HOLY NAME OF JESUS CHURCH HISTORY
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
1960 - Present

On March 16, 1960, Bishop George L. Leech announced the formation of a new parish named Holy Name of Jesus. The parish was officially established several days later with Reverend George W. Rost as pastor. Father Rost had been Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese and Secretary to Bishop Leech. The parish property consisted of about 13 acres of land in Lower Paxton Township, off Route 22 East, and the parish began with approximately 1300 souls. Most of the new parishioners had been members of St. Margaret Mary although about 100 souls were drawn from St. Joan of Arc parish in Hershey.

Father Rost resided at St. Margaret Mary until a private residence on South Arlene Street was purchased to serve as his rectory and office. All of Holy Name of Jesus’ baptisms, weddings, funerals and school activities were held at St. Margaret Mary. Father Francis A. Kirchner, who was the pastor at St. Margaret Mary, was a great priest and a great human being and played an import role in getting the new parish underway.

Beginning on March 27, 1960, Father Rost said two Sunday Masses at the Paxtonia Elementary School on old Jonestown Road. On November 20, 1960, groundbreaking was held for a school, church and convent and the dedication and opening occurred on October 4, 1961. Around this time we were blessed to have the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill assume the teaching of our school children and to this day that order has furnished us with many wonderful Sisters.

In May of 1968, Father Rost was named pastor of a larger and more established parish in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. As pastor of Holy Name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit sent us Father Daniel Joseph Mahoney from St. Joan of Arc in Hershey. Father Mahoney wanted a rectory on our church property so in 1971 John (Jake) Wilson and Sons built the present rectory. School enrollment began to increase and Father Mahoney initiated plans for a new school. Eight years later, under Bishop Joseph Daley, permission was granted to build a new education building and gymnasium at Holy Name. The education building was completed in 1981 and the large gym complex in 1982. John Wilson and Sons were also the general contractors for the education building and gym.

Over the years, Holy Name had many spiritual and social groups that proved to be a blessing for the families in our parish and for the people in our community. Our parish was blessed to have had Father Mahoney with us for thirty-four years.

In 2002, God blessed our parish again when he sent Msgr. Robert E. Lawrence to be the new Shepherd at Holy Name of Jesus Parish. Msgr. Lawrence had been pastor of St. Theresa of Jesus Church in New Cumberland, PA for five and a half years and previously Secretary for Education in the Diocese of Harrisburg. Msgr. Lawrence is a holy priest, untiringly dedicated to his priestly ministry among us whether celebrating Sacraments, visiting the sick and dying, or preaching and teaching people of all ages. He has a very special rapport in working with children. He has distinguished himself as a gifted administrator in all of the affairs facing Holy Name of Jesus Church at this time in our history.