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Millstones
in Holy Family Parish History
June
13, 1856 - Bishop O'Connor's letter sanctioning the erection
of a parish in Latrobe . Father James O'Connor first pastor
January
18, 1857 - First church erected.
May
15, 1858 - Rev Jerome Kearney appointed pastor. Latrobe parish
had about 30 families.
1861-
First school opened. Taught by a Lay Teacher.
February
4, 1863 - First church destroyed by windstorm. Rebuilt and dedicated
on September 6, 1863.
March
1864 - rectory built
1868-
Convent built. Mercy nuns came.
1874
- Two masses arranged for Sundays.
1899
- Rev Anthony Gallagher - first assistant pastor.
1907
- New church dedicated.
1917
- Addition to rectory added.
1919-
New alters placed in church.
1921-
Walnut Street school dedicated by Bishop Boyle on September 18
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First
Baptism ----- February 8, 1857 ---John Murray, son of Patrick
Murray and Mary Culleton ---- Sponsors: Bernard Fanney and Katherine
Maher ----- Offciant: Rev. J. A. Keogh
First
Marriage ----- October 21, 1857 ----- William Minahan of New
Castle and Katherine Scanlon of Maryland ----- Witnesses : Joseph
Head and Katherine Fenton.
First
Conformation -----November 6, 1859 -----Sponsors were William
Head and Sarah Head.
The following received Conformation: James Fenton, Michael Minahan,
John Minahan, Robert McCarthy, Michael Brannock , Joseph Blakely,
Frances McGuire , Joseph Shanefelter, John Lonergan , Patrick
McGuire , August Griffen , John Williams , Anna Geary , Eleanor
Kelly, Mary Keefe , Rose Ann Kerr , Mary Towl , Suzanne Heaney
, Laura Lamb , Mary Martha Showalter , Mary Ann Showalter , Elizabeth
Franklin, Mary Franklin , Catherine English , Julia McDonald
, Katherine Seubert , and Francis Lonergan.
Deceased
----- First Burial May 1858.
Rosalie Hoover, 10 years of age ---- June 1858
Katherine McBride, 19 years of age ---- May 1858
John Hoffman, 35 years of age ----- October 1858
James Showalter, 30 years of age ------November 1858
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Did
You Know?
David
Williams paid 250.00 for the block of land between Chestnut and
Walnut streets and fronted by Ligoner street, which he donated
to the construction of a Catholic Church in 1852.
Since
Holy Family Parish started on June 13, 1856 there has been three
church buildings on the site.
Holy
Family's firs pastor, the Rev James O'Connor, was a close advisor
to Saint Katharine Drexel.
Holy
Family was a part of the Pittsburgh Diocese until 1951.
When
the bells were placed in the second Holy Family Church in 1863,
Archabbot Boniface Wimmer of Saint Vincent performed the blessing
ceremony.
The
first church on the site was only 60ft X 40 ft dedicated in 1857.
The
cornerstone of the present Holy Family Church was laid in 1905
The
main building materials of the present church are as follows:
On the exterior Holmsburg Granite trimmed with Indian Limestone,
the roof being of green slate. The interior is of Indian Limestone
for the trimmings and columns, chestnut for the interior walls
and marble for the floors.
The
churches bell tower was originally toppled off by a tall steeple,
but was removed after being struck by lightning several times.
The
stained glass windows were deigned and executed by Harry E. Goodhue
of Cambridge Massachusettes
At
one time parishioners would rent the pews they sat in . Since
Holy Family's start there have been twenty six pastor 's that
have served here, 12 popes that have served the church and twenty
nine presidents that have served the United states.
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