Former Pastors of Our Churches

  St. Francis and Missions
  St. Thomas the Apostle

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Former Pastors of St. Francis and Missions
When we look at the world in a broad, generous, friendly spirit, what wonderful people we find in it - people like the priests who served so well over the many years, St. Francix Xavier Parish and Mission Churches. These pastors, of happy memory, whose names are recorded here, had devoted their priestly life in these endless hills to those who needed their help and counsel of sympathetic understanding and spiritual guidance.
- Parishioners of St. Francis Xavier in Friendsville, 
and St. Patrick's in Middletown, Pa.
Very Rev. John. V. O'Reilly
(ordained Sept 23, 1838, died 4 Oct 1873 age 78)		     -1860
Rev. Denis Wheeler     -1860
Rev. Henry Fitzsimmons     -1860
Rev. John Loughran
(ordained 1859, died Sept 24, 1899, age 67)		 1860-1863
Rev. John Cox 1863-1865
Rev. A. Dudley Filan
(ordained 1863)		 1865-1868
Rev. M. S. Hennessey 1868-1869
Rev. Samuel S. Mattingly
(ordained 1867, Put bell in church)		 1869-1871
Rev. Thomas Brehony
  Born Feb 2, 1830, Atholone, Co Galway, Ireland. He came to this country as a young man and worked as a carpenter for a while.
  Ordained 1864/65 in Philadelphia
   Before coming to Friendsville, he was at Rock Lake
   Later served at Susquehanna, Hawley, Eckley, and St. Aloysius Church in South Wilkes-Barre.
  Died Feb 12, 1908, age 75, at his home on South Hancock Street, Wilkes-Barre, with the Rt. Rev. Bishop Hoban at his bedside.		 1871-1875
Rev. Patrick J. Murphy
(ordained 1872, died Jan 28, 1930, age 80
Built parish hall at Friendsville, 1876)		 1875-1878
Rev. Felix McGucken
  Ordained 1872
  Died Jan 22, 1899, age 63, Pastor at Nanticoke at time of his death)		 1878-1886
Rev. John J. Lally
  Ordained 1873, 
  Pastor at Friendsville March 1886 to July 1890
  In 1916 listed as retired 
  Died Aug 19, 1919, aged 74, at St. Thomas Rectory in Wilmington, Delaware, where his nephew, Rev. John Connelly, was a priest) 		 1886-1890
Rev. James J. Farrell
(died Nov 28, 1920, aged 63)		 1890-1895
Rev. B.V. Driscoll
(ordained 1894, died Dec 30, 1908, aged 59. Built present rectory) First name is either Bernard or Bartholomew		 1895-1907
Rev. John P. Dunne 1907-1919
Rev. Hugh J. Ruddy
(ordained 1905)		 1919-1924
Rev. Thomas C. Whyte
(ordained 1909, Died Oct 1, 1928, aged 46)		 1924-1928
Rev. William P. Sherman
(pastor from 1929 to 1933 or 1934?)		 1928-1934
Rev. Raymond R. Fitzpatrick
(died Jun 29, 1959, aged 69, pastor from 1933 or 34 to 1940)		 1934-1940
Rev. William J. Higgins 1940-1945
Rev. Hubert J. McGranaghan
(died Feb 24, 1956, aged 53)		 1945-1946
Rev. Joseph F. Kelley
(died March 22, 1959, aged 61)		 1946-1950
Rev. Leo V. Murphy
(died March 24, 1954)		 1950-1952
Rev. Thomas W. Manley
(ordained 1936, died Nov 2, 1958)		 1952-1958
Rev. Donald W. Fallon
(pastor from Dec 1958 to Jan? 1962)		 1958-1962
Rev. Edward T. Gallagher 1962-1967
Rev. Joseph F. Ryan 1967-1970
Rev. William J. Wheeler 1970-1976
Rev. Joseph M. Horanzy  *
Currently at St Stanislaus Kostka Parish (Polish), Wilkes-Barre		 1976-1977
Rev. Leonard J. Meckwood 1977-1978
Rev. William R. Culnane  *
Pastor Emeritus at St Dominic Parish, Wilkes-Barre (2009)		 1978-1980
Rev. Thomas J. O'Malley  * 1980-1985
Rev. Edward D. Huntsman 1985-1990
Rev. William J. P. Langan  *
After leaving St.Francis Xavier and St. Thomas, Father Langan became Pastor at St Francis of Assisi and St Joseph Parish (St Mary, Wanamie), Nanticoke.
Father Langan is now (2009) Pastor, Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Mary Magdalen Parishes, Honesdale		 1990-2000
Very Rev. W. Jeffrey Paulish *
As of  2008, Rev. Paulish is Administrator, Church of Saint Elizabeth, Bear Creek. 		 2000-2004
* Living

Former Pastors of St. Thomas the Apostle

Rev. P. J. Colligan 1890-1899
Rev. Joseph J. O'Malley
  After leaving St. Thomas, he went to Plains		 1899-1911
Rev. Thomas A. O'Malley
  Born in Dunmore, Pa.
  Ordained 1900
  Died July 1919 of pneumonia at age 48		 1911-1913
Rev. James R. Lynch
  Before coming to St. Thomas, he was the assistant pastor at St. Mary's in Avoca for 9 years
  On July 7, 1917, Rev. Lynch was named by Bishop M. J. Hoban to be rector of the new Catholic parish at Miners Mills. 		 1913-1917
Rev. Joseph J. McGuckin
  Before coming to St. Thomas, he was at the Cathedral in Scranton for some years.
  On September 14, 1922, he was transferred to SS. Peter and Paul's Church in Towanda.		 1917-1922
Rev. James E. Donnelly
  Before coming to St. Thomas, he was rector at Bentley Creek		 1922-1925
Rev P. F. Cawley 1925-1929
Rev. P. J. McHugh 1929-1930
Rev. T. J. Burke 1930-1936
Rev. John F. Carroll  1936-1938
Rev. J. W. Loftus 1938-1941
Rev. William J. Ward 1941-1944
Rev. Thomas J. Knight 1944-1946
Rev. F. H. Durkin 1946-1949
Rev. Lawrence P. Weniger 1949-1951
Rev. Leo O'Malley 1951-1960
Rev. Bernard L. Grogan 1960-1965
Rev. Charles J. O'Donnell 1965-1966
Rev. J. A. Saltry 1966-1971
Rev. Thomas J. McDermott
(Ordained on May 26, 1956
Died October 10, 2003)		 1971-1975
Rev. William J. Wheeler 1975-1976
Rev. Joseph M. Horanzy  *
Rev Horanzy has retired from active ministry in 2007. Father Horanzy has served the Diocese since being ordained in 1959. He was an assistant pastor at St. Leo, Ashley; Sacred Heart of Jesus, Peckville; and SS. Peter and Paul, Plains. He was named pastor of St. Francis, Friendsville, and St. Thomas, Little Meadows, in 1976. The following year, he became pastor of SS. Peter and Paul in Avoca, and in 1982 he was appointed pastor of St. Casimir in Dunmore, where he served for 10 years before going to St. Stanislaus Kostka.		 1976-1977
Rev. Leonard J. Meckwood 1977-1978
Rev. William R. Culnane  *
Pastor Emeritus at St Dominic Parish, Wilkes-Barre (2009)		 1978-1980
Rev. Thomas J. O'Malley  * 1980-1985
Rev. Edward D. Huntsman 1985-1990
Rev. William J. P. Langan *
After leaving St.Francis Xavier and St. Thomas, Father Langan became Pastor at St Francis of Assisi and St Joseph Parish (St Mary, Wanamie), Nanticoke.
Father Langan is now (2009) Pastor, Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Mary Magdalen Parishes, Honesdale		 1990-2000
Very Rev. W. Jeffrey Paulish *
As of  2008, Rev. Paulish is Administrator, Church of Saint Elizabeth, Bear Creek. 		 2000-2004
* Living
Obituary of Rev. McDermott:
The Rev. Thomas J. McDermott, retired senior priest at Saint Rose of Lima Church, Carbondale, and a resident of Scranton, died Friday at Saint Rose of Lima Rectory, Carbondale.

He was born in Scranton on July 17, 1927, son of the late Harry and Lucille Curran McDermott. He was a graduate of Scranton Central High School.

Father McDermott attended the University of Scranton and Saint Charles College, Catonsville, Md., and received his bachelor's degree in June 1952 from Mount St. Mary's College, Emmitsburg, Md.

His studies for the priesthood were completed at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md.

Father McDermott was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1956, in Scranton, by the Most Rev. Jerome D. Hannan, D.D., late Bishop of Scranton.

Following ordination, Father McDermott served as assistant pastor of Our Lady of the Snows, Clarks Summit.

In 1967, he was appointed assistant pastor of Saint John the Evangelist, Wilkes-Barre, where he remained for two years.

He became assistant pastor of Saint Peter's Cathedral, Scranton, on Sept. 3, 1969, and one year later, on Sept. 8, 1970, he was appointed assistant pastor of Saint Aloysius, Wilkes-Barre, where he remained for two years.

In April of 1972, Father McDermott was named administrator of Saint Luke's, Jersey Shore.

The following month, he was named administrator of Saint Francis Xavier, Friendsville.

On Sept. 5, 1972, he became Pastor of Saint Thomas the Apostle, Little Meadows. After serving there for two years, he was appointed Pastor of Saint Thomas the Apostle, Elkland.

Three years later, on Sept. 6, 1977, he became Pastor of Saint Denis in Glen Lyon, followed by pastorates at Saint John the Evangelist, Susquehanna; Saint David's, Scranton; and St. Mary's, Wyalusing.

Father McDermott was named senior priest in July of 2000, and resided at Saint Rose of Lima Rectory, Carbondale.
He retired on July 3, 2002, but continued to minister in the Diocese.

In addition to his parochial responsibilities, Father McDermott served as assistant director of Camp St. Andrew, Tunkhannock, in June of 1956.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Grace, and brother, Dr. Harry.

Surviving are his sister, Ruth, Scranton; nieces and nephews.

A Vigil Mass will be celebrated at Nativity of Our Lord Church, Scranton, at 7 p.m., with Monsignor Philip A. Gray, V.F., presiding.

A Pontifical Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by the Most Rev. Joseph F. Martino D.D., Hist. E.D., Bishop of Scranton, on Tuesday, at 11:30 in the Nativity of Our Lord Church, Scranton. Interment will be in Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton.

Visitation will take place Monday, 2 to 7 p.m., and Tuesday, prior to Mass, at Nativity of Our Lord Church, 633 Orchard St., Scranton.

 

The Roman Catholic Parishes of  Sts. Francis Xavier/ St. Patrick in Friendsville and Middletown, and St. Thomas the Apostle in Little Meadows,
Pennsylvania, are part of the Diocese of Scranton, located in beautiful northeast Pennsylvania.
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