The Rev. John Palmer Norman - Part 2

We still feel the legacy of the Rev. John P. Norman at St. Paul’s today. We can thank him for the peel of the tower bell, the light streaming through the stained glass windows, and for many of traditions which we still observe. Nearly half of everyone ever baptized at St. Paul’s was baptized by The Rev. Norman.

During many lean years, St. Paul’s was kept financially afloat because of gifts from Norman’s wealthy Pittsburgh friends. Because of their financial assistance, the church was able to support a professional organist as well as a boys’ choir that was renowned throughout the diocese during most of Norman’s tenure.

In 1891, Norman, with the blessing of St. Paul’s vestry, began missionary work in Charleroi, which would lead to the creation of St. Mary’s Church. Norman’s high church sensibility still influences the way St. Paul’s and St. Mary’s churches worship. He also served churches in West Brownsville and McKeesport during his time here, but his primary loyalty was always to St. Paul’s.

Norman was well known for many of his eccentricities as well as his dedicated service. He had “scandalous weakness” of chewing tobacco, and drank his coffee hotter than anyone else could stand. He was famous for travelling around the community on horseback to visit parishioners, even in his old age. In 1901 Norman broke his leg, but continued to serve, celebrating the Holy Eucharist and baptizing infants (much to their parents’ dismay) on crutches.

The Rev. Norman was very community minded as well. He served on the Monongahela School Board for many years and was active in the Masons and the Grand Army of the Republic (a Civil War veterans’ organization). Norman was instrumental in starting Monongahela’s first Kindergarten and gave large amounts of his own money to fund community vaccination programs. He coached community soccer and cricket teams and contributed many articles and book reviews to local newspapers. He once even got St. Paul’s mentioned in the New York Times for a letter that he had written to Congress.

Emma, The Rev. Norman’s wife, was also very active in parish life. She led the St. Margaret’s Guild for many years and organized many fundraisers and social events like the first English Tea. Together the Normans lived in the rectory which stood across the street from the church, with their invalid daughter. The Rev. John P. Norman retired from ministry in 1918, and moved to Cochranton, Pennsylvania where he died in 1923.

In its 150 years St. Paul’s church has had thousands of parishioners and a total of forty-five rectors. Among all those people, it is certainly safe to say that no single person has loved this church more or served it more diligently than the Rev. John Palmer Norman.