A Brief History of St. Mary's

The first Mass in Export was held in 1892 in a private home and this practice continued for several years by a priest from Irwin. As the Catholic immigrant population continued to grow, the bishop of Pittsburgh diocese (there was no Greensburg diocese yet) directed that a new church be built in Export. In 1903 the cornerstone for the new church was laid and the church was dedicated in the same year. The church and parish were originally known as Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but because there were other churches in the diocese with that same title, then Bishop Connare of the Greensburg diocese directed that the name be changed in 1975 to the present name of St Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes. Several neighboring parishes, including St. Barbara, Mother of Sorrows, and St. John Baptist de La Salle grew out of St. Mary’s. The parish has been served by many priests over the years and in 2002 became a partner parish with St John de la Salle in Delmont. It is still located in its original location.