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Church History
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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 Pittsburgh appointed Fr. James Joseph McDonnell 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 Fr. 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 was on January 11, 1920.
Fr. Edward Kelly succeeded Fr. Paonessa as pastor of Our Lady of Victory. During his pastorate, both the church and rectory were destroyed by fire on December 17, 1934. The congregation there began to attend church at St. Edward in Herminie.
At the death of Fr. Kelly in 1946, Fr. 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 new Greensburg Diocese in 1952.
In July of 1953, Fr. Albert Ackerman was appointed pastor. He purchased 9.5 acres of ground on the Herminie-Madison Road to be used for school, convent, rectory, and new church. The parish numbered about 800 families. To assist the pastor, the first resident assistant, Fr. William Coleman, was appointed in 1956. Other assistants with Fr. Ackerman were Fr. Edward Boley, Fr. Michael Bienia, and Fr. Alexander Pleban. In 1957, the present day School and Convent were built. Four Sisters of Charity were assigned to live at the Convent and opened the school with the first four grades in 1957.
In 1964 Fr. 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 Fr. Kobylarz the parish was also served by Frs. Pleban, Daugerdas, Ciuffoletti, Sheehy and Alderson.
After the death of the Fr. Kobylarz, Fr. Alexander Pleban was named pastor in 1982, Fr. Lawrence Manchas was named pastor in 1994 and Fr. Thomas Trupkovich was appointed pastor in October, 2003. Serving the parish in recent years as Parochial Vicars have been Frs. George Alderson, Chester Raimer, Terry Hercik, Mark Purnell, Anthony Ditto, Edward Lewis, and Anthony Carbone. In 1988, the Sisters of the Holy Spirit came to live at the Convent and to administer the parish school and other religious programs until August, 2004 when the school was closed.
The parish continues to grow and numbers about 1,100 families. Our parish family is a “melting pot” that includes many various ethnic backgrounds.
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