Saint Justin, Mt. Washington

Parish History

St. Justin was established on October 28, 1917.  The first Mass of the new parish was celebrated on November 11, 1917, in the Lincoln Theater.  The parish used the theater for Sunday services until they built a church.  Work on the church was begun in 1918 and the one story church was dedicated in August of 1918.

In 1925, two stories were added to the church building to house the parish's grade and high schools.  As the years went by, the school population continued to grow.  In 1944 the parish purchased a public school building which they used as the grade school.  The original classrooms above the church were then used exclusively for the high school.

In the 1950's the parish began raising funds for a new church.  On April 28, 1957, ground for the church was broken and on July 10, 1958, the completed church was dedicated.  The original church was then converted into a social hall.  In 1974, the high school, still in the original building, closed.  In 1987, the building was remodeled into housing for the elderly.  On September 7, 1988, the original church/school building was dedicated as the Just Inn Transition.  

By 2012 declining Mass attendance and rising building maintenance costs made it impractical for the diocese to maintain two parishes on Mount Washington.  On December 14, 2012 Bishop David Zubik issued a decree merging St. Justin Parish into St. Mary of the Mount Parish on Mount Washington.  The merger officially took place on February 10, 2013.  On that date, St. Justin Church closed, leaving St. Mary of the Mount Parish with only one church building.