About Us | Our History
The history of St. Edward Parish originates with Our Lady of Victory Parish in New Madison (present day Darragh), PA. On January 3, 1893, Bishop Richard Phelan of the Dioese of Pittsburgh appointed Father James Joseph McDonnell as the first pastor. The coal industry was a thriving business at that time in the area and the people of Sewickley and the surrounding townships attended the New Madison parish.
During the pastorate of Father Paonessa, a mission church was established in Herminie and given the name of St. Edward. Mass was celebrated in a rented building until a church was built on Sewickley Avenue. The first recorded baptism at St. Edward Parish was January 11, 1920.
Father Edward Kelly succeeded Father Paonessa as pastor of Our Lady of Victory. During his pastorate, both the church and rectory were destroyed by fire December 17, 1934. The congregation then began to attend church at its mission parish St. Edward.
During this time, Father Weaver, Father Michael Dravecky and Benedictine priests from Saint Vincent Archabbery in Latrobe assisted Father Kelly in the administration of the parish.
At the death of Father Kelly in 1946, Father Martin O'Toole was appointed pastor. He remodeled the interior of the church and built a rectory. During his pastorate, Westmoreland County was made a part of the newly established Greensburg diocese in 1952.
In July 1953, Father Albert Ackerman was appointed pastor. He purchased 9.5 acres of ground on the Herminie-Madison Road to be used for a school, convent, rectory and new church. The parish numbered at nearly 800 families.
To assist the pastor, the first resident assistant, Father William Coleman, was appointed in 1956. Other assistants who served the parish community included Father Edward Boley (1957), Father Michael Bienia (1958) and Father Alexander Pleban (1959).
In 1957, the school and convent were built. Four Sisters of Charity were assigned to live at the convent and opened the school with the first four grade levels in September 1957.
In January 1964, Father Charles Kobylarz was named pastor to complete the new St. Edward Parish complex. The beautiful present day church was built for a cost of $750,000 and dedicated in 1967.
During the pastorate of Father Kobylarz, the parish was also served by Fathers Pleban, Joseph Daugerdas (1966), Angelo Ciuffoletti (1968), Dennis Sheehy (1973), and George Alderson (1976).
After the death of Father Kobylarz, Father Pleban was named pastor in 1982. Father Lawrence Manchas served as pastor beginning in 1994, followed by Father Thomas Trupkovich in 2003. Father John Harrold was named pastor in 2007.
Serving the parish in recent years as parochial vicars have been Fathers George Alderson, Chester Raimer (1983), Terry Hercik (1986), Mark Purnell (1991), Anthony Ditto (1993), Edward Lewis (1997), and Anthony Carbone (1998).
In 1988, the Sisters of the Holy Spirit came to live at the convent and to administer to the parish school and other religious programs. The sisters served the parish until August 2004 when the parish school was closed. In August 2005, Northwestern Human Services began to rent part of the school to run a School of Autism. By 2007, they were renting the entire building as the demand for this school continued to grow.
In 2008, the church sound system was replaced and updated. In 2009, the church bell carillon was replaced and also updated. In 2010, the lighting in the church was improved and many of the main fixtures were replaced.
The parish census continues to report that we have nearly 900 registered families. The parish family is a "melting pot" that includes many various ethnic backgrounds. Today, the parish covers a nearly 25 square mile area and serves the people of Herminie, Rillton, Arona, Darragh, Hutchinson, Madison, Wendel, Herminie #2, Rolling Hills, Greenridge, West Hempfield, Linmore Acres, Renaissance, other parts of Sewickley and Hempfield Townships and the R.D. areas of New Stanton, West Newton, Irwin and Greensburg.