Scranton ◆ Pennsylvania
Parish founded in 2023 Church founded in 33 AD
Nativity Closing Mass Info
All the info in one place
Click on the flyer to take a closer look at what's planned for Pentecost Weekend, or look below for more information about specific events.
Join the Choir!
Help us make the Mass more beautiful by volunteering for the choirPast and present choir members, parishioners, and alumni of Nativity and Marian Catholic Schools are encouraged to participate.
Rehearsals will be held on Wednesday evenings beginning on May 7th from 6pm - 8pm in the Church. If you no longer live in Scranton but plan to visit for the final mass, an additional rehearsal will be held at 11:30am on June 8. Please provide your contact information using the form to the right if you plan to participate. You can also reach out directly to our Ryan Caviston, our Music Director, at ryanpaulcaviston@gmail.com.
Sing in the Choir for the Closing Mass
Saturday, June 7th at 11:00 AM
Morning Prayer in honor of Fr. James O'Reilly
Fr. James O'Reilly founded Nativity in 1903, but tragically died before seeing the completion of the church. The structure had been built, and Masses were being held in the lower chapel, but funds were still being raised to complete the upper level. In grief, the people petitioned Bishop James Hoban to allow them to bury him in the floor of the lower sanctuary.
Now the time has come for him to be laid to rest elsewhere. The necessary work to explore the site has been completed, and we are prepared to exhume him and reinter him. Our plan is to bury him on the hill of our parish cemetery, Sacred Hearts Cemetery, next to Bishop Henry Klonowski.
Sacred Hearts Cemetery was selected so that he can stay with us in South Side. It was decided to bury him next to Bishop Klonowski because it was reported that prior to his death, the bishop asked to be buried on the hill of the cemetery so that he could "watch over the flock". It is fitting that now both of these holy men will watch over the flock of South Side until the Lord returns.
Saturday, June 7th at 4:30 PM
Final regular vigil Mass
We will have the regularly scheduled Saturday evening vigil Mass at 4:30 PM. We will not have the regular Sunday morning 9:30 AM or 11:00 AM Masses.
Saturday, June 7th at 7:00 PM
Final Mass in Spanish
The Mass in Spanish at Nativity Church was first celebrated in the 1990s. Small at first, the community initially gathering in the lower chapel. Eventually the Mass was moved to the upper church as the community continued to grow and made Nativity home.
In mid-2022 the Mass was moved to Sacred Hearts to support Faith Formation families, but many in the community have great love for Nativity Church.
As this is not the closing Mass itself, we will not perform any of the closing rituals, but it will be a final opportunity to pray in Spanish. The closing Mass itself will be completely in English.
Saturday, June 7th from 8:30 PM to Sunday, June 8th at 10:00
Eucharistic Adoration through the night
At the conclusion of the Mass in Spanish, at about 8:30 PM, we will expose the Blessed Sacrament for Adoration. Sit vigil with the Lord during the night in prayer as we prepare for the closing Mass. Then at 10:00 AM on Sunday morning, we will conclude Adoration with Morning Prayer and Benediction.
To ensure that the Blessed Sacrament is not left in Exposition without anyone in the church, please consider signing up for an hour during the night. You can use the form on this page to sign up. We need a minimum of two people per hour, but we would ideally like at least five.
Here is a list of hours we still need the minimum number of people to sign up, but you are welcome to come at any hour and stay as long as you like. We will update this list until all the hours are full.
Highlighted in red means that we need at least one more for the minimum of two. Highlighted in grey means that at least two but less than five have signed up. Highlighted in green means that five or more people have signed up for that hour.
Sat. 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Sat. 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Sat. 11:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Sun. 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM
Sun. 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Sun. 2:00 AM - 3:00 AM
Sun. 3:00 AM - 4:00 AM
Sun. 4:00 AM - 5:00 AM
Sun. 5:00 AM - 6:00 AM
Sun. 6:00 AM - 7:00 AM
Sun. 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Sun. 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Sun. 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Sunday, June 8th at 1:00 PM
The Closing Mass
Beginning at 1:00 PM, we will celebrate our Closing Mass. Come to say goodbye to this incredible and cherished place. The Mass will likely take at least two hours, possibly as long as two and half.
We are still planning all the individual elements of the liturgy, but certainly we will conclude with veneration of the altar, where all assembled will be invited to come forward and kiss the altar. We will then gather outside the front of the church, and the doors will be ceremoniously locked.
Sunday, June 8th ~3:30 PM
Eucharistic Procession and fellowship
After the veneration of the altar, and the locking of the doors, we will form a Eucharistic Procession, and all are invited to walk with our Lord to Sacred Hearts Church. The distance is about 3/4 of a mile, and will take about 30 minutes. In the procession, we will carry the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, as well as the parish's Paschal Candle which was blessed at this year's Easter Vigil.
At the end of the procession, we will gather in Sacred Hearts Church for final prayers to conclude the liturgy. Afterwards, all are invited to the auditorium at Sacred Hearts School for refreshments and fellowship.