On February 5, 2000, the Ellwood City Catholic Community began a new chapter in its more than 270-year history. Under the direction of the Pittsburgh Diocese, Saint Agatha (1895-2000), and Purification Blessed Virgin Mary (1916-2000) were officially merged as Holy Redeemer Parish.  St. Joseph Church, after 63 years of service, merged with Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1989. Nearly 800 members of the former parishes, including Saint Joseph (1926-1989), BVM’s mission church, attended the mass at BVM.

The merger was the first of the new millennium in the Diocese.

During the 10^th anniversary celebration (February 5^th, 2010), we thanked those that came before us by creating our 10^th Anniversary motto as a tribute to them:
                                                        “A Past to Remember, a Present to
                                                     Celebrate & a Future Full of Promise”. 

Succeeding our first pastor, the late Very Reverend Father Mauro Cautela, was
Father John Oesterle on September 23, 2005.  Father Mark L. Thomas succeeded Father Oesterle as pastor on March 31, 2008.

On August 21, 2007, in accordance with the Code of Canon Law, Bishop Paul Bradley, Diocesan Administrator, issued a decree closing for worship the Saint Agatha Church building and changing the title of Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church to Holy Redeemer Church effective September 8, 2007.

 Holy Redeemer Parish Collaboration/Queen of Heaven Parish, Koppel, PA

Queen of Heaven Parish was established on July 24, 1992, from the merger of two parishes,
Saint Monica (est.1902) Wampum and Saint Teresa, Koppel (est. as a mission in 1871; a parish 1962).

In August of 2005, the Saint Monica Church building was damaged in a storm. It was never
re-opened and ultimately relegated to profane use in September 2008; then sold in December 2009. On April 1, 2011, the Queen of Heaven Parish church building was damaged by fire, smoke and water, necessitating the need for weekend masses to be celebrated in the Koppel Volunteer Fire Department hall. Estimates to repair the building and restore/replace the damaged contents were cost prohibited. The church building was ultimately relegated to profane use.

A couple of years before the fire, Father Mark L. Thomas was named administrator of QOH which had already been collaborating with Holy Redeemer Parish during those past several years. Shared programs and ministries included confirmation, RCIA, anointing of the sick, adult education and social services programs. That process was accelerated due to the foregoing circumstances and the need for a merger was obvious.

A reading of the Diocesan merger decree, merging QOH with Holy Redeemer was presented at a special commemorative mass; fittingly held on November 27, 2011, the first Sunday of Advent that year.

And our story is still unfolding; effective October 15, 2018, Holy Redeemer Parish will be aligned with St. Ferdinand’s in Cranberry Township, St. Gregory’s in Zelienople and St. Matthias in Evans City, PA.