Our Lady of Joy Parish History
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A DECREE CANONICALLY ESTABLISHING THE DISTRICT PARISH OF MARY, CAUSE OF OUR
JOY (OUR LADY OF JOY) HOLIDAY PARK PLUM BOROUGH, PITTSBURGH
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In order to provide more effectively for the welfare of souls, it has become necessary
to establish a district parish for the faithful living in the district known as
Holiday Park, Plum Borough, Pittsburgh.
Accordingly, with the counsel of the Diocesan Consultors and the pastors of the
adjoining parishes, we have established effective June 10th. 1968 the new district
parish of Mary, Cause of Our Joy (Our Lady of Joy).
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...Thus was Our Lady of Joy Parish established with Father Francis V. Marchukonis
being appointed the first Pastor.
Sunday Masses, for the first three years of the parish, were celebrated in the auditorium
at Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Monroeville. Construction of the first rectory,
located further down O'Block Road from the site of the proposed church building,
was begun in June, 1968. The garage of this rectory was converted into a chapel
for weekday Masses, baptisms and confessions.
In the Spring of 1970, a building committee was established to oversee the construction
of a multi-purpose building to accommodate the worship of 700 to 800 people, several
classrooms and a church hall. The cost for this new building was $400,000. The building
was dedicated on September 19, 1971. In 1975, the new rectory adjoining the church
was completed and the old rectory was sold. On the Tenth Anniversary of the parish,
a mortgage burning celebration was held with Bishop Bosco in attendance. In 1993,
a major renovation project was undertaken that saw the construction of the church
vestibule; purchase of a new organ, pews, carpet and sanctuary furniture; plastering
of the church walls and refurbishing of the church ceiling. Our Lady of Joy Parish
has always been a faith community noted for its number of young families and numerous
children.
Without its own Catholic school, Our Lady of Joy Church has needed to rent a public
school facility, with its twenty-five classrooms, to provide religious instruction
for elementary grade level children. Junior high school students and senior high
school students use the church facilities on three consecutive evenings. Current
enrollment in the Religious Education Program (CCD) stands at 700 young people.
Father Robert J. Cedolia was appointed administrator of Our Lady of Joy Parish in
June, 1996. On January 1, 1997 he became the second Pastor of Our Lady of Joy Church.
Over the years, numerous parish organizations have formed with many dedicated volunteers
serving the parish community. Under Father Cedolia's leadership we formed a Pastoral
Council, Holy Name Society, Knights of Columbus, and the revitalization of the Christian
Ladies of Joy.
In the Fall of 1997, the Children's Liturgy of the Word was instituted at the 10:00
AM Mass, the liturgical music program was expanded to include a children's choir
and cantor training and the parish began an Evangelization and Outreach program.
Over those years, the parish family was provided many opportunities for spiritual
growth with several Mission Renewal weeks and Evenings of Reflection.
Father Cedolia's strong commitment to building community among the People of God
of Our Lady of Joy has seen the institution or re-establishment of a quarterly Newsletter,
Pancake Breakfasts, Fellowship Sundays, an annual Parish Festival, Parish Family
Picnic, etc. etc.
In 2000 Our Lady of Joy began to work with the Paulist National Catholic Evangelization
Association (PNCEA) to implement their newest ministry -Parish Planning with an
Evangelical Perspective. This parish planning began with a Parish-wide survey regarding
our present and future needs. Based on the results that were brought forward, we
began a process to develop a plan of action and to look at our place in the larger
church. The following Vision Statement was adopted for our Parish: "One Body, nourished,
healed and renewed by Christ, joyfully sharing our faith with all". A long range
plan was developed for the next three years that encompassed the areas of parish
life that were seen as most lacking and most important. This has begun within the
parish a sense of future ministry that is based in the People of God, and promoted
by the pastoral needs of the Church.
Father Albin C. McGinnis was appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Joy Parish on January
2, 2004, by Bishop Donald Wuerl, thus becoming the third Pastor of Our Lady of Joy.
Father McGinnis, graduated from St. Fidelis High School, and earned a B.S in Philosophy
from Duquesne University while attending St Paul Seminary. Father then attended
Mount Saint Mary Seminary, in Emmitsburg, MD, where he finished his seminary education
in 1977.
After being ordained on October 1, 1977, at Saint Paul Cathedral by the late Bishop
Vincent Leonard, Father's first assignment was to Saint Sebastian Church in Pittsburgh.
He served there until 1981 and was assigned to Sts. Peter and Paul in Beaver as
a Parochial Vicar. After only two years he petitioned the Bishop to assign him to
Campus Ministry at Robert Morris College and the Penn State Beaver Campuses. He
served these campuses for five years. He then served as Pastor of St. Ann, Waynesburg
for 12 years, serving in the Diocesan College of Deans for 9 of those years. While
working in Waynesburg father was chaplain to Waynesburg State Correctional Institution,
Greene County Community Hospital, and Waynesburg College. After working for two
terms in Greene County the Bishop agreed to his request to work in Chimbote, Peru
with the Society of St. James the Apostle Missionaries. His work in the missions
lasted for almost three years, but had a lasting effect on his life and priesthood.
He worked and lived among the poorest of the poor in Peru and helped establish the
new parish of San Luis Gonzaga. When he returned from the missions he was assigned
as Pastor at Our Lady of Joy.
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