Windber parish to celebrate 125th anniversary

WINDBER― Parishioners of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church are getting ready to honor and celebrate their parish’s 125th anniversary in the Windber community.

The public is invited to join the parish at 3 p.m. July 30 for a special Mass of Thanksgiving at the church, 605 Graham Ave. Bishop Mark Bartchak of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is to preside over the service, and several current and former pastors of the parish are to be concelebrants.

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“God has blessed us in our faith journey, and what a great journey we have had,” said the Rev. Roderick Soha, pastor, in a statement from the local diocese announcing the parish’s anniversary.

“Congratulations to all who have labored to make St. Elizabeth Ann Seton the faith community it is today, a welcoming place for all to come and worship. Now we continue our second hundred years, asking God to bless us through the intercession of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.”

Parish history

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish officially began in 1898 as the Immaculate Conception Parish (not to be confused with a former Johnstown parish with the same name), according to the diocese’s announcement.

The parish name was changed to St. John Cantius in late 1898 or 1899. The present church building was built in 1912 and dedicated in 1913, then renovated over time as the parish grew within the community.

In 2002, St. John Cantius Parish and the former St. Mary Parish in Windber merged to form the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish.

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“The history of our parish these 125 years is about relationships between God, its priests, and people,” Soha said. “It is a story filled with hopes and disappointments, success and failure, joy and sorrows in building the kingdom of God, here in Windber.”

Soha currently serves as pastor of Windber’s three Catholic parishes: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Anthony of Padua and SS. Cyril and Methodius. He is assisted by the Rev. Laurence Lacovic, a senior priest of the diocese.

Other living pastors who have served at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish include Monsignor Bernard Przybocki and the Rev. Ronald Osinski, both senior priests of the diocese; the Rev. Leonard Voytek, now serving at St. Mary Parish in Nanty Glo; and the Rev. George Gulash, pastor of Resurrection Parish in Johnstown and administrator of St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Johnstown.

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“Bishop Bartchak extends his heartfelt prayers and congratulations to the parishioners, staff and clergy of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton as they mark this wonderful milestone,” said Tony DeGol, communications director for the diocese.

“With gratitude, the Bishop also acknowledges the contributions of all those over the past 125 years who have made the parish a welcoming spiritual home for generations of Catholics in Windber. May the Lord continue to bless this outstanding faith community as they continue to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Tickets were sold in advance for a catered luncheon that is taking place after the service.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish celebrates 125th anniversary