The publication is reproduced in full below:
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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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 115
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