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     Situated in the heart of Northeast Pennsylvannia's coal mining region, St. Michael's has a history as unique as the area itself. Much of the Scranton area was built by emigrants from various nations, who came to the area around the turn of the century (just after the civil war era) seeking employment.
These emigrants arrived in Scranton, often banding together in geographical area's founding neighborhoods and different ethnic organizations and churches. Most of the Lithuanian emigrants around that time had to attend Mass at St. Joseph's in North Scranton.
It was in January of 1913 that a group of men formed the St. Stephen's Society. This was a fraternal group who went about the area enlisting names of all families interested in founding their own parish in West Scranton. In 1914 the Most Reverand Bishop Michale J. Hoban of the Discese of Scranton gave the commitee permission for the establishment of a new parish with Father Adam Lopatto as pastor of the new St. Michael's parish. Services were conducted in the basement of St. Pat's a few blocks down from where the new church was being constructed. The new church was completed 2 years later.
Several years later, under the direction of Msgr. John Boll (who was pastor in 1933) a New Church was errected to replace the existing one which had become much to small to suite the needs of the growing community. This new church, with a spacious auditorium, and the capicity to fit 400 people, was dedicated on April 12, 1942.
      Many years later, due to a decrease in the number of parishioners, as well as a shortage in diocesan priests, the future of St. Michael's looked very uncertain. In the early 1990s it looked as though the bishop would be forced to close St. Michael's doors and merge the parish with St. Patrick's.
However, a series of Blessings were soon to rain upon St. Michael's parish.
In response to Pope john Paul II's call to administer to the needs of those faithful with special attatchment to the Traditional Latin Liturgy, Bishop James C. Timlin had, some 5 years earlier, invited the Priestly Fraternity Of St. Peter into the Diocese, and in 1995 Father Daniel Openheimer of the FSSP was assigned to St. Micheal's as pastor. New life was once again breathed into the struggeling parish as Masses filled up with Faithful Roman Catholics enjoying the Tradtional Latin Liturgy.
     Since that time, the FSSP has staffed St. Michael's by offering the Traditional Latin Mass 7 days a week (both low and High Masses are offered.) There is an English Liturgy offered (said by visiting priests) to those remaining parishioner's who are a remnant of the original Lithuanian founders.
The current parish is a rather unique one to the area. People come from as far away as New York State to enjoy the Tridentine Mass as said via the 1962 Missal. Parish activities abound once more, and under the Current leadership of Father Carlos Casavantes, the church has gone through some much needed repairs.
    The Parish here at St, Mike's is alive with activites. Rosaries are said, meetings held, Banquets and Social activities continue pumping life into this extremley exciting parish. Every Sunday is said a High Mass with the heavenly sound of our Choir chanting various selections for the liturgy. The Smell of incesnse, and the sounds of Gregorian chant rise up to heaven on a weekly basis. The joy of people who are able to celebrate the Liturgy as all Catholic's were once allowed to, radiates as a star in the heavens celebrating the Grace of God that has been showered upon St. Michael's.
    May The Lord continue to bless us and keep us all in a spirit of Charity and Reverence as we worship our creator in the Holy Sacrafice of the Mass.