In 1900, at the beginning of a new
century, a group of men, many of them immigrants, were in search of a
church of their own. Years before many of these same men had settled
in a community they sanctioned from the city for themselves and named
it Greenfield because of the lush view of the green pastures. Having
begun to settle in and build homes for their families, seeing the
community growing and defining itself, they found themselves feeling
incomplete. So, these men, with the urgings of their wives, and whose
names are still carried on by a new generation in this very
neighborhood to this day, talked in earnest about something that would
complete them. Something to build for their future, the future of
their children, the future of the community that they loved. They
wanted a church and a school they could call their very own. And, too,
they wanted all that goes with it. Their own Pastor and Priests to
minister to their spiritual needs. And their own Sisters in the parish
to educate their children.
After much debate on where best to
situate their new parish and school the men decided that the best
solution was to buy the Barker family farm on Greenfield Avenue. The
property cost $18,000. These men decided to petition Bishop Richard
Phelan, then Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Chosen to represent
this delegation’s bold vision was Michael Guthrie.
While the men waited for Bishop
Phelan’s decision on whether or not to grant a new parish to the
community, the men went ahead and erected a frame building to be used
as a church. 
They never lost hope or faith that they would have a
parish as they waited for the Bishop’s decision.
Bishop Phelan was said to have labored
long over the decision because he foresaw many difficulties. One of
his fears was that it would infringe on the neighboring parishes and
perhaps cause conflicts when it came time to chose. But he could not
deny the merits of the study that Michael Guthrie had handed to him on
behalf of the delegation. And once seeing the strong, natural
demarcation between the other parishes he knew that it was the right
decision. He made the necessary arrangements to begin organizing a new
parish to be called Saint Rosalia.
Father Henry McEvoy was appointed the
first resident pastor. He took up his residence in the Barker mansion
in 1901 which served as the priest house until 19?? When the new house
was erected. Father McEvoy immediately began to organize the parish.
Which, was met with great enthusiasm and assistance making the
transition more of a fulfilling adventure than one of great anxiety.
Part of the organization process was to
provide a school for the education for his growing parish. Saint
Rosalia School was opened during Reverend McEvoy’s pastorate in 1903.
Six sisters of Charity taught in a makeshift building for the next
eight years until the civil authorities condemned it and ordered it
closed in 1911. 
At the same time, after only a decade of administering
to the parishioners, the parish took another blow during those
formidable years, Reverend McEvoy decided to retire and return to
Ireland.
It was a difficult period for many
parishioners but the strong spirit that helped create the parish
reemerged. As the parish continued to grow and its prospects for a
thriving future parish obvious, the will of the people once again
overcame this hardship. Many of the “old timers” often said that it
was the power of their prayers that brought a resolution to the
troubled spirits.
In January of 1912 Father Faughnan was
appointed pastor of Saint Rosalia Church to succeed Father McEvoy.
Father Faughnan’s first major project was to erect a new brick school
building with twelve classrooms and offices. This solved the serious
problem of there being no parochial school in the parish during the
latter part of Father McEvoy’s pastorate because of the condemning of
the initial school building.
The new building was staffed by the
Sister Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The parish spirit was
once again revived and rededicated to educating the children in the
great Catholic tradition. On February 3, 1913 the doors to Saint
Rosalia School were opened and three hundred and sixty-one children
were enrolled. The education of the children was to be overseen by
Sister M. Loyola until the new school could be fully staffed. In
September of 1914, Sister M. Alphonsine was placed in charge. Also in
that same year, the school was enlarged to include a commercial high
school for boys.
Sister M. Germaine, who was the
administrator of the order in Scranton, Pennsylvania, was concerned as
to where the sisters would be housed since there was no convent.
Father Faughnan explained to Sister. M. Germaine that the top floor of
the building would be made to accommodate the Sisters and assured her
that the facility would be perfectly suitable.
In 1927 Central Catholic High School
was opened and it was then that Saint Rosalia restricted the high
school to girl students.
Once the school was completed Father
Faughnan concentrated his energies to erecting a permanent church. The
church that now stands at 411 Greenfield Avenue is a monument to him
and his parishioners whose continued vision made it happen. An
interesting note is that Father Faughnan told his parishioners that
the church would not open its doors until every penny of the expense
was paid. The cost was about $350,000. When the first mass was offered
in 1923 the Church had been completely paid for.
Also during this time Father Faughnan
searched for a suitable convent out of necessity. As the school grew
so did the number of Sisters necessary to insure their quality
education. In 1922, the building on the corner of Lydia Street and
Greenfield Avenue, (Now the Greenfield Organization) was purchased
from Henry Lawrence. A member of the parish, Henry Alter, later
enlarged it. It served as the convent until 1957 when the new high
school and convent were dedicated.
Father Faughnan died on February 26,
1936. He was succeeded by Father Matthew Coghlan. Father Coghlan
carried on in the fashion of his predecessor. With the parish
continuing to grow he saw the demand for an enlarged school
facilities. He began to prepare and save for the expansion but died
before he was able to realize his vision for the parish. Father
Coghlan died on April 24, 1954.
He was succeeded by Father Raymond J.
Dougherty, the Director of DePaul Institute. One of the first
decisions made by the new pastor was to see that the original school
building which was still standing, known to the parish community as
the Lyceum, was torn down. The razing was done in September, 1954 and
the vacancy it left became known to the students as The Pit until the
new priest house was erected.
In 1955, Father Dougherty celebrated
the first evening mass in Saint Rosalia history on December 8th.
It was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Continuing Father Coghlan’s dream
ground was broken for the new school facility on October 21, 1956.
Little more than a year later, Gaudete Sunday, December 15, 1957 Saint
Rosalia High School and Convent was dedicated. The school functioned
as a complete twelve year program for the next fourteen years with
great energy and enthusiasm and with many accomplishments and honors
garnered by its students
In June, 1971, due to the decline in
High School enrollment, the last class graduated. But the same will
that founded the parish rose again and began to forge a new identity.
In September, 1971, the Elementary School students in grades five
through eight moved into the high school building for classes. In
1979, a Kindergarten was opened in part of the same building.
As those who headed the parish before
him, Father Dogherty had plans for the future as well. He had planned
to build a new priest house that would replace the old Barker mansion
that was aged and in disrepair. In the summer of 1974 Father Dougherty
retired as Pastor of Saint Rosalia leaving a sizable fund stipulated
for use for the construction of the new priest house.
Father Paul Conroy became pastor of St.
Rosalia in 1974 and implemented the plans for the new priest house.
Father Conroy died during his pastorate in 1993. He was succeeded by
father Joseph Reshick who still presides over the parish. (Please take
a moment and meet Father Reshick by clicking onto his link
Message From the Pastor).
As the population within the city has
continued to decline over the last decades the parish has once again
been forced to adapt. St. Regis Parish in neighboring Oakland, was
forced to close its parish elementary school due to declining numbers
and rising tuition costs, in June, 1980. Students from St. Regis
Parish are bussed to Greenfield to attend St. Rosalia Academy.
Through the eighties and nineties Saint
Rosalia School has continued to demonstrate the great assimilating
qualities that has been its trademark since its founding one hundred
years ago. The strengths of the school are great and numerous. From
its dedicated teachers, to its parental organizations, to the students
sense of being where they belong. In an environment that has been
constructed for each student to have every single opportunity to grow
to their potential in every aspect of their personality.
Since taking over the high school
building in 1971 the school facilities are equal to any grade school
in the area. As one of its foundations, Saint Rosalia has taken
computer education and placed it within the curriculum at the start of
the students education. Language is introduced in kindergarten, along
with signing, and taught throughout the eight years. Extracurriclar’s
are both educational, demanding, and fun. The student to teacher ratio
provides a strong learning environment for a curriculum that is
rigorous, Catholic and superior. An education that has prepared the
students for the demands of a Catholic high school education in the
Pittsburgh Diocese. Saint Rosalia Academy students have gone on and
achieved high acclaim in both high school, college and beyond in ever
single field of human endeavor.
Saint Rosalia School was renamed Saint
Rosalia Academy in 2002. The academy enrolls students from PK3 to 8th
grade.
Footnotes:
The men behind the dream of the Saint
Rosalia Parish. The delegation the conceived and created the parish of
Saint Rosalia Academy.
Henry Alter, William Doyle, John
Michael, James Durkan, John King, Martin Murtaugh, Dan Deeley, Frank
Keelan, Hugh Boyle, Hugh Donnelly, James Lynch, Terry Burns, Lou
Schadle, Charles Kleppick, Eddie Cochran, Michael Collins, Walter
Butler, Bobby Emmett, Mike Whalen, Thomas Murphy, Edward Roche, Miles
McNiff, Frank Evans, Bernard McNally, James Austin, James Mahon,
Michael Guthrie, William Gallagher, Michael Cain, Dan Neuman, Ed Dolan
These men are remembered with fondness
and gratitude. And the will, the spirit and the strength to endure
that helped them bring their dream to fruition is still felt in the
parish community to this very day.
Fun Info: The first Saint Rosalia boys
to graduate from Central Catholic High School were:
R.D. Cullen Joseph Lee
Regis L. Egan John McCrane
James Holleran Patrick McGuire
T.J. Horgan Frank Sprouls
William Lavelle
