THE HISTORY OF SAINT JOAN OF ARC CHURCH
The year 1970 marks the Golden Jubilee of St. Joan of Arc Church in Pocono Summit, PA. In the past fifty years the people of St. Joan's have recorded many interesting and joyful memories and countless blessings.
In the early 1900's there were only a few Catholic families in the Pocono Summit Village. The nearest Catholic church
was in East Stroudsburg. After 1909, Saint Mary of the Mount church was built in Mount Pocono, and it was not an unusual scene
to have families walking from the Summit to Mount Pocono on Sunday. In 1919 an idea was conceived to build a church in Pocono
Summit and a group of people organized the plans of the building. In 1920 the cornerstone was blessed for what would be Saint
Joan of Arc Church. On June 19th, 1921, the first Mass was offered by Rev. Patrick J. Boland, the first pastor of St. Joan’s. While the Church was being constructed the people attended Mass in the home of one of the parishioners. St. Joan's Church
is built on a plot of ground acquired from William J. Hines Sr. The Contractor was Allen Nauman. Amazingly, the church
was constructed entirely of native stones picked and hauled to the site by the parishioners. The stones where cut and formed
by hand by Mr. Nauman and his workers, Joseph, Paul and Nicholas DeSanto. Mr. Leveno DeSanto from the Summit made all the stone
archways over the windows and doors. The pews were made by hand by William Shiffer who also did the interior of the Church.
When all was done St. Joan's became part of the vast Pocono Catholic Missions. Rev. Patrick J. Boland was its' first Pastor and in
1926 Msgr. Connell A. McHugh, was named pastor until his death in 1968. Msgr. John M. Walsh took the reins in September 1968. In l970 we ask God to shower us with Graces that we may continue to work with the same trust and faith of those who built such
a humble and beautiful structure as St. Joan’s---"Our Church."
NOTE: History as recorded from the Golden Jubilee Mass
program in July 12, 1970.
