St. Margaret, Greentree
St. Margaret was established on January 3, 1931, as a mission of St. Martin, West End. The founding of the parish was sparked by a petition by a group of Greentree Catholics to the bishop on December 9, 1930, requesting permission to form the mission. On February 27, 1931, the parish purchased a former grocery store and converted it to a church. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on May 3, 1931. The congregation continued to grow and on July 27, 1938, St. Margaret became an independent parish.
The original church served the parish until 1952. In 1949, the state announced its plan to build the Penn-Lincoln Parkway. The route of the highway included the property of St. Margaret, including the church. The parish made plans to build a new school that would include a temporary church. Ground for the new church/school building was broken in April of 1951 and the building was dedicated on November 9, 1952. The upper floor of the building served as the school and the lower floor as a church.
The temporary church served the parish for over 25 years. On March 4, 1979, ground was broken for a new church. The cornerstone was laid on December 9, 1979, and the first Mass was celebrated in the new church on June 8, 1980. The church was officially dedicated on August 10, 1980. The temporary church in the school building was converted to a gymnasium.
|
|
|
|
| First St. Margaret Church, 1943 | Interior of first church, 1943 | St. Margaret Church, 2002 | St. Margaret interior, 2002 |
Click here to find out how to purchase a copy of these pictures.