Bob Doanldson, Post-Gazette Sister Dorothy Pawlus, right, greets a friend. Click photo for larger image.

Sister Dorothy Pawlus, right, greets friends before her installation yesterday as parish life collaborator at St. Bartholomew Parish in Penn Hills. Bishop Paul Bradley, diocesan administrator, conducted the installation. Sister Pawlus is the first woman parish life collaborator in the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese.

The steady decline in the number of priests led to the plan to appoint parish life collaborators in parishes with no priests. Sister Pawlus assumed the parish's administrative duties last week after the Rev. David J. Bonnar ended his six-year term as pastor. Sacramental duties will be performed by the Rev. James A. McDonough of St. Regis Parish in Oakland.