Clergy Timeline
Resided in Rochester, PA; mission church under St. Cecilia Church, Rochester, PA
Fr. Francis P. Ward [08/1891-08/1894]
Pastor-in-residence; Monaca at this time was called Philipsburg
Fr. Joseph Toner [08/1894-08/1897]
Resided in Monaca but served the Catholics in Monaca, Anderson Road, Aliquippa, Coraopolis and Imperial
Fr. Martin Hughes [08/1897-07/1900]
Resided in Coraopolis, PA; mission church under St. Joseph Church, Coraopolis, PA
Fr. Anthony Vogel [07/1900-04/1904]
Resided in Beaver, PA; mission church under Sts. Peter and Paul, Beaver, PA
Fr. Thomas P. Walsh [04/1904-08/1905]
Resided in Beaver; mission church under Sts. Peter and Paul, Beaver, PA
Fr. John P. Gallagher [08/1905-01/1906]
Resided in Beaver; mission church under Sts. Peter and Paul, Beaver, PA
All future priests assigned to St. John the Baptist Parish
after this point in time reside in Monaca.
Fr. Leonard J. Stenger [01/1906-01/1907]
Fr. Modesto Parolini [01/1907-07/1911]
Guided the building of the Lyceum which later became the second parish church.
Fr. Peter J. McKenna [07/1911-12/1912]
Fr. John Enright [01/1913-10/1922]
Purchased sections of land for use as a parish cemetery.
Converted the Lyceum into the second parish church. (The first church became a parish hall.)
Fr. John Canova [10/1922-11/1948]
Purchased the house that is the current parish rectory.
Guided the design and building of the third (present) parish church.
Assistants under Fr. Canova:
- Fr. James Paul Harvey
Fr. Paul A. Nee [interim 12/1949]
Monsignor Emilio Farri [01/1949-08/1962]
Guided the building of the parish school in 1953 and a subsequent addition in 1960; the parish convent in 1957.
Assistants under Monsignor Farri:
- Fr. Joseph R. Bryan
- Fr. Martin T. Connolly
- Fr. Francis K. Cronin
- Fr. Andrew J. Bjalobok
- Fr. John R. Charnoki
- Fr. John R. Haney
Fr. Nicholas A. Biondi [1962-1973]
Assistants under Fr. Biondi:
- Fr. John R. Haney
- Fr. John R. Chess
- Fr. Joseph J. Kleppner
Fr. George W. Kilarecki [1973-1985]
Assistants under Fr. Kilarecki:
- Fr. Joseph J. Kleppner
- Fr. David J. Jastrab
- Fr. Kenneth E. Myers
- Fr. David A. Driesch
- Fr. Jose Mattam
Fr. Philip J. DeCarlo [1985-1999]
Closed the convent after the departure of the Sisters of Divine Providence teaching staff; hired lay staff to continue the operation of the parish elementary school.
Assistants under Fr. DeCarlo:
- Fr. Jose Mattam
- Fr. Frank M. Kurimsky
- Fr. Edward Sczmerda
- Fr. Nicholas Mastrangelo
- Fr. Robin Evanish
Fr. Frank M. Kurimsky [1999-2004]
Demolished convent building to expand church parking lot.
Fr. John L. McKenna [2004-7/2011]
Assigned under Fr. McKenna:
- Deacon Anthony Giordano [7/2011-10/14/18]
Fr. Edward Yuhas [interim 7/2011]
Fr. George F. Chortos [8/2011-7/2012]
Fr. Michael R. Ruffalo [8/2012-10/14/18]
Closed the parish elementary school; then renovated the school building to become the Pastoral Center.
On October 15, 2018,
as part of the initiative of On Mission for the Church Alive!,
at the decision of Bishop David Zubick,
the Parish of St. John the Baptist, Monaca
along with the parishes of
St. Francis Cabrini, Center Township;
Our Lady of Fatima, Hopewell Township;
and St. Titus, Aliquippa were brought together
to form a parish grouping.
First assignments to the newly-formed grouping were:
Fr. Martin Bartel, O.S.B. (Administrator) [10/15/18- ]
Assigned under Fr. Bartel:
- Fr. Thomas More Sikora, O.S.B. (Parochial Vicar)
- Fr. Joachim Morgan, O.S.B. (Parochial Vicar)
- Fr. Regis Alberth (In Residence)
- Fr. William Kohler (In Residence)
- Deacon Joseph Basko
- Deacon Robert Bittner
Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic Parish
1409 Pennsylvania Avenue
Monaca, Pennsylvania 15061