About Us

St. Michael's Parish

As the number of those of Lithuanian heritage grew, they longed for a "Church of their own", and petitioned the Archbishop of Philadelphia to establish a parish. He assigned Rev. Gudaitis, pastor of Saint Peter and Paul, Tamaqua, to help the people form a parish. Early church records indicate many meetings and hard work to raise funds and find a site. Finally on May 30, 1916, the former Heptosoph Hall and Brainerd's Church on Spring Garden Street was purchased and the Parish of Saint Michael's officially began. Parishioners helped to remodel the interior by donating their labor and pledging their financial support. Old pews were purchased from Trinity Episcopal just across the street, an altar was ordered, and the men of the parish built the altar rail and predella. Just over a year later on August 5th, the Church was dedicated by Rev. Msgr. Peter Masson, V.F., former rector of Louvain University, at a solemn high Mass in honor of Saint Michael. Rev. Rastutis, assistant to Rev. Gudaitis, was appointed first resident pastor and rented a house to serve as his Rectory at 103 Spring Garden Street.
 

In 1918 a permanent Rectory was purchased at 114 Spring Garden Street. The Parish continued to grow and decided to make additional renovations to the interior of the Church. New side altars were added, statues of many saints were put in place and honored, and ceiling murals were painted. In 1929 the first pipe organ was installed to assist the sacred singing of the Mass. Later, stained glass windows reflecting the "art deco" look of the times were installed. A parish cemetery, Saint Mary Magdalene, was started in 1934 on land donated by Martin Lynchus in Williams Township.
 

Father Guadinskas, assigned as administrator in 1950, began a general refurbishing of the Church in 1950. The Wicks Organ company installed a new pipe organ reusing some of the pipes from the old organ and it was dedicated at a special concert. New pews and lighting were put in place and the exterior of the Church was repointed and stuccoed. When the former Episcopal manse next to the Church became available in 1954 it was purchased for use as a rectory and a new sacristy was built to connect the two buildings. When the steeple was destroyed by lightning, architect Hugh Moore, Jr., of Easton, designed a new bronze fleche to replace it in 1958.
 

In 1964 Rev. Gaudinskas was named Pastor of Saint Bernard's Church and Administrator of Saint Michael's, the parish no longer had a resident priest. Rev. Francis Connolly was assigned in 1966. He converted the Rectory into a Convent for the Sisters of Saint Joseph and simplified the church interior. His relationship with the other downtown pastors resulted in an ecumenical service held with Trinity Episcopal Church, a first for the Easton area.
 

Father Thomas Benestad arrived in 1980 and began renovations to emphasize the historical character of the Church. After the departure of the sisters the former Rectory became Holy Family Residence, a home for the Elderly. 1991 saw the celebration of the 75th Anniversary Year. Masses, an ecumenical service, and dinners were held to celebrate the history and ethnic heritage of the parish.
 

A Church of Their Own
 

The turn of the last century saw another of those great waves of immigration that enriched our country with the hard work and ethnic heritage of people “yearning to breathe free”. Lithuanians were among those coming to the United States and settling in Easton to seek the opportunity to build a new and better life.
 

Although the Mass was celebrated in Latin the people expected to hear the sermon and confess their sins in their native tongue. There was no priest in Easton fluent in the Lithuanian language to help nourish their faith and preserve their traditions. Some took the trolley to the new parish of Saint Mary’s (1902) in Alpha, New Jersey. The pastor, Rev. Charles Policsek, was fluent in the many languages of Eastern Europe and could minister to them. In August 1907 Rev. Kaulakis of Philadelphia was charged with the care of the Lithuanians and Poles in the Easton area. Mass was said at St. Bernard’s and later at St. Joseph’s and St. Anthony’s. Occasionally too, Rev. Vincent Dragis, Minersville, Rev. Anthony Milukas, Shenandoah, and Rev. Albinus J. Kaminski, Reading, would come to Easton.
 

Finally Rev. Peter Gudaitis, pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul, Tamaqua, was assigned by Archbishop Prendergast of Philadelphia to organize a Lithuanian parish in Easton. On 7 August 1912 a meeting was held and officers were chosen: Anthony Usas, president, Joseph Kriksciuskas, secretary, and Peter Maskauskas, treasurer. Dues were established at $15 for two years and could be paid 50 cents a month. $12.16 was collected at that first meeting toward the goal of a Church.
 

Over the next three years many meetings were held to discuss parish matters, to find a suitable site for a church, and to plan for the spiritual needs of the Lithuanian as well as the Polish families who were now moving to Easton. Names like Gostis, Ubavicius, Ruigis Songaila, Talaka, Rauktis, and Zansaitis are mentioned in the minutes. Father Gudaitis continued his trips from Tamaqua to oversee the growing group and for monthly Mass and confessions. At one point the committee wanted to buy property on Lehigh Street in what was then Palmer Township (now Wilson Boro). The Archdiocese did not approve and no explanation is given in the record. A few years later the new parish of St. Jane’s was formed a block away. Although there must have been discouragement the people continued to maintain their faith and work hard at raising funds.
 

On May 31, 1916 the Committee purchased Heptosoph Hall at Spring Garden and Sitgreaves Streets for a sum of $18,000. This building was originally constructed in 1853 as Brainerd Presbyterian Church and in 1896 became a Civil War veteran’s mutual aid and social club, the Imperial Order of Heptasophs. A wrought iron fence similar to the one across the street at Trinity Church surrounded the property.
 

The parishioners set about remodeling the building to suit the needs of Catholic worship. Father Gudaitis ordered an altar from a Pittsburgh firm for $425 and purchased Trinity’s old pews for $50. The men of the parish constructed the predella and altar rail. The original side altars were to the Virgin Mary and the Infant of Prague.
 

Despite having a Church there was still no resident pastor for the parish; Father Gudaitis was still making his monthly visits. In January 1917 the people petitioned the Vicar Forane, Msgr. Peter Masson, to ask the Archbishop for a permanent priest. Rev. Joseph Rasztutis, assistant to Rev. Gudaitis, was appointed first resident pastor and rented a house to serve as his Rectory at 103 Spring Garden Street.
 

On 6 August 1917, the Church was dedicated by Msgr. Masson, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Allentown, and former rector of Louvain University. He then celebrated a solemn High Mass in honor of Saint Michael. A homily was given in Lithuanian by Rev. Rasztutis and one in Polish by Rev. Wladislaus Rakowski. Rev. Michael Bosco and Rev. Francis Fasig served as Deacon and Subdeacon. Rev. John McCann and Rev. Charles Carmen of St. Bernard’s were present as well. The people finally had their Church.
 

Information is taken from the Golden Jubilee Anniversary booklet of St. Michael Church (1965) and the files of the Marx History Room at the Easton Library.