Our Lady of Fatima celebrates a rich history

Melissa Klaric, The Herald, Sharon, Pa.
·2 min read

Oct. 11—FARRELL — When Pam Rabole sits in the back of Our Lady of Fatima Church during Mass, she is in awe.

"Many times I look up and I think I know how we would've done this today, but how would they do it back then?" Rabole said. "You see something that you've never seen before."

Rabole, parish council president and a lifelong member, said she learned only within the last 10 years that every stained glass window has a shamrock in it, a recognition of the church's Irish background.

On Sunday, Bishop Lawrence T. Persico of the Catholic Diocese of Erie will join the congregation for a special Mass at 9 a.m. to celebrate the church's 70th anniversary.

While the current parish marks a milestone anniversary this week, its history in the Shenango Valley spans more than a century.

The church started out in Wheatland at St. Elizabeth and Holy Trinity. In 1902, the parish purchased land on Roemer Boulevard. The imposing yellow-brick church and rectory, built for $50,000, still stands at 601 Roemer Blvd., Farrell.

In 1952, St. Anthony de Padua merged with St. Elizabeth and became Our Lady of Fatima Church.

"Everything is as it was years ago. Nothing has changed," Rabole said. "We managed to keep it up all these years because of frugal spending and donations from families over the years."

The parish has 451 families with 623 parishioners.

The church has had only three pastors over its 70-year life — Msgr. Geno Monti, namesake for the now-demolished school at Indiana Avenue, Rev. Donald Berdis, who served for 40 years and died May 27, 2018. The current pastor is Rev. Matthew Ruyechen.

"That's pretty awesome in the Catholic Church for a church to have only three priests as pastors all these years," Rabole said.

Parishoner William Lombardo wrote a history of the church in 1997. Every person attending Sunday's anniversary Mass will receive a copy of the book.

"We've had a very rich history," Rabole said. "We have a lot of loyalty and history. I take pride in that history."

Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com