Shrines of Pittsburgh, Saint Nicholas (Millvale)

Welcome & Identity

St. Nicholas, founded in 1900, is the first and oldest Croatian Catholic church built in America. According to the parish's own mission statement, 'Our cultural roots foster a strong faith in Jesus Christ and deep devotion to his Blessed Mother. The breathtaking murals by Maxo Vanka inside our church inspire us to honor and protect our Croatian heritage and religious traditions. Through the sacraments—especially the Eucharist—we are supported and encouraged as we work to share faith, hope, and love with a heartfelt welcome to everyone that enters our church.' The parish invites visitors to 'come and explore both your faith and our heritage.'

Croatian Immigration & Parish Origins (1894–1900)

The parish was born from the late-nineteenth-century influx of Croatian immigrants to Pittsburgh's steel mills, coal mines, and other industries. In 1894, St. Nicholas Parish in the City of Allegheny (today's North Side) became the first Croatian Catholic parish in America. By the end of the century the church had overflowed, and the congregation split over where to build a new one. Fr. Franjo Glojnaric and members from Etna and Millvale bought Bennett Hill land from William J. Mellon in October 1899 and celebrated the first Millvale Mass on March 4, 1899, in a remodeled carriage house. A contract was signed June 3, 1899 with the Murphy Brothers, and architect Frederick C. Sauer's Romanesque Revival design was constructed for about $34,000. Ground was broken May 22, 1900; the cornerstone was laid July 22, 1900; the church was dedicated November 25, 1900; and Andrew Carnegie donated a $2,000 pipe organ in 1902.

• First Croatian Catholic parish in America (St. Nicholas, Allegheny) founded 1894
• Land on Bennett Hill purchased October 1899 from William J. Mellon for $7,500
• First Mass in Millvale: March 4, 1899, in a remodeled carriage house
• Ground broken May 22, 1900; cornerstone laid July 22, 1900
• Church dedicated November 25, 1900
• Carnegie pipe organ installed 1902

The 1921 Fire and Rebuilding

At 2:00 a.m. on March 26, 1921, arson fire destroyed the Millvale church. Almost everything burned, including the Carnegie organ, except a statue of the Virgin Mary that remained standing at the altar. The pastor moved Mass into the parish hall, and architect Frederick C. Sauer was again hired to design a replacement — a more austere version of his original Romanesque Revival plan. Many tradesmen among the parishioners helped with the rebuild, and the new church was dedicated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1922.

• Fire of March 26, 1921 — believed arson
• Only a statue of the Virgin Mary survived
• Sauer-designed rebuild dedicated May 30, 1922

Father Albert Zagar and the Maxo Vanka Murals

In 1931, Slovenian-born Franciscan Father Albert Zagar (b. 1893 in Slovenia, came to America 1926) was assigned as pastor; he spoke nine languages and rescued the parish from a sheriff's sale through the Holy Rosary Society. With the church debt cleared, Zagar turned to beautifying the white walls and reached out through Slovenian-American author Louis Adamic to Croatian artist Maksimilijan 'Maxo' Vanka, promising him complete artistic freedom. Vanka's first campaign (1937–38) produced eleven murals blending Croatian folk, Byzantine, Mexican muralist, symbolist, and surrealist influences to depict the Croatian immigrant experience in old and new worlds. Time magazine called them 'one of the few distinguished sets of church murals in the U.S.' Invited back by Fr. Zagar in 1941 during World War II, Vanka painted fourteen additional murals with overt pacifist themes — including a Christ pierced by a soldier's bayonet and the Virgin Mary breaking a rifle. A final 1951 campaign added painting on the front of the organ loft; artist Joko Knezevich added a separate mural behind the altar in 1970.

• Father Albert Zagar appointed pastor 1931
• First mural campaign 1937–38 (eleven murals)
• Second mural campaign 1941 (fourteen anti-war murals)
• Final campaign 1951 (organ loft)
• Altar mural by Joko Knezevich, 1970
• 25 frescoes covering ~4,500 square feet in total

Conservation and the Vanka Murals Society

In 1990, parishioners formed the Society for the Preservation of the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka (SPMMMV, now known simply as Vanka Murals). Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 1991, the society runs guided group tours ($10 admission), has raised nearly $1.5 million for mural restoration, and installed state-of-the-art LED lighting for visitors. A 2022 Save America's Treasures grant for mural restoration was briefly terminated following the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services but was reinstated weeks later after lobbying by the Society and U.S. Representative Chris Deluzio.

• Society formed 1990; incorporated 1991
• Guided tours ($10, scheduled in advance)
• Nearly $1.5 million raised for restoration
• LED lighting installed for viewing

Reunification and the Shrines of Pittsburgh (1994–2019)

As Pittsburgh's Croatian-American community shrank in the late twentieth century, the Diocese of Pittsburgh's 1994 reorganization reunited the two St. Nicholas parishes (Millvale and the North Side) under one name. The North Side church was officially closed in 2004 and demolished in 2013 to make way for the Route 28 expansion; a grotto with a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, seating, and a brass plaque now marks the site where the sanctuary once stood. In 2019 the diocese reorganized St. Nicholas Millvale as a personal (non-territorial) parish within the newly created Shrines of Pittsburgh — a grouping of six historic churches intended to promote pilgrimage and heritage tourism.

• 1994 reunification of the two St. Nicholas parishes
• North Side church closed 2004, demolished 2013
• Our Lady of Lourdes grotto and plaque at former North Side site
• 2019: St. Nicholas joins the Shrines of Pittsburgh

Worship Schedule (Shrines of Pittsburgh)

As a parish of the Shrines of Pittsburgh, St. Nicholas follows the Shrines' consolidated Mass schedule. Visitors can also attend Mass at the other five Shrines churches (St. Anthony Chapel, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Patrick, Most Holy Name of Jesus).

• Saturday 5:00 PM — English (St. Nicholas)
• Wednesday 8:30 AM — English (St. Nicholas)
• Sunday 11:00 AM — English (St. Nicholas)
• Confession: Saturdays 4:00–4:45 PM (St. Nicholas)
• Croatian-language Masses a few times per year
• Adoration not listed in the published schedule

Heritage and Cultural Significance

St. Nicholas stands today as both a working Catholic parish and a heritage tourism site. Listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and designated a Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Landmark in 1979 — a designation that prompted PHLF to create a special category specifically to protect the Vanka murals — the church is visited by tourists, school groups, and pilgrimage groups throughout the year. On June 1, 2025, the parish marked its 125th anniversary with a Mass concelebrated by Bishop David Zubik and Fr. Nicholas Vaskov, with the Croatian Ambassador to the United States, Pjer Šimunović, in attendance, followed by a luncheon at the Camelot Event Center in Wexford, PA.

• NRHP listing: May 6, 1980 (#80003404)
• Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Landmark: 1979
• 125th anniversary celebrated June 1, 2025
• Hosts periodic Croatian-language Masses and heritage events