On October 9, 1993, three great parishes with nearly a century of history each, merged into one to forge a new beginning and a new future. St. Joachim, St. Philomena and St. Rosalia came together to create the new St. Rosalia Parish.
Nearly one hundred years ago the many faithful people of The Run, Greenfield and Squirrel Hill gathered together to form a parish for the worship of God in their respective neighborhoods. As our new parish was formed it was with fond remembrance and profound appreciation of the rich traditions of the past that we began to build our future. We remember the sacrifices and the faith of the women and men who brought their Catholic parishes to our neighborhoods. We ourselves must lay a foundation for the future so that the generations to come may gather to give thanks to God for His many gifts.
As a new parish, as has been all of our history, we come from many places and many experiences. Our histories tell us where we have been and how we arrived on this day, it does not tell us the future. But, it has been our guide and has helped set the groundwork for our tomorrows. It is with deep conviction, that we know we will be led and guided by the same Spirit of God.
Today, with so many aspects to parish life and to community needs, volunteers are a precious and vital resource for any church. Fortunately for St. Rosalia parish, we are truly blessed. For every need or call for assistance, our parishioners always fulfill that need and answer the call. We have many ministries in our parish: Lectors, Eucharistic and Personal Care Homes ministries, Bereavement, St. Rosalia Academy School, CCD… The list is many. Service and love are our great stone in our parish. And we continue to build that foundation on our love of God and our Service to Him.
Many people brought their talents in service to our new parish and in building our parish spirit. Each one of us plays a large part as we continue to build this spirit. We must support each other as we move forward on our faith journey and continue to make St. Rosalia the center of our faith community.
May He bless all the members of the parish today. We thank all those faith filled people, of yesterday and today, who have gifted us with this treasure. We ask all to come and join us as we continue our journey into the future with Christ.