A group of Irwin-area Catholics is petitioning the borough to rename an alley behind Immaculate Conception Church in honor of a priest who served the parish for nearly two decades.
The group asked Irwin Council to rename Church Alley as “Father John Way” to memorialize the late Rev. John Moineau. Moineau served at Immaculate Conception for 19 years and at Queen of Angels Catholic School and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in North Huntingdon for seven years. He died Oct. 25, 2025, at 64 following a multiyear battle with pancreatic cancer.
“Father John impacted our community for the past 20 years. I can’t tell you how many people love him,” group spokeswoman Cheryl Natale said. She noted his involvement in the local food bank and the parish’s popular “Burger Bash” fundraiser.
The three-block alley runs along the rear of the church property adjacent to a borough parking lot, crossing Oak and Maple streets before ending at Walnut Street. Natale told officials no building uses the alley as a primary address.
The group suggested the shortened “Fr. John Way” to keep the street sign at a manageable length, Natale noted.
Council President Tyler Baum said the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety, which oversees 911 dispatching, must approve any renaming. Borough officials are reviewing the request and the required legal process.
Scott Stepanovich, the county’s public safety director, said his department will check for duplicate names within the municipality and coordinate with the geographic information systems (GIS) team to set new coordinates.
When questioned by Baum regarding whether the Catholic Diocese of Greensburg needed to approve the change, Natale noted the alley is public, not church property. The group has not contacted the diocese.
Cliff Gorski, a spokesman for the Greensburg-based diocese, declined to comment on the effort because the alley is not on parish grounds.
Councilman Shawn Stitely expressed concern about the move potentially opening the door for many similar requests.
“I’m not against it, but if we change it, you’re going to start setting a precedent,” Stitely said. “If that’s what we choose to do, that’s fine, but just expect some more changes to come in the future.”
Moineau’s tenure was not without complications. In 2024, it was discovered he had cleared a man to work at the parish cemetery despite a background check showing guilty pleas for lewdness and indecent exposure. The diocese determined Moineau was responsible for the oversight.
At the request of Bishop Lawrence Kulik, Moineau resigned in May 2024 after admitting he failed to uphold diocesan policy. After being cleared by doctors to return to work following cancer treatments, he was reassigned in October 2024 to parishes in Lower Burrell and New Kensington.
The diocese’s handling of the matter frustrated many supporters. During his illness, more than 1,000 “Pray for Father John” signs were placed throughout the Irwin, North Huntingdon and Greensburg areas.