During a time when families had to travel long distances to attend Sunday mass at Catholic churches, they requested the construction of a Catholic church in the Lee Park area of Hanover Township in the late 1890s.
The Rev. Richard A. McAndrew, who was the pastor of Saint Mary’s Church on South Washington Street, Wilkes-Barre, responded to their request in a meeting held in a carpenter’s workshop and bought land from the Shoemaker family at Barney and Division streets in South Wilkes-Barre with the initial plan of creating a mission chapel.
According to the Wilkes-Barre Record on April 22, 1899, this part of the city had experienced significant growth in recent years and a large portion of the population was Catholic, making the necessity for a mission chapel evident for some time.
Rev. McAndrew aimed to conduct one mass every Sunday afternoon at the chapel.
The ground for the construction of the new Catholic church in Lee Park was prepared and the construction of the building was set to commence in the week of Sept. 4, 1899, as reported by the Record.
The frame building measured 40 by 90 feet and was built by Kehoe & Mowerly, designed by architects Davey & McGlynn.
As the Saint Aloysius congregation grew significantly in the first two decades of the 1900s, plans for a new church were made.
The laying of the cornerstone for the new church took place at the southwest corner at 3 p.m. on April 25, 1926, with over 100 priests from various parts of the Scranton Diocese, nuns from different orders in the region, and several thousand people in attendance, according to the Record from April 26, 1926.
“Following the blessing of the stone… Bishop Brennan used a trowel to apply the mortar, incorporating the stone into the building,” as reported by the newspaper.
A copper box containing coins of various denominations, a history of the Saint Aloysius congregation, and other artifacts was positioned at the center of the cornerstone.
It took about a year to complete the construction of the new Saint Aloysius Church, as it is seen today. The general contractor was William A. Hildebrand. The main and side altars, along with walnut pews, were imported from Italy, and stained glass windows – with the largest portraying St. Patrick – came from Munich, Germany, as stated in the Record on Jan. 11, 1927.
The dedication ceremony occurred on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 1927, in a grand celebration mass presided over by Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, Archbishop of Philadelphia. Cardinal Dougherty arrived by train at the Lehigh Valley Passenger Station in downtown Wilkes-Barre on Nov. 23, 1927, and was welcomed by thousands of Catholics lining the streets on his way to Saint Aloysius Church.
“In the presence of more than 1,200 individuals, including nearly 75 priests from various areas in the Scranton Diocese, Cardinal Dougherty officially dedicated the new $300,000 Saint Aloysius Roman Catholic Church,” reported the Record on Nov. 25, 1927.
The dedication was filmed and shown as a motion picture at the Poli Theater on South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre.
The inside of the church looked amazing as the tall, white walls reflected the gentle light coming from the lights. In the middle aisle, from the back of the church to the sacred place, 40 Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus members were standing, each wearing a long coat, tall hat, and carrying a sword, reported the Record.
Two days after the new church was dedicated, the first marriage took place between Marguerite Prout, of Lynwood Avenue, Hanover Township, and William McGuire, of Oak Street, Wilkes-Barre, performed by the Rev. D. W. McCarthy, on Saturday, Nov. 26, 1927.
In 1953, Saint Aloysius Parochial Grade School, which had 12 classrooms, was built next to the church.
The plans to construct a high school behind the church didn't happen, and instead, a cafeteria was built on the site after the 1972 Agnes flood.
Following the closure of Saint Casimir’s Parish in Breslau, Hanover Township, and the merger with Saint Aloysius Church in 2010, the parish was renamed Saint Robert Bellarmine Parish.
To celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Saint Aloysius congregation, a special mass will be held by Bishop Joseph C. Bambera and the Rev. Richard J. Cirba, pastor, at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 28.
Reporter’s note: Ed Lewis graduated from Saint Aloysius Parochial School, where he recited the rosary numerous times as a punishment by the Sisters of Mercy when caught misbehaving, served as an altar boy, took part in the glee club, youth club, and the Stations of the Cross as the bad thief (still remember my lines), and received all his sacraments at Saint Aloysius Church where he serves as an usher.
