St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church - Smethport, PA
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 41° 48.580 W 078° 26.634
17T E 712327 N 4631802
This church was built in 1906 after the original structure was destroyed by fire. St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church still serves an active congregation in Smethport, Pennsylvania.
Waymark Code: WM5HYF
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 01/11/2009
Views: 6
From the parish web site
St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church
St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church has been around a long time! It was first established as a parish in 1869 with Fr. P.J. Patterson as pastor. Its new building was dedicated by Bishop Tobias Mullen on April 26, 1876. More than likely, the parish grew from the first-recorded Catholic Church in McKean County found in 1809 in the village of Instanter (Seargeant Township.)
The pivotal event in the life of our parish was the catastrophic fire on Dec. 23, 1904 when Fr. Patrick Cosgrove was pastor. As the church burned, its steeple fell upon the nearby rectory, setting it ablaze. Both buildings were completely destroyed for a loss of $20,000.
The parish suffered another devastating loss when the well-loved Fr. Cosgrove died the following April (please remember to pray for the repose of his soul). Fr. J.F. Dugan succeeded him as pastor and set to the labor of rebuilding. Priests came from 100 miles around for the June 10, 1906 dedication.
