Saint John Neumann Church - Pittsburgh, PA
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member HandyHiker
N 40° 33.639 W 080° 04.297
17T E 578595 N 4490400
Located at 2230 Rochester Road Franklin Park Saint John Neumann the original contemporary building was dedicated in May of 1982. A multi-million dollar annex was added in 2005.
Waymark Code: WM82X4
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 01/17/2010
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member silverquill
Views: 4

A Bit of History about the Saint and the Parish
(Taken from SJN Welcome Packet)

Saint John Neumann, as a student in Bohemia, yearned to be a foreign
missionary in far-away America. Ordained in 1836 by the Bishop of New York, he trudged the Niagara frontier for four winters. He built churches, established schools, and was loved by children everywhere. In 1840 he joined the Redemptorists, but a decade later, by order of Pope Pius IX, he was consecrated fourth Bishop of Philadelphia. He traveled his vast diocese by canal boat, stagecoach, railway, on horseback and afoot. Master of eight languages, he found use for them all in his quest for souls. He was a pioneer promoter of the
parochial school system. He was first in America to establish a diocesan schedule of the Forty Hours. He invited several religious orders to his diocese, befriending them with his kindness.
At forty-eight, worn out from his apostolic endeavor, he dropped dead in the street. His remains now repose in the crypt of St. Peter’s at Fifth and Girard in Philadelphia. When Benedict XV declared his virtue heroic, he remarked: “You are all bound to imitate Venerable Neumann.”

Saint John Neumann Parish was established on July 2, 1979 as the 321st
parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh to serve the families of Franklin Park and surrounding areas. Fr. William R Bovard was appointed pastor and 356 families joined the new parish. The first mass in the parish was celebrated on July 8, 1979, at the Franklin Park Fire Hall. Early masses were also held at Heritage United Presbyterian Church on Rochester Road.

On September 13, 1981, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new church took place on the property at 2230 Rochester Road. Bishop Vincent Leonard dedicated St John Neumann Church in May of 1982.
Early in 1994, registration was at its peak with 1400 families registered at St. John Neumann. On February 12, 1994 the new parish of Sts. John and Paul was established in Wexford, and as a result of redistricting, about 300 SJN families became members of this new parish. Since 1994, parish growth has almost offset the effects of redistricting with registered families now numbering
about 1450.
Type of Church: Church

Status of Building: Actively in use for worship

Date of organization: 07/12/1979

Date of building construction: 09/13/1981

Dominant Architectural Style: Contemporary

Archdiocese: None

Diocese: Diocese of Pittsburgh

Address/Location:
2250 Rochester Road
Pittsburgh, PA United States
15237


Relvant Web Site: [Web Link]

Associated Shrines, Art, etc.: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
To log a visit to this waymark, you must post at least one original photo of the site, give the date and a brief description of your visit.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Roman Catholic Churches
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
HandyHiker wrote comment for Saint John Neumann Church  -  Pittsburgh, PA 02/05/2010 HandyHiker wrote comment for it