According to a history of The Church of Saint Catherine of Siena, which is posted on the organization's website, "The beginning of Catholicism in the North Pocono area predates the existence of St. Catherine's parish" with a significant relocation of Catholics to the area during the mid-1800s for mining and railroad jobs.
"The site of the church and churchyard was donated to the congregation in 1853 by William E. Dodge and his wife Melissa, owners of an area sawmill."
"[1] In response to the significant growth of the Catholic population in Northeastern Pennsylvania throughout the mid-1800s, William O'Hara was promoted from his position as the pastor of St. Patrick's in Philadelphia to the role of bishop in Scranton.
In 1884, Bishop O'Hara officially designated the Catholic community of Moscow as a parish, and appointed as its first pastor, the Rev.
Dennis J. Kane inspired the growing congregation during his tenure to raise funds for, and build, a new church, the cornerstone of which was laid on September 23, 1923 by Bishop M. J. Hoban.
"The new church, which was officially dedicated by Bishop Hoban on August 31, 1924, was designed by architect John J. Howley in the Tudor Gothic style, and was "built of fieldstone gathered from the vicinity of the Drinker Turnpike and nearby area" with a Spanish tile roof and altar and altar railing of Italian Carrara marble, windows from the Munich Studio of Chicago, Stations of the Cross by Daprato, and a baptismal font dedicated to the Rev.