Our Mission
We, the Catholic faithful of Yukon and the surrounding areas, comprise Seven Dolors Parish. We have a rich immigrant ancestry and a diverse ethnic heritage where Christian charity prevails. We are committed to the Eucharist, the good news of Jesus Christ and all teachings of the Catholic Church. We strive to minister to the needs of those we encounter on a daily basis by centering ourselves in worship, participating in the sacramental life of the church, and performing works of mercy. We seek to build up the kingdom of God through stewardship and service under the guidance of our patroness, Mary, the Mother of God
Our History
On July 11, 1909, a group of men met with the idea of organizing a parish and erecting a suitable church structure in Yukon, Pennsylvania. A letter was sent to the Most Reverend John Francis Regis Canevin, Bishop of Pittsburgh on August 29, 1909, that brought immediate results.
After much surveying of the land and reports, Bishop Canevin sent several letters which established the parish at Yukon and constituted it a sister parish to the Catholic parish in Universal, Pennsylvania dated September 22, 1909. Father Michael Tusek, who was assigned to the spiritual well being of the community, approached the Westmoreland Coal Company for a tract of land, which is the present church site, for $1. The land was to be used to build a church, rectory and school but the plans were slightly ambitious and were never completely realized due to the coal strike in 1910.
However, in September 1913, a platform was built over the footer and the cornerstone was laid. The frame church was built on the present site between 1913 and 1914 and the first Holy Mass was celebrated on May 3, 1914, and on June 7, 1914, Trinity Sunday, the church was blessed by His Excellency, Bishop Regis Canevin. In July 1920, a two-story frame rectory was built. Many pastors came and went throughout the years but by May 14, 1943, the buildings had been refurbished and the parish was entirely free of debt.
Many years past and the community soon realized the need for upgrading their parish buildings. The laying of the cornerstone of the remodeled church was held in 1962 and on June 23, 1963, the congregation attended the dedication and blessing of the new church hall and remodeled church. The parish continued to grow in faith throughout the years. In 1998, Seven Dolors parish was partnered with Saint Timothy Parish of Smithton under the direction of Father Paul Stivason.
The undertaking of combining two parishes into one faith community was a big job but was done successfully by Father Stivason. In 1999, St. Timothy celebrated their 100th Anniversary with a Mass and reception. With the sudden death of Father Stivason in 2007, the partner parishes of Seven Dolors and St. Timothy continued under the direction of different administrators.
In 2008, with a restructuring of the Diocese, the partner parishes of Seven Dolors and St. Timothy were no longer because St. Timothy Parish was merged into St. Anne Parish, Rostraver (Belle Vernon). Many of the St. Timothy parishioners continued to worship at and support Seven Dolors Church.
In 2009, Seven Dolors celebrated their 100th Anniversary with a Mass and well attended dinner. On June 23, 2013, the parish celebrated Mass to commemorate its 50th anniversary of the dedication of the church building.