St Mary’s Church circa 1911

              Prior to the creation of Saint Mary’s Church, the faithful in Pleasant Valley, as Avoca was known at the time, were ministered to by the priests of St. John the Evangelist Church in Pittston. During these years, Pleasant Valley, lying three miles northeast of Pittston, was gradually growing and the Catholics became so numerous that Mass was said in the village school house on alternate Sundays for their accommodation. A lot was secured and on Sunday, July 30, 1871, Bishop William O’Hara laid the cornerstone of St. Mary’s Church, and preached on the occasion.
             During the building of the church Mass was continued in the school house. The church was dedicated on July 26, 1874 by Bishop O’Hara, and the Reverend Charles F. Kelly preached the sermon on the occasion. In October of the following year, Reverend Michael F. Crane was named the first pastor of St. Mary’s, and immediately took up residence next-door to the church.
The name of Pleasant Valley was changed to Avoca Borough in 1887 when the townspeople petitioned to have the post office moved to a more central location. To avoid confusion with an already existent Pleasant Valley, the citizens chose the name of Avoca, which means “sweet vale” in Gaelic. St. Mary’s Church was rededicated on March 26, 1895 when the new steeple was installed. The church was rededicated a third time on September 21, 1913 after extensive repairs were made to the church edifice following a mine subsidence.
On August 1, 1921, the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary agreed to staff the new parochial school which opened its doors on September 2, 1921 with an enrollment of 500 students.
              The Reverend Henry P. Burke was assigned as the second pastor of St. Mary’s on January 17, 1922 upon the death of Father Crane. He built a convent for the nuns and dedicated it on July 23, 1923. He put a brick veneer on the church and renovated its interior. He constructed a new rectory and moved the old one to the lot next-door in 1937.
              The Reverend Edward J. Gaffney served as the third pastor of the parish on September 11, 1940 but died on April 28, 1941. The Reverend Michael F. Sweeney was appointed as the fourth pastor of St. Mary’s on May 9, 1941. Under his direction, the interiors of the church and rectory were repainted and a three car garage erected behind the rectory. Father George A. Jeffrey served as the next pastor, appointed on July 1, 1946. He was known for his gardening prowess, and his garden bloomed with flowers which graced the altars of Saint Mary’s every Sunday. He undertook renovations of the school and convent. In 1963 he was named a Monsignor by Pope John XXIII. Monsignor Jeffrey died on December 8, 1966 of a heart attack. On January 25, 1967, Monsignor Joseph A. Griffin, Ph. D. was named the new pastor of St. Mary’s. Shortly after his arrival, he began a building program to install a new altar designed to face the people in conformity with the liturgical innovations of Vatican II. Wall to wall carpeting was installed, and the confessionals remodeled, all with the long range view of one day constructing a new church.
              The Reverend Thomas J. Carlin was appointed the seventh pastor of Saint Mary’s on September 3, 1974 when Monsignor Griffin relinquished his pastoral duties to accept the assignment of chaplain at the Marian Convent in Scranton. St. Mary’s Parish was to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding that year. He undertook a major renovation of the church interior in the late 1970s that simplified and altered it dramatically. He also added a side door to the church building, allowing entrance by handicapped parishioners via a new ramp.
Following the retirement of Father Carlin, the Reverend Eugene Gunning was appointed pastor of St. Mary’s on September 6, 1983. One of his major accomplishments was to eliminate the parish debt, which at the time was $85,000. He was succeeded by the Reverend James J. Walsh, J.C.L. on July 8, 1991. Father Walsh‘s efforts were directed toward the parochial school and the liturgical life of the church. He recruited and trained new extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and commissioned them to bring Communion to shut-ins each month. He also created the parish’s first finance council and pastoral council. Father Walsh expanded and improved the parish cemetery, which was founded in 1871.
               The Reverend Leo McKernan succeeded Father Walsh as pastor in July 1996. He renovated the now abandoned convent building and turned it into a Parish Community Center. He also improved the school curriculum and the parish religious education program. On July 1, 1998, the Reverend Joseph Elston was assigned as the new pastor of St. Mary’s. He began restoration work on the church in April 1999 in anticipation of the parish’s 125th anniversary. In 2007 the Reverend Philip Sladicka was appointed pastor. During his tenure, the parish school, which had been recently closed, was turned into a Sunday school building and the gymnasium became a Parish Hall. The convent was demolished and the parking lot expanded. Saints Peter and Paul (Polish) Church was linked with St. Mary’s Church, and then in October 2011 the two parishes were merged into one to form “Queen of the Apostles Parish.” Saints Peter and Paul Church and rectory were sold, and the church demolished.
               On July 1, 2025, the Reverend Thomas J. Petro, J.C.L., KCHS, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus (Polish) Church in Dupont was named also the pastor of Queen of the Apostles Parish in Avoca. He serves as the pastor of both parishes while maintaining his residence in Dupont and administrating offices in both rectories. On October 1, 2025, he was named the Judicial Vicar of the Scranton Diocese by Bishop Bambera, in addition to his two parochial responsibilities. Father Petro has sought to clean and improve the properties of St. Mary’s Church, hall and rectory, as well as the two cemeteries of Queen of the Apostles Parish, while addressing the parish’s considerable financial debt. In August 2025, the church’s antiquated audio system was improved and in November the non-operative electronic steeple bell system was replaced and the mural of the Ascension of the Lord on the ceiling of the church, which had been damaged by water, was restored.