Saints Peter and Paul Parish

Located in Plains, Pennsylvania, Saints Peter and Paul Parish was formed in 2009 and is the consolidation of the former St. Joseph, Sacred Heart, Blessed Sacrament, St. Francis of Assisi, St. John the Baptist, St. Dominic, and Saints Peter and Paul Parishes. in 2022, we welcomed the parishioners of St. Andre Bessette parish to our community.

Following the Polish Rebellion of 1863, death, prison, religious and political oppression were left behind as soon as escape from servitude became possible. Many Polish immigrants left and came to the United States. Among the immigrants, there were about 100 in Plains, who started to dream about establishing their own parish in their area, in their native tongue. They petitioned the Bishop of Scranton to start their own parish and in 1897 the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul was officially established. The first church was built in 1898, just being a small wooden structure. Then in 1923, under the direction of Rev. Anthony Dudkiewicz, a larger brick Romaneque style building was constructed, and is our current main worhsip site today. There are over 70 gorgeous stained glass windows imported from Munich, Germany, depicting the life of Jesus and Mary, Peter and Paul, as well as symbols of the Holy Church; stunning murals along the upper clerestory walls and ceilings depicting various saints and the four evangelists; and the large mural in the apse above the main altar depicting Jesus as King of the Universe, surrounded by our patrons, Saints Peter and Paul, and colorful angels against a beautiful blue sky and clouds. The art in our church is truly a collective masterpiece that the members of our parish community are proud to still have. 

In 2015, our parish gained another little gem when the old 3 manual Moller Pipe Organ was no longer functional. The parish ended up purchasing a Rodgers Infinity Electronic Organ to replace the old pipe organ. The special thing about it was that this specific organ was used at the 2015 Papal Mass in Philadelphia. Our Parishioners were very excited to gain a little piece of history like that, especially knowing it was played for Pope Francis. 

Our parish has been blessed with having a wide and very generous community over the past century. There have been 11 men from the parish to enter the priesthood, one becoming the Bishop of Detroit and Signaw. Thanks to the influence of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters who served our parish and school for many years, there have also been over 30 women who entered the Bernardine Religious Community. In 2019 the old school cafeteria/auditorium was completely renovated and converted into a stunning events hall, and was renamed The Bernardine Hall, in honor of the service that the Sisters have offered our parish. It is now available to rent for any type of event from Bingo and Night at the Races, to Weddings and Birthday Parties.

Mission Statement

As members of Saints Peter and Paul, we have as our mission the sharing of our faith and our talents.

We proclaim the Word of God through compassion for our community and the sharing of our treasures as Diciples of Christ.