St. Mary of the Assumption, Herman
St. Mary was founded in 1842. The origin of the parish can be traced to the arrival of German immigrants to Summit Township, as Herman was called then. These Germans were primarily farmers. To attend Mass, they had to travel to St. Peter in Butler. In 1841, the community had grown to the point that they petitioned the bishop in Philadelphia for permission to form their own congregation. Permission was granted and they immediately began fund raising for a church. On June 22, 1842, the cornerstone of the church was laid and on July 6, 1845, the completed church was dedicated. Initially, the church was visited once a month from St. Philomena in Pittsburgh. In 1846, the first resident pastor was assigned to St. Mary Assumption.
The congregation grew steadily and by 1862 had outgrown the church. Rather than build a completely new building, the existing building was reconstructed. The new, larger building was dedicated on February 19, 1867. The church was renovated in 1891, 1897, 1904, 1917 and 1937.
By the beginning of the 1950's, it became obvious that a new church was needed. The final Mass in the original church was celebrated on August 19, 1853 and the razing of the building began on August 24, 1953. Until the new church was ready, Mass was celebrated in the auditorium of the parish school. Ground breaking for the new church took place on September 27, 1953. The cornerstone was laid on August 15, 1954 and the completed church was dedicated on September 18, 1955.
This church continues to serve the Catholic community today.
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| Original St. Mary Assumption Church, 1933 | Main altar of the original church, 1933 | Side altar of the original church, 1933 | St. Mary Assumption Church, 2002 |
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