About Blessed Sacrament · Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Blessed Sacrament Cathedral is the mother church (cathedra) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg, located at 300 North Main Street in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Originally established in 1789 as Most Holy Sacrament Parish, it became a cathedral in May 1951 when Pope Pius XII erected the Diocese of Greensburg. The current English Gothic style building, constructed of sandstone with Indiana limestone trim, was dedicated in May 1928 and is a contributing property in the Academy Hill Historic District (1999). It serves as the seat of the diocese's fifth bishop, the Most Reverend Edward C. Malesic, and remains an active parish serving the city of Greensburg in Westmoreland County.
- Established
- 1789
- Patron
- Blessed Sacrament (Most Holy Sacrament)
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Donald J. Mondello (rector, as referenced in the 1987 administration center design); current rector to be verified.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg
Why belong here
Blessed Sacrament Cathedral offers the full sacramental life of a diocesan mother church, including daily and weekend Mass, Saturday confessions, and a strong Faith Formation program supported by a dedicated three-story formation center. As the seat of the Diocese of Greensburg, it carries a deep sense of Catholic heritage and community identity dating to 1789, with active liturgical, devotional, and charitable ministries serving the Greensburg area. Its central North Main Street location, ongoing restoration of its architecture and art, and identity as the bishop's church make it a unique anchor of Catholic life in Westmoreland County.
Mass times at Blessed Sacrament
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday at 11:00 AM until finished
Adoration times
- Not listed on public schedule
History
The parish dates to 1789, when laymen purchased 1.5 acres on North Main Street for a Catholic church and burial ground. Through three successive church buildings (log attempt in 1789, brick in 1846, brick with stone trim in 1887), and finally the present English Gothic cathedral dedicated in May 1928, the parish grew into the mother church of the new Diocese of Greensburg in 1951. Key milestones include: Saint John N. Neumann's collaboration on the 1846 church, Benedictine pastoral care from 1853, the diocese's establishment on March 10, 1951, and major renovations in 1971 (Vatican II), 1987 (administration center), 2003 (formation center), and 2010-2011 (interior restoration).
- 1789 founding: 1.5 acres purchased for five shillings
- 1846: second (brick) church, with St. John N. Neumann
- 1887: third (brick with stone trim) church, capacity 400
- 1928: present cathedral dedicated
- 1951: becomes Blessed Sacrament Cathedral
- 1971: Vatican II liturgical renovation by Celli-Flynn & Associates
- 2010-2011: interior restoration
Architecture
The cathedral is an English Gothic style structure built of sandstone with Indiana limestone trim, designed by Comes, Perry and McMullen of Pittsburgh and dedicated in May 1928. The interior was redesigned by Celli-Flynn & Associates of Philadelphia in 1971 per Vatican II liturgical renewal, which relocated the main altar from the apse into the sanctuary and reused marble from the original 1949 baldacchino. A 2010-2011 restoration added stained-glass window work, ceiling repair, lighting and electrical upgrades, plaster and pew refinishing, plus new Ambo, Cathedra, credence tables, Stations of the Cross, baptismal font, and a new baldachino. Artwork by EverGreene Architectural Arts of New York has been incorporated. In 1999, the cathedral was listed as a contributing property of the Academy Hill Historic District.
- Style: English Gothic
- Architects: Comes, Perry and McMullen (original 1928); Celli-Flynn & Associates (1971)
- Materials: Sandstone with Indiana limestone trim
- Stained-glass windows, apse, baldachino
- Contributing property, Academy Hill Historic District (1999)
Mass and Sacraments
The cathedral offers a regular Mass schedule: Saturday Vigil at 4:30 PM, Sunday at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM, and weekday Mass Monday through Friday at 11:45 AM (also live streamed). The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard Saturday at 11:00 AM. Daily Mass is open to the public. The cathedral retains a baptismal font installed during the 2010-2011 restoration and offers the full range of diocesan cathedral sacramental services.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:30 PM
- Sunday: 8:30 AM, 11:00 AM
- Daily Mass Mon-Fri: 11:45 AM
- Confession: Saturday 11:00 AM
Faith Formation & Religious Education
In 2003 the parish purchased and renovated the former grounds of the Sisters of Charity convent to create a new formation center dedicated on October 7 of that year. The three-story building bears themed names on each level: the Sower and the Seed (top floor), the story of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (street level), and the story of the Good Shepherd (lower level). The center greatly expanded space for religious formation and catechesis at the cathedral.
- 2003 formation center, dedicated October 7, 2003
- Top floor: the Sower and the Seed
- Street level: the story of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
- Lower level: the story of the Good Shepherd
Cathedral Administration and Diocesan Seat
Blessed Sacrament Cathedral functions as the mother church and administrative seat of the Diocese of Greensburg. All five of the diocese's bishops have been installed there, along with its only auxiliary bishop. The 1987 parish administration center (built under rector Msgr. Donald J. Mondello and designed by Celli & Flynn Associates) provides offices, archives, and meeting space for both parish and diocesan staff.
- Five bishops installed at the cathedral: Lamb, Connare, Bosco, Brandt, Malesic
- Only auxiliary bishop: Norbert F. Gaughan (ordained June 26, 1975)
- 1987 parish administration center: designed by Celli & Flynn Associates
Notable Bishops
The cathedral has been the installation site of all five bishops of the Diocese of Greensburg: Bishop Hugh L. Lamb (first, d. December 8, 1959), Bishop William G. Connare (second, installed May 4, 1960), Bishop Anthony G. Bosco (third, installed June 30, 1987), Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt (fourth, installed March 4, 2004), and the current bishop, Most Reverend Edward C. Malesic (fifth, ordained and installed July 13, 2015). Bishop Norbert F. Gaughan served as the diocese's only auxiliary bishop, ordained at the Cathedral June 26, 1975.
- First bishop: Hugh L. Lamb (d. December 8, 1959)
- Second bishop: William G. Connare
- Third bishop: Anthony G. Bosco
- Fourth bishop: Lawrence E. Brandt
- Fifth (current) bishop: Edward C. Malesic
- Only auxiliary bishop: Norbert F. Gaughan
Visiting and Location
The cathedral is located at 300 North Main Street, Greensburg, PA 15601, on the Academy Hill section of downtown Greensburg in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. As the seat of the Diocese of Greensburg and a contributing property to the Academy Hill Historic District (since 1999), it is a notable landmark for visitors interested in English Gothic ecclesiastical architecture in western Pennsylvania.
- 300 North Main Street, Greensburg, PA 15601
- Academy Hill Historic District (since 1999)
- Phone: 724-834-3710
- Website: http://www.blessedsacramentcathedral.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father William Pollardc. 1850-1853
Diocese of Pittsburgh priest; small rectory built 1850 to accommodate him
- Father Agatho Stuebinger, OSBfrom 1853
Benedictine pastor; erected new rectory 1885 and new church 1887
- Msgr. Donald J. Mondelloby 1983
Rector during construction of the new parish administration center (completed 1987)
