1100 Creedmoor Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15226 * Phone 412-563-4400

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The Church of the Resurrection has served the spiritual needs of the Brookline community for over a century.
This photo is from the wedding of Patricia F. McGibbeny and Gerald L. Burton on November 19, 1960.

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The Growth of the South Hills

At the turn of the century, several years before Father James Quinn arrived to establish a new parish, Brookline was in the first stages of transition from sprawling pastures and farmland to the urban neighborhood we know today.

The first settlers to clear the land in Brookline arrived over one hundred years earlier, in the 1780s. Many of them were veterans of the American Revolution who had been granted parcels of land in lieu of payment for their services during the war.

<Colonial Survey Maps of Land Grants in the South Hills>

These hardy souls transformed the idle soil into a prosperous agricultural complex. Boggs Grist Mill ground their grain and Espy's Tanyards supplied their boots and riding gear. These early settlers and their wagon trails helped to shape the road network we know today as Pioneer Avenue, McNeilly Road, Whited Street and Brookline Boulevard.

Coal mining was the first major enterprise in the South Hills.

The South Hills was also a busy center for mining, and by the mid-1800s the Brookline area along the Saw Mill Run Corridor was well-known for the abundance of coal that came from beneath the surface. Small-guage railroad spur lines and several mine shafts were located in the surrounding valleys.

Despite the close proximity to the City of Pittsburgh, the South Hills area, then known as West Liberty Borough, was still considered a remote rural outpost. Because of the natural barrier we know today as Mount Washington, travel to and from the city was a rigorous journey that took hours.

The Mount Washington Transit Tunnel

All that changed in 1904 with the construction of the Pittsburgh Railways Mount Washington Transit Tunnel from the South Hills Junction to Carson Street. Using the new streetcar service, a journey that once took hours now took minutes. With Pittsburgh's population exploding to meet the labor demand that fed the city's growing industrial base, investors began looking to Brookline for residential development.

The West Liberty Development Corporation was among the first to plan streets and lots. From 1905 through 1908 more than two hundred new houses were built. The growing Catholic population in the Brookline area was in need of a place to worship.

In 1907, the Freehold Real Estate Company, responsible for the sale of lots throughout the developing community, announced in the Brookline Herald that it had reserved several prime lots between Creedmoor and Chelsea (Chelton) Avenues for the establishment of a Roman Catholic church. The offer was accepted by the Diocese of Pittsburgh, and the seed planted for the formation of a new parish.

The Parish Begins

Resurrection Roman Catholic Parish was established by Bishop J.F. Regis Canevin D.D. in 1909. It was carved out of territories which had been a part of St. Canice Parish, Knoxville (1892), to the north; St. Anne Parish, Castle Shannon (1889), to the south; St. Wendelin Parish, Carrick (1874), to the east; and St. Catherine Parish, Banksville (1902) - later moved to Beechview, to the west. At this time, the community of Brookline was growing exponentially, and the resident Catholic population was growing with it.

Bishop Canevin and his aides recognized the need for a new parish. As Catholics continued to build homes in Brookline, it became evident that a new parish was needed to help meet their spiritual needs. May 3, 1909, the diocese bought 12 lots from the West Liberty Development Company. The old school building and the current rectory now stand on that property.

Bishop John Francis Regis Canevin

Sixteen days later, Father James L. Quinn received his assignment from Bishop Canevin. By May 25, 1909, the boundary lines had been drawn and the parish had been named. The new pastor used his own birthday as inspiration for naming the Church of the Resurrection. Father Quinn had been born Easter Sunday, 1869.

As Father Quinn made his rounds, introducing himself to members of his flock and making arrangements for liturgical services and other activities, he met a would-be tavern owner who wanted to open a new business in the storeroom of a building at 1057 Brookline Boulevard. Father Quinn was looking for a place to celebrate the first Mass in Resurrection Parish. The businessman had difficulty obtaining a license to open the tavern.

The Reed Building at 1057 Brookline Boulevard in 1995.

The chance meeting solved the problems for both men. Father Quinn offered to pay for the use of the storeroom as a temporary church, and on May 30, 1909, Memorial Day and Pentecost Sunday, a handful of parishioners crowded into the room for the Eucharistic Liturgy.

At that time it was called the Reed Building. That building has since been demolished, and the property now serves as a parking lot for DeBor Funeral Home.

The Congregation Goes To Work

The Reed Building remained Resurrection's "church" for a full year. It also served as Father Quinn's living quarters, the parish office, and classroom for religious instructions. During that first year a church committee was elected and the parish established the St. Vincent DePaul Society, the Holy Name Society and the Sodality.

It was also a year of feverish construction up the street on Creedmoor Avenue. Toward the end of June, 1909, Father Quinn hired a contractor to build two stories of the front portion of the school building (see Growth Diagram).

While workingmen poured concrete and stacked bricks, parishioners went about the difficult task of raising $22,000 to cover the construction costs. At the time, Resurrection had $350 on hand and a debt of $250.

During the next few months neighbors organized a host of fund-raising activities. There was a euchre card party and a dance; a piece of property and a gold watch were raffled. These efforts netted a total of $3,682.86.

A Parish fundraiser on July 4, 1911. These have always been a major source of capital to expand on church activities.

The hard work and vision of Father Quinn and the parishioners quickly bore fruit. On September 19, 1909, the cornerstone of the church was laid in a ceremony conducted by Bishop J. F. Regis Canevin. Father Hugh C. Boyle, who was to later succeed Bishop Canevin as the Bishop of Pittsburgh, was the master of ceremonies.

Parish records preserve the memory of a fascinating footnote to Resurrection's history:

"A Tea Party held early in 1910. Various sections of the neighborhood were represented by the tables at the event. There was the "Woodward Table" seating people living west of Pioneer Avenue, the "Fleming Table" named for the Fleming stop on the streetcar line, the "Sherwood Table" for families south of Brookline Boulevard (Sherwood Avenue later became Stebbins), the "Edgebrook Table" for parishioners in northeast Brookline, and the "Fair Haven Table" which is the old name for the Overbrook area. The Tea Party and related activities raised an additional $4,000."

The Saint Vincent DePaul Society gathers outside the Resurrection Church entrance in 1915.

Church And Hall

Easter Sunday, May 27, 1910, the first in Resurrection's history, Father Quinn celebrated the first Mass in the new building with an overflow congregation standing on the sidewalk outside, unable to squeeze in.

The body of the church occupied the ground floor of the new building. Many years later, as the parish expanded, the same space became a gymnasium, then was divided into four classrooms (1953), and finally became the site of the grade school learning center, the pre-first grade and a first grade classroom.

The original Resurrection Church building, shown here shortly after the dedication in May 1910.

The second floor of the building served as a large hall for meetings and social events.

Within the space of a year, Resurrection Parish was able to create a home of its own and the Reed Building was returned to its place on the local commercial scene.

The parish added another building to its acquisitions almost immediately. Father Quinn needed office space and a place to live. He rented a house across the street from the new church at 1115 Creedmoor Avenue. His new rectory stood on the site that would one day be occupied by the new Convent.

From 1910 to 1939, Mass was held in this sanctuary, located on the ground floor of the school building.

As busy as he was with his duties at Resurrection, Father Quinn took on other responsibilities as chaplain when DePaul Institute moved to Brookline from Troy Hill in the latter months of 1909. About two years later the bishop sent help in the form of Father Denis N. Murphy. He became the parish's first assistant pastor October 19, 1911.

Another interesting footnote in the history of Father Quinn and Resurrection Church is the pouring of the cement floor in the church. After the church was built, it was noted that the wood flooring would buckle when their was too much rain. This caused mild consternation among the congregation.

  
Brookline Boulevard in 1910 (left) and 1912. Both views show Resurrection Church standing along Creedmoor Avenue.

Soon, a solution was proposed. The parishioners raised funding, and along with donated time and labor, the old wooden floor was removed and a new cement floor was laid. Parishioners never forgot the sight of Father Quinn, working alongside the laborers, hauling in one load of cement after another with a wheelbarrow.

Thinking Of School

A Catholic education for the children of the parishioners became Father Quinn's next priority. In the spring of 1912 construction began on an addition to the church building. It was to be the first of three additions that would form the old school building that we knew in later years.

The construction added a third floor to the existing structure, plus a short wing along side of the driveway into the courtyard. The second floor was partitioned into classrooms and the parish hall moved to the new third floor.

Some of the first group of students to attend Resurrection School in 1912-1913. Click on the photo
to see the entire school enrollment of that first school year.

Work went swiftly, and Resurrection School was ready to accept new students September 9, 1912. Classes were held in the church until November, when construction was completed. Enrollment was 115 pupils.

There were five Sisters of Charity on the faculty. Sister Mary Helena Degnan was the first Principal. Sisters Maurice McDermott, Esperance Walsh, Columba Brennan and Florian DeTemple taught academics. Sister Regina Kirwan was the music teacher. Each were paid $20 a month.

This home at 1201 Creedmoor Avenue was built in 1912 to serve as church rectory and home
to Father Quinn and the other priests. It served in that capacity until 1939.

While the new addition was under construction during the summer months of 1912, another contractor was building a new rectory at 1201 Creedmoor at the corner of Oakridge Avenue. The house, which still stands, served as the parish office and home to the priests for the next 27 years.

The old rented rectory at 1115 Creedmoor was turned over to the Sisters, who had been commuting back and forth from DePaul Institute.

The homes to the left are 1113 and 1115 Creedmoor Avenue, shown here in 1919.
These two homes served as the Convent for the Sisters of Charity until 1956.
1115 Creedmoor was the rectory and home of Father Quinn until 1912.

With expansion continuing, living quarters for the Sisters underwent two major changes over the next 14 years. School enrollment swelled to 330 children by 1918, and in February of that year the parish bought a brick house at 1113 Creedmoor, next to the soon-to-be-vacated convent and former rectory.

Men of the parish donated their time, skill and money to enlarge and remodel the building, creating additional living space for the Sisters. It was ready for occupancy by September.

In 1926, September enrollment was nearly 600, and still more sisters were assigned to teach them. Two lots next to 1113 Creedmoor were purchased and a new wing on the Clippert Avenue side of the convent was built, connecting it to the main building by a passageway.

The Sisters' house remained that way until 1957.

First Offspring Parishes

Toward the end of 1914, December 2, a new parish, St. Norbert's was established in Fairhaven (Overbrook). This was midway between Resurrection and St. Gwendelin Parish and cut off property approximately two miles long and .3 miles deep.

It is interesting to note that at this time Resurrection Parish had only one family on Milan Avenue, and only one on Whited Street. There were just two families each on Hobson and Seaton; and three each on Mayville and Wareman.

Hand-painted watercolor cloth sold by the Sisters of Charity
as a fundraiser in 1939, purchased by the Mullen family.

Another new parish, St. Bernard, was established August 11, 1919 in Dormont. Officials at the chancery didn't foresee the difficulty they would have finding a suitable piece of property in Dormont.

After failing to purchase property in Dormont a site was acquired up the road in Mount Lebanon. Along with this second offspring parish went the half of Dormont Borough that belonged to Resurrection Parish.

Resurrection's Growth Continues

February 18, 1915, Father Quinn acquired the first of four lots which in years to come would be the site of the new church. In 1919, two lots adjoining the church-school on the upper end of Creedmore were purchased.

Then, July 24, 1922, Father Quinn purchased a second lot on Chelton Avenue. The 60' by 235' tract was to be the the foundation of the new church, to be built as soon as enough funding could be secured.

The 1920 Resurrection Elementary School Second Grade class photo on the day of their First Holy Communion.

The school was to undergo a two-stage metamorphosis during the 1920s, boom years for many folks in Brookline. The heads of most families were gainfully employed, and newcomers continued to make their homes here and send their children to Resurrection School.

Enrollment jumped above the 400 mark in 1923 and the parish hired a contractor to construct another wing on the school, making it U-shaped. The new space added three classrooms on the upper side of the building next to the current church.

But that expansion wasn't enough. Between 1924 and 1928 the Liberty Tunnels and Bridge were opened, shortening the trip between Brookline and Downtown to a ride of less than thirty minutes. In 1926 the parish acquired two more lots across from the school.

Meanwhile, the population of Brookline kept growing, and that year there were 626 families in the parish and 596 children attending school. The transportation improvements brought even more new neighbor. By 1928 nearly 800 children were receiving an education at Resurrection School.

The top floor of the school, two stories above the church, was still being used as a meeting hall but in 1927 it gave way to the need for additional classrooms.

A year later the back section of the building was added to join the two wings into a rectangle. The open end of the U-shape building was closed in and six new classrooms were now available. Resurrection School made use of that space until the post-World War II baby boom.

Resurrection High School

In the early years of the 20th century, when relatively few boys and girls attended high school, the two-year commercial program was a popular alternative. Several of these schools were conducted by the Sisters of Charity at various elementary schools, including Holy Cross on the South Side and Resurrection in Brookline.

Resurrection High School maintained a commercial department from 1912 through 1935. For a short time in the early 1930s, four-year academic degrees were offered.

Mother Mary Joseph Havey was the principal, and Sister Joanna Gleason taught the academic subjects. Both the commercial and academic students played basketball and produced plays. Father Quinn himself taught Latin for several years. The High School closed in 1935.

Construction At A Standstill

Shortly after the final addition to the grade school had been completed in 1928, the nation fell into an economic depression that cast millions from the prosperity of the 1920's into the abject poverty of the 1930's.

Resurrection Parish felt the effects of unemployment and food shortages. Father Quinn's dream of building a new church to replace the ground-floor sanctuary in the school had to be set aside.

One of the First Grade classed during the 1935/1936 school year.

But the dream of a new church was kindled anew in the mid-30's as Brookline and the nation struggled out of the depression. Although money and jobs had been in short supply over the previous decade, growth continued with the parish population doubling since 1928. There were more than 1516 families in Resurrection. A new and larger church was an absolute necessity.

Father Quinn holds the shovel at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new church on April 25, 1938.

The New Church

Father Denis N. Murphy, the Associate Pastor at
Resurrection from 1911 to 1917, blesses the
church cornerstone on September 1, 1938.

As parish leaders coordinated a massive fund-raising drive, Father Quinn hired an architect, then a contractor, to begin construction of the church where Resurrection parishioners continue to worship today. The parish already owned the property on which the new church and rectory would sit. Father Quinn had bought the land in small lots between 1915 and 1919.

Father Quinn celebrates the first Mass in the new church along with Father Thomas F. Carey (front),
Father William P. Shaughnessy and Father Robert J. Gray (rear).

Construction took less than a year. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held April 25, 1938, and the cornerstone was laid September 11, 1938. Before work was completed inside the church, the very first mass was celebrated at midnight, Christmas, 1938. Finally, the official dedication and first Mass was celebrated February 13, 1939.

Simplicity And Symbolism

The exterior of the church is a modified Gothic design with deceiving simplicity. The clean lines and arches offer little hint at the lofty ceiling and complicated symbolism one finds inside. The two most prominent decorative features of the church are the rose window over the main entrance and the colorful mural behind the altar.

Resurrection Church, photographed in January 1939 prior to the official dedication ceremony the following month.

As one approaches the church entrance, he notices over the right side door a lighted candle representing Christ, the light of the world, whose mission is continued and perpetuated by His Church. Over the left side door an open bible signifying divine revelation completed by Jesus, our Saviour and promulgated by His Church.

The Stained Glass Windows

The window over the main entrance, best seen from inside the building on a sunny day, feature the risen Saviour. Above the Lord's head is shown the banner-bearing Lamb of God and the symbols of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the four evangelists.

In the first panel to the Lord's right are St. Andrew's cross, the Keys of power and authority, the monogram of Christ and the bark of St. Peter. The second panel shows the money-bag of St. Matthew, who was a tax collector, the spear and square of St. Thomas, and the saw and bludgeon of St. James the Less.

On the nearest panel to Jesus' left appears the open book and sword, emblems of St. Paul's preaching; the priestly robe of charity; the square enclosed cross, having in its four corners letters which stand for the Greek words "Iesous Christos nika" meaning "Jesus Christ Conquers"; and the episcopal cross with the holy oil stocks.

The third symbol, still impressed upon the wafers or small Communion Squares of the Greek Church, is usually surrounded by a circle which represents the Lord's divinity, whilst the square signifies His humanity. In ancient symbolism the circle stands for the endless eternity and therefore for the Godhead, for the Kingdom of Heaven, and for eternal things; the square represents the finite world, and hence, humanity.

On the far left panel are seen an open book and ax, signifying martyrdom for what the book proclaims or Christian faith; the chalice and serpent recalling the attempt to kill St. John by forcing him to drink poisoned wine; and the closed book surmounted by a fish, which is the figure of Christ.

The closed book refers to the Annunciation when the Blessed Virgin learned that she would become the mother of the Saviour but was uninformed of many things concerning Him, as was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah when he wrote: "And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed."

<See Photos of the Windows including Biographies of the Saints>

Adorning the vestibule and the aisles around the sanctuary are windows celebrating various Saints of the Roman Catholic faith. Including those in the inner sanctuary and hallways, there are thirty-seven individual stained glass renderings that surround the church with vivid colors and a wonderful glow.

The interior of the church sanctuary at the time of the dedication. Note the absence of the decorative murals.

The new Church Rectory and Pastor's residence in February 1939.

The Roof Trusses

The roof trusses are decorated to symbolize the seven sacraments. The one immediately over the sanctuary represents Baptism. The central figure shows a vessel from which two doves sip water. These doves represent human souls.

The water is the baptismal water of eternal life. The monogram over the vessel which looks to our eyes like a combination of P and X is actually composed of the three Greek letters X.P.I. which are the first three letters of the Saviour's name. We are baptized in Christ, from whom the efficacy of the sacrament proceeds.

The burning candle is the baptismal candle which in turn signifies the state of grace, received through baptism and to be preserved until we are admitted to Christ's kingdom after judgement. The shell with water flowing from it signifies the act of baptizing and thus symbolizes the sacrament. Of the flowers which symbolize baptism the artist featured the water lily.

The second truss represents confirmation. The heads and imposed hands show the reception of the sacrament. The flaming fire and the dove remind us of the coming of the Holy Spirit to our Lord and to the Apostles. The oak leaves were selected as the confirmation symbol.

The third truss symbolizes the Holy Eucharist. Two chalices are each backed by a cross. The Lambs figure our Lord. The grapes his precious blood.

The main altar after the murals were painted. the murals on the side walls have since been removed.

The fourth truss pictures the sacrament, penance. The cross and keys form the main symbol. The secondary figures are the cross and thorns, and the dove with an olive branch. Evergreen forms the decorative feature.

The fifth truss shows the sacrament of the sick by picturing its adminstration by the cross and candles, its effects by palms and crown, and the difficulties of life and death by cross and thorns. The floral emblem is tulip, symbolic of resurrection or of renewed life.

The sixth truss represents a picture of Holy Orders by combining in the central figure the gospel book, the stole, the keys, the chalice, and the host bearing the monogram of Christ. The open book signifies preaching the gospel and the cross-held-in-hand of the carrying of Christ's teaching to mankind. The symbolic flower is the orange blossom.

The seventh truss represents matrimony. In the central figure we have the clasped hands and ring. The star signifies hope and confidence. The cross represents the trials, struggles and sorrows of married life and the crown its joys, consolations and rewards. The artist chose the rose to symbolize marriage.

The mural behind the altar was not completed at the time of the 1939 dedication. But when it was finished later, first time visitors were struck by the colorful majesty of Jesus rising from the dead under the eye of his Father.

  
The murals nestled on each side of the main altar.

The Church Organ

An organ was installed when the church was built, but it was by no means new. It had been in use at the Carnegie Music Hall, the North Side, for more than 50 years, and was among the largest in use in a diocesan church. Resurrection got many years of service from the organ, despite its age.

Walter Kenna, MMA, was the church organist
for over forty years, beginning in 1970.

It wasn't until 1980 that Father John H. McMahon decided the 2,581-pipe organ was pumping its final notes. Fund-raising efforts began, and November 30, 1980, the parish dedicated an Allen Digital Computer Organ System 1203, a high-tech wonder designed to withstand the ravages of time and weather.

War And Peace

As the new church was being dedicated February 13, 1939, newspaper accounts were detailing the latest political and military upheavals in Eastern Europe. Before long the U.S. was involved in a world war and many Resurrection parishioners sent their sons overseas, some never to return.

But World War II came to a close and a new era meant renewed growth. Even before the effects of the baby-boom were felt, the parish bought the Greenawald house on Creedmoor, next to the school driveway, and used it as additional housing for the Sisters of Charity.

By 1951, school enrollment reached 1,171 and 1,000 more families were enrolled in the parish than in 1939 when the new church was dedicated. The race to provide additional space for the grade school was on. In 1951 the new church basement was partitioned into four classrooms and an assembly hall. The classrooms were filled to capacity when the new term began in September.

The Greenawald home at 1136 Creedmoor Avenue, shown here in 1919, served as a residence
for the Sisters of Charity from the mid-1940s until 1956.

Two years later in 1953, more classrooms were added. With the completion of the "new" church in 1939, the old church, on the ground floor of the original school building, had been turned over to use as a gym. In 1953, some remodeling work transformed the gym into four classrooms, accomodating 175 students. Enrollment was now beyond thirteen hundred.

One of the four graduating classes (Room 19) from the 1951-1952 school year.

It was at this point that Bishop John Dearden established another parish. The formal decree of erection was issued June 9, 1954 and Resurrection's third offspring parish was established. It was dedicated as Saint Pius X Parish. Around thirty families from Resurrection were merged with a like number each from St. Bernard and St. Catherine to form the new congregation.

Father Quinn's Passing

Parishioners seemed paralyzed on the cold afternoon January 21, 1955, when they learned that their pastor had died while battling pneumonia. The announcement was made in school that morning, and children ran home with the news during their lunch break.

Father Quinn had been the only pastor they had known, and many still carried with them the memory of his first Mass inside the Brookline Boulevard storeroom in 1909. Resurrection paid tribute to Father Quinn and his long years of faithful service, unveiling and dedicating a bas-relief bronze memorial plaque November 27, 1955. The plaque still hangs in the church.

  
A Mass Card (left) and a plaque dedicated to Father James Quinn.

Father Keefer's New Era of Expansion

Resurrection's second pastor came to Brookline March 3, 1955, from Our Lady of Grace Parish, Bower Hill Road, Scott Township. Father Oliver D. Keefer wasted little time making preparations for the parish's still-growing population. He immediately launched a very extensive improvement campaign in the summer of 1955 that included repairs and renovations to the school and church. The cost was approximately $70,000.

One of the first grade classrooms located under the main church, next to the cafeteria, in 1957.

One year later, Father Keefer announced plans for the construction of a middle school annex and a new convent at a cost of about $500,000. During the 1956-57 school year, when construction began, the sisters moved to the rectory, in some cases sleeping three to a room, while the priests moved to 1111 Creedmoor, the part of the convent that was built in 1926.

Plans called for the demolition of the old King house at 1115 (which once served as a rectory and then a convent) and the building which was, in 1956, the oldest part of the convent (1113 Creedmoor). The building at 1111 Creedmoor would be incorporated in the new construction.

The original school building and the new annex building in August 1957.

The new Convent for the Sisters of Charity was also completed in 1957.

The middle school building, located next to the old building, was completed in time for the beginning of the school year in September, 1957, providing six additional classrooms which were occupied by the 7th and 8th grades. Unfortunately the convent wasn't ready until late November. So, with the priests already moved back into the rectory, the sisters had to commute from various locations around the southern and western sections of the city.

The new convent and school annex were dedicated November 24, 1957, in a ceremony led by Auxiliary Bishop Coleman Carroll who had been an assistant at Resurrection from 1930 to 1934.

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The parish's building program of the late '50s and its continuation into the mid-60's, coincided with the Renaissance of Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle, a coincidence symbolic of Resurrection's close ties with the civic affairs of the city. Prominent and active members of the parish over its long history have included former Pittsburgh Mayor Thomas Gallagher, former County Commissioner John J. Kane and former head of the United Steelworkers Union Phillip Murray.

Despite the best efforts of the parish to keep up with the rising school enrollment (about 2,000 by 1959), unusual measures were necessary to provide the children of Resurrection a Catholic education. In order to get more use out of limited space, seventh graders were divided into two groups and during the '59-'60 school year the first group attended classes from 8:00am to 12:30pm five days a week and the second group attended afternoon sessions in the same classrooms from 12:30-5:00pm.

The following year sixth and seventh graders participated in the half-day arrangement, and fifth and sixth graders during the '61-'62 school year.

Creedmoor Avenue was a busy place during lunchtime recess. The street was closed for the students to play.

Activities Center, Garden Room, Library,
Gym and Even More Classrooms

Over-population in the school was partially relieved in 1962 when Our Lady of Loreto Parish, founded in 1959, opened a school with facilities for four grades. However the necessity remained for additional construction at Resurrection. Work began in the summer of 1964 on an Activities Center that would cost nearly one million dollars.

The original idea for the center was suggested in 1956 when the annex was in the planning stages. As the years went by Father Keefer and the church committee decided to dedicate the use of the center to the entire parish as well as the school. The new building, attached to the annex and extending to Chelton Avenue, provided six additional classrooms, a large school library, a school assembly room, and a gym with locker and showers.

Students from all grades attend the May Crowning in the school courtyard (circa 1962).

The center's main link with the rest of the parish was to be the Garden Room, named after the garden where Jesus' Resurrection took place. It was designed as a meeting room for parish organizations, a place for dances and parties, and a hall for public performances. Father Keefer envisioned an air of elegance and "a perfect setting for a new series of cultural programs which will open doors to a deep appreciation of beauty in all its forms."

About a year after the groundbreaking, the Activities Center was dedicated September 6, 1965, in a ceremony led by Bishop John Wright. (Immediately following the dedication, Bishop Wright flew to Rome for the final session of Vatican II.)

Vatican II Brings Changes

The 1960's and 1970's were exciting and sometimes difficult times for Catholics as the Church adjusted to liturgical changes decreed by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council. During those two decades, parishioners gradually changed their focus at Mass from private prayer and meditiation to community participation in the eucharistic liturgy.

The first manifestation of that change came to Resurrection Sunday, January 10, 1960, with the introduction of the "Dialogue Mass". At the Sunday 12:15 Mass the congregation recited in Latin the responses and prayers previously recited or sung by the altar boys and choir.

The Church of the Resurrection's inner sanctuary. The ornate architecture, masterful paintings, reliefs and stained
glass are steeped in Roman Catholic tradition. Photo: November 19, 1960 wedding of Patricia and Gerald Burton.

As other changes took place in the liturgy a new class of participants became familiar assistants at Mass: commentators. The Resurrection liturgy took its most startling and bewildering turn November 29, 1964, with the introduction of English to some parts of the Mass. A few months later, March 7, 1965, the Last Gospel disappeared completely, the prayers at the foot of the altar were shortened, and the Liturgy of the Word was moved away from the altar and proclaimed at the pulpit.

Eventually the main altar against the backwall of the santuary was not used at all, and the Mass was celebrated on an altar (a table at first) facing the people. Folk Masses became a tradition at Resurrection with "The Brotherhood" singing each Saturday night beginning September 26, 1970. Shortly thereafter, Resurrection formed its own Folk Group called "The Peacemakers."

The Resurrection Peacemakers in 1977. The folk group became an integral part of the Saturday evening Masses.

In the early 1970's the liturgical emphasis on community participation brought the laity into certain ministerial services. Three members of the parish became "Ministers of the Eucharist" and, later, in 1974, Richard Very was ordained to the diaconate conferring on him certain privileges and duties in administering the sacraments of Baptism, preaching at Mass and officiating at weddings and funerals.

Resurrection's Third Pastor, Father John McMahon

When Monsignor Keefer retired and Father John McMahon became the parish's third pastor in June, 1970, efforts were made to increase the responsibilities of parishioners in important functions of administration. Father McMahon established the Resurrection parish council and school board. Members of the congregation were elected to these offices.

Although the parish previously had similar committees, they were not elected by the parish-at-large. For example, the parish council, during 1983 and 1984, recommended an extensive $75,000 renovation project in the church and made arrangements to raise funds to cover the costs. Two members of the parish council, Regis Block and Jim Brown, represented Resurrection in a coalition with six other local churches to develop "Parkside Manor," a $3,700,000 senior citizen apartment building next to the Brookline Community Center.

Father McMahon at the groundbreaking for
the Parkview Terrace apartments in 1980.

The next fourteen years in the Church's history were busy times. Two events stand out above the others: the canonization of Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton and the parish's observance of the Bicentennial of the U.S.A. in 1976.

The Sisters of Charity have been serving Resurrection since the beginning of our Parish school, almost 75 years ago, and so members of the parish shared with them the special joy they experienced when the Pope announced in January, 1975, that their foundress, Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, had been named to the Communion of Saints. January 9 of that year, children of the school and parishioners jammed the church for a Mass of Thanksgiving.

Resurrection celebrated country's bicentennial with an outdoor Mass at Brookline Park on July 4, 1976.

Almost nineteen months later, the members of Resurrection led the Brookline community in celebrating the 200th anniversary of our country's independence. The Fourth of July, 1976, fell on a Sunday and hundreds of parishioners gathered in the church courtyard that morning, then marched to the Brookline Community Center for an outdoor Mass. A cascade of 1500 helium-filled balloons was released at the start of the liturgy. The colorful pageantry was further accented by a "Dance of Thanksgiving" performed by the fourth graders.

  
Nick DiMinno and Aldo Danzuso advertising the 1980 Fun Flair (left), and long-time Associate Pastor
Father Francis Gallagher inspecting the merchandise prior to the 1984 Fun Flair Garage Sale.

The Fun Flair (1971-present)
Family Fun For Everyone!

In 1971, the parish sponsored the inaugural Resurrection Fun Flair, a week-long carnival full of fun and games for people of all ages. There are bingo, raffles and many small games of chance. The gymnasium is packed with activities and the Garden Room is the site of a parish garage sale. Food is served in the school cafeteria and in the early years their were several small amusement park rides in the courtyard to excite the little ones. The Fun Flair tradition continues today, with the 44th annual fundraiser scheduled for the summer of 2014.

The 30th annual Fun Flair was held in July 2000. The carnival has been a summer tradition for nearly 50 years.

Of the many innovations ushered in during the 14 year pastorship of Father McMahon, the annual Fun Flair may be the most memorable. The summer carnival has brought millions of dollars into the church coffers over the years. Other parish fundraisers include Monday night Bingo, and the Fish Fry, every first Friday of each month, and every Friday during Lent. Most importantly are the individual contributions of families who support our parish through the offertory collection at Mass each Sunday.

Father McMahon and a host of former clergy celebrate Resurrection's 75th Anniversary Mass on May 20, 1984.

Changing Times

After Father McMahon's retirement in 1984, a new pastor, Father Edward Trzeciakowski was assigned to the parish. Father Ed led the congregation until 1991, followed by the five-year pastorship of Father John Kozar. Father John was followed, in 1996, by Father Joseph Grosko, a former Navy Chaplain with strong ties to the Brookline community. Father Grosko had served from 1978 through 1981 as the former pastor of Resurrection's sister parish, Our Lady of Loreto, located on Pioneer Avenue.

The times they were a changing, but the school days were still much the same as always,
except the 1986 first to third graders received this commemorative jersey.
Click on the image for a larger, more legible picture.

Having just returned from missionary work in the Phillipines, Father Grosko began a six-year tenure as our spiritual leader. These were difficult times. His pastorship oversaw many of the changes that positioned the church and the congregation for the coming of a new century.

The Class of 1996

The year 1996 was a sad year for the parish, the Sisters of Charity, and all of the lay teachers who had worked for so long educating the children of Brookline. The student population, which peaked at nearly 2000 in the 1961/62 school year, had dwindled to 600, with corresponding declines at both Loreto and Pius.

At this time, the Parish and the Diocese of Pittsburgh worked together to consolidate the student populations of the three local parishes into one in a major cost saving move. After eighty-three years as a neighborhood parochial school, the much revered Resurrection Elementary closed its doors after the 1995/1996 school year.

The final graduating class, in honor of the achievements of their proud school, took on a final project that was both academically significant and a touching reminder of what Ressi meant to them as individuals. The Egyptian Room, or the Ressi-Rected Tomb, was their way of saying goodbye with a timepiece full of memories.

Brookline Regional Catholic

The decision was made to merge Brookline's three Catholic schools into one. St. Pius X School was the chosen as the main location, and Our Lady of Loreto held classes for the lower grades. The new combined school was christened Brookline Regional Catholic.

Classes at Our Lady of Loreto ceased after the 2002/2003 school year and BRC is now located solely at the former St. Pius X School. Since its inception in 1996, Brookline Regional Catholic has maintained the levels of scholastic achievement and spiritual enrichment that began with Resurrection Elementary back in 1912.

Brookline Regional Catholic School, located at 2690 Waddington Avenue, shown here in 2004.

The Resurrection Activities Center (gym and Garden Room) continue to be used by the Parish for activities and as rental property. The classrooms are used for CCD classes and other religious education programs. The cafeteria and Garden Room still support fundraising efforts such as the Fish Fry and Fun Flair.

Lease agreements with the Pittsburgh Public School System brought limited classroom activity with the Pittsburgh Public Schools Early Childhood Development Program. But, despite these continued educational activities, for several years the old school building stood vacant and unused.

The Seton Center

In 1996, the convent building on Creedmoor Avenue was leased to St. Joseph's House of Hospitality and served as a residence for low income women until 2000. Today, the property is privately owned. The Sisters of Charity, who served as teachers and mentors at Resurrection, now live at and operate the Elizabeth Seton Center on Pioneer Avenue.

The Elizabeth Seton Center on Pioneer Avenue in 2004. The Seton Center is run by the Sisters of Charity.

The Seton Center, which began operation in 1985, sponsors both an Adult Day Care Center and a Child Care Center. Sister Mary Joseph McElhinney, the fourteenth principal at Resurrection (1972-1975), became the first director of the Seton Senior Center. Sister Barbara Ann Boss administered to the Child Care Center. In 2002, Sister Barbara assumed directorship of the entire mission.

Father Frank A. Mitolo Becomes Resurrection's Seventh Pastor

In 2002, Father Grosko was reassigned to St. Agnes Parish and Father Frank A. Mitolo was appointed our seventh pastor. Under Father Mitolo's leadership, Resurrection Parish emerged from the dark days of the late 1990s with renewed optimism and purpose. In 2008, as part of an ongoing capital improvements campaign, nine new stained glass windows, dedicated to recently-canonized Saints, were installed. Many other improvements were planned for the Church and surrounding grounds.

Father Mitolo hopes led the Parish into the 21st century with a renewed understanding of what it means to be a faith-filled community. Led and guided by The Spirit of God, and building upon its legacy, Resurrection continued to be a vibrant spiritual presence in the Brookline neighborhood.

Creedmoor Court Apartments

Always looking forward, and with an eye on the community's growing Senior population, the Parish and the Diocese of Pittsburgh, in cooperation with Christian Housing Inc. and HUD, began a project to renovate the old school building into a 26-unit apartment building for income eligible senior citizens.

Groundbreaking, or "wall smashing," dedications for the new "Creedmoor Court" apartments were held October 29, 2003. Father Grosko was on hand for the ceremony, as well as representatives of the various agencies involved and local civic leaders. The new building was ready for occupancy in the fall of 2004.

Father Joseph Grosko takes the first swing during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Creedmoor Court Apartments.

The parish retained the newer school building and gymnasium. The renovations done to the old school building have completely modernized and transformed the inside. The halls are still adorned with many of the small amenities that students might remember from their school days. A railing here and a banister there are still the same. The apartments even carry the old schoolroom numbers.

The outer appearance of the 95-year old structure remained basically the same, except for the windows and main entranceway. For the many thousands of students who attended Resurrection Elementary, it is comforting to know that these hallowed halls are once again being used to make the Brookline community a better place to live for our senior population, some of whom remember the school from the days of their youth.

The old Resurrection Church/School building reopened as Creedmoor Court Apartments in 2004.

Resurrection's 100th Anniversary

On May 25, 2009, after ten decades of service to the Brookline community, Resurrection Church celebrated it's 100th Anniversary. As it did back at the turn of the century, Resurrection continued to meet the spiritual needs of the people of our community. The heritage and tradition built up over the past century of service will always be a storied chapter in Brookline's past, and the Church of the Resurrection was poised to remain an integral part of the community's future.

The Church of the Resurrection, draped with 100th Anniversary banners, in April 2008.

This was a time for celebration, remembrance and renewal. The Parish celebrated the centennial and the legacy of faith that had been passed on to the current congregation. Remembering the achievements, hard work and sacrifices of the past 100 years, parishioners renewed their belief in the future of the church.

Father Frank at the Fun Flair in 2015.

With Father Frank Mitolo leading the way, Resurrection Church charted a course to meet the challenges of the next 100 years. Father Frank was a kind and gentle man. A former Air Force chaplain who had ascended to the rank of General, he had a special way of interacting with congregation members, young and old alike, helping to create a unique bond with his parishioners. He brought the entire parish together with the goal of creating another wonderful century to remember.

Saint John Bosco Academy

In June of 2014, The Roman Catholic Diocese decided on renaming Brookline Regional Catholic School after Saint John Bosco. The new name of the school would be Saint John Bosco Academy, and it officially opened in August for the 2014/2015 school year.

Saint John Bosco (August 16, 1815 – January 31, 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco, was an Italian Roman Catholic priest, educator and writer of the 19th century. While working in Turin, where the population suffered many of the effects of industrialization and urbanization, he dedicated his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth.

He developed teaching methods based on love rather than punishment, a method that became known as the Salesian Preventive System. Don Bosco was beatified in 1929, and cannonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI in 1934.

Much to the dismay of Brookline Catholic families, on February 23, 2019 the Diocese of Pittsburgh announced that due to financial considerations and low enrollment (only 80 students) Saint John Bosco Academy would be shuttered at the close of the 2018-2019 school year.

Despite petitions from concerned citizens, the diocese stuck to its decision. Local parents in search of parochial alternatives for their children were forced to look elsewhere. This brought to an end the 107 year tradition of Catholic education within the boundaries of the Brookline community.

Father James Bachner Assumes the Ninth Pastorship

The Parish's beloved Father Frank Mitolo retired on July 12, 2015, after serving thirteen years as the spiritual leader of the Church or the Resurrection. The congregation welcomed Father Rob Fleckenstein as the church's eighth pastor.

Father Rob's pastorship only lasted a short time. Two days short of his one year anniversary, he stepped down due to health issues. While the parishioners said goodbye with a farewell Mass on July 10, 2016, the Diocese of Pittsburgh did not have to look far for his replacement.

Father James Bachner, already the pastor of Saint Catherine of Sienna and St. Pamphilus Churches in Beechview, and St. Pius X and Our Lady of Loreto in Brookline, was called upon by Bishop Zubik to assume the role as the ninth pastor of the Church of the Resurrection.

Already quite popular with the neighboring congregations in Beechview and Brookline, Father Bachner brought his youthful exhuberance and leadership qualities to the families of Resurrection Parish. He was now the Pastor of five distinct churches, all within close proximity of each other. With such broad responsibilities, Father Bachner is assisted by Parochial Vicars Father Gary Oemhler, Father Fernando Torres and Deacons Mark Bibro, Tom O'Neill and Richard Longo.

The congregations of Saint Catherine of Sienna, and now Brookline's St. Pius X, Our Lady of Loreto, and Resurrection, are fortunate to have such a fine man leading the way through these difficult and challenging times. Father Bachner is prepared to guide the parish well into the 21st Century.

Beechview-Brookline Fun Flair

After forty-six years of staging on the courtyard and campus of Resurrection, in the summer of 2017, the annual Fun Flair was moved to the spacious parking lot and campus of St. Pius. Now called the Brookline-Beechview Fun Flair and Summer Festival, the event is a combined effort including members from all five of Father Bachner's parishes, and the results were fantastic. The following year, the fair was held at St. Catherine. Built on the solid foundation of nearly a half century at Resurrection, a new summertime tradition has begun in the Brookline-Beechview area.

Brookline-Beechview Catholic

The five-church merger for a while was known as Brookline-Beechview Catholic. While the diocese pondered the potential closing of one or more of the individual churches, they retained their own identity and Masses were still held at each church.

Questionaires were circulated among parishioners to choose a new name to replace Brookline-Beechview Catholic. While the congregations of each of the five churches awaited a decision on the fate of their respective churches, the spirit of God continued to flow through those hallowed halls.

Saint Teresa of Kolkata Parish

On May 17, 2019, by decree of Bishop David A. Zubik, the parish of Saint Teresa of Kolkata was formed as a merger of the five Brookline-Beechview parishes. The parish is served by Pastor Reverend James M Bachner, Reverend Gary W. Oehmler (Vicar), Reverend Fernando Torres (Vicar), Deacon Mark S. Bibro and Deacon Thomas J. O'Neill.

Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu was born August 26, 1910, in Skopje (now the capital of North Macedonia), then part of the Kosovo Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire. After living in Skopje for eighteen years, she moved to Ireland and then to India, where she lived for most of her life.

Commonly known as Mother Teresa, in 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation that had over 4,500 nuns and was active in 133 countries in 2012. The congregation manages homes for people who are dying of HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis. It also runs soup kitchens, dispensaries, mobile clinics, children's and family counselling programs, as well as orphanages and schools. Members take vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, and also profess a fourth vow—to give "wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor."

Mother Teresa received a number of honours, including the 1962 Ramon Magsaysay Peace Prize and 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. She was canonised as Saint Teresa of Calcutta on September 4, 2016, and the anniversary of her death (September 5, 1997) is her feast day.

A controversial figure during her life and after her death, Teresa was admired by many for her charitable work. She was praised and criticised for her opposition to abortion. On September 6, 2017, Saint Teresa and Saint Francis Xavier were named co-patrons of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta. Now, Saint Teresa of Calcutta will be forever linked to the communities of Brookline and Beechview.

Future Changes To The Resurrection Parish Property

On June 13, 2020, page six of the church bulletin contained the following information:

Work on the demolition began in the summer on the removal of hazardous materials. Some former students scavenged the work zone for souvenirs of their school days. Some gym signage, pencil sharpeners, wall clocks, and other small reminders were removed. One industrious soul with strong ties to the gymnasium even managed to salvage the center section of the basketball court with the hallowed Ressi Raider logo.

By mid-December that building was ready and the deconstruction began, one steel beam at a time. As each large beam was removed, another section of wall crumbled. When the final wall fell to the ground on March 5, 2021, the once proud middle school building and gymnasium had been reduced to a heap of twisted steel beam, red bricks and other assorted piles of debris.

The additional space next to the courtyard will be landscaped and paved to create additional parking for parishioners.

♦ Middle School and Gymnasium Before Demolition ♦

♦ Middle School and Gymnasium Demolition ♦
(December 2020 - March 2021)

In an unrelated but equally surprising move, A "Mass of Farewell" was held at Our Lady of Loreto Church, one of Resurrection's sister churches, on August 30, 2020. The Mass celebrated the sixty-one year history of the church that has been the spiritual center and place of worship for so many Brookline residents since the parish was formed in 1959.

The Nine Pastors of Resurrection Church

Father James L. Quinn
1909-1955

When Father James L. Quinn came to Brookline to establish a new parish in 1909 neither he nor his contemporaries could envision the magnitude of the projects that lie ahead, or the thousands who would be affected during the next century by his pioneering efforts.

Born on a farm near Fostoria in Blair County in 1869, James Quinn got his earliest education in a tiny country school near his home. Later, private lessons in math led to a brief preparatory teaching course at Bellwood High School near State College.

In his mid-teens he enrolled in the International Business College of Altoona, not realizing how well his training in commercial law would serve him in the real estate and construction efforts that would bring the Resurrection Parish to life.

In September, 1886, he began attending classes at St. Charles College in Ellicott City, Maryland.

It wasn't until he was twenty-three years old that he decided to enter the priesthood. He began his theological training in the fall of 1892 at St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, and was ordained in the St. Vincent Archabbey church five years later.

His life as priest took him from his rural surroundings to the urban environs of Pittsburgh. After serving only one month as an assistant at St. Peters on the North Side, he moved into the Strip for the next four years as an assistant at Old St. Patrick's at the corner of 17th Street and Liberty Avenue.

From 1901 to 1903 he was chaplain at St. Joseph's Protectory, Morganza Reform School and Western Penitentary; and for the next six years was a member of the Diocesan Mission Band, a group of priests appointed by Bishop Canevin to serve Catholics in outlying areas of the diocese.

The itinerant nature of his work changed in 1909 when the Bishop gave Father Quinn instructions to start a new parish in Brookline. But he was still in "the sticks," a sparsely populated area that was in the first days of growth into an urban neighborhood.

Father Quinn made certain the Catholic community was an important part of that growth. And he didn't waste much time. Less than two weeks after receiving his assignment he celebrated Resurrection's first Mass in a Brookline Boulevard storeroom, and a year later he celebrated Mass in what was Resurrection's first church (currently the first level of the old school building on Creedmoor Avenue.)

During the next twenty years the parish's first pastor directed a flurry of construction culminated by the dedication of Resurrection's current church and rectory in 1939.

Father Quinn's last years were spent wrestling with the post-war baby boom which resulted in huge increases in school enrollment and necessitated renovations and innovations to accomodate them.

Although he was 85-years old, parishioners were stunned when word spread around Brookline January 21, 1955, that Father Quinn had died early that morning. He was their first and only pastor, a man whose strength and certitude guided Resurrection from a small outpost of Catholicism to a position as one of the largest and most important parishes in the diocese.

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Monsignor Oliver D. Keefer
1955-1970

Our second pastor, Father Oliver D. Keefer gained his pastoral experience the hard way: founding Our Lady of Grace Parish on Bower Hill Road, Scott Township in 1947.

When he took charge at Resurrection March 3, 1955, he soon discovered his building days were not over. Post-war growth made school expansion mandatory, and the first ten years of his pastorate saw construction on church property reach its fullest bloom.

Father Keefer was born in Emsworth November 21, 1903. Following study at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, he was ordained to the priesthood June 12, 1928, and he spent the next 19 years as an assistant at Holy Innocents Church, Sheraden and at St. Paul's Cathedral in Oakland.

In 1943 Bishop Hugh Boyle appointed him chaplain of the Serra Club of Pittsburgh. And he served for several years as head of the St. John's Capistran Mission at Beadling.

The burgeoning enrollment at Resurrection grade school was probably Father Keefer's biggest challenge upon arriving here in Brookline.

Although Bishop John Dearden saw fit in 1959 to form a new parish in the northern section of Brookline, Our Lady of Loreto Parish did not provide school facilities until three years later, in 1962. During the interim Father Keefer had to improvise, dividing the two thousand students into two groups, one attending classes in the morning, the other attending during the afternoon.

Even when that practice was no longer necessary, it was obvious that more room was needed for the grade school. And so Resurrection's pastor launched yet another fund-raising and construction project that saw the creation of the activities building. Completion came in 1965.

Earlier, during the first five years of his pastorate, he guided construction of the new convent and school annex.

Father Keefer's fifteen years in Brookline brought Resurrection parishioners through some exciting yet difficult times. The fruits of Vatican II were first tasted in the mid-60's with gradual changes in the liturgy. The changes were resisted by some, but through his instruction Resurrection parishioners grew to understand and cherish the new meaning those changes brought to their worship.

Bishop John Wright made public recognition of Father Keefer's accomplishments by recommending to the Vatican that he be conferred with the title "Monsignor." In May, 1968, Father Keefer became Monsignor Oliver D. Keefer in honor of his pastoral accomplishments, his position as dean of the South Deanery, and chaplain of the Serra Club of Pittsburgh.

Father Keefer retired in June, 1970. For the next eight years he served at Marian Manor as chaplain, and beginning in 1978 he was the infirmary chaplain at the Felician Sisters Provincial House in Moon Township.

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Father John H. McMahon
1970-1984

Resurrection's new pastor came in the summer of 1970. He was to usher in an entirely new era in the parish's history. The full impact of Vatican II was being felt in Brookline, and Father John H. McMahon was charged with the responsibility of fulfilling the transition from old to new.

Father McMahon was born April 5, 1914, of James A. McMahon and Mary Ann Hallissey in St. Lawrence parish in Garfield. He attended school in East Liberty at Corpus Christi, Duquesne University Prep School and Duquesne University.

His studies for the priesthood led him to ordination by Bishop Hugh C. Boyle at the St. Vincent Archabbey Church June 16, 1940.

His next 44 years saw service in a variety of areas under the leadership of five bishops: Hugh C. Boyle, John F. Dearden, John Wright, Vincent Leonard and Anthony Bevilacqua.

During that time he was assistant at Holy Family in Latrobe, St. Mary of Mercy Downtown, St. John the Baptist in Lawrenceville, St. Sylvester in Brentwood, St. Peter on the North Side, and St. Catherine in Beechview.

While at St. Mary of Mercy Downtown Father McMahon was involved in important work with the Missionary Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. In fact, he was very active at two missions that eventually became important parishes in the diocese: Guardian Angels in Southview (near Cecil, Pa), and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Meadowlands, Washington County.

A milestone in his career was the appointment by Bishop John J. Wright of Father McMahon as the first Pastor of North American Martyrs Church in Monroeville June 1, 1960. With this Pastorship, he was instrumental in making this Suburban Parish a vital part of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. His service to N.A.M. concluded on June 1, 1970, with his transfer to the Church of the Resurrection.

Among the many accomplishments of Father McMahon at Resurrection, perhaps the most important was the transition to a parish management style that involved parishioners in more decision making.

His aim was to make the Resurrection community more cooperative, collective and collegial.

One of the most significant developments toward that end was his creation of the Resurrection School Board in 1971. Since that time parents and other members of the parish have had a representative voice in the administration of school affairs.

A year later, in 1972, Father McMahon established the Parish Campaign, an annual fund-raising effort designed as a low-keyed approach to making people aware of their parish and their responsibility to support it.

The "Fun Flair," started by Father McMahon in 1971, became a summertime institution. The carnival raised more than half a million dollars in its first ten years.

One of the most spectacular events in the history of Resurrection was organized in 1976 by parishioners under the direction of Father McMahon. It was an outdoor Mass at the Brookline Community Center on the morning of the Fourth of July, celebrated in conjunction with local and national events marking the country's bicentennial.

It is somehow fitting that 1984, the 75th anniversary of the Resurrection parish, also marked another milestone in our history: Father McMahon's retirement from duties as our pastor. Like Father Quinn and Father Keefer before him, Father McMahon's efforts will have a lasting effect on our lives far beyond the years he has spent with us.

Resurrection's Pastors of the Last Thirty-Five Years

Associate Pastors at Resurrection Church
(1911-2018)

Father Denis N. Murphy (1911-1917)
Father John R. McKavney (1917-1919)
Father Charles G. Lindeman (1917-1918)
Father Michael Galvin (1918-1919)
Father Henry R. Connelly (1919-1921)
Father Francis R. Shields (1921-1927)
Father Francis J. Mueller (1927-1930)
Father Edward H. Kelly (1927-1930)
Father Joseph Keener (1930)
Father Alvin W. Forney (1930-1938)
Father Coleman F. Carroll (1930-1934)
Father William P. Shaughnessy (1934-1942)
Father Robert J. Gray (1935-1948)
Father Regis Hannon (1938)
Father Thomas F. Carey (1938-1945)
Father George J. Bock (1942-1943)
Father Andrew J. King (1943-1944)
Father Thomas R. Bartley (1944-1952)
Father Charles B. Roach (1945-1952)
Father William P Weirauch (1948-1953)
Father Paul A. Holzer (1952-1956)
Father Joseph P. Newell (1952-1956)
Father Francis A. Glenn (1953-1955)
Father Edward F. McSweeney (1956-1958)
Father William M. Miller (1956-1960)

Father Anthony G. DeLuca (1958-1963)
Father Donald W. McIlvane (1960-1962)
Father Walter J. Gleason, MM (1961-1962)
Father James C. Biller (1962-1963)
Father James P. O'Connor (1963-1964)
Father Bernard M. Harcarik (1963-1968)
Father Ferdinand B. Demsher (1963-1966)
Father Jeremiah T. O'Shea (1964-1969)
Father Ralph V. Stack (1964-1967)
Father Henry A. Szarnicki (1967)
Father Roman Groszkiewicz (1967-1968)
Father David C. Dixon (1968)
Father Ernest J. Strzelinski (1968)
Father Francis H. Gallagher (1968-1984)
Father John L. Michaels (1968-1969)
Father William R. Terza (1969-1974)
Father John Ayoob (1969-1970)
Father Stanley Gregorek (1970-1975)
Father Phillip Pribonic (1974-1979)
Father George Newmeyer (1975-1981)
Father John Marcucci (1978-1986)
Father George Zirwas (1979-1980)
Father John Moran (1980-1990)
Father Marck Eckman (1987-1990)
Father David Wierczowski (1986-1989)
Father Joseph Verardi (1986)
Father James Dolan (1990-1994)
Father James Seeger (1990-1994)
Father James P. McDonough (1993-1994)
Father Louis DeNinno (1994-1995)
Father William Hutnik (1994-1996)
Father Victor Rocha (1995-1998)
Father George Chortos (1998-1999)
Father Joe Luisi (2000-2001)
Father James Seeger (2001-2005)
Father Victor Rocha (2005-2015)
Father Gary Oemhler (2016-2020)
Father Fernando Torres (2016-2020)

Former clergy members gather for the 100th Anniversary to concelebrate Mass on November 23, 2008.

Sons of the Parish

Deacons and Brothers from the Parish

Deacon Richard Longo, Deacon Richard Very,
Brother John P. Conroy, Brother James W. Carl and Brother James Masur.

The small chapel at the Church of the Resurrection, shown here in 1984.

The Principals of Resurrection Elementary School

The Five Principals - Sister Claudia, Sister Lynn, Sister Harold Ann, Sister Anna Marie
and Sister Mary Joseph gather for Resurrection's 100th Anniversary in 2008.

Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Website: www.scsh.org

A floral wreath is placed on the statue of Mary during Resurrection Elementary's May Crowning ceremony in 1960.

The Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
who taught at Resurrection Elementary School

* Thanks to Sister Vivien Linkhauer, S.C., for providing this information *

Spring 1996 - Sister Beatrice Ann Parenti teaches first graders about butterflies as they prepare to release the
butterflies next to the statue of the Blessed Mother that stood for many years in the courtyard.

The Principals of Brookline Regional Catholic School

Maryann Knoll (1996-1998)
Janet Salley-Rakoczy (1998-2014)

The Principal of Saint John Bosco Academy

Janet Salley-Rakoczy (2014-2019)

Daughters of the Parish

Directors of Religious Education (CCD)

Sister Mary Clifford (1970-1975)
Andrew James (1975-1987)
Jennifer Buczynski (1987-1990)
Dee Fitzsimmons (1990-1997)
Bernice Dumitru (1997-2007)
Mark Diskin (2007-2011)

Faith Formation - Religious Education
Confraternity of the Christian Doctrine (C.C.D.)

The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine is involved in the ministry of religious education to the members of the Church of the Resurrection. This lay organization began an active role in our parish’s Continuing Christian Development in the 1950s by addressing the needs of the parish children enrolled in public high schools. The program soon expanded to preparing the children of the parish for the sacraments of Penance, Holy Communion and Confirmation.

With the personal dedication of many lay volunteers who have given freely of their time and talent, a comprehensive religious education program was developed for the children. These men and women of our parish spend literally hundreds of hours in preparation for their catechetical ministry by participation in training and enrichment programs offered by the parish and Diocese as well as in the classroom with their students.

Initially, the associate pastor oversaw the program, but by 1971, the CCD program had grown to such an extent that it became necessary for the parish to employ a full-time Director of Religious Education. Sister Mary Clifford became the first Catechetical Administrator. With the addition of the Director to the parish staff, the CCD continued its involvement in the religious life of the parish through the establishment of sacramental preparation programs for parents.

When Sister Mary left, CCD became a ministry open to the laity. With the merger of the area Catholic schools in Brookline Regional Catholic in 1996 the Resurrection school buildings continued to be used for this important ministry of the church. Today, under the directorship of Mary Diskin, the CCD program at Resurrection continues it's mission to enrich the spiritual lives of our parish children and adults.

Scouting For Boys And Girls

The Church of the Resurrection has been involved in scouting since the first Boy Scout Society was formed in September of 1928. Membership in the Girl Scouts of the United States soon followed. As both boy and girl scouting evolved over the years, so did their presence at Resurrection Church.

  
Girl Scouts from Resurrection Church visit the KDKA broadcasting studio in 1936.

The present Boy Scout Troop #6 was chartered in 1942. Next came Cub Scout Pack #106 and Pack #601, along with Girl Scout Troop #145 and Troop #419. Although the local Girl Scouts troops are no longer chartered through Resurrection, the Boy Scouts of Troop #6, and the Cub Scouts of Pack #601, continue to thrive after over seventy-five years.

  
Girl Scouts from Troop #145 in 1945 and, to the right, a Cub Scout ceremony in 1947. Five scouts from Pack #601
are going through the initiation ceremony. Brian Fornear's brother Richard is second from the right.

Girl Scout Troop #419 outfit and sash from the 1950s.

Over the years, countless adults have become registered leaders and volunteers. Their tireless support has helped make scouting both an adventure and a meaningful educational experience for the thousands of parish youth that have participated in the program.

Since 1942, the Screaming Eagles of Troop#6 have raised 103 Scouts that have achieved the prestigious rank of Eagle. On December 18, 2011, Nicholas Sywyj became the 82nd Eagle Scout from Troop#6. Nick joined his brothers Steve (2001) and Andrew (2008) as recipients of Scouting's highest award. In addition, sister Jessica (2005) has earned the Gold Award in Girl Scouts, the equivalent of the Eagle rank.

Nick, Helen, Jessica and Andy Sywyj - December 18, 2011.

The Eagles of Troop #6

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The Tigers, Wolfs, Bears and Webelos of Resurrection's Cub Scout Pack#601 in 2008.

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Troop #9006 Joins The Boy Scout Family

On February 28, 2019, Girls Troop#9006 was formally admitted into the Boy Scouts of America. This allowed the girls to participate in many of the BSA activities that are not available in the Girl Scouts. The program was initiated Scout Master Kathy Yates and Mercedes "Mercy" Faust, who was the first Assistant Scout Master. Sadly, Mercedes passed away suddenly on April 27, 2019 after working so hard to bring her girls into the Boy Scout family.

The girls of Troop#9006 after their first Court of Honor on May 30, 2019. Shown here are: Back Row: Kathy Yates
(Scout Master), Liam Yates (Assistant Scout Master), Natalie Tarrant, Dr Bob Faust (Unit Commissioner), Chyonna
Blango-Symms, Lisa Evangelista (Committee Member), Sarah Evangelista, Stephen Tarrant (Assistant Scout
Master), Kneeling: Melissa Munnell (Committee Member), Momoko Munnell (Patrol Leader),
Gabriella Snyder. In the very front is Sabrina Snyder.

Inter-Scholastic Athletic Programs

Like most public and parochial schools in the region, Resurrection offered a variety of varsity and intramural athletics for the student population. These included basketball, football and other intramural activities. These activities were originally hosted at the Brookline School gymnasium and at Moore Park.

The Resurrection Athletic Association was formed in 1951, chaired by Mr. Harry Connor. One of the first activities of the organization was the construction of a basketball gymnasium in the school building. It was built in a converted meeting hall, the same room that for many years was the church sanctuary.

Throughout it's long history as a member of the Pittsburgh Catholic League, the boys and girls basketball teams were perennial contenders. In 1952, the girls team posted a 7-2-2 record and won the Catholic Girl's League Championship with a 16-4 victory over St. Mary's of the Mount. For the Raider girls, it was their first in a string of five consecutive Catholic League titles.

The Resurrection Athletic Association continued to grow, offering more sports for both the students and for the older members of the parish. Resurrection sponsored both softball and basketball teams in the Catholic Youth Organization. In 1965 the school was expanded to include a new Activities building that housed a complete modern gymnasium.

The Activities Building, including a new gymnasium, was ready for the 1965/1966 school year.

As the years went on, the walls of the Resurrection gymnasium became lined with green banners, each denoting one of the many Raider Diocesan championships. The basketball banners featured several boys and girls teams from each of the sixth, seventh and eighth grade brackets. In the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Ressi Raiders became synonymous with winning.

One of the most special highlights in the history of Resurrection Raider basketball came in 1984, when the boys varsity team went all the way, capturing the Pennsylvania State championship. The following year, the boys CYO team also rose to the top of the charts, captured a second state title in two years for the Brookline parish.

Another popular and entertaining feature at Resurrection football and basketball games were the talented cheerleading squads. Over the years, several generations of talented girls have captivated the crowds with their spirited sideline cheers and energetic dance routines.

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Varsity Football

The 1952 Resurrection varsity football team played their games at Moore Park. Members of the team included: Harry Tewell, Paul Hudson, Jerry Lott, Bill McGroarty, Rich Wise, Jim Shrier, Bernie Doyle, Joe Albenze, Regis McKenna, Joe Lannis, Bill Gratton, Ed Conroy, Bill McGall, Bill Gemmell, Ron Hurbanek, Dave, Ron Dallas, Bob Dugo, Tom Kail, Paul Taylor, Dave Eichenlaub, Bill Kail, Jack Lutz, Dave Dugan and Coach Harry Conners.

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Girls Basketball

The 1957 Resurrection girl's basketball team finished runner-up in the city grade school Catholic Girl's League. The squad finished the season with an 8-2 record. Previously, Ressi's lady cagers had won five diocesan championships in a row.

Members of the team included Mary Lou Tully, Jo Cannizzaro, Pat Schmidt, Ellen Kestner, Sue Balkey, Barbara Doran, Carol Welsh, Coach Armour, Kathie Davis, Carolyn Wade, Emily Domina, Kathleen Casey, Corinne DeConcillis and Coach Balkey.

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Boys Basketball

The 1970-71 Ressi Raider Varsity basketball team finished the season with a 10-2 record in Diocesan Section AA, second only to St. Albert the Great. Resurrection's basketball program ran up quite an impressive string of successful seasons, and Coach Ben Hartman went on to a Hall of Fame career as the coach of the Seton-LaSalle High School girls basketball teams in the 1980s.

Members of the team included: Bobby Gattuso, Jimmy O'Toole, Drew Ondik, Jim Wheeler, Danny Gallagher, Mark Zucco, John Piagessi, Bobby Conti, Joe Ehland, Danny McGrath, Morris "Moe" Buskirk, Pat Walsh, John DeFilippo, Billy Gallagher, Tom Baginski, Randy Gumbar and Coach Ben Hartman.

Shown below are the 1951-1952 Varsity team (left) and the 1987-1988 Sixth Grade boys. The Resurrection football program was discontinued in the early-1960s, but the basketball program continued until the school closed in 1996. Raider cagers built quite a legacy.

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1984 Diocesan and State Champions

The 1984 Resurrection Raiders Diocesan champion varsity team captured the Pennsylvania State championship. Members of the team included: Darren Thomas, Billy Lonero, Tony Diulius, Frank Battista, Mario Panucci, Steve Rossa, Dave Binkowski, Chris Sestilli, Billy Jo Spratt, Mike Brown, Jimmy Walsh and Coach Angelo Masullo. Also pictured is Pastor John McMahon. Missing from the photo is Assistant Coach John Lee.

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The Ressi Raider Cheerleaders

The 1983-84 Ressi Raiders cheerleaders cheered their team to victory time and again. Resurrection's basketball teams were perenial contenders for the diocesan crown, and the Raider cheerleaders kept the home crowds alive with their fine performances. Below are photos of the 1947 and the 1950 Raider cheerleading squads.

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Girls C.Y.O. Basketball

The 1984 Girls CYO basketball team included: Anita Suwalski, Mary McGee, Coach Pam McGee, Deana Murgi, Lisa Bernotas, Chrissy Gossett, Shari Rey, Lisa Phillips, Barb Walter, Melanie Zablotny, Karen Christian and Coach Zablotny.

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1985 Boys C.Y.O. Diocesan and State Champions

The Resurrection Boys CYO team finished the 1984-1985 season by winning the state CYO basketball championship, defeating St. Timothy of the Philadelphia Archdiocese. Members of the championship team included: Mark Walsh, Tom Budway, Terry Hebda, Tony Camarco, Robert Valdisera, Rob Achille, Tom Carletti, Pat Bove, Jim Barker, Assistant Coach Dan Walsh, John Meyer, Paul King, Rick Dorsch, Jim McGee and Head Coach Kevin Walsh. Missing from the photo is Sean Coleman.

Safety Patrol Members

Every school year, several eighth grade boys were chosen to be Safety Patrol Members. These students wore and armband and an orange belt, with a strap that came up over the chest, adorned with a shiny patrol member badge.

The job of the Safeties was to monitor the various crosswalks near the school and assist the younger walking students with vehicular traffic. They manned their posts every school day during the morning and afternoon commute. It was quite an honor to be chosen as one of the Patrol Members.

Resurrection's Eighth Grade Safety Patrol Members from the 1953-1954 school year.

In addition to the Safety Patrol Members, there was a Crossing Guard stationed at the bottom of Creedmoor Avenue to direct traffic at this busy Brookline Boulevard intersection. During the 1950s and early-1960s, the Crossing Guard was Mrs. Anna Henry. She was followed by Mrs. Sue Moyer, who stood the post until the late-1980s.

These two fine ladies, in addition to all of those that came before and after, will always be remembered fondly by the generations of students that were under their watchful eye morning and afternoon. How can anyone who knew Mrs. Moyer forget how she would position herself in the middle of the boulevard, put her hands in the air and call out "OK, Honies, Let's Go."

Donating for Missionary Children
"Adopt-A-Pagan-Baby" Program

In the 1950s/early-1960s, and possibly before that, Catholic schools, including Resurrection, sponsored an ongoing drive to raise money for religious missions in foreign lands. The program was called "Adopt A Pagan Baby".

In classrooms, donations were accepted for the stated purpose of saving unbaptized children who had not been taught about God. These kids from far away places were referred to by the Church as "Pagan Babies".

Each student was presented with a cardboard collection box, each showing pictures of cherub-faced Indian, African, and Asian children dressed in native clothing. Many classmates gave their entire allowances to with the belief that they were helping these kids.

The price of an adoption was five dollars, and student was allowed to assign their baby a Christian name. Many kids adopted several.

In return, the adopting student was given a decorative certificate commemorating their pledge, with the promise that their adopted child would be given the Sacrament of Baptism.

Many former graduates of the Catholic school system, when rummaging through aging papers, stumble across their certificate, like this one for the adoption of "Michael", received on February 24, 1959.

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Christians have always believed that "baptism is the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission..." (CCC 1213)

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Today, this adoption program wouldn't stand the muster of changing times. The whole concept, although well-meaning, is definitely risque and quite out-of-place in the 21st Century. Maybe it's just the name, "Pagan Babies", or the idea that Christianity is the only true faith and that all others must convert. It just seems quite odd, based on the acceptance of diversity prevalent in human nature during these present times.

At one time, however, many well-meaning and caring school-age children did what they believed was right, saving their spare change to make an adoption. They believed in their heart that this contribution was making a positive difference in another child's life, one who lived in a far away land. Many remember the experience with pride.

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Former Students Recall Their Adoption Experience:

"Lord have mercy! I had one certificate for a Pagan Baby but lost touch. That bring back memories!" - Vera Marie C.

"Me too! I had several, actually ... all girls named Mary, of course." - Ann C.

"I remember those." - Bill R.

"Wow, that certainly brings back memories. I used to take my dad’s loose change on a regular basis. I ended up with about five babies!" - Sharon S.

"I remember Pagan Babies!" - Sharen D.

"I remember donations that were not enough to "buy" a whole baby we're combined and the class voted on names. Some we're pretty outrageous!" - Nancy K.

"I think they cost five dollars." - Karyn D.

"Wasn't there a bridge we had to get them over. I spent all my paper boy money." - Sal S.

"That’s what I remember. There were milk cartons to hold the money. It was boy versus girl in the classroom to see who had the most babies. I also remember something about a bridge ... probably denoting how much money was collected. My grandmother gave me $5 to buy my own pagan baby! But I don’t remember her name." - Kathy F.

"I loved Pagan Babies. Imagine what they would cost now." - Donna B.

"What I loved about the Pagan Babies is that we were allowed to name them with our names. I had a lot of Pagan Babies named Mary Margaret!! A lot of people never knew what I was talking about!" - Mary A.

"I also had a Pagan Baby; I regret to say I haven't kept in touch with him." - Bob H.

"I named my Pagan Baby Patrick. He's probably still wondering, "How did I wind up with an Irish name?" - Bob U.

"Wow, what a blast from the past!" - Mary Ellen M.

"We thought that some nun in China would go out and select a baby of the proper gender, baptize it and give it the name we chose." - Ann C.

"I loved the Pagan Babies! Really thought I was saving a baby!" - Betty L.

Resurrection Online Historical Books
* From the Historic Pittsburgh Text Collection *

Resurrection Parish Chronology: 1909-1934

Church of the Resurrection Dedication - 1939

50 Years: The Church of the Resurrection

Resurrection Church/School Photo Gallery

Resurrection History webpage designed by Clint Burton in cooperation with the Church of the Resurrection.
* Last Modified - October 23, 2023 *