Saint Veronica, Ambridge

Parish History

St. Veronica was founded in 1904.  The parish owes its existence to the arrival of the steel industry and the workers that came with them.  At first, local Catholics had to travel to Sewickley to attend Mass.  In 1903, land for a church was secured.  On May 8, 1904, the first Mass was held in a commercial building by a priest from Sewickley.  Later that year construction began on a church and on December 15, 1904, the cornerstone for the church was laid.  On February 9, 1905, a resident pastor was assigned to the parish.

While the church was being built, services were held in available commercial space.  By August of 1905, the only space that could accommodate the growing congregation was a hall over a stable.  The obvious disadvantage of the new space led the congregation to move into its church as soon as possible.  Even before the church was finished, the first Mass was held in the building on August 5, 1906.  The finished church was dedicated on October 28, 1906.

As the years went by the congregation continued to grow.  In the late 1950's plans were made to build a new combination church and school.  Ground was broken for the new church on May 18, 1958 and the new church was dedicated on February 22, 1959.

As the growth of heavy industry in the beginning of the century led to the creation of the parish, the collapse of industry at the end of the century led to its suppression.  By the 1990's, the population of Ambridge dropped to the point that the city could not support the number of churches in existence.  In 1994, St. Veronica merged with four other parishes to form the new Good Samaritan parish.  St. Veronica church remained open and served the new parish along with three other churches.  However, by the turn of the century it became obvious that the parish congregation could not support all of those church buildings.  After a three year study, the decision was made to close all the churches except St. Veronica.  At the same time, the decision was made to change the name of the church to Good Samaritan.  The church was renovated and dedicated as Good Samaritan on December 11, 2004.