Warmth: St. Malachy is a classic suburban neighborhood parish of about 2,500 households and nearly 7,000 people, of whom about 800 attend Mass on an average Sunday. The school hosts a little more than 100 elementary students. The new clergy have appreciated the neighborly warmth of the faithful, who also make a special effort at maintaining genial relations with each other.
Resilience: St. John of God is a legacy parish, emerging from several predecessor parishes mostly in McKees Rocks and Stowe Township. They retain two campuses and two churches, but use only one habitually: St. Mary, Help of Christians—a splendid example of ecclesiastical architecture, even though the parish has been scrimping on maintenance to save money. Registration records show over 1,000 households comprising 2,000 people, suggesting an older community. The faithful persevered through the 1992 consolidations, and they sustain several traditional devotions and community practices.
Energy: Holy Trinity is a lively parish with over 2,000 families comprising over 6,000 people, suggesting a comparatively young average age. The school hosts about 345 elementary students and over 100 pre-schoolers. The parish operates a small blizzard of ministries and organizations. About 1,600 people come to Mass each Sunday, and they seem to reflect the character of their suburban, often professional neighborhood.
So what else do I need to know? What have I not yet learned? What do you think I need to know about the three RocKenRo parishes or the communities in which they’re established? Send me a note (be sure to include your name, address, telephone, and/or email address) or send your parish office an email so that I and others can continue to fill in the picture.
—Fr. Dave
