MERCER, PA. Senior citizens facility to offer 23 residences

The U.S. Department of Housing & amp; Urban Development is underwriting the cost of the project.
MERCER, Pa. -- Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and John XXIII Home for Senior Citizens have joined forces to build a 23-unit residence for senior citizens.
Bishop Donald Trautman of the Diocese of Erie will participate in groundbreaking ceremonies for the project at 20 Coolspring St. at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
The location is adjacent to the church at 100 Penn Ave.
The facility will be named the Father Tushim Manor Residence for Senior Citizens, in honor of the late Father Francis Tushim, a former pastor in the Immaculate Heart parish.
It was his dream in the early 1970s to develop a multiunit, affordable housing complex for seniors.
It didn't happen in his lifetime, but a group of parish members have been working to make it a reality now and, with the help of the John XXIII Home in Hermitage as a sponsoring agency, the project was able to secure a $2.4 million grant from the federal Department of Housing & amp; Urban Development (HUD) to underwrite the construction cost.
Who will live there
It's not a nursing home or assisted-living facility but is open to independent senior citizens who might be selling their homes or seeking a more maintenance-free living environment.
The complex will be operated by a Father Tushim Manor Inc. board of directors.
Although the facility project reflects the Catholic Church's concern for senior citizens, this is a HUD project and residency is open to all senior citizens, regardless of religious affiliation.
Applications for residency will be handled by the Mercer County Community Action Agency.
The residence will symbolize a cooperative spirit of two Catholic community organizations committed to reaching out to help senior citizens by working with a government agency, said Father Jim Kennelley, current pastor of Immaculate Heart.