In the summer of 1971 the Most Reverend J. Carrol McCormick, Bishop of Scranton, arranged for Sunday Mass to be celebrated in the Steer Barn at Hemlock Farms. Services were scheduled for 11:00 a.m. every Sunday during the subsequent summers. In 1975 it became necessary to augment the schedule to include not only two Masses instead but also to extend the services from limited summer arrangement to a permanent all year-round accommodation.
In September, 1976, Most Reverend Bishop J. Carrol McCormick established a new Parish, with a Church to be built and dedicated to the honor of St. John Neumann, the first American male Saint, with parish boundaries encompassing all of Blooming Grove Township. In November of 1977 a parcel of land consisting of five acres was purchased by the Diocese on Route 739, Lords Valley.
On Memorial Weekend of 1978, a Memorial Campaign began in order to raise funds for the construction of a New Parish Complex. On August 3rd at the Final Report Meeting the sum of $300,000 had been pledged through the charity of parishioners and friends of St. John Neumann-Good Shepherd.
On August 26, 1979, the official Ground Breaking Ceremony took place when Reverend John J. Lipinski, the first Pastor, blessed the ground in the presence of the gathering of parishioners and friends.
It is hoped that the future history of this Parish, under the guidance of its Patron St. John Neumann and through the intercession of our Blessed Lady will be a long and glorious one.
BELOW IS A PICTORIAL HISORY OF ST JOHN'S
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