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| The first St. Edward Church, 1933 | St. Edward Church, 2002 | Interior of St. Edward, 2002 |
St. Edward, Blawnox
St. Edward was established in 1938. The origin of the parish can be traced back to 1920 when a church was built in Blawnox. Before that time, Catholics living in Blawnox had to travel to Aspinwall to attend Mass. Due to transportation problems, a committee of local Catholics asked the bishop for permission to build a church that would be a mission of St. Scholastica. Permission was given and land was purchased for a church. Nearby was a building owned by the Knights of Columbus. Originally it had served as a World War I base hospital and had been converted by the Knights of Columbus into a recreation hall. Learning that the Knights were planning to tear the building down, the congregation contacted them about acquiring the building for a church. The Knights agreed and volunteer parishioners dismantled and reconstructed the building. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on Christmas Day, 1920.
The church remained a mission of St. Scholastica and Mass was celebrated there every Sunday and Holy Day. On July 28, 1938, St. Edward became an independent parish with the appointment of a resident pastor. Almost a decade later, the parish had a new church. Ground for the church was broken in August of 1947, the cornerstone was laid in March of 1948 and the completed building was dedicated on May 29, 1949. The original church was torn down in 1951.
In 1965 a fire broke out in the church basement. It was put out before it did major damage, but it did require the repainting of the church. Later, additional improvements were made, including the installation of stained glass windows and a new organ.
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| The first St. Edward Church, 1933 | St. Edward Church, 2002 | Interior of St. Edward, 2002 |
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