Holy Family
Hooversville
PA

• Roman Catholic churches in Hooversville, PA
• Roman Catholic churches in Pennsylvania
• Roman Catholic churches in United States
• Roman Catholic churches near me
• All churches in Hooversville, PA

Holy Family is serving the Hooversville community and engaging and encouraging others through a life-changing journey in Hooversville, Pennsylvania.

Our mission is to nurture a diverse and welcoming community, committed to following fearlessly wherever God is leading us and make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of Hooversville and the world!

Download Holy Family vCard with Mass Times

Download Pastor Rev. Karl Kolodziejski, O.F.M., Conv. vCard

Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic churches in Hooversville, Pennsylvania, United States

Roman Catholic churches in Pennsylvania, United States

Roman Catholic churches in United States

All churches in Hooversville, PA

https://www.dioceseaj.org/parish-finder/

Rev. Karl Kolodziejski, O.F.M., Conv.

Pastor

(814) 798-2933

(814) 798-8601

Deacon Joseph W. Visinsky

PO Box 187
Hooversville, PA
15936

Daily - 8:00 a.m. (Except Wednesday - 6:30 p.m.)

Holy Days - 6:30 p.m. (Vigil), 8:00 a.m., 6:30 p.m.

Saturday - 4:00 p.m.

Sunday - 8:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.

Confession Schedule:
Saturday - 8:00 a.m., 10:15 a.m.

Mass Times last updated on the 16th of October, 2020

HISTORY OF HOLY FAMILY PARISH, HOOVERSVILLE, PA (Golden Jubilee Holy Family Church, Hooversville, PA)

In the early 1900's the booming coal mining industry brought to Hooversville and its surrounding areas many miners of the Catholic faith. The small community did not have a church to serve their spiritual needs. The nearest churches were in Windber and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The majority of the Hooversville Catholics were members of St. John's Church in Windber. However, the lack of transportation facilities resulted in rather infrequent attendance at mass. For many, the only means of getting to church was by walking the distance of ten or more miles. The unswerving loyalty to the Catholic religion and the fervent desire to safeguard the priceless treasure of Faith for themselves, their children, and their children's children led these early settlers to establish a church of their own. For the observance of the feast of their patron saint, the St. Ladislaus Society had asked Father Czarnicky of St. Emerich's Church in Johnstown to say mass for them in Hooversville. This was a field mass said in June, 1911, on the grounds now owned by Frank Lorence.

The parish, however, had its beginnings when a delegation from the town consulted Father James Saas of St. John's Church in Windber about the procedure in securing a priest and in building a church. Father Saas advised the group to see Bishop Garvey in Altoona and promised to intercede for them. Among those going to see the Bishop were Stanley Golembiewski and Anthony Kulakowski. Early in the fall of 1911, Bishop Garvey sent Father Bronislaus Dembinski, pastor of St. Casimir's Church in Johnstown, to say the first mass in the Stanley Golembiewski home on the corner of Sugar Street and Franklin Avenue. In October, the Bishop sent Father Victor J. Szyperski, then an assistant at St. Casimir's, to organize the parish. Fr. Bronislaus Dembinski Continuing to say mass at the Golembiewski home, Father Szyperski, early in October, broke ground for the new church building. The frame church was erected on the corner of Sugar Street and Alley D on the block ground donated to the congregation by the Knickerbocker Coal Company, whose mines employed many Catholics. The church was completed in the spring of 1912 and was placed under the protection of the Holy Family. Golembiewski House Where the First Mass Was Said In addition to the four lots located on Sugar Street between Alley D and Franklin Avenue, the Knickerbocker Coal Company financially assisted in the building of the church and sold to the parish for one dollar the ground for the cemetery, which is located at the south end of Sugar Street.

Our First Rectory Located on Water Street Working with Father Szyperski as founders of the parish were Stanley Golembiewski, Anthony Pogenitus, Frank Prusiewicz, Joseph Niklowski, Frank McKenna, John Rokitnicki, Andrew Olexo, John Minco, Frank Sank, Joseph Vereb Sr., Joseph Vereb Jr., Simon Mayak, John Kwasnowski, and Paul Pal. In addition to taking charge of the Hooversville church, Father Szyperski established missions at Holsopple and Listie. Mass in Listie was said in the Andrew Pollak home. The rectory for the parish was the old house located on Water Street near the present Post Office. The first recorded baptism in the Holy Family Parish is that of Andrew Selegan, son of Peter John and Anna Varga Selegan, who was born on October 23, 1911, and was baptized on October 29, The first sexton in the parish was Anthony Kulakowski and the first organist was Vincent Blum. On April 5, 1913, Father Joseph A. Wozny, assistant at St. Casimir's Church in Johnstown, succeeded Father Szyperski to the rector ship. With the coming of Father Wozny, the Knickerbocker Coal Company again extended its generosity to the congregation by making available to it a rent- free rectory next to the church and by contributing monthly toward the pastor's salary. The zealous Father Wozny worked energetically for the spiritual and material advancement of his congregation. Like Father Szyperski, he too, served the missions at Holsopple and Listie. In 1915, he built the present St. Michael's Church in Listie and in July of 1916, purchased the ground and made plans for building St. Anne's Church in Holsopple. In November, 1916, Father Wozny moved his residence to Holsopple, but continued to serve the Holy Family Church until July 26, 1918, when he was transferred to SS. Peter and Paul's Church in Altoona.

Father Julius Longer Father Ignatius Pilz Father Julius Langer was appointed to succeed Father Wozny at St. Anne's in Holsopple, from where he said mass on Sundays and taught catechism on Saturdays at the Holy Family Church. In 1919, when Father Langer was sent to St. Mary's Church in Gallitzin, Father Ignatius Pilz of the Sacred Heart Church in Central City took charge of the parish. Father Leo Sztupek Father M. J. Kallok The parish again became independent when in September, 1920, Father Leo A. Sztupek was appointed resident pastor. He lived in a tiny two-room cottage located on the grounds until 1921 when the Knickerbocker Coal Company house, formerly used as a rectory by Father Wozny, was vacated by the John Jones family and was again offered to the parish as a residence for the pastor. St. Michael's in Listie again became attached to Hooversville as a mission.

Father Sztupek was followed by Father M. J. Kallok, who served as pastor from November, 1921, to January, Father Kallok's brief stay was followed by the appointment of Father Ladislaus Vadkerti in January, Father Vadkerti's remarkable personality and earnest desire to learn and speak the languages of his parishioners, though being in the country but a short while, endeared him to the entire community. Fr. Ladislaus Vadkerti Although the miners who comprised the greater part of the parish were beset with labor troubles, the parish was making both spiritual and material progress. Knowing full well that by teaching he could more easily reach the hearts and souls of his people, Father Vadkerti made every effort to keep alive the light of faith by summer instruction in catechism. With volunteer labor from the parish, a basement was dug under the church and made ready as a classroom. In addition to his own teaching, Father Vadkerti was assisted by his organist, Matthew Kliner, and Father Michael Mackowiak, then an assistant at St. Casimir's Church, Johnstown. Those who were members of the parish during Father Vadkerti's time will probably never forget the colorful Corpus Christi procession which made its way from the church to the altars erected at the Dolingo, Yurovich, and Matse homes and then back to the church. We are showing pictures of the procession. The parish rejoiced to see its attendance increase markedly and to have the entire church, inside and outside, renovated by the end of September. The joy, however, was not long-lived, for on the morning of November 20, 1922, a fire of unknown origin destroyed the church and rectory. The fire had started about 2:30 o'clock and had gained considerable headway before discovered. An alarm was quickly sounded and the Hooversville Volunteer Fire Company responded. Because of the scarcity of the water, the firemen were unable to save the buildings.

Father Vadkerti and Organist The parish was really grief-stricken when on that same night, while in the act of carrying books and records from the rectory, Father Vadkerti dropped dead. Dr. J. M. James was summoned and worked with Father for nearly three hours in an attempt to revive him, but life was extinct. Father's death was attributed to a heart attack. Funeral services for Father Vadkerti, who was 38 years old, were held on Thursday morning, November 23, in St. Emerich's Church, Johnstown, with the solemn high mass of requiem being celebrated by the late Bishop John J. McCort, D. D., assisted by several priests of the diocese. Father Vadkerti's body is buried in the Hooversville cemetery. Fr. Blasius Hospodar Fr. Leopold Mosonyi Fr. John Olex

Father Blasius Hospodar came to the parish in December, 1922, and was here until February, 1923, when he was replaced by Father Leopold D. Mosonyi. During this time, services were conducted in the house now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. John Swintosky and in the Hungarian Hall, which was recently raised by the owner, Mr. Frank Lorence. In his five-months stay in Hooversville, Father Mosonyi made plans, broke ground, and started to build the foundation of the present brick church, located on the corner of Sugar Street and Franklin Avenue. Father Lawrence Horvath served the parish two weeks in August of 1923, and was followed by Father John Olex. During Father Olex's time the Knickerbocker Coal Company built a new home on the site of the one destroyed by fire and offered it to the parish for a rectory. Services were conducted there until the foundation of the present church was completed late in The first mass in the new foundation said by Father Olex was the Midnight Mass on Christmas, In March, 1924, Father William Vilchinsky was assigned to the parish to serve longer than any other priest, from March, 1924, to July, Confronted with the tremendous task of building a big church on a limited budget, Father Vilchinsky succeeded. He saw the successful completion of the church with its cornerstone being laid in March, 1924, and its dedication taking place on August 15, St. Mary's Church, Windber, aided the congregation by donating the main altar. The Joseph Vereb, Senior and Junior, families donated the St. Anthony statue. The Slovak members of the parish purchased the Blessed Virgin statue, while the Poles bought the baptismal font. The Frank Orban family donated the stations of the cross. Individual members of the parish paid for the windows in the church. Father Vilchinsky was ordained in Czechoslovakia in May, He came to the United States on October 28, Upon being accepted for the Altoona Diocese he was assigned in November to the Immaculate Conception Church in Bitumen, Pennsylvania. From Hooversville he went to Coupon, where he died on January 17, His body is buried in the Holy Family Cemetery in Hooversville.

Father William Vilchinsky

Father Vilchinsky's versatility, his talent for languages, his sociability, his interest in the community aided him in his spiritual work and gained for him the esteem and affection of Catholics and non-catholics alike. He made the church a social center for the congregation. Outstanding in the memories, especially of those who were children during Father Vilchinsky's time, are the Christmas programs that he directed. Many of those who were members of the church during Father Vilchinsky's time affectionately recall his sermons, prayers, and hymns in the Polish, Slovak, and Hungarian languages by which he helped to bring the Faith closer to the hearts of the parishioners who could not speak or understand English very well. Serving as organist for Father Vilchinsky was Mr. Andrew Szekely of Johnstown. Among those giving much of their time and energies to parish activities during Father Vilchinsky's administration were the Joseph Vereb, Andrew Olexo, John Vince, Frank Orban, Paul Pal, Steve Novak, Joseph Zborovancik, Mary Matse, John Maceyak, Paul Butchko, Anthony Pogenitus, Stanley Dolingo, John Potochar, Ignatius Mincek, John Kubas, John Lech, Stanley Kuczynski, Cyprian Krevetski, John Rokitnicki, and Frank Sank families. After serving the Holy Family Parish for ten years and four months, longer than any other priest, Father Vilchinsky was transferred in July, 1934, to St. Joseph's Church in Coupon, Pennsylvania. Father Edmund A. Szczepanski, a native of East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received his higher education at St. Mary's College and Sts. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, Michigan, and at St. Francis Seminary, Loretto, Pennsylvania. He was ordained in Altoona on March 15, 1930, by Bishop John Joseph McCort. Presently he is serving as pastor of St. Mary's Church in Snow Shoe, Pennsylvania. Father Edmund A. Szczepanski In July, 1934, Father Vilchinsky was transferred to St. Joseph's Church, Coupon, and Father Edmund A. Szczepanski assumed the rector ship.

During his stay from July, 1934, to September, 1938, he spearheaded many improvements, including the installation of new windows, renovation of the sanctuary, painting of the interior of the church, erection of lightning rods, and the purchase of an organ. Much of the actual work was done by Father Szczepanski himself. With money being scarce during the depression days and with the Knickerbocker Coal Company stopping its payment to the pastoral salary, Father Szczepanski had to depend on volunteer help. It was through his efforts that the mission cross, the sedilia, and the candlesticks for use at funerals were handmade. He also organized both a children's and a men's choir. Fr. Ignatius Pilz Because of the financial inability of the congregation to maintain itself, the church was closed in the fall of 1938, and was without the services of a priest until May, 1939, when Father Ignatius Pilz of Central City began having Sunday mass. Father Pilz attended the parish until June, During his time the parishioners purchased the Elmer Lohr house, directly below the church, on Route 53, for use as a rectory. The next resident pastor was Father Casimir B. Ossowski, appointed in June, 1946, by the late Bshop Richard T. Guilfoyle. For the first time in the history of the parish it was debt-free. The new rectory acquired during Father Pilz's time was completely furnished. A new roof was placed on the church and the bell tower repaired. Realizing how important teaching is to keeping alive our saving faith, Father Ossowski spared no time or effort in encouraging Catholic education. He himself taught Saturday catechism classes during the school year and in the summertime made the vacation school an annual occurrence. He also organized the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, the Young Ladies' Sodality, the Holy Name Society, and the Sacred Heart Society. Father's interest in diocesan youth activities and his being district chaplain for the diocesan committee on Boy Scouts led him to start a Boy Scout troop in our parish. As was evident by the Christmas, Mother's Day, and Father's Day programs, Father encouraged social activities in the parish.

Father Casimir B. Ossowski, a native of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, received his higher education at St. Mary's College, and Sts. Cyril and Methodius' Seminary, Orchard Lake, Michigan, completing his studies at St. Francis' Seminary, Loretto, Pennsylvania. He was ordained on March 13, 1937, in the first class of priests ordained by the late Bishop Richard T. Guilfoyle. At present he is pastor of St. Casimir's Church in Johnstown. Father Casimir B. Ossowski Father Ossowski's ready smile, humorous anecdote, words of encouragement, and interest and participation in community activities won for him many friends in the Hooversville area. In September, 1948, Father Ossowski was transferred to Sts. Peter and Paul's Church in Altoona.

Present Rectory

Father Francis Gorney was named pastor of the Holy Family Church on September 2, He continued the education program for the children and the organizational activities for the adults. Active in diocesan scouting, he carried on the work of Boy Scouts in the parish and had the church sponsor a Girl Scout troop. Father Francis L. Gorney, who was born in Natrona, Pennsylvania, attended Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, and St. Francis' Seminary, Loretto, Pennsylvania, in preparation for his priestly career. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 2, 1940, by the late Bishop Richard T. Guilfoyle. Now he is pastor of St. Mary's Church in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania. Father Francis L. Gorney Father Gorney directed and actively participated in the work on the extensive cemetery improvements, which finally resulted in the fine appearance of our cemetery today. Father was also responsible for placing a new roof on the rectory, painting the rectory, rewiring and painting the church interior and the exterior woodwork, purchasing and hanging draperies in the sanctuary, renovating the floors and walls in the church basement, and building a new garage near the rectory. Father took special pride in the neat appearance of the church grounds. It was through the initial encouragement of Father Gorney that a member of the parish entered the religious life. She is the former Julia Borek, now Sister Mary Marilyn of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis and presently stationed at the Provincial House, Garfield Heights, Ohio. In addition to his parish activities, Father Gorney's interest in scouting and civic work and his identification with the Knights of Columbus have led to his being widely known throughout the diocese. In June, 1954, Father Gorney left the Hooversville parish to become the pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Coupon, Pennsylvania. With the appointment of Father Gorney to Coupon on June 12, 1954, Father Stanley J. Zubricki became our next pastor. He is the eighteenth priest to serve our parish.

Father Stanley J. Zubricki, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Zubricki, was born in Plains, Pennsylvania, on May 29, He attended the Sts. Peter and Paul elementary school and the Sacred Heart High School, Plains, Pennsylvania. He studied for the priesthood at St. Mary's College and Sts. Cyril and Methodius' Seminary, Orchard Lake, Michigan. After ordination on May 21, 1950, at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament by the late Bishop Richard T. Guilfoyle, Father Zubricki was assigned to St. Mary's Church in Nanty-Glo, Pennsylvania, Father also served as an assistant at St. Casimir's Church in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and as pastor at St. Anthony's Church, South Fork, Pennsylvania. In June, 1954, he assumed the pastor ship of our Holy Family Church in Hooversville, Pennsylvania. Firm in the belief that well-informed Catholics are good practicing Catholics, Father Zubricki from the very beginning of his tenure in our parish has strongly emphasized the Catholic press and continuous Catholic education for the young and old. The pamphlet racks in the rear of the church, with their variety of books and magazines offer an abundance of spiritual reading for both children and adults. The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine Financial Committee, formerly known as the Parent- Educators and organized primarily to raise funds for the support of Catholic education in our parish, furnishes equipment and supplies for the catechetical classes and pays the salaries of the sisters who teach the summer school. Mrs. Mary Suder is the president of the organization. Through funds supplied by the C. C. D. Financial Committee and with voluntary labor the church basement was partitioned into classrooms for catechetical instruction. The following eight women of the parish contribute their time to teach catechism to the children after the 8:30 mass every Sunday of the school year: Mary Suder, Rose Potochar, Leona Ellis, Frances Shubert, Julia Kolonich, Alberta Carey, Betty Nagy, and Mary Kolesko. Sisters of the Order of St. Francis teach the annual four-week summer vacation school. Father Zubricki himself teaches the high school students, the 9th, 10th, and 11th graders having their classes on Wednesday evenings and the 12th graders on Sunday afternoons. At the present time there are five Confraternity of Christian Doctrine discussion clubs for women of the parish. They meet once a week for eight weeks in the spring and in the fall of the year to study and discuss the Catholic religion.

The meetings are held either in the church basement or in the homes of the members. Mrs. Kolesko is the chairman of the clubs. The men of the Holy Name Society, with Dr. Michael Solomon at the head, also study and discuss religion at their meetings. The first annual C. C. D. banquet was held this year on May 23 in the P. N. A. Hall in Central City. The guest speaker was Father Francis Kelly, diocesan director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Remarks were made by Father Paul Thomas, district director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Father Francis Zywicki, assistant pastor of the Sacred Heart Church, Central City, and Father Zubricki. Father Zubricki inaugurated the practice of having the high school graduates of our parish attend mass and receive communion in a body on the Sunday preceding their graduation. After the mass, ladies from the C. C. D. Financial Committee serve breakfast to the students. Father's zeal in promoting and interesting children in religious vocations is evident in the large number of boys he has encouraged to become altar boys. Father has also started the Family Communion Crusade. Those families who participate in the crusade have chosen one particular Sunday of the month on which all members of a family receive communion in a body. For the convenience of the parishioners, Father has made available a room in the church basement for the display of religious articles. Frequently, he encourages the people to buy these articles instead of secular ones to give as gifts. Father's intense love for the missions has prompted him to organize a young people's Mission Society. The boys and girls, meeting every Monday evening, engage themselves mainly in collecting cancelled stamps and labels for the foreign missions. Dale Mort presently heads the group. The adult advisers are Mrs. Alberta Carey and Mrs. Frances Shubert. To assist in seating the people at services Father has named Joseph McKena, Paul Muro, Frank Kolonich, and Joseph Lawrence as ushers. In addition to the Girl Scouts with the Brownies and the recently re-organized Boy Scouts with the Cub Scouts, the church sponsors a 4-H Club for girls and a Homemakers group for the women. Wishing to show appreciation for the forty-five years of faithful service to the church by Mr. John Lech as collector and sexton, Father was instrumental in planning a parish testimonial banquet honoring Mr. Lech. At the banquet, held in the Hooversville Community Building, in the fall of 1959, Mr. Lech was presented a bronze plaque by Father Zubricki in recognition of his services. With the help of the parishioners Father Zubricki has added to and made improvements in the church and the property. The major work was the extension of the church to provide a large classroom and a new kitchen for the parish. The work, under contract with Joseph Gontis of Boswell, Pennsylvania, was the financial project of the C. C. D. Financial Committee.

Other improvements include purchasing and hanging new church doors, building and sound-proofing the confessional room, painting the interior of the church, renovating the sanctuary floor, piping water into the sacristy, tiling the church floor, sanding and varnishing the pews, rewiring the entire church and replacing the light fixtures, building a children's "cry" room and a sickroom in the choir loft, adding more pews, furnishing sinks and a new stove for the kitchen, installing new rest rooms, tiling the basement floor, painting the basement walls, buying school desks, buying an electric scrubbing and waxing machine, providing a parking area at the Franklin Avenue side of the church. In 1958, Father organized the Cemetery Association to provide financial assistance for continued improvements to the cemetery and for the proper upkeep of it. Joseph Suder is the president of the association and John Mincek is the caretaker of the cemetery. Father is responsible for the formation of a parish credit union in February, I960. The following serve as officers: Mrs. Nellie Petrilla, president; Dr. Michael Solomon, vice president; Miss Verdean Terlingo, secretary; and Miss Gloria Fuschino, treasurer. Miss Nellie Sank is the organist and Miss Lillian Yonish is the assistant. Giving much of their time and very hard work to the Holy Family Parish are the parents of Father Zubricki, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Zubricki. Mrs. Zubricki keeps house for Father and tends to the altars in church. Mr. Zubricki serves as Jack-of- all-trades. Among his many activities, he tends the furnace, mows the lawn, shovels snow, and works at the camp. Much has been accomplished in the Holy Family Parish in the last fifty years. As has been evidenced, Father Zubricki has made definite contributions, both spiritual and material, to the progress of our parish. He is looking forward with all of us to greater things to come. Among these are a new church to crown the hillside in Hooversville, a church which will be worthy of our parish and one which will continue in the development and spread of the faith of our Catholic people for the greater glorification of God.

From: http://docplayer.net/154315769-History-of-holy-family-parish-hooversville-pa.html