About Holy Angels, Blessed Trinity Parish · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Holy Angels Church, located at 408 Baldwin Road in the Borough of Hays, Pittsburgh, is one of four worship sites that together make up Blessed Trinity Parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Holy Angels Parish itself was officially established on January 11, 1903 under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel, and on July 1, 2020 it was merged with the parishes of St. Sylvester (Brentwood) and Holy Apostles (South Pittsburgh) to form today's Blessed Trinity Parish. The small Hays church continues to serve the faithful of its original neighborhood with a Saturday Vigil Mass at 6:00 PM and a Sunday Mass at 9:30 AM, while the wider parish's clergy team, offices, faith formation, music, and outreach programs serve all four worship sites.
- Established
- 1903
- Patron
- Holy Angels (parish); the original parish was dedicated under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen A. Kresak, MDiv (Pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Holy Angels Church is a small, neighborhood parish tucked into the Borough of Hays where generations of South Side and West Mifflin families have worshiped since 1903. Today it is part of Blessed Trinity Parish, so parishioners benefit from a single, combined clergy team of three priests and five deacons serving four worship sites, along with a full faith-formation program (OCIA/Catechumenate, religious education, youth ministry), a music and liturgy team, Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, and a range of outreach ministries including a food pantry, diaper bank, Meals on Wheels, a parish gardening team, and prayer/blanket-making groups that meet right at the Holy Angels School building.
Mass times at Holy Angels, Blessed Trinity Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Holy Angels: Saturday after the 8:30 AM Mass until 9:30 AM (per older bulletin — current schedule available on the parish website/bulletin)
Adoration times
- First Friday Eucharistic Adoration at St. Sylvester, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM (parish-wide)
Holy Angels Church — History
Holy Angels Parish traces its origin to the South Side of Pittsburgh, where Catholics of Hays had previously belonged to Holy Cross Parish or traveled to St. Mary Magdalene. In 1902 the pastor of Holy Cross convened a meeting in Hays to plan a new parish; the bishop approved, and on October 24, 1902 a house was purchased to serve as a rectory with land enough for a church. The first Mass was celebrated there on January 11, 1903, the first pastor was appointed April 9, 1903, and the new church was dedicated October 25, 1903.
- Parish established January 11, 1903; church dedicated October 25, 1903
- Originally dedicated under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel
- Holy Angels School opened September 10, 1906, taught by Sisters of Charity from Seton Hill
- Rectory fire of 1955 — new parish house built and dedicated in 1956
- Rectory fire of 1965 — Pastor Father Dennis Doran died of smoke inhalation
- Church refurbished in the 1970s (new pews, enlarged sacristy, new Stations of the Cross)
Merging into Blessed Trinity Parish
As part of Bishop David Zubik's "On Mission for The Church Alive!" pastoral planning initiative (announced April 12, 2015), Holy Angels shared clergy, staff, and a joint bulletin with neighboring parishes during a transition period. On July 1, 2020, Holy Angels merged with the parishes of St. Sylvester (Brentwood) and Holy Apostles (South Pittsburgh) to form the new Blessed Trinity Parish. Holy Angels Church itself remained open as a worship site of the new parish.
- 2015: Bishop Zubik announces 'On Mission for The Church Alive!' initiative
- 2018: parishes grouped and begin sharing clergy, staff, and bulletin
- July 1, 2020: Holy Angels merges into Blessed Trinity Parish
- Holy Angels Church remains an active worship site
Clergy Team
Blessed Trinity Parish is served by a single clergy team across all four worship sites. The pastor and two parochial vicars are supported by five deacons, some of whom serve in staff roles such as Business Manager and Pastoral Associate.
- 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
- Deacon James R. Grab
- Deacon Daniel E. Nizan — Pastoral Associate
- Deacon Andrew J. White, Sr. — Business Manager
- Deacon Timothy B. Zenchak
Parish Staff & Offices
The Parish Administration Office is located at 3198 Schieck Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15227, in the St. Albert the Great building, and serves all four worship sites. Office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM (closed daily 12 noon – 1:00 PM for lunch).
- Business Manager — Deacon Andy White (ext. 204)
- Pastoral Associate — Deacon Dan Nizan (ext. 207)
- Administrative Assistants — Mary Ann Negley (ext. 201), Cheryl DePretis (ext. 200)
- Bulletin Editor — Cindy Depretis (ext. 205)
- Director of Music & Liturgy — Tommy Hoffman
- Assistant Music Directors — Eileen Hite, Paul White
- Coordinator of Social Ministry Services & Community Action — Sister Theresa Bealer (ext. 202)
- Youth Ministry Team — Nicholas Wolf (ext. 220), Anthony Bradley
- Safe Environment & Ministry Coordinator — Lou Ann Shannon (ext. 223)
- Religious Education Team — Carolyn Eisenbarth (ext. 222), Elaine Garfold (ext. 221)
- Maintenance Team — Jeff Jenney, Len Lis, Gene Werner
Faith Formation & Youth
Religious Education and Youth Ministry are coordinated centrally for Blessed Trinity Parish, with programming that draws on the resources of all four worship sites including the historic Holy Angels School building.
- Religious Education — Carolyn Eisenbarth (ext. 222), Elaine Garfold (ext. 221)
- Youth Ministry Team — Nicholas Wolf (ext. 220), Anthony Bradley
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — baptismal blankets and shoulder wraps made by parishioners for OCIA candidates
Music & Liturgy
Music and liturgical preparation for all four worship sites is led by a central team under the Director of Music & Liturgy.
- Director of Music & Liturgy — Tommy Hoffman
- Assistant Music Directors — Eileen Hite, Paul White
Parish Life, Prayer Groups & Outreach
Blessed Trinity Parish supports a wide array of small groups, prayer gatherings, and charitable works. Several of these meet specifically at the Holy Angels School building, keeping the historic Hays site active between weekend Masses.
- Young Families Group — 4th Sunday; breakfast, kids' play time, then 11:00 AM Mass at St. Albert (Lauren Agliori)
- Baptismal Blanket / Prayer Shawl Ministry — 1st Thursday at Holy Angels School (9:00–11:30 AM and 6:30–8:30 PM)
- Women's Crochet Group — Thursdays, 9:00 AM at Holy Angels School (blankets, hats, scarves for shut-ins, VA, NICU, Appalachia)
- Sisters in Christ — 3rd Thursday, 1:00–3:00 PM at St. Albert Chapel Room
- Lectio & Visio Divina Prayer — Thursdays, 1:30–2:15 PM, Parish Office building
- Blessed Trinity Parish Gardeners — seasonal care of all four church locations (Bev Lankes, 412-417-9361)
Charitable Works & Community Action
Outreach is coordinated parish-wide by Sister Theresa Bealer, with ministries that include food, diapers, and meals for those in need across the South Hills.
- Brentwood Food Pantry — 3rd Saturday of each month, 9:30–11 AM, 3725 Brownsville Road, Brentwood, PA 15227 (412-882-6035)
- Diaper Bank — 2nd Saturday of each month, 9:00–10:45 AM at St. Basil Church
- Meals on Wheels — operates out of St. Sylvester Hall (412-881-6888)
- Coordinator of Social Ministry Services & Community Action — Sister Theresa Bealer (ext. 202)
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for and celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments across its worship sites. A pre-Baptism class is offered centrally for parents preparing for a child's baptism.
- Baptism — pre-Baptism class at the St. Albert Parish Office (contact Deacon Mike, 412-884-7744 ext. 206)
- First Eucharist / First Communion — through Religious Education
- Confirmation — through Religious Education / Youth Ministry
- Matrimony — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
Visiting & Contact
Holy Angels Church is the historic Hays worship site at 408 Baldwin Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15207. The parish's central Administration Office — handling all calls, emails, and sacramental records for the four merged parishes — is located at 3198 Schieck Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15227.
- Holy Angels Church — 408 Baldwin Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15207
- Parish Administration Office — 3198 Schieck Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15227
- Phone — 412-884-7744
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — www.blessedtrinitypgh.org
- Office Hours — Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM (closed 12 noon – 1:00 PM)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- First pastor (unnamed in published history)appointed April 9, 1903
First pastor of the new Holy Angels Parish, appointed shortly after the first Mass was celebrated in the rectory on January 11, 1903.
- Father Dennis Doranuntil 1965
Pastor of Holy Angels who perished in the 1965 rectory fire due to smoke inhalation.