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| St. Mark Church, 2001 | Interior of church, undated | Altar, 2001 |
St. Mark, McKees Rocks
St. Mark was founded in 1906 as a Slovak parish. The origin of the parish can be traced to the arrival of Slovak immigrants to McKees Rocks in the late nineteenth century. Before the establishment of the parish, local Slovaks traveled to St. Elizabeth in the Strip District. By 1906, the Slovak population in McKees Rocks had grown to the point that they could support a parish. They submitted a petition to the bishop requesting their own parish, which was granted. The bishop assigned a pastor to St. Mark on October 13, 1906.
Since the new parish did not have a church of its own, they celebrated Mass at St. Mary Help of Christians. The first Mass was celebrated on November 11, 1906. In 1907, land was purchased for a church. Construction of the foundation and basement of the church began on May 4, 1910. Work on the superstructure of the church began on May 1, 1916, and the cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1916. The completed church was dedicated later that year.
Over the years, the church was renovated and redecorated. However, the same building still stands. The parish itself, though, no longer stands. Due to the loss of population in McKees Rocks, St. Mark was merged with six other parishes to form the new St. John of God parish in 1993. St. Mark church remains open and serves the new parish.
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| St. Mark Church, 2001 | Interior of church, undated | Altar, 2001 |
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