Saint Miriam Parish and Friary

I have been in the area for 15 years. In that time, I had not found a congregation and/or a church community that I felt a part of, until coming to St. Miriam. They are so very welcoming and really follow through on working in the community and for those in need. I not only attend church here now, but also teach in the parish school as well! Great message and GREAT people.

I work at Saint Miriam School as the STEAMM educator, and my 18 month old son attends. The students love coming to my classroom each day exploring the wonderful world in which we live. The smiling faces and vibrant energy that accompany the students as they enter the classroom makes it all worth the effort.

Best school around!!! Not only is it one of the safest schools but clean and so friendly. As I walk down the halls for a tour I was met with “Hellos” and “How are you” from teachers, administration and priest. My soon to be 3 month old baby will be enrolled when I return to work. Sad to be going back to work, but relieved that he will be safe and loved by everyone at the school.

I attended this Church most recently and what a great experience. Unlike any Catholic Church I have been in before, at the sign of Peace- everyone actually moves about hugging, embracing and welcoming. I felt like family. Without question, as the priest said during his homily- love lives in this place. I am certain, Jesus would call this Church home!

Zion Preschool at Saint Miriam is the best! They provide a learning environment which enables the children to have fun while learning, structured but not stuffy. The staff is amazing. They really care about the best well being of each and every student.

***This review is for Father James St. George, Pastor of Saint Miriam and officiant of our October 2014 wedding.***

Charismatic, warm, compassionate, charming... Father Jim made my Roman Catholic mother's dreams come true by traveling to our site -- The Colonial Dames -- to officiate our wedding. From our first email interactions, I felt at ease with Father Jim. When we first met Father Jim on our wedding day, I was unable to stand or sit due to my bad back. As I was trying to lay on several chairs, Father Jim kindly offered his stole to be used as a pillow, and to keep my hair from getting flattened.

Hardly any aspect of our wedding was traditional, and our tailor-made ceremony was no exception. Selecting sections from Father Jim's wedding ceremony handbook, we were able to add many personal touches. One of our final special ceremony moments was the inclusion of a letter box --or envelope -- ceremony. In advance of our wedding, we asked our parents to write us a letter to be opened on our one year anniversary. In addition to these letters, my husband and I also wrote special words for one another.

When we came to this point in our ceremony, my mom was supposed to bring the envelope up to Father Jim. Just as my husband and I were finding it too difficult to fight off our tears of joy, we were interrupted by my mom's voice yelling, "Where's the envelope?!" Turns out my dad was sitting on it. Father Jim turned this awkward family moment into a touching and kind joke. He had all of our guests laughing with -- rather than at -- my dad.

Father Jim will always have a special place in our hearts and we are forever grateful to have met him.

During my college years with the Jesuits at the Univeristy of Scranton, I discovered my love of my Catholic faith, attending masses that were relevant, uplifting, moving an beautiful. Since that time, I have struggled to find that peace, welcomeness and inspiration in a parish home. I struggled for17 years to find it, to no avail. Then I found St. Miriam's.

I am home again.

St. Miriam's is a welcoming, friendly, uplifting and accepting place to worship. From the first Mass I attended with my boys, we felt as if we had joined a family, not a church. The mass itself is traditional, with incense and the traditional language of the mass, not the "new version." But it is also modern, with upbeat, beautiful music, meaningful sermons, an extended sign of peace, and the celebratory use of bells.
Msgr. Jim and Father Joe are excellent priests who take the time to get to know all of the parishoners and are always there for you, day or night, when you need guidance or comfort. The deacons, Pat and Dorothy (yes, they are women, and Dorothy is Fr. Joe's wife), are also excellent, and bring a lot to the table to enhance and support the ministry of St. Miriam's.

I cannot say enough about what a wonderful place it is, and I thank God every day for leading me here. It is vitally important to me that I have found a Catholic Church that demonstrates to my children that their divorced, gay father is loved by God and the community for who he is. I am so happy to have found a Catholic Church without the hypocrisy, without the condemnation of people's lifestyles or where they are in life. Whoever you are, divorced, straight, gay/lesbian, raised Catholic, Baptist, Prostestant or whatever, single mom, traditional family just starting out, everyone is fully accepted and welcomed just as they are, just as God made them.

Won't you come and join us some time?

St. Miriam is the church community my family and I were searching for. It helps us worship the God that we believe in, a Loving, accepting and forgiving Lord.

We found so much, an accepting clerical family, a loving community, a positive spiritual experience and knowledge that we can contribute and help.

I was looking for a spiritual home - a place that lived out the ideals of acceptance, fellowship, and justice. For me, St. Miriam's is that place. Worship at St. Miriam's feed's me spiritually through wonderful liturgy and fellowship with some truly terrific people!

My child came here and I loved it so much I became an educator....watching it grow to what it is now has been an amazing journey and watching the kids grow is always fun....and wonderful staff and administrators highly recommend

Great church. Everyone is friendly.

Thankful such a welcoming place exists!

NOT a Catholic Church, FYI