Saints in

By Daniel Casciato the Strip

In 1808, the Rev. William F.X. O’Brien city had declined, it was no longer practi- was assigned to the Pittsburgh region to cal for each parish in the Strip District to organize a new congregation and to build remain independent. a Catholic church. At the time, only about Throughout 2008, the St. Patrick-St. Stan- 20 Catholic families lived in the city. That islaus Kostka Parish in the Strip District has year, he laid the cornerstone for St. Pat- been commemorating the 200th anniver- rick’s, then the first Catholic church built in sary of this cornerstone laying. the Pittsburgh region. “The time of the merger was difficult for Mass many Catholics,” recalls Derris Jeffcoat, an is still historian and parishioner at the St. Patrick- offered St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish. at St. Patrick’s “When the merger happened in my home twice a community in Munhall, it was tough for week, many people, but they understood the chal- and the lenges the diocese faced,” said Jeffcoat, who church now lives in the Spring Garden neighbor- continues hood on the Northside. “The population to offer decreased, and a number of church build- residents, ings became more difficult to maintain business because of a lack of funding and deferred owners, maintenance. But it was a little easier to ac- shop- cept in the Strip District, because there was pers, and not a strong resident population there.” tourists Jeffcoat, who works for Al- A portion of the a place legheny General Hospital as beautiful grounds, for daily, a Senior Environmental St. Patrick’s private Safety Specialist, became devotions. the historian of the church St. in 2000. Patrick’s “We were preparing for merged the 110th anniversary of with St. the current St. Stanislaus St. Stanislaus Kostka Stanislaus Kostka building, and that Kostka’s, just whet my appetite the first Polish parish in the diocese, and for its history,” said Jef- St. Elizabeth’s the first Slovak parish in the fcoat, when asked why he city - now the Altar Nightclub - during the became an historian. He diocesan revitalization in 1993. The merger lives about two miles from formed the new St. Patrick-St. Stanislaus St. Patrick-St. Stanis- Kostka Parish. Since the population in the laus Kostka parish. Like

24 Jeffcoat, most of the parishioners come They are preserved in churches at Lourdes, from surrounding neighborhoods. France; St. Anne de Beaupre, Canada; “The Strip still has a low-resident popula- Tytuvenia, Lithuania; Abruzzi, Italy; and tion,” said Jeffcoat. “We’re considered a Nasonville, Rhode Island. service parish and are open and encourage “The original stairs were taken to Rome people to come worship with us. Most of around 326 A.D. and set up in the Basilica the parishioners’ parents and grandparents of St. John Lateran,” said Jeffcoat. “The were members of the church.” stairs at St. Patrick’s were installed in Even as parishioners moved to the suburbs, 1936, when the church was rebuilt after a they maintained their allegiance to the devastating fire. It’s humbling to see people mother, Polish church in Pittsburgh. “We do the devotion there. Even frail people see many people from Millvale, struggle up the stairs on their knees to offer Lawrenceville, and the North Shore. We are also getting more people coming from downtown because of the conversion of the buildings to condos and apart- ments,” he said. As of January 2008, the parish counted about 526 parishioners. To encourage more out-of-town visitors to worship there, St. Patrick-St. Stanislaus Kostka par- ish with a downtown cluster of Catholic churches - St. Mary’s of the Point, Epiphany Church, and St. Benedict the Moor in the Hill District - prepared a brochure to let tourists know when services take place and where. Copies of the brochures were placed in hotels and with the Greater Pitts- burgh Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We did this to welcome Catholic visitors staying in the downtown area and to increase membership in our cluster of churches,” said Jeffcoat. “We recently formed this downtown cluster to encour- The Holy Stairs, St. Patrick’s age more cooperation among the Catholic churches in our cluster.” their prayers and sufferings with the deepest Besides attracting people to worship at the devotion. It’s an amazing experience.” churches, St. Stanislaus Kostka The beautiful monastic-like Church and St. Patrick Church garden in the church court- serve as two of the neighbor- yard, another feature of St. Patrick’s, makes the church a popular destination. hood’s significant historical The garden features an outdoor grotto in destinations. St. Patrick contains honor of the apparition of Our Lady of something truly different -- a replica of the Lourdes. Statues in the garden honor the Holy Stairs -- reportedly the 28 steps that Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Bernadette, Jesus ascended to stand before Pontius Pi- Saint Ann, Saint Joseph, Saint Patrick, late at his Saint Anthony, and Blessed Kateri Tekak- judgment witha, Lily of the Mohawks. in the For more than 20 years, several volunteers praeto- have maintained the garden each week at rium in St. Patrick’s. Among them, Daniel Yates, Jerusalem. 54, a gardener from Edgewood, is the last Only a attending parishioner. Yates joined the handful parish late in the 1980’s, when he learned of other that the church offered Tuesday-afternoon replicas of devotions to St. Anthony. these Holy Stairs “The grounds were really in bad shape exist in when I first started attending Mass.” said the world. Yates. “Owing to my background as a gardener, I was asked if I would give them continued on page 34 25 Saints in the Strip continued

St. Patrick’s grotto a hand. I’ve been doing this ever since. We cal Places, also help clean the inside of the church. To and is one me, it’s not even work, because I really en- of the few joy doing this. It’s become a hobby for me.” churches in Yates visits churches and shrines all over the the region world, but refers to St. Patrick’s as the most to earn that outstanding he’s ever seen. distinction. Jeffcoat “It’s an absolutely world-class, special place doesn’t in the Strip District. At one time, St. Pat- consider the rick’s was highly renowned for its devotions historical in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Those of us significance who volunteer still have devotions there,” of these said Yates. churches Earlier this year, in time for its 200th different anniversary, St. Patrick’s received memo- from other rabilia — newspaper clippings, photos, churches correspondence, and prayer books — from across the the nephew of its most famous pastor, country. Father James Renshaw Cox, the radio priest “These Altar, St. Stanislaus Kostkas from 1925 to 1950. Born in Lawrenceville churches represent the faith commitment, in 1886, Father Cox studied at Duquesne faith community, and ethnic pride you’ll University and St. Vincent Seminary, where find in any church whether you are Catho- he was ordained to the priesthood on July lic, Protestant, or Jewish,” he said. “For 1, 1911. In 1924, he became the youngest many people who came to this country, priest in the church. He died on March 20, these churches helped them overcome the 1951. adversities they faced. And the pride of “Father Cox was responsible for putting St. preservation carries on to this day. That’s Patrick’s on the map,” said Yates. “He was why we see many wonderful places of wor- well known nationally and internationally. ship still standing throughout the United He broadcast sermons daily on WJAS radio States.” for 25 years. And during the Great Depres- Challenges, however, remain for the sion, he was renowned for his work with churches. Both need repair to continue the unemployed.” The family of Father daily operations and to restore their Cox plans to have his early radio recordings spiritual beauty, historical significance, and updated and sent to the parish. grandeur. St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, built in About four years ago, St. Patrick’s received 1891, has become a popular destination new, stained-glass windows depicting St. because its architectural style blends the Patrick and St. Bridget. “The windows Romanesque and Baroque styles with Byz- have helped to brighten up the inside,” said antine influences. In 1972, the church was Jeffcoat. listed on the National Register of Histori- continued on page 36 34 Saints in the Strip continued

St. Stanislaus Kostka Church has recently with more visitors and parishioners. undergone costly repairs. Two years ago, “Our visitor log contains the names of during Saturday evening services, a parish- people from 48 states and six continents,” ioner yelled out a warning in the middle he said. “This reflects the reputation of of Mass that smoke was building in the the St. Patrick-St. Stanislaus Kostka parish church. as an open-door community. It always has “One of our central chandeliers had started been international. We’re open, alive, and to smoke,” said Jeffcoat. “That was the welcoming.” final push to get us to redo the lighting and Read more about the history of St. Patrick wiring. The project will cost St. Patrick-St. Church and St. Stanislaus Kostka Church Stanislaus Kostka parish about $300,000. at www.saintsinthestrip.org. We have about two-thirds of the money collected so far. That’s pretty amazing.” St. Patrick’s is open every day 9 A.M. - 3 P.M; St. Stanislaus open every Saturday, As the 200th anniversary of St. 7:30 A.M. - 5 P.M. ! Patrick’s draws to a close in 2008, Jeffcoat looks forward to a brighter future

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