[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 115 (Thursday, July 1, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH ON ITS 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 1, 2021

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize St. Luke's 
Episcopal Church on the 150th anniversary of its first service at its 
edifice on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The occasion will 
be celebrated with a service and open house on Friday, July 2, 2021.
  St. Luke's Episcopal Church was incorporated at its initial location 
on Penn Avenue in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1852. Between 1850 and 
1860, the city rapidly expanded and increased in population, and a 
larger building was needed to accommodate the faithful who gathered 
each week to worship. The Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company donated two 
lots in the 200 block of Wyoming Avenue for the new church. On July 5, 
1866, the parish broke ground on its new building designed by top 
ecclesiastical architects Richard Upjohn and his son Richard Michell 
Upjohn in the Victorian Gothic style.
  On July 2, 1871, the St. Luke's Rector, the Reverend Able Augustus 
Marple officiated the first service with the Right Reverend William 
Bacon Stevens, the Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, delivering a 
sermon titled ``the Lord in his Holy Temple.'' The bishop administered 
the rite of confirmation during a second service that day. Congregants 
were in awe of the beauty of the new church, calling it ``an ornament 
to the city.''
  An architectural marvel, the church has been a significant structure 
in the city's skyline for the past 150 years, towering above Wyoming 
Avenue in the heart of downtown. It has undergone several renovations 
throughout its history. In 1905, the Jermyn family gifted a new altar 
and reredos, improvements to the chancel, a new baptistry, and new 
decor in the nave in honor of vestryman John Jermyn. The altar, 
reredos, and window design were done by Louis Comfort Tiffany of 
Tiffany Studios in New York.
  In 1898, Mary Throop Phelps funded the construction of the adjacent 
parish house in memory of her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Throop. 
The Throop Memorial Parish House followed the national tradition of 
Episcopal parishes dedicating a parish house to serve the community. 
St. Luke's provided a summer home for women and children, and under the 
direction of the then-rector Rogers Israel, the Parish House hosted the 
Girls' Friendly Society, the Boys' Industrial Society, and a free 
kindergarten.
  Today, St. Luke's continues to grow and prosper under the direction 
of priest-in-charge, Reverend Rebecca Barnes. She worked with the 
parish to establish Cypress House at St. Luke's which offers social 
services in the greater Scranton area. The parish is dedicated to 
social justice initiatives and community outreach, and remains an open 
and welcoming Christian congregation with a tradition of musical 
excellence.
  I am honored to join with Mother Barnes and the entire congregation 
to celebrate St. Luke's 150th anniversary on Wyoming Avenue. The parish 
has been an essential part of the Scranton community, providing support 
and respite for those who need it and an inclusive place for all to 
gather to worship. May St. Luke's continue to welcome the faithful to 
its historic building for generations to come.

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