Diocese: Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania
Deanery: Frackville Deanery
Address
131 N Willow St
Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania 17851-1122
Email:
Website: stmichaelsorthodoxchurch.org
Parish Contacts
Lay Leadership
Directions
From I-81 north or south
Take exit 116 “Mount Carmel/Minersville”. Follow Route 901 (Mount Carmel exit) approximately 6 miles to the small town of Marion, PA. Cross intersection after going down Merrian Mt. Go several blocks to Hickory St and make a left onto 2nd St. (Note: the distance between I-81 to Mt Carmel is approximately 9 miles.) Follow 2nd St several blocks to North Willow St. Make a right one block up North Willow and the Church is located at the corner of North Willow and West Ave.
(The rectory is a white house with green brick foundation located directly behind the Church. Note that while going down Merriam Mt, you can see a row of various churches on the skyline. Our silver domes can be seen and St Michael’s is the last church on the corner of Willow & West Ave. Mt Carmel is 25 miles from Frackville, PA. Holy Ascension Church in Frackville is the closest Orthodox Church to Mt Carmel.)
Schedule of Services
Services are in all English with a little Church Slavonic on Feast Days.
5:30 PM Great Vespers.
Saturday Evening
9:00 AM Divine Liturgy.
Sunday Morning
5:30 PM Daily Vespers.
Wednesday Evening
5:30 PM Festal Vespers.
Eves of Great Feasts
9:00 AM Divine Liturgy.
Mornings of Great Feasts
Confessions
After Vespers or upon request
Pentecost Sunday Parastas and blessing of Graves schedule varies and those interested are to leave a message at the rectory and someone will get back to them. The cemetery is located on “Merrian Mt”.
For up-to-date information about services, please refer to the service calendar on the church website.
Parish Background
In 1906, a group of Russian-speaking immigrants in the vicinity of Mount Carmel, PA felt the need for a place to worship our Lord Jesus Christ. A Brotherhood dedicated to St Michael was organized and contacted the Chancery in New York about building a house of worship. In 1907, with the blessing of the hierarchs, construction of St Michael Church began. The building was completed the following year.
Our parish has been blessed with many wonderful pastors. One of the most beloved and longest serving pastors was the Very Reverend Andrew P. Dedick, who became pastor in 1938 and served here until 1967. During that time, Father Andrew and Matushka Anna became truly the “Father and Mother” of the parish and were endeared not only to the congregation but to those of other denominations in the community. They cared about the parish and the people and were driven to educate the parish in the Orthodox Faith. Father Andrew was well known for his writings and prepared many articles for the local newspaper. He also translated the Gospel lessons into modern English. A large granite cross was erected at the parish cemetery, the location where Father and Matushka were laid to rest in honor of their work.
We take an active part in the life of the greater community and we have supported numerous charitable causes for many years, including the victims of a Union National Bank fire which left many people homeless. The parish currently provides assistance to the local food bank and other charities. We recognize the importance of working together with other religious organizations and churches in witness to our neighbors of the loving aspect of the Christian Faith.
Saint Michael’s strives to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything He has commanded” so that all people may be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. We do this by witnessing to the fullness of the Gospel of the Kingdom to the peoples of the Coal Region in PA (and by God’s grace, beyond the region), and in the power of the Holy Spirit, by revealing Christ’s way of sanctification and eternal salvation to all.
We invite anyone interested in authentic Christian worship to come and see, and join us in this labor.
