The creation of a family of faith and a church is the topic of a new play at the Freeport Theatre Festival this month.

“'Spirit of St. Mary's' is about the people who settled Freeport and the Catholics, but it also covers the history of Catholic immigrants in America. It talks about their experience of fighting for religious tolerance,” said Rennick Steele, the play's writer and director.

“We are trying to hook the audience by the history of the time but also we're trying to help them understand the spirit of the people,” said Marushka Steele, Rennick's artistic co-director and choreographer.

Less than a year ago, a fellow parishioner at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Freeport asked Rennick to write a play for the church's 190th anniversary.

Rennick has written many dramas about Western Pennsylvania history. This play covers 104 years.

Marushka said the French, who were Catholic, traveled the Allegheny River to Fort Duquesne. They floated by land that settlers developed into a town that became Freeport.

“What happens in civilized life is that people build a church first. A moral center,” Marushka said.

Jim Neal, former pastor of Freeport's Trinity Lutheran Church and a participant in the theater for 15 years, narrates the play as Maryland's Charles Carroll who signed the Declaration of Independence.

He said the church stopped conflict between factions of local Catholics.

“It was the priest who brought them together. 'Can you stop your battling each other and help me build this church?'” Neal said.

The church was built in Freeport in 1827. Soon church members discovered that they were sold shoddy bricks that “melted” in the rain.

“That (church) stays up for about 15 years or so and then in 1847 they begin building the current structure,” Rennick said.

The play's Civil War scenes follow five young men from Freeport. They fought with the 78th Volunteer Infantry at the two-day battle at Stone's River near Murfreesboro, Tenn. There were heavy casualties.

“The 78th Volunteer Infantry was half Catholic and half Protestant and they got along fine and they learned to tolerate each other,” Rennick said.

Shortly before the Civil War, a distillery near Freeport began extracting oil from coal. It was cheaper and burned brighter in lamps than whale oil.

Rennick said the industry collapsed as drilling for oil took hold. The exodus of workers cost St. Mary dearly and membership dropped from 400 members to about eight families.

The play also depicts Polish and Italian immigrants coming to the area in the 1890s. Many of them mined coal to fire industries in Pittsburgh.

A devastating accident at the Harwick Mine in Cheswick included in the play was one of many mining accidents of the time. Miners from Freeport were among the 179 killed. The tragedy ranks as one of the 10 worst coal mining disasters in the country's history.

“We're following people through life and war and death and resurrection,” Marushka said. “It was their work ethic that built the country.”

“It's a wonderfully inspiring play,” she said.

Freeport Theatre Festival, founded by the Steeles, is in its 27th season.

The couple met in New York City when they performed lead roles in “Arms and the Man” by George Bernard Shaw at the Off-Off Broadway Alliance.

“I did plays in New York and Los Angeles. She did plays in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” said Rennick.

He is a member of the Dramatist's Guild. Marushka studied drama in New York, Pittsburgh and Toronto and was a member of the Detroit City Ballet.

When the couple moved to Western Pennsylvania, Rennick taught at several area schools, especially 7th grade English.

“I wanted to use the training I had in the summertime,” Rennick said.

The theater is on land where Rennick lived as a child. He said, “We have artistic freedom here.”

Rennick said “Spirit of St. Mary's,” as a work of art, includes some fiction but it is historically accurate.

Marushka said their plays require large casts and many people behind the scenes. This play has 20 roles.

“Our door is open to the talent of the area,” Marushka said. “It takes many hands, all ages. We have a core company that is there year after year but we always bring in new people.”

She said, “We have a company now that is well trained and dedicated and willing to put in the perspiration.”

Neal said rehearsals are five to seven evenings a week for three weeks between the summer plays.

He did not have theater experience before Freeport Theatre Festival. Neal credits the Steeles with his understanding of staging, diction, portraying a character and other aspects of performance.

“I think this is a good training ground for young people and for people who always wanted to get into theater,” Rennick said. The plays include some professional actors as well.

Marushka said people come to their theater for the stories and because it's a lovely, intimate setting.

“('Spirit of St. Mary's') is about people in our area that were spun from the soil and built our country,” Marushka said. “They had a moral code and a moral center.”

Neal said it's also about faith as a strong part of our national heritage.

“Anyone who is a believer will enjoy the play and even nonbelievers will appreciate the history,” Marushka said.

“We're trying to spread the love of theater through the community. Theater is really a celebration of life,” Rennick said.

WHO: Freeport Theatre FestivalWHAT: “Spirit of St. Mary’s”WHEN: 7 p.m. Aug. 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28WHERE: Steele Farm, 2498 White Cloud Road, Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, two miles south of Freeport off Route 356TICKETS: General admission $15, military and seniors $12, students $10. For tickets and other information, call 724-295-1934 or visit freeporttheatrefestival.org.