First Mass

October 2, 1828

Documentation

• Diocese of Scranton — Saint Augustine Church: Oldest in the Diocese to Celebrate 200 Years of Faith and Heritage

Notes

Father Jeremiah Francis O'Flynn, a missionary invited to the region in 1825 by a Catholic layman named Robert Rose, established the first Catholic foothold in Susquehanna County. With authorization from the Bishop of Philadelphia, O'Flynn purchased farmland and oversaw construction of what became Saint Augustine Church. On October 2, 1828, before the building's completion, O'Flynn celebrated the inaugural Mass in the church's vestry—the first recorded Mass in what is now Scranton's diocese. The congregation grew significantly after that day. O'Flynn died in 1831 during a pastoral visit and was buried at Saint Augustine's cemetery. Confirmed exact date.