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SJB History

- Before 1888, those of Catholic faith in Monaca (then called Phillipsburg) had to make their way to Rochester or Beaver, PA to attend Mass. To better serve these people of faith, the parish of  St. John the Baptist was founded and work was begun on a church in the autumn of 1888. The church was a mission of St. Cecilia Parish in Rochester, PA until 1891, when the first resident pastor was assigned to the parish in August of that year. The parish had a resident pastor until 1900. It then became a mission church of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Beaver, PA. Finally in 1907, the mission parish of St. John the Baptist was again assigned a resident pastor.
  Construction of the first church
  began in the Fall of 1888.
  (Photo: St. John Parish Archive)
  The second church, formerly the Lyceum,
  was converted in May of 1913.
  (Photo: Diocesan Archive)
  
  The first church building served the congregation until 1913. With the areas growth in population, the existing structure was too small to meet the needs of the congregation. The parish  Lyceum, which had been built in 1910, was converted into a church and dedicated on August 3, 1913. This second church eventually proved inadequate as well regarding space. Meanwhile, in the early 1920s land was purchased for use as a parish cemetery. Then on May 4, 1930, the cornerstone for a larger church was laid; on May 30, 1932, the new church was dedicated. Designed under the guidance of Father John Canova, this beautiful structure, built for the glory of God, continues to serve the congregation of the parish.
  
  The cornerstone for the third and present day church was laid on May 4, 1930.
  The church was dedicated on May 30, 1932. (Photo: Diocesan Archive)
  
  As the parish continued to grow and flourish, a cornerstone was laid in 1951 for a school to be built next to the church through the hard work and sacrifice of the parishioners and the determination of Monsignor Emilio Farri. The initial competed structure was blessed on April 12, 1953.
  
  The cornerstone for the parish school was laid in 1951.
  The building was blessed on April 12, 1953.
  
  A new wing was built onto the school in 1960 and bears the name  Msgr. Farri Hall. At the time of the addition, the wing contained four classrooms, a gymnasium and duck pin bowling alleys.
  
  It was by the efforts of Msgr. Farri that the  Sisters of Divine Providence came to fill the role of teaching staff at the fledgeling school. A convent, which once stood on the corner of Virginia Avenue and 15th Street, was built in 1957 for their residence.
  
  This dedicated order of sisters staffed the school from 1951 through the 1990s. The parish community is deeply thankful for their years of service. With the departure of the sisters, the school was then totally staffed by lay teachers and personnel from throughout the area who would teach and perform the many administrative/staff duties.
  
  On October 23, 1988 at 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon, the parishioners of St. John the Baptist celebrated the 100th aniversary of their parish in a Mass offered by then Bishop Donald W. Wuerl followed by a dinner reception.
  
  Due to declining enrollment and mounting financial concerns, and with diocesan permission granted, on June 30, 2014 kindergarten thru grade 8 at St. John the Baptist School came to a close. This was followed by the cessation of St. John the Baptist Preschool in July of 2017. The parish is sincerely grateful for the tremendous dedication of all the teachers and staff members of  St. John the Baptist School throughout its history.
  
  With vision for the future, in the Summer of 2014 the parish school was remodeled and assigned new purpose. Rededicated with the title of St. John the Baptist Pastoral Center, the building houses the parish offices, Faith Formation Center, CCD School of Religion, and Monsignor Farri Hall as well as the parish St. Vincent dePaul Society.
  Bishop David Zubik on April 28, 2018, in his call to the Church of Pittsburgh under the On Mission for the Church Alive! initiative, announced that Saint John the Baptist, Monaca would join with the parishes of Saint Titus, Aliquippa; Saint Frances Cabrini, Center Township; and Our Lady of Fatima, Hopewell Township to form a parish grouping or cluster on October 15, 2018, and asked all to join in a journey to better fulfill the mission of Jesus and ensure vibrancy in every parish. 'MACH1 Parish Grouping' was the temporary name selected for the cluster by representatives from the four parishes and approved by the diocese.
  
  In November 2020, the process of gathering parish name suggestions from parishioners for submission to the diocese was completed. On May 29, 2021, Bishop David Zubik officially announced the name of the future parish, made up of the then parishes of St. John the Baptist (Monaca), St. Titus (Aliquippa), St. Frances Cabrini (Center Township), and Our Lady of Fatima (Hopewell Township) and to be established on July 1, 2021, to be ‘Mary, Queen of Saints’. Each church would retain its original patronal name.
- Who is St. John the Baptist?


Construction of the first church began in the Fall of 1888. (Photo: St. John Parish Archive)	The second church, formerly the Lyceum, was converted in May of 1913. (Photo: Diocesan Archive)