Westmoreland County church recieves much needed makover

JEANNETTE, Pa. — Sacred Heart Parish has stood tall and strong in Jeannette for nearly a century.

From the outside, nothing appears amiss.

But inside, years of water damage have taken a toll, leaving peeling plaster and gaps between stone.

The church hasn’t held a service inside since August due to ongoing restoration, but will welcome parishoners back this weekend.

“The plan was to fix everything that needed fixed as far as plaster goes...well they found out there was a whole lot more plaster that needed fixed than originally thought so it became costly. That’s where the delay came from in reopening,” said Deacon Bill Newhouse, administrator for Sacred Heart Parish.

″It’s absolutely safe for people to be in here.; all the work that needs done now is cosmetic. There’s no structural issues at all.”

Only two Catholic churches remain standing in Jeannette. Newhouse says he’s hoping for a good turnout this weekend, but is also hoping he can help restore and revive the strong catholic faith that’s been deeply rooted in the community for decades.

″Over the years, Jeannette and the parishes, our population has been decreasing. We lost the glass factories and we have an older community,” Newhouse said. “We need to bring back that catholic community here in Jeannette, that catholic presence here.”

Sacred heart is holding an open house Saturday from 10 a.m. -1 p.m., so parishioners can see the cosmetic changes and renovations to the church ahead of mass on Sunday.

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