Saint Edward

St. Edward Church traces its history to the year 1917, when Blawnox was called Hoboken. Catholics living there traveled to Aspinwall as members of St. Scholastica Parish. Because public transportation was limited and few people owned cars, getting to Aspinwall for worship proved increasingly difficult.

In February, 1920, following a meeting of several parishioners and the pastor of St. Scholastica, Father M. Boyle, property bordering on Cable Avenue and Maple Alley was purchased for $1500 to build a mission church. The Knights of Columbus owned a recreation center, formerly a WWI barracks building, on property adjacent to the Allegheny County Poor Farm. Since it was to be razed to make room for the Allegheny County Workhouse, the Knights donated it to the parishioners, who dismantled, transported, and reconstructed it on the new lot (now the site of the School). It became the "Mission Church" of St. Scholastica, and parishioners worshipped in this one-story frame building for the next 18 years.

The first Mass in this temporary church was offered Christmas Day, 1920. From then until the formal parish was instituted in 1938, aside from the celebration of Masses, all sacramants, including weddings and funerals, still took place at St. Scholastica. After 18 years as a mission church, Father Edward J. Nemmer was appointed pastor of the newly created Blawnox parish. The name, St. Edward Church, was voted by parishioners in honor of their first pastor.

As the parish flourished, in August 1947, ground was broken for a new church on the corner of Cable Avenue and Walnut Street. It was dedicated May 1949 by Bishop John F. Deardon. A school building was completed September 1958. The classes were staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Ghost, who were car pooled by volunteer parishioners from their Motherhouse in West View until they moved into a house on Walnut Street. Ground was broken in March, 1959 for a new rectory and in July, 1963 a convent was dedicated, in time for the parish's Silver Jubilee celebration.

The Saint Edward school closed in 1981.

[Excerpts from the Blawnox 75th Anniversary Commemorative Book]

In 2011 St. Edward Parish was merged with St. Timothy in Indianola and St. Francis of Assisi in Harmar to form St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish.

In 2021 St. Pio Parish became part of the new Christ the King Parish.