Historical Sketch

It’s no secret that Fayette County – especially its county seat of Uniontown – flourished as a result of those seeking employment with Fayette’s abundance of coal and coke mines, where arguably the best metallurgical coal was ever discovered. The County’s population thus exploded with European (and particularly Polish) immigrants seeking a better life in America.

And while these various cultures had their own unique customs and languages, their “common ground” – worship – was found in the area’s churches.  Many Polish immigrants in Uniontown, in fact, were originally members of St. John’s R. C. Church.  A need was unfulfilled, however:  the ability to celebrate mass in their native tongue.

This need banded Polish immigrants together, who then forced the local Polish National Alliance Group (P.N.A.) #454 to do something about it by organizing a committee and appeal to Bishop R. Pheelan of Pittsburgh for the permission to build a church for Polish-speaking people.  Father Michael Krupinski, pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Connellsville, headed this committee, whose request was eventually granted.  Fr. Krupinski was then appointed the first administrator of the proposed church, and given permission to hold services for Polish people at St. John’s parish while funds were solicited to build it. 

Fundraising for the construction of the new church began, and on October 5, 1903, eight lots in the second block of South Mount Vernon Avenue (the current location of Gabler’s Drug Store) were purchased for Saint Joseph Parish from Charles G. O’Bryon.  [Andrew Solek made the purchase for the parish, and R. W. Dawson was the attorney.]  The purchase price as $2,000.00.  Physically, the most challenging part of the task was yet to come. 

With the purchase of the property, the actual construction of the church became possible.  Several volunteers, armed with picks, shovels, sheer determination, and a supreme faith in God, began the heroic task of manually excavating the foundation.  This effort is even more impressive because it was done after the volunteers had completed ten to twelve grueling hour shifts in the mines in an age when coal was mined with human muscle, and not continuous mining machines.  These heroic miners are known only to God; thus, it is fitting that in later years Father John Kaczmarczyk would construct a Marian shrine dedicated to the memory of these coal miners.

Our ancestors’ prayer for a Polish Church were answered on October 1, 1905, with the blessing of the cornerstone by the Father Ignatius Ostasziewski (the pastor of Saint Thomas Church in Footedale, who is credited with the establishment of all of the Polish Catholic parishes in this area).  The name Saint Anthony, incidentally, was chosen due to the great love of the Polish people for the man who so lovingly cared for the child Jesus and Mary His mother, as also because of P.N.A. Lodge #454 – so important in the realization of their dream – was under the patronage of Saint Joseph.  Fathers Ostasziewski and Krupinski continued to meet the spiritual need of the people of the new St. Joseph parish.  Then on January 31, 1906, Father Boleslaw Pawlowski was appointed the very first pastor of Saint Joseph Church.

Father Pawlowski dedicated 18 years of his life to the good parishioners of Saint Joseph.  The appointment of Father Pawlowski began a tradition of extremely capable and hard working pastors.  With Father Pawlowski’s guidance and direction, the people of Saint Joseph maintained their ethnic tradition, deepened in faith, and grew in the love of God.  Even though Father served in financially lean years, the cost of constructing the new church was paid in full, and a rectory and school/convent building were then constructed.  The rectory was built in 1907, and the school/convent building was completed seven years later, in 1914.  Land for a cemetery was also purchased in 1916.

The first classed at Saint Joseph School began in 1907.  The first teachers were the laymen Aloysius Kujawa and Joseph Pilarski.  They both taught for a total of 11 years, until the spring of 1918.  Three Bernadine Sisters from Reading, Pennsylvania operated the school, from 1918 until 1922.  From 1922 until it closed in 1970, the school was operated by the Sisters of The Holy Ghost (Spirit) of West View, Pennsylvania.

Father’s years of toil in the vineyards of the Lord took their toll.  His health declined and he was forced to request the aid of an assistant.  Assistance arrived in the person of Father Mieczylaus Drelak, who served ably from 1920 until 1922.  Father Pawlowski’s health continued to deteriorate until he was physically no longer able to serve the people of Saint Joseph.  Father Pawlowski resigned on February 16, 1924, and returned to his native Poland.  The spiritual needs of the parish were capably met by Fathers Drelak and Leo Buza, until May 15, 1924 when the Most Reverend Hugh C. Boyle, Bishop of Pittsburgh, appointed Father John Rokosz as the second pastor of Saint Joseph.

Father Rokosz assumed the pastorship in the difficult times leading up to the stock market crash of 1929 and the great depression that followed.  Even in these trying times, Father was able to build a second school building with a large social hall on the first floor and three classrooms on the second floor, remodel the church, and enlarge the existing convent.  Much of the remodeling work was done by parishioners who worked for the ecclesiastical wage of “sixty minutes per hour”.  Father Rokosz remained at the helm through the lean years of the depression and the early years of World War II. 

The magnitude of his contribution cannot be overstated.  His pastorship included the years of the great depression, when national unemployment stood at 25% and was much higher in the coal fields.  A daily wage of $3.75 was considered good, and a three-day work week was the rule.  With a spiritual guide and mentor like Father Rokosz, it is easy to understand the genesis of the Greatest Generation.  The parishioners were fortunate to have a spiritual guide and mentor such as Father Rokosz in such trying times.

Like his predecessor, Father Rokosz found it necessary to ask his Bishop, the Most Reverend Hugh C. Boyle, to relieve him of his pastorial duties.  Father’s request was granted on August 4, 1943.  That same year, Father Charles Kobylarz was then appointed as the third pastor of Saint Joseph by Bishop Boyle. A young man (just 33), Father Kobylarz came to Saint Joseph full of drive and energy, dedicated to the glory of God and to the spiritual and temporal welfare of His people.  Father assumed control of a financially sound parish, largely because of the prosperity brought to the country by World War II, and to the even greater prosperity in the years following that war.Under his leadership, a home was purchased for the nuns at the corner of Easy Street and South Mount Vernon Avenue. This purchase had the added benefit of creating two extra classrooms and a library in the space originally used as a convent.  New textbooks were purchased, and the first parochial kindergarten in the area was established.  The church was also refurbished:  the floor; the lighting system, the altars; and the stations of the cross.  All of this was paid in full, with money left over for the parish reserve fund.

Even with all the clerical work of parish renewal and renovation, Father Kobylarz still found time to personally visit and acquaint himself with the people of his parish, usually during the annual blessing of homes at New Year.  He was a man full of God’s love and compassion; his eyes would betray sadness when visiting the home of an aged widow and finding a faulty light fixture in need of repair.  Sometimes, he even commented to the altar boy at his side.

On March 10, 1951, the Diocese of Greensburg was carved from the Diocese of Pittsburgh.  Bishop Hugh L. Lamb, auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, was appointed first Bishop.  This was a milestone in the history of our church.  What had once been regarded with suspicion as an immigrant laborer’s church was now becoming part of mainstream society.  It was at this time that the Reverend Norbert Gaughan was appointed as the assistant pastor at Saint Joseph.  Fr. Norbert served the parish from 1945 until 1953, when he was transferred to Greensburg.  He first served as the assistant pastor at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, and then as secretary to the Bishop and Vice Chancellor of the Diocese.  Fr. Gaughan served as chaplain to the Benedictine Nuns of Saint Emma Monastery in Greensburg, Pennsylvania from 1962 until 1984, and according to Mother Mary Ann Noll, Prioress, Fr. Spoke often of his love for Saint Joseph Parish.  Fr. Gaughan was consecrated Bishop in 1975, and eventually was transferred to be the Bishop of Gary, Indiana.  He was called to the Lord on October 1, 1999.

Father Norbert was replaced by Father Gregory Rokosz, the first cousin of Father John Rokosz.  Father Gregory began his priestly career as a Franciscan, perhaps foreshadowing the assistance of the Franciscans in the years to come.  Father worked as a parish priest in Canada for six years before coming to Saint Joseph Parish.  He also taught in the school and was a guiding influence in the production of the 50th anniversary publication.  Other assistant pastors included Frs. Karol Sumicrast, Robert Feeney, Leonard Knuth, Joseph Turek, Anthony Wozniak, and Joseph Jamula.  “Bog Zaplac (May God reward you)”.

Father Charles Kobylarz served the people of Saint Joseph until January 19, 1964, when he was transferred to Saint Edward Parish in Herminie, Pennsylvania.  Father John Kaczmarczyk was appointed the fourth pastor of Saint Joseph’s. Father Kaczmarczyk came to our parish from Saints Cyril and Methodius Parish in Fairchance, at a time of the ecumenical movement and the changes dictated by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (Vatican II).  It was also the time when Saint Joseph Church would move from South Mount Vernon Avenue to our current location of Walnut Hill Road.

Vatican II has been described as the greatest religious event of the 20th Century, and only the second Ecumenical Council since the Protestant Reformation.  The Council promulgated 16 documents effecting Catholics and every aspect of Catholic Life.  Many obvious changes were made, such as the priest facing the congregation during Mass, the liturgy in the vernacular instead of Latin, and direct participation in the Liturgy by Lay Special Ministers of The Eucharist, and Lectors.  Facilitating the full acceptance and execution of the changes by the laity was the task of Father Kaczmarczyk and pastors all over the world.

Father Kaczmarczyk came well prepared to meet this challenge.  Father attended Saint Mary’s College at Orchard Lake, Michigan, studied two years of philosophy at Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary, and four years of theology at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania before being ordained by the Most Reverend Hugh C. Boyle, of Pittsburgh, on June 14, 1936.  Father served as assistant pastor or pastor at a number of churches before coming to Saint Joseph’s in 1964. 

The second major change faced by Fr. Kaczmarczyk resulted from the condition of the parish’s physical plant.  The state building inspector and the insurance company insisted upon immediate repairs to all of the buildings – especially to the school buildings.  An architect (Mr. Thad Pyzdrowski) was retained to plan the extensive remodeling.  The Diocesan Building Commission became involved.  The Commission examined the buildings, and the Mr. Pyzdrowski reported that appropriate remodeling would cost more than the construction of new buildings.  Another serious problem with the South Mount Vernon location was parking; the small parking lot between the school buildings had become inadequate for the enlarging number of parishioners, and new land for expansion was unavailable.  Eventually 18 acres in South Union Township, along the Uniontown Route 119 bypass on Walnut Hill was found.  However, it would take another 10 years for the new church to become a reality.

It was during this period of transition (1964 – 1974) that Saint Joseph Parish suffered the loss of its school.  The school was closed because the State building inspector and the insurance company declared the buildings unsafe.  A new school was initially planned for the sight, but due to the diminishing staff of nuns and the changing situation of Catholic Education all across America, the dream became impossible to fulfill. The school had been an integral part of the parish community since 1907.  At the time of its closing in 1970, the school was staffed by the Sisters of The Holy Spirit (Ghost).  In addition to staffing the school, the good sisters also served the parish by decorating the altars, caring for the sanctuary and sacristy, training altar servers, baking altar breads, conducting an annual census, preparing Christmas carolers, giving voice and instrument lessons, teaching catechism (CCD) classes on Saturdays, and teaching summer religious education classes.     

With the Grace of God, the hard work of Father John, and the cooperation of parish council, the new church was completed by 1974. The parish plant includes the church, which seats 400, the social hall, facilities for CCD classes, and a rectory.  It is truly a fitting place to contemplate the divine.  The parish campus contains the beautiful shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, built with sandstone from local mines in memory of the first parishioners who toiled in the mines, a statue of Saint Joseph who greets all visit, and a shrine containing the bells retained from the old Saint Joseph Church. There is, of course, ample parking.  The only thing lacking is a mortgage.  Father John was even able to burn this during his tenure. 

Father John was first and foremost a man of God, and a shepherd of His people.  He served the parish well in a time of transition.  Father’s abilities as an administrator and builder are beyond reproach as is evidenced by our beautiful parish plant.  His abilities in these areas were surpassed only by his love and concern for his flock.  Father strove to build a CCD program which could fill the void created by the loss of our school.  Programs were provided to train CCD teachers, and parents were made award of the need to rear their children as good Catholics.  Father took great personal pride in his ability to bring converts and fallen-away Catholics into the fold.  Father John worked to build a community of faith, and to create solidarity within the parish.  Convincing parishioners to abandon their spiritual home of 69 years was no mean task, but this was done with good example, kind words, and sincere honesty.

Father always encouraged people to grow in faith and to show initiative in parish affairs.  The choir’s Christmas album is a good example.  At about the time of the construction of the present Saint Joseph Church, it was suggested that the choir record a Polish-English Christmas album.  This entailed as it must many hours of preparation and even more of rehearsal.  It also required that Father John permit his church to be turned into a recording studio.  All of this was done with Father’s consent and approval, and now Saint Joseph choir is among the few to have its own Christmas album.

Like pastors before him, Fr. became ill in the service of the Lord.  As Father’s condition deteriorated, he became unable to fulfill his duties as pastor.  It was at this time that the administration of the parish fell into the capable hands of our Franciscan Benefactors.  Franciscan Fr. Richard Portasik administered the parish until May of 1984, when Father Joseph Tamilowski was appointed administrator and later fifth pastor of Saint Joseph Parish.  Father John passed away on October 22, 1984.

Father Tamilowski took charge of a parish that was financially sound, but because of Fr. John’s extended illness, was in a state of spiritual limbo.  With a spirit of kindness and concern, he set abut the task of revitalizing the parish’s spirituality.

Father came to Saint Joseph well prepared for the task.  He was born in Pittsburgh in 1928 and educated at Saint Mary College, Orchard Lake, Michigan, and Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary (also in Orchard Lake).  He was ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 1954, by Bishop Hugh L. Lamb in Blessed Sacrament Cathedral (Greensburg, Pennsylvania).  Father began his priestly career as parochial vicar at Transfiguration Church, in Mount Pleasant.  He later served as parochial vicar of Saint Mary Church in New Kensington, and at the former Saint Hyacinth Church in Monessen.  Father Tamilowski served as pastor at Assumption Church in Leechburg, Holy Spirit Church in Fayette City, Saint Barbara Church in Harrison City, and at the former Saint Hyacinth Church before coming to Saint Joseph in 1984.  He also served on the Diocesan Commission for Ecumenism, as an alternate on the Priests Senate, and as a moderator of the Diocesan Guard of Honor. 

Father Tamilowski’s tenure at Saint Joseph was short (only ten years), but significant.  During his pastorship, the interior of the church was painted, the parking lots were reconstructed with a new drainage system, and a handicapped-accessible restroom was provided.  Father’s watch was also a time of liturgical change.  The use of Special Ministers of the Eucharist was begun.  Meetings were held, and each Special Minister of the Eucharist was given a pix and a cross to be worn with the robe at Mass.  At first the Ministers were exclusively male, but eventually Father was able to introduce women to the service.  Initially the use of women, or even girls as acolytes, on the altar at Mass met with some resistance.  To accomplish this required the compassionate persuasion that only Father could provide.  Father Tamilowski also held a series of meetings for lectors and provided each lector with a lectionary titled Gospel Readings for the Liturgical Year of 1996, Year A.  This made it possible to arrive at Mass prepared for the reading.  On a lighter note, the Happy Helen’s club was also founded.

Father was especially proud of the spiritual accomplishments of the parish, including at the time five priestly vocations:  Father Joseph Sredzinski, Father Joseph Sabik, Father Thaddeus Kaczmarek, Father Leonard Stoviak, and Father Terry Hercik.  Later, two additional sons of the parish would also enter the priesthood:  Father William J. Lechnar and Father Douglas E. Dorula.  Others who chose vocations to the religious life include Sister M. Philomena (Blanche Zurowski); Sister Rose Marie (Rose Jajczyk); Sister Marita (Lucie Ann Juras); Sister Barbar Ann (Barbara A. Zawislan, now deceased); Sister M. Jolenta (Josephine Sredzinski); Sister M. Janell (Joyce Banko); Sister M. Rosalia (Julia Dzierwa, deceased); Sister M. Constance (Mary Boskowicz, deceased); Sister M. Bernarda (Anna Zurowski); Sister Ludwina Mucha; Sister Thomas Mucha; and Sister Naomi Suba.

Father Tamilowski also maintained an interest in the ethnic character of the parish, even going so far as to sponsor a booklet and presentation commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1787.

No history of Saint Joseph Parish would be complete without mentioning the invaluable and enriching service of the good Friars of Saint Anthony Friary of Oakland Avenue in Uniontown.  The Friars arrived during the stewardship of Father Kaczmarczyk, and have always been a vital asset to the parish celebrating Mass, administering the Sacraments, teaching CCD classes, and even administering the parish in times of illness and incapacitation.  Franciscan Friars who have served our parish include:  Fathers Gilbert

Maga, Louis Mihor, Bartholomew Koltner, Ambrose Larghetti, Marion Herrick, Paul Wild, Matthew Brozovic, Damian Cesanak, Joseph Portasik, and Richard Portasik, and Brothers Daniel Barrett, Damian Murkley, and Juniper Crouch.

Father Tamilowski passed away on May 21, 1994.  Again the Saint Joseph Parish family was forced to bear the loss of another beloved pastor.  One could sense a palpable sorrow.  The parish was in need of a vital, dynamic pastor, to “rekindle” our parish’s “fire". Prayers were answered in Father Alexander L. Pleban.

In June of 1994, Father Pleban was appointed our sixth (and current) pastor of Saint Joseph Parish by Bishop Anthony Bosco of the Diocese of Greensburg.  Born on May 9, 1930 in Wynn, Pennsylvania, Father attended Saint Fidelis College (Herman), Saint Mary Seminary (Baltimore, Maryland), and Saint Vincent College (Latrobe).  He holds a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and a licentiate in sacred theology, and was ordained on May 25, 1957 at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg by Bishop Hugh L. Lamb.  Father Pleban has served the people of the Diocese of Greensburg as an assistant pastor or pastor at a number of churches, including:  Saint Joseph, Everson; Holy Cross, Youngwood; and Saint Edward Church, Herminie.  His service to the diocese also includes instructor of religion at Greensburg Central Catholic High School, secretary of the Catholic Accent, director of the Bureau of Information, director of pilgrimages, Diocesan director of cemeteries, member of the Board of Consulters, member of the Priests’ Council, and member of the Priests’ Benefit Board.

Father Pleban is a priest of the people. The parish plant has “bricks and mortar” needs, as all parishes do, and Fr. has performed yeoman service in their attendance as is exemplified by the refurbishment of the church interior.  And of course, there is the maintenance of 18 acres of landscaped campus surrounding the church.  Other tasks of even larger magnitude have also been accomplished, such as the repair of the parking lots and the replacement of the church/rectory roof.  But Father’s first concern is the spiritual journey to salvation of the people of Saint Joseph.

Father Pleban’s greatest gift to the people of Saint Joseph’s has been – and is – his abiding concern and compassion for each and every member of the parish family, knowing many parishioners by their first names.  This concern and attention to detail give him a unique ability to preach and personally represent the teachings of Christ and the traditions of the Holy Roman Catholic Church to each individual in the parish. 

A hallmark of Christianity has always been its inclusively, as is evidenced in numerous scriptural passages, and in this first Century, Saint Joseph has grown from a small immigrant parish to a parish of approximately 600 families of various backgrounds.  While paying homage to our Polish heritage by celebrating our customs and traditions, such as the blessing of Easter Baskets, the sharing of Christmas wafers, and the singing of Polish hymns, we embrace individuals with a myriad of ethnic backgrounds.  Inclusively also means the participation of the laity in parish ministries.  Father Pleban has greatly expanded the opportunity of service to a larger number of parishioners through organizations such as Ministers of Consolation; Social Club; Saint Vincent DePaul Volunteers, Salt and Light Ministry, Adult Youth Ministry, and much more – and the parishioners have responded in a very positive way.  The number of parishioners serving in various ministries has tripled in the past ten years.

 Under the tutelage and guidance of Fr. Pleban, the parish has flourished.  Financially, the parish has never been better, and more importantly, spiritually has grown.  Mass attendance at Saint Joseph is far above the Diocesan (or even national) average.  We are truly a Christian community.  Father’s concern for his parishioners is reflected in their concern for each other, and is, perhaps, best summarized by the Parish Mission Statement:

“We the parish family of Saint Joseph’s are all God’s children, brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit and nourished by the Eucharist.  We are a warm people of God responding to His call to know Him better.  As believers, we will try to follow in the footsteps of Christ on Earth.  By our own lifestyles, we will strive to serve and give witness to each other, and the world around us.  This is our vision and the mission of this church family.”

May God grant that our next one hundred years be as fruitful.

Cover of the St. Joseph Parish Directory

Sketch of St. Joseph's old worship cite on Easy Street, Uniontown.

Shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary at St. Joseph, Walnut Hill Road

View of the parish complex from the Uniontown Bypass shortly after completion of construction

Current photo of St. Joseph's Church