioners still are reluctant to publicly discuss their family stories about the church conflict because they view that information as too personal.

Others aren’t exactly sure how the tension started in the first place, such as 47-year-old Holy Mother parish council member Carl Cwikla.

—There’s been a rocky road between the parishes, but I think it’s wonderful that we’re working together and trying to form lines of communication,— Cwikla said.

Sacred Heart parish council member Elaine Starinski said she is thankful to be part of the blossoming relationship.

—We’re trying really hard to build that community spirit so people aren’t afraid to go back and forth,— she said.

The general public is also invited to Saturday’s celebration, which starts at 7 p.m. in Holy Mother.

Pastors and parishioners from both churches will participate in the service, and the choirs will unite in song.

The service is proof that it’s never too late to overcome conflicts, members say.

—We’re trying to do little steps. I think these are important steps,— Rev. Dawid said.