According the “Truth Teller” a newspaper from New York City dated August 31, 1839 Rev. Mr. O’Reilly was pastor of Silverdale (Silver Lake Susquehanna County) and the Towanda Division. This meant that the Irish Canal workers would have access to a priest and so they came to Bradford County. On March 17, 1841, 500 Irish men marched on Towanda’s Main Street to honor their patron Saint Patrick and it was not long after that that Father John Vincent O’Reilly and the Irish immigrants built a small frame church that served all of the Roman Catholics in Bradford County. This was the birth of Saint Peter and Paul’s Parish in Towanda.
The committee planning the events for the Anniversary has set the time frame for the celebrations to run from Pentecost May 15, 2016 to Pentecost June 4, 2017. The main event for the celebratory year will be held on June 29th 2016 the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul when Bishop Joseph Bambera of the Diocese of Scranton will celebrate Mass followed by a banquet at the John F. Kennedy Parish Center located at Saint Agnes School. Other events to be held during the anniversary year will include a concert, Mass at James Street Cemetery where a marker will be dedicated to the parishioners of the parish whose bodies were moved from the first cemetery to the current cemetery in 1951, Mass at Ireland’s Catholic Cemetery located on the State Road in Standing Stone Township, Thanksgiving Harvest Dinner, Mardi Gras Party, Tour of the present Church which was built in 1867 and completed in 1879 that will include a history fair and a closing concert. There will be a historical booklet prepared, time capsules filled for future generations and a new parish photo directory to commemorate the 175th anniversary. Another milestone will be celebrated during the anniversary year that being the 100th anniversary of the construction of the beautiful shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes that stands on the parish property next to SS. Peter and Paul’s Rectory. That celebration will take place on August 15, 2016 the actual date that the Grotto was completed in 1916.
The theme for the Anniversary is History, Heritage and Handing on what God has Given to Us.
More details will be available for each event during the terquasquicentennial year as the date approaches.