SS. Cyril & Methodius Church, 50 N. Morgantown Street, is located at the foot of the Allegheny Mountains in Fairchance, Pennsylvania. In 1903, the regional coal industry was booming and many Slovaks came to the area for employment. As the Catholic population grew, local residents sought a parish in Fairchance. In 1910, a committee of men visited Bishop J. Regis Canevin, Diocese of Pittsburgh, to petition for a priest who would organize a parish for them. The Bishop saw the need for a parish in Fairchance, and on October 17, 1910, he granted permission to Rev. John Kovalsky (then pastor of St. Mary in Leckrone, PA) to begin forming a parish.
As the parish continued to grow, the wooden church became inadequate, so on September 12, 1925, the cornerstone was laid and construction of our current church commenced. The construction was completed in 1926. Rt. Rev. Hugh C. Boyle, Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, came to Fairchance in August of 1926 to bless the new church. The initial cost was $85,000 and a $45,000 mortgage was drawn. The mortgage was paid in full and a celebration to mark this joyous occasion was held on November 23, 1947. It is important to note that the Diocese of Greensburg was formed in 1951, and that SS. Cyril & Methodius Parish, being located in Fayette County, became part of the new diocese.
Father Kovalsky borrowed $15,000 from the people and donated some of his own funds to construct a temporary chapel, first named Sacred Heart Church. It was then renamed by Bishop Canevin as SS. Cyril & Methodius Church in honor of the patron saints of the Slavonic people. Originally, all services were performed in a temporary chapel at the Odd Fellows Hall, thought to have been located on Church Street in Fairchance. On March 11, 1911, for the sum of $1,600, the Carnegie Land Company sold eight lots on Morgantown Street in Fairchance for establishing church grounds, and four acres of land in Georges Township for a parish cemetery. Father Kovalsky laid the foundation for the rectory, and was its architect, financier, and main contractor as well. There is no record as to when the church was completed or the first Sacrifice of the Mass offered.
Although many services, celebrations, and events were held in the new church and hall, the old wooden church structure continued to be utilized for the community and parish. Religious education for the parish youth was held not only in the old wooden church, but in the parish hall and church as well. The wooden church structure was eventually demolished. In 1975, the existing catechetical building was completed on the site. Now known as The Annunciation Center, it continues to be a center for catechesis and fellowship, and serves as the parish office.
On April 10, 1994, the status of the mission church of St. Helen changed again; it became known as the Chapel of SS. Cyril & Methodius Church. It was at this time that the parish hall of SS. Cyril & Methodius Parish became known as St. Helen Hall to honor the history of St. Helen Church and our longstanding relationship. On July 5, 2007, St. Helen Chapel in Shoaf was formally closed. A Mass of Remembrance was celebrated on August 21, 2007.
A significant part of our history includes our relationship with St. Helen Church in Shoaf. In 1911, Rev. Kovalsky petitioned the Bishop Canevin (Diocese of Pittsburgh) for a church in Shoaf. The Frick Coal Company donated a piece of ground along with $1,000 cash, and on October 9, 1913, permission was granted to expend $3,000 to build a church under the patronage of St. Helen. It became a mission to Fairchance until 1921, when it was made a separate parish with the appointment of Father Joseph Goncar as its first resident pastor. During the depression in the late 1920’s and 1930’s, many mines and plants closed and unemployment soared. Everything in the area became idle and financial support dwindled, resulting in St. Helen Church returning to mission status. On December 18, 1972, a fire destroyed the original church, but plans to rebuild were soon underway.