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1960
2016
Presently Located: Saint Katharine Drexel (Bentleyville)Parish History
St. Agnes was established in 1960. However, the origin of the parish can be traced back to December of 1929, when the pastor of Ss. Mary and Ann, Marianna celebrated the first Mass in the town on December 4, 1929. Mass was celebrated in the J & L Dressing Station. The new mission continued to use commercial space until 1939, when the parish purchased a church building.
In 1960, St. Agnes became an independent parish with the appointment of a resident pastor. In 1994, the two missions located in Daisytown, St. Mary and Assumption, were suppressed and became part of St. Agnes parish. Assumption Church was closed while St. Mary remains open. By this time, however, St. Agnes Church was in poor condition. The church was closed in September of 1995 and was razed shortly afterwards. After the church was razed, the parish used a converted movie theater and roller skating rink as a temporary church. Ground was broken for a new church on October 14, 2001, and the new St. Agnes Church was dedicated on May 31, 2003. Four years later, on September 8, 2007, the parish closed St. Mary Church.
The trend in consolidation continued afterwards. In 2015, the diocese conducted a study to determine the future of parish life in the area. The study led to a recommendation in 2016 that St. Agnes parish merge with four other area parishes. The recommendation was accepted and on January 8, 2017, St. Agnes Parish became part of the new St. Katharine Drexel Parish.
Photos From the Diocesan Archive:
