St. Patrick's Church in Pittsburgh has rich history
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City may be the most famous house of worship to bear the name of the patron Saint of Ireland, and though Saint Patrick's Church in Pittsburgh is a much more humble structure, its history, one could argue, is equally as palpable.
Father Nicholas Vaskov said that St. Patrick's roots in Pittsburgh go back to the early 1800s.
"St. Patrick's Parish was founded in 1808 as the first parish in what is the now Diocese of Pittsburgh," Father Vaskov said. "Old St. Patrick's Church, while not the original church, is the predecessor church of that original parish."
This current church was built during the Great Depression in the 1930s and was designed to look like a country rock church in Ireland to give immigrants the feeling of their homeland. Believe it or not, there is even a small piece of the Blarney Stone in the church's tower. But when it comes to this sanctuary, there is usually something else that gets people gabbing.
One of the things that sets Saint Patrick's Church apart from other churches is The Holy Stairs: 28 white marble stairs that are meant to be ascended on your knees. It sounds a little uncomfortable. Well, it's meant to.
"The Holy Stairs require you to ascend on your knees, except for one exception," said Father Vaskov. "Brides are allowed to walk up on their wedding day. But otherwise, it is a penitential experience, and we celebrate with great joy, St. Patrick's Day in the middle of Lenten season, which is a time of penitence. So, the Holy Stairs is a penitential act."
The stairs are a replica of the stairs Jesus ascended to be judged by Pontius Pilate during the Passion. There are 28 prayers to go along with your climb, one for each stair, but St. Patrick's is aware that not everyone will be able to go up while in a genuflection, so there are two side staircases to the second-floor chapel as a workaround.
But The Holy Stairs, and more over the church, are now part of the Shrines of Pittsburgh, a parish that is composed of four other churches dedicated to preserving some of the area's unique religious history that connects Pittsburgh to places like Ireland, Jerusalem and Rome.
"It connects us to the larger aspect of our faith," said Father Vaskov. "That what we do here in Pittsburgh is connected to something that is worldwide, it is universal. And to experience these things here, to preserve them, is a sign of respect to preserve where we have come from and the continuation on a path that ultimately leads to heaven."
St. Patrick's Church sits at 17th Street and Liberty Ave. The Church is open for those who wish to visit on Mondays & Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
And since this Saturday is the St. Patrick's Day Parade, the church, as it does every year, will be open early at 8 a.m. for parade goes who wish to partake in a Mass before heading out to the fun and festivities.