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Saint Valentine Church
History
St. Valentine Parish began as a mission of St. Anne in
Castle Shannon in 1923. The first Masses were said in a home on South Park
Road. About two years later, a plot of land at the corner of West Library
Avenue and Ohio Street was purchased. The original St. Bernard Church
building was purchased, dismantled, transported from Mt. Lebanon, and erected on
that site. This church was blessed in the spring of 1926.
In September 1931, St. Valentine Parish was formally
established with Reverend Joseph Pikutis as the first pastor. Shortly
thereafter, the first rectory was built. In 1937, Fr. Pikutis was
succeeded by Reverend John J. Janok. Tragedy struck the parish on Sunday,
July 19, 1942, when fire broke out during Benediction after High Mass. The
fire left the church building in ruins. Despite the restrictions of World
War II and other difficulties, the parish pulled together to build a new church,
and the first Mass was said on Easter Sunday, 1943. Part of this church
building is now the parish administration building.
The parish continued to grow and prosper. To meet
the educational needs of our youth, the parish built St. Valentine School and
welcomed students for the first time in the fall of 1953 with eight
classrooms. Because of the need for even more space to accommodate the
large number of children in the parish, an eight-room addition was begun
immediately and completed in time for the opening of school in the fall of 1954.
Father Janok died in the spring of 1961, and Reverend
William Frawley became pastor. In 1965, the convent was built. This
is the building now known as Newman House. In the year 1965, ground was
also broken for the present church building. The first Mass in this church
was the Midnight Mass on Christmas Even, 1966. The church was formally
dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, 1967.
Father Frawley retired in 1977, and Reverend H. Michael
Kernan became pastor. In November of 1986, Reverend Phillip P. Pribonic
became pastor and served our parish until June 1995. Reverend John Harvey
replaced Fr. Pribonic as pastor for four years, from 1995 through 1999. In
November of 1999, Reverend J. Francis Frazer was appointed pastor and currently
serves as our shepherd.
Page groundbreaking on Jan 25 1998
Page last reviewed on xxxx
Page last updated on
September 25, 2007
Page Count 
since July 23, 2006
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