The two-hour Mass included a prayer of dedication including a blessing of the altar, church walls and the sprinkling of Holy Water.
Bambera was joined by the Diocese’s choir, and several local priests and deacons including Most Holy Trinity’s pastor, Brian Clarke.
New beginnings
In between prayers, worshippers at Sunday’s Mass noticed some familiar sights.
The church pews, brilliant stained glass windows and statues come from the consolidation of three Catholic churches: Saint Ann Parish, Tobyhanna; Saint Mary of the Mount Parish, Mount Pocono; and Saint Bernadette Parish, Canadensis. (The churches closed in 2019 and 2015, respectively).
And above the altar, shines a gift from the Cathedral of St. Peter in Scranton, placed there in 1967.
The church (and its many amenities) was once the site of the former Monsignor Mchugh School, which shut down in 2020 due to declining enrollment.
Sordoni Construction began the renovations in September 2021 with as many as 40 workers on site most days, according to a spokesperson for the Diocese.
Among them were community volunteers who helped with the building of the church including the altar and pews, along with confessionals, a bridal suite, religious library, sanctuary space, CCD classrooms — and even a coffee shop dubbed Trinity Treats.
Blessings
According to the Diocese, Most Holy Trinity has an estimated 1,682 registered parishioners as of 2021.
Bambera, who noted that it was his second time as bishop leading the dedication of a new church, addressed the faithful at the crowded Mass where attendance poured into adjacent hallways and corridors.
“(Of the) three different communities, it’s most beautiful image is captured from where my seat is — it’s all you. It’s the close to 600, 700 people gathered in this gorgeous space ... we (first) wondered, 'is it too big?' No, not at all. It’s so splendid to see it filled as it is today as a tribute to the power of God and the testimony of the church,” he said.
Diocese of Scranton Bishop Bambera led the Dedication Mass at Most Holy Trinity Church in Cresco. During the Mass, Bambera blessed the church using incense at part of the Eucharist.
“This moment never would have been possible if it wasn’t for the dedication, the determination ... and simply put the hard work and effort of countless number of parishioners of this community who never gave up on a dream to build this church, this house of God. In the midst of challenges, obstacles, disappointments and unexpected crosses that you were forced to carry ... you never once stopped believing in God’s promise.”
Mass times are 8 a.m. Monday - Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon (en Español) on Sunday.
If you go: 212 Route 390, Cresco, 570-595-3100, mht-poconos.org