'This is our home': St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church to celebrate 100 years

Dave Sutor, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·3 min read

Oct. 10—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — In the early 20th century, when Johnstown's Roman Catholic churches were divided by ethnicity, many Slovak immigrants who lived in the Morrellville and Oakhurst neighborhoods attended St. Stephen's in the Cambria City section of town.

The house of worship, which was for the Slovak community, was only about a mile or so away from them.

But in a time before automobiles were ubiquitous, that distance could be prohibitive to walk for people, especially the elderly or sick in bad weather.

So about 100 original families supported the idea of forming a new Slovak parish in their community.

They presented the request to Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Bishop John McCort. Permission was granted by the Vatican. Founders purchased and renovated the former Morrellville Church of the Brethren property.

And the plan ultimately came to fruition when St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church opened in 1922. The first service was midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

The parish will commemorate its centennial on Oct. 16 with a noon Mass at the church, located on the corner of Barron Avenue and D Street, and a reception at Ace's. The date was selected to be close to the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4 and before the winter weather arrives.

A time capsule will be buried on the property at a later date.

The centennial will also be recognized during the upcoming holiday season.

"I know my people are becoming excited about the celebration," said the Rev. Anthony Francis Spilka, pastor at St. Francis.

More than 200 families now attend St. Francis, which is well-known for its community events, such as fish fries and gobs sales.

Spilka emphasized the importance of the parish coming together for the special occasion.

"When I conduct a wake service or a funeral, I usually will say, from the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus was transfigured on Mount Tabor, Peter said, 'It's good for us to be here,' " Spilka said. "I say that at a wake service, at a funeral service, 'It's good for us to be here.' I think that's basically my thought even on a daily basis, a weekly basis. 'It's good for us to be here.'

"We come together as family, as believers, encountering the Lord, partaking of the food for the journey that we're all on, as we continue our way to eternity. This is our home. This is our place that we encounter the living God, a place where we're fed and nourished by him."

Bishop Mark Bartchak is scheduled to celebrate the centennial mass on Oct. 16.

He recently sent a letter to the parish in recognition of the 100th anniversary, calling it an "awesome milestone."

"St. Francis of Assisi Parish is an important part of the Johnstown community," Bartchak wrote.

"It serves not only the spiritual well-being of its members, but it is a living image of the New Evangelization that is needed in our communities and in our whole world today."