Catholic Shrines & Places of Interest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers meet and form the Ohio River in the heart of Pittsburgh. The 19th century was the age of steel and the three major rivers made it easy to get coal from West Virginia up the Monongahela to Pittsburgh, which became the logical place to build steel mills. The need for workers attracted many immigrants from Europe….and the majority of these were Catholic. They brought their faith with them and built many churches, often settling in enclaves where their fellow immigrants had come befor them. Some districts were known for their nationalities, and others for their commercial significance.
“Troy Hill” generally refers to the historically German neighborhood atop the Troy Hill plateau; “Polish Hill”, obviously, where many Poles settled, The “strip district”, on the other hand, probably got its name from the strip steel mills that used to line the river. Millvale is a suburb of Pittsburgh.
One of the oldest Dioceses in the U.S., Pittsburgh has many churches of unique historical and spiritual significance.
Note that six of these churches are part of one parish, Shrines of Pittsburgh, and Masses, etc. are scheduled on alternate days and times in most cases:
Immaculate Heart of Mary (Polish Hill) Divine Mercy Church
Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish (Troy Hill)
Saint Anthony Chapel (Troy Hill) largest collection of relics in the world for public viewing (outside of the Vatican)
Saint Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church (Millvale) Magnificent murals by Croatian artist Maxo Vanka
Saint Patrick’s Church (Strip District) Replica of the Holy Stairs from Rome
Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center
Saint Stanislaus Kostka (Strip District) Church built by Polish immigrants
The Pittsburgh Oratory and Newman Center: serves as the Newman Center for the students of the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Chatham University. Daily Mass, Perpetual Adoration
One Byzantine Rite Catholic Church in Pittsburgh:
Saint John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church Byzantine Rite Roman Catholic
One Maronite Catholic Church in Pittsburg:
Our Lady of Victory Maronite Catholic Church