Churches in Scranton

Active churches in Scranton

712 Linden St, Scranton
elmparkumchurch.org
50 sermons · 6 days ago

Types of churches in Scranton

Scranton Catholic Churches

Long-established parishes serve multi‑generational families across West Scranton, South Side/Minooka, Green Ridge, and downtown. Expect traditional liturgy, active sacramental life, and neighborhood events like Lenten fish fries and seasonal processions that reflect the city’s Irish, Italian, and Polish roots.

Student-Friendly Scranton Churches

Congregations near the Hill Section and Green Ridge welcome students from the University of Scranton and nearby campuses with late Sunday services, rides from dorms, and casual worship. Many offer small groups, volunteer projects at local shelters, and park cleanups around Nay Aug Park to connect faith with service.

Orthodox & Eastern-Rite

Scranton’s coal‑era immigration left a cluster of Orthodox and Eastern‑rite communities that preserve chant, iconography, and incense‑rich liturgies. You’ll find these historic congregations in Providence (North Scranton), South Side, and the Hill Section, often tied to Polish, Slovak, and Ukrainian heritage and feast‑day calendars.

Spanish-Language & Multicultural

As South Side, Pine Brook, and downtown welcome more Latino families, some congregations offer bilingual services and music that blends contemporary worship with traditional hymns. These churches often host ESL classes, cultural celebrations, and food assistance that bridge newcomers with long‑time Scranton residents.

Sermon clips from Scranton churches

45s
#ListenToGod
“Maybe that's where Jonah was. Maybe he was in a place where he needed to hear what God had to say to him. Maybe God sent the great fish literally figuratively because I would imagine that there's not much else to do inside of a big fish other than to hear from God. There's not much to do inside of a big fish other than to listen and to hear.”
46s
#HopeInTheDark
“I've never been swallowed by a great fish before, but I have felt surrounded. I have felt trapped. I have looked all around and seen no obvious way out. It stinks to be in those situations, and it's lonely to be in those situations. It's a dark place to be in those situations, and it's scary to be in those situations. I've never been swallowed by a great fish, but I bet that's what it would feel like.”
36s
#HealingJourney
“It's important to the integrity of the story that the fish didn't open up and allow Jonah to swim out and say, your Uber's here. Go ahead. It says that the fish vomited Jonah out onto dry land. It is graphic, and it is harsh, and it is violent. Because sometimes, when we've been in dark, scary, stinky places, it is graphic, and harsh, and violent In order to get out,”
33s
#GodsGrace
“That no matter how many times we fail, God still wants us, God still wants you, and God still wants me, and God still pursues That was true for Jonah when this story was written thousands of years ago, and that is true for us today. God wants us. God pursues you and me to fulfill the call that God has placed on and in our lives.”
55s
#NewBeginnings
“More often than not, we have the stench on us that comes from those choices and it doesn't go away fast, imagine. It's not pleasant, but in those moments, when we're vomited out onto dry land, it's in those moments that the work of restoration and renewal and hope can begin just like they did for Jonah. All of a sudden, this story that seems so far fetched and so outrageous, all of a sudden, it's quite relatable to us today.”
29s
#GodsLove
“story of Jonah above all else tells us that we are loved by God, we are pursued by God, and we are never ever forsaken. Look, it's not interesting to debate whether this is history or allegory, but it is interesting to debate where this story leads us today, in this world, for this time.”
37s
“That no matter how many times we fail, God still wants us, God still wants you, and God still wants me, and God still pursues That was true for Jonah when this story was written thousands of years ago, and that is true for us today. God wants us. God pursues you and me to fulfill the call that God has placed on and in our lives. And let's be perfectly clear about this.”
69s
#GodsGuidance
“God in many ways was like the GPS for Jonah. God called him to go somewhere, Nineveh. Jonah said, no, I'm not going to Nineveh. God warned him, stay on the highlighted route. Jonah gets on a boat. He gets on a boat in Jaffa and attempts to sail to Tarsus, which is the opposite direction of Nineveh where God wanted Jonah to go. The storm that brood might have been God saying, turn around when possible. Make the first legal u-turn. And then finally, when Jonah was thrown overboard, I can imagine and see saying, recalculating, as God sent the great fish to swallow Jonah. And did it work? Well, yeah.”
40s
“Maybe he was in a place where he needed to hear what God had to say to him. Maybe God sent the great fish literally figuratively because I would imagine that there's not much else to do inside of a big fish other than to hear from God. There's not much to do inside of a big fish other than to listen and to hear.”
48s
“Now, I've never been swallowed by a great fish before, but I have felt surrounded. I have felt trapped. I have looked all around and seen no obvious way out. It stinks to be in those situations, and it's lonely to be in those situations. It's a dark place to be in those situations, and it's scary to be in those situations. I've never been swallowed by a great fish, but I bet that's what it would feel like.”

Why Scranton churches are unique

Shaped by coal‑era immigrant roots and close‑knit neighborhoods like Green Ridge, South Side, and Minooka, churches in Scranton often worship in landmark sanctuaries and preserve multiple language traditions alongside American customs. These congregations highlight heritage through seasonal processions, choirs, and community gatherings while remaining welcoming to newcomers. Many reflect this blend with traditional liturgy and choral music, bilingual and multicultural services, and historic architecture and stained glass.
As a regional education and healthcare hub, Scranton churches are attuned to academic calendars and shift work, offering flexible service times and spaces for study, rest, and service‑learning. The result is a steady mix of students, residents, and young professionals who find spiritual formation alongside civic engagement. Look for ministries such as college student ministries, young adults and professionals, and small group culture.
Set in the Lackawanna Valley with four true seasons and a resilient, blue‑collar spirit, Scranton, PA congregations double as neighborhood support networks—especially for new Americans and families rebuilding after economic shifts. In response, Scranton churches emphasize practical care and family life, often offering food pantry and community meals, recovery and support ministries, and strong kids programs for young families.

Recent sermons from Scranton churches

Nearby cities: 5 churches in Binghamton 10 churches in Bethlehem 21 churches in Allentown 5 churches in Birdsboro 9 churches in Doylestown