About Saint James · Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania
St. James Church is the historic Catholic parish of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, established in 1869 by coal-mining families who had settled near the Duquesne Mines. Today it is one of three worship sites of Saint Mary Magdalene Parish (formed January 6, 2020 by the merger of St. James, St. Charles Lwanga, and St. Bede parishes). Its monumental 1930 Gothic Revival church of Indiana limestone, designed under the influence of Monsignor Stephen Walsh, houses one of the most celebrated collections of stained glass in Pennsylvania and is famous for its 20-bell carillon and its ongoing Peace Candle vigil. The parish is part of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.
- Established
- 1869
- Patron
- St. James the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Lawrence D. Adams
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
St. James welcomes Catholics from Wilkinsburg and across the East End of Pittsburgh into a parish that has been praying for this community continuously since 1869. Worshippers gather for Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m. in a striking Gothic limestone church celebrated for its Goodhue/D'Ascenzo stained glass and its 20-bell carillon, and they keep a continuously burning Peace Candle — first lit at the start of Lent 2003 — as a witness for peace in the neighborhood and the world. As part of Saint Mary Magdalene Parish, St. James is tied into a wide network of social-justice, outreach, and faith-formation ministries — including a Social Justice and Peace Committee, Saint Vincent de Paul Society, Youth Ministry, the Ministry Center and Parish Food Banks, Mary's Child, and the Stone Soup Garden — that serve some of the most impoverished neighborhoods of Pittsburgh.
Mass times at Saint James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (contact Frs. Adams or Taylor)
About St. James Church
St. James Church is the historic worship site of Saint Mary Magdalene Parish, which serves the Homewood, Point Breeze, Brushton, Lincoln-Lemington, and Wilkinsburg neighborhoods of the East End of Pittsburgh. The parish traces its roots to 1869, when coal-mining Catholic families near the Duquesne Mines built their first little frame church. Today's monumental Gothic Revival church was dedicated in 1930 and remains one of the architectural and artistic treasures of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Mass is celebrated Saturday at 4:00 p.m., and the parish office is open to inquiries throughout the week.
- Worship site of Saint Mary Magdalene Parish (formed January 6, 2020)
- Located at 718 Franklin Avenue, Wilkinsburg (Pittsburgh), PA 15221
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
History of St. James Parish
The parish was organized in the late 1860s by coal-mining Catholic families who had begun settling near the Duquesne Mines ('Muckelrat') about two miles east of Wilkinsburg. The cornerstone of the first church was laid in 1869 and the building was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, November 18, 1869, by Very Rev. John Hickey, Vicar-General, in the absence of Bishop Domenec. The first church — a 30-by-60-foot frame structure with a small belfry and organ loft — burned to the ground on the night of December 23–24, 1888, and was replaced the following year. Under Monsignor Andrew A. Lambing (1885–1918), the parish grew, the Sisters of Charity from Seton Hill opened a parochial school, and a rectory and convent were added. Monsignor Stephen Walsh (1919–1950) then guided the construction of the present Gothic church, the 20-bell carillon, the Italian mosaic altar, and the celebrated stained glass. In 2010 the school merged with Holy Rosary (Homewood) to form Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy, and in 2020 St. James itself merged into Saint Mary Magdalene Parish.
- 1869 – First church dedicated November 18, 1869
- 1869 – James K. Lanahan gives the largest donation and the parish takes the name St. James
- 1888 – First church destroyed by fire on Christmas Eve
- 1889 – Replacement church dedicated December 22
- 1928–1930 – Present Gothic church built under Monsignor Stephen Walsh
- 2010 – Parish school merges into Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy
- 2020 – St. James merges with St. Charles Lwanga and St. Bede to form Saint Mary Magdalene Parish
Architecture of the Church
The present church is a landmark of Gothic Revival design in western Pennsylvania, built of Indiana limestone in the style of the 11th and 12th centuries. Begun in February 1928 and dedicated on August 10, 1930, it is dominated by its large square bell tower. Inside, the Italian mosaic altar picture (constructed in Venice) depicts the darkening of the heavens at the Crucifixion and is set in a hand-carved Gothic frame flanked by green Italian marble columns quarried in Genoa. A 20-bell carillon — at the time of its blessing the largest in any Catholic church in the United States — sounds over Wilkinsburg to this day.
- Indiana limestone, Gothic style of the 11th and 12th centuries
- Construction began February 1928; dedicated August 10, 1930
- Large square bell tower
- Italian mosaic altar picture (Venice) and green Italian marble columns (Genoa)
- 20-bell carillon — largest in a U.S. Catholic church at its dedication
- Great bell 4,495 pounds; smallest 440 pounds
Stained Glass Windows
St. James's stained glass — designed by the H. W. (Harry Wright) Goodhue Company of Boston and manufactured in the D'Ascenzo Studios — is considered among the finest in the country. A 1976 Crown Publishers reference, 'Stained Glass: The Comprehensive Guide to the World's Best Stained Glass,' listed St. James as the only Catholic church in Pennsylvania featured in its gazetteer. The high left-side windows depict the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Baptism of Jesus, and Our Blessed Lord; the right-side high windows depict Adam & Eve, Noah, Moses, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah; the lower left windows depict the Seven Sacraments and Grace; the large balcony window group depicts the Genealogy of Jesus; and four corridor windows behind the confessionals portray Bishop Hugh S. Boyle and three former pastors.
- Designed by H. W. Goodhue Company of Boston
- Manufactured in the D'Ascenzo Studios
- Listed in Crown Publishers' 'Stained Glass' (1976) — only Catholic church in Pennsylvania
- Portraits of Bishop Hugh S. Boyle and former pastors Mitsch, Walsh, and Lambing
Peace Candle at St. James
The St. James Peace Candle has burned at St. James Church since the beginning of Lent in 2003, when the parish community joined people around the world in prayer and fasting for peace as war in Iraq loomed. It continues to burn as a sign of the parish's commitment to pray 'for an end to all wars and the safe return of all service men and women,' and 'for all who are threatened by violence in our neighborhoods, our nation, and the world.' The Peace Candle is one of the parish's most distinctive living devotions.
- Lit at the beginning of Lent, 2003
- Continuously burning since
- Prayer for peace in neighborhoods, nation, and world
- Prayer for service men and women
Ministries and Community Outreach
As part of Saint Mary Magdalene Parish, St. James is connected to a wide network of ministries serving the East End of Pittsburgh. The Social Justice and Peace Committee mobilizes parishioners around Catholic Social Teaching; the parish Social Ministries operate the Ministry Center, Parish Food Banks, Mary's Child, and the Stone Soup Garden; the Saint Vincent de Paul Society reaches out to the poor through home visits and corporal works of mercy; Youth Ministry serves middle and high school parishioners; the Global Solidarity Partners program supports Queen of Apostles Academy in Uganda, Partners in Progress, Bread for the World, and the Catholic Diocesan Mission in Chimbote, Peru. Additional ministries include Music, Liturgy/Worship, Decorating, Nursing/Health, and the Social Events Committee.
- Social Justice and Peace Committee
- Ministry Center, Parish Food Banks, Mary's Child, Stone Soup Garden
- Saint Vincent de Paul Society
- Youth Ministry (middle and high school)
- Global Solidarity Partners (Uganda, Chimbote Peru, Bread for the World)
- Music Ministry, Liturgy/Worship, Decorating, Nursing Ministry
- Social Events Committee — Feast Day, Century Club, Parish Raffles
- All volunteers must complete VIRTUS and diocesan Safe Environment clearances
Sacraments and Faith Formation
Preparation is offered for Baptism, Confirmation, and Marriage through the parish office at 718 Franklin Avenue. Adult faith formation continues through RCIA and adult catechesis, while Youth Ministry provides ongoing faith formation for middle and high schoolers. All pastoral appointments — including confession — can be scheduled by contacting the parish office.
- Baptism preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Marriage preparation
- RCIA / adult faith formation
- Youth Ministry (middle and high school)
School: Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy
The historic St. James Parish School building continues to serve Catholic education in the East End as the home of the Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy, formed in 2010 by the merger of the former St. James School with Holy Rosary School in Homewood. The Academy carries on the long parochial-school tradition begun in 1889 when Monsignor Lambing invited the Sisters of Charity from Seton Hill to open a school at St. James.
- Formed in 2010 as a merger of St. James School and Holy Rosary School (Homewood)
- Located in the former St. James School building
- Successor to the parish school begun by the Sisters of Charity from Seton Hill in 1889
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Suehr1870–1872
First resident pastor; born 1834 in Dinshein, Alsace; ordained 1870 by Bishop Mullen of Erie; later Vicar General of the diocese (1905) and Domestic Prelate / Monsignor under Pope Pius X.
- Rev. Walter L. Burke1873–1885
Born in the Cathedral Parish 1840, ordained 1863; previously pastor of St. Agnes, Soho, and chaplain of St. Paul's Orphanage.
- Rev. Andrew A. Lambing1885–1918
Legendary priest-historian; author of 'A History of Allegheny County,' 'The Foundation Stones of a Great Diocese,' 'Come Holy Ghost,' and many others; received honorary M.A. from University of Notre Dame (1883); invited the Sisters of Charity from Seton Hill to open the parish school; died Christmas Day 1918.
- Monsignor Stephen Walsh1919–1950
Chancellor of the Diocese of Pittsburgh; designed the present Gothic church; installed the 20-bell carillon, the Italian mosaic altar, and the Goodhue/D'Ascenzo stained glass.
- Rev. Joseph A. Mitsch1950–1960
Later transferred to St. George's Parish in Allentown.
- Rev. Robert M. Murphy1961–
Appointed March 22, 1961 by Bishop John J. Wright; oversaw new school addition; known to play the pipe organ.