About Blessed Trinity Parish - St. Sylvester Church · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Blessed Trinity Parish – St. Sylvester Church is the historic Brentwood worship site of Blessed Trinity Catholic Parish in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The parish traces its roots to July 1924, when ninety Catholic families in Brentwood petitioned the bishop for their own place of worship, building a frame mission church of St. Wendelin, Carrick that was dedicated on November 27, 1924. It became an independent parish in February 1928, and on July 1, 2020 merged with Holy Angels (Hays), Holy Apostles (South Pittsburgh), and St. Albert the Great to form today's multi-site Blessed Trinity Parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. St. Sylvester Church sits at 3754 Brownsville Road and continues to serve the Brentwood community with daily Mass, Saturday confessions, First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, food-pantry outreach, and a full slate of parish ministries.
- Established
- 1924
- Patron
- St. Sylvester (Pope Sylvester I)
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen A. Kresak, MDiv
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Blessed Trinity Parish offers the faith rhythms of a small-town Catholic parish in the heart of Brentwood, with daily Mass, Saturday confessions, and First Friday Eucharistic Adoration at St. Sylvester. The parish feeds the hungry through the Brentwood Food Pantry (3rd Saturday of each month, 9:30–11 AM) and the monthly Diaper Bank, supports families through the Young Families Group and baptismal-blanket ministry, and welcomes newcomers into the Church through a robust OCIA program led by the clergy and parish volunteers.
Mass times at Blessed Trinity Parish - St. Sylvester Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM at St. Sylvester
- Daily after the 8:30 AM Mass at St. Sylvester
- By appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday Eucharistic Adoration at St. Sylvester, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM (sign-up required)
St. Sylvester Church at a Glance
St. Sylvester is the Brentwood worship site of Blessed Trinity Catholic Parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The parish traces its origin to a 1924 petition by ninety Catholic families and now forms one of four worship sites of Blessed Trinity Parish alongside St. Albert the Great (South Pittsburgh), St. Basil Church (South Pittsburgh), and Holy Angels (Hays).
- Church: 3754 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15227 (Brentwood Borough)
- Parish Administration Office: 3198 Schieck Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15227
- Phone: 412-884-7744
- Email: [email protected]
- Patron: St. Sylvester (Pope Sylvester I); feast day December 31
Parish History
In July 1924, ninety Catholic families from Brentwood petitioned the bishop to establish their own place of worship. A frame mission church was built and dedicated November 27, 1924, and served St. Wendelin, Carrick, until the parish was established and assigned a resident pastor in February 1928.
- 1924 – Frame mission church dedicated November 27
- 1928 – Becomes independent parish with resident pastor
- 1933 – Work begins on combination church-school building
- 1934 – Church portion of new building dedicated September 9
- 1948 – Sisters of Divine Providence arrive to staff the new school
- 1955 – Ground broken for a larger church (April 3)
- 1956 – Cornerstone laid (September 16)
- 1957 – Bishop John Deardon dedicates the new church and consecrates the altar (February 23)
- 2019 – Diocese closes St. Sylvester School due to declining enrollment
- July 1, 2020 – St. Sylvester merges with Holy Angels, Holy Apostles, and St. Albert the Great to form Blessed Trinity Parish
Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) runs from mid-September through a few weeks after Easter. Classes meet every Wednesday from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Parish Office at St. Albert the Great and follow the traditional four stages — Inquiry, Catechumenate, Purification & Enlightenment, and Mystagogy — culminating in the Easter Vigil when candidates receive Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist.
- OCIA team leaders: Fr. Ken Sparks, Fr. Zach Galiyas, Dcn. Brian Kail, Jeff Wagner
- Who it's for: the unbaptized, Christians baptized in another denomination, baptized Catholics needing First Communion or Confirmation, and anyone exploring the faith
- Sign up: 412-884-7744 or the parish office form
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is a visible part of parish life at Blessed Trinity, with food, diaper, and meal programs based at or near the Brentwood campus. Volunteers are welcomed and needed.
- Brentwood Food Pantry – 3rd Saturday each month, 9:30–11 AM, 3725 Brownsville Road (412-882-6035)
- Diaper Bank – 2nd Saturday each month, 9:00–10:45 AM at St. Basil Church
- Meals on Wheels – operates out of St. Sylvester Hall (412-881-6888, Mon–Fri 8:30–11:30)
- Baptismal Blanket Ministry – blankets for OCIA candidates, nursing-home residents, West Penn NICU
- Women's Crochet Group – baptismal blankets and items for shut-ins, VA, nursing homes, Appalachia (Thursdays 9 AM, Holy Angels School)
- Blessed Trinity Parish Gardeners – spring through fall, all four church locations
Parish Life & Groups
Beyond Mass and outreach, Blessed Trinity offers formation, fellowship, and reflection opportunities that bring parishioners together across all four worship sites.
- Young Families Group – 4th Sunday: breakfast, kids' play time, then 11:00 AM Mass at St. Albert
- Pre-Baptism Class – contact Deacon Mike at 412-884-7744 ext. 206
- Gospel Reflection / Lectio Divina – Thursdays 1:00 PM, Parish Office Building (1:30–2:15 PM)
St. Sylvester School (closed 2019)
The Sisters of Divine Providence staffed St. Sylvester School from 1948 until declining enrollment led the Diocese of Pittsburgh to close the school in 2019. The former school building (30 West Willock Road, adjacent to the church) was a four-level, approximately 38,000-square-foot structure and is owned by the parish/Diocese today.
- Opened 1948; staffed by Sisters of Divine Providence
- Closed by Diocese of Pittsburgh in 2019 due to lack of enrollment
- Former building: 30 West Willock Road, Brentwood
Clergy & Staff
Blessed Trinity Parish is led by a pastor and a clergy team that serves all four worship sites, including St. Sylvester.
- Rev. Stephen A. Kresak, MDiv — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Kenneth A. Sparks — Senior Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Rev. Zachary A. Galiyas — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Deacon Michael J. Babcock ([email protected])
- Deacon James R. Grab ([email protected])
- Deacon Daniel E. Nizan ([email protected])
- Deacon Andrew J. White, Sr. ([email protected])
- Deacon Timothy B. Zenchak ([email protected])
Pastors & rectors through the years
- First resident pastor (assigned Feb. 1928)1928
Assigned when St. Sylvester became an independent parish.