History of St. Joan of Arc School

In July 1950, Father Rice was able to arrange for the purchase of a two-acre plot of ground, farmhouse, and barn located on Route 88 and bordered by Montour Street and Trax Lane, across from the present property of St. Joan of Arc. This property was owned by the Simmons family, who sold it to Dr. Perry Engstrom. He in turn agreed to sell it to St. Joan of Arc Parish at a cost of $16,433.50. The farmhouse was immediately put to use as an activities building.  The building was first used by the Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Bernard, who taught Sunday school for our grade school children. Later, the Sisters of St. Francis Academy took over our Sunday school.

Father Rice has been remembered for his zealous work and good example and for the foresight to acquire the new property so that subsequent pastors were able to continue the development of St. Joan of Arc Church, school, and now our new beautiful Gathering Place (Domremy Hall).

 During the early 1950s the parish was still growing, and it was decided that we needed a school, as well as a larger church and parish house. In 1954 and for several years thereafter, the men canvassed the parish to obtain pledges from each family for their financial support of the Building Fund. Mr. McCloskey, a contractor, was hired for the new church-school building. The church cornerstone was laid in December 1954. On June 26, 1955, the $150,000 school and church were officially dedicated by Bishop John F. Deaden.

With school enrollment growing, it was necessary to embark on another building program. With the bishop's approval in 1957, two rooms were added on to the original first floor. A second floor consisting of six classrooms, a large multiple-purpose room, and a kitchen was completed at a cost of $99,105. Also, the convent had to be enlarged to accommodate additional teaching sisters. The addition to the convent was the work of volunteer parishioners, supervised by full-time parishioner-carpenter Steve Sewchock. The cost of the addition and furnishings was $11,000. Father Sullivan boasted that we had the best plant in the South Hills. The church could seat 660, the convent accommodated 16 sisters, and there were 16 schoolrooms, a new rectory and office. When school reopened in September 1957, the school consisted of grades 1 through 6, with two first grades.

On July 2, 1973 Father Peter A. Kuenzig (better known as Father Pete) was installed as our fifth Pastor. He was educated at St. Wendelin Grade School and South Side High School. He attended Duquesne University on a scholarship, majoring in pre-med.  One of the important challenges that he faced was keeping the St. Joan of Arc School operating. Operating costs were increasing due mainly to the loss of teaching sisters and the decline in enrollment of students due to the appeal of the public schools, which offered greater and more varied extra curricular activities, especially in sports. However, when many parish schools were either closing or merging, Father Pete was able to manage the parish so that the school remains very viable today and attracts quality teachers. Father Pete retired on July 1, 1996, when he reached the diocesan mandatory retirement age of 75.

Father Phillip P. Pribonic was ordained on December 21, 1967, at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He said his first mass on January 1, 1968, at St. Maurus Church, Bosiljevo, Croatia. He celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving July 21, 1968, at St. Denis Church, Versailles, PA, and his Silver Anniversary Mass on May 30, 1993, at St. Valentine, Bethel Park, PA. Father Pribonic returned on July 1, 1996, to St. Joan of Arc as Pastor.

Father Pribonic saw a need in the Parish for a social/banquet hall - a gathering place that he envisioned in which church and school related events could be held. Thus, in late winter of 1998-99 he began advising the parishioners that he was embarking on a building program, a program that entailed the construction of a hall adjacent to the school-church building where the old original farmhouse and bar was situated. Remodeling of the church would follow this. Construction of the building began on July 12, 1999, and was completed on March 10, 2000.

Through the efforts of many volunteer parishioners, the finishing of the inside (wall papering, wood trim, etc.) was completed in time to have fish dinners prepared and served the last four weeks of Lent. Father asked parishioners to suggest a name for the new building. He selected "Domremy Pavilion" suggested by Miss Kathleen Hall, Domremy, being the name of the birthplace of Joan of Arc in Lorraine, France. Since the building also has large rooms and garages, Father refers to the actual hall as "The Gathering Place."  The entire cost was estimated at about $1.4 million. Father Pribonic has been pleasantly surprised by the wonderful response that he received from parishioners in buying memorials, etc., to raise the necessary funds.