Shrines of Pittsburgh, Saint Stanislaus Kostka Church

About St. Stanislaus Kostka Church

St. Stanislaus Kostka is a historic Roman Catholic shrine church anchoring Pittsburgh's Strip District at 57 21st Street. Founded in 1875 as the first ethnic Polish parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, today it is one of five Shrine churches of the Diocese and the home of a flourishing devotional life in the heart of the city. The present church, a 'Polish Cathedral' style landmark, was built in 1891–92 and remains a working parish church and National Register landmark.

• First ethnic Polish Catholic parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh (1875)
• Designated Shrine Church in 2019
• Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1972
• Site of Pope John Paul II's 1969 prayer visit

History of the Parish

St. Stanislaus Kostka was born from the determination of 200 Polish families who formed the St. Stanislaus Kostka Beneficial Society in 1873 and, two years later, purchased a former Presbyterian church on Penn Avenue as their first worship home. The parish was served first by Passionists, then Benedictines, and from 1886 by the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans), who shepherded the community for 111 years. The present brick church replaced the original building in 1891–92, and the parish has weathered flood, fire, industrial explosion, and urban change ever since — always keeping its doors open.

• 1873 — 200 Polish families form St. Stanislaus Kostka Beneficial Society
• 1875 — First church dedicated at Penn Avenue between 15th and 16th
• 1875–1877 — First pastor Father Antoni Klawiter, C.P. (Passionist)
• 1886 — Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans) assigned; serve until 1997
• 1888 — Five Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo arrive from Silesia to staff the school
• 1891–1892 — Current church designed by Frederick C. Sauer and consecrated July 31, 1892
• 1936 — St. Patrick's Day flood; December banana warehouse explosion damages towers
• 1969 — Cardinal Karol Wojtyła (future Pope John Paul II) prays in the church
• 1970 — Listed on Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation register
• 1972 — Listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
• 1993 — Merged with Saint Patrick and Saint Elizabeth into St. Patrick–St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish
• 1997 — Spiritan Fathers conclude their 111-year ministry
• 2019 — Designated a Shrine Church of the Diocese of Pittsburgh
• 2020 — Stained Glass Window Campaign launched

Architecture & Sacred Art

The present church is a textbook example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral' style, designed by Pittsburgh architect Frederick C. Sauer (1860–1942) and consecrated on July 31, 1892. Its one-story brick body, twin towers, and lavish interior decoration reflect a community that poured the resources of immigrant laborers into a building meant to rival the great churches of the Old Country.

• Style: 'Polish Cathedral' — Romanesque, Baroque, and Byzantine influences
• Architect: Frederick C. Sauer (1860–1942)
• Dimensions: 67 ft wide × 105 ft deep × 63 ft high; 8,337 sq ft
• Walls 17–21 inches thick; built directly on grade (no basement)
• Twin towers holding seven bells (five electrified in 1956)
• Stained glass figure windows by the Royal Bavarian Art Institute, Munich (1892)
• Semi-dome murals by Italian artist Vincent Scatena (1925)
• Latin inscription over the rose window: 'Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam'

The Shrines of Pittsburgh

In 2019 the Diocese of Pittsburgh designated St. Stanislaus Kostka one of five Shrine churches. Today the Shrines of Pittsburgh Parishes exist 'in hope to preserve these historic Churches that hold a very unique religious history,' uniting five landmark worship sites under a single team ministry.

• Saint Stanislaus Kostka Church (Strip District) — 57 21st Street
• Saint Patrick Church (Strip District) — Liberty Avenue at 17th Street
• Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (Polish Hill) — 3058 Brereton Street
• Most Holy Name of Jesus Church (Troy Hill) — Claim and Harpster Streets
• Saint Nicholas Church (Millvale) — 24 Maryland Avenue
• Saint Anthony Chapel (Troy Hill) — 1704 Harpster Street

Parish Leadership & Staff

The Shrines of Pittsburgh are served by a Team Ministry led by the Moderator, with parish operations coordinated across the five church sites. The contact directory lists clergy, deacons, and lay staff supporting worship, formation, music, and administration.

• Rev. Nicholas S. Vaskov, S.T.L. — Moderator, Team Ministry / Pastor / Director of the Shrines (412-231-2994 ext. 104)
• Rev. Thomas Kadlick — Parochial Vicar (412-231-2994 ext. 701)
• Rev. Michael R. Ruffalo — Team Ministry / Curator of the Patrimony
• Deacon G. Gregory Jelinek — Assigned Deacon
• Deacon Anthony Giordano — Director of Operations (412-231-2994 ext. 102)
• Deacon Michael Fekete — Pastoral Associate (412-231-2994 ext. 103)
• Rebecca Hurst — Business Manager (412-231-2994 ext. 101)
• Janet Benec — Administrative Assistant (412-471-4767 ext. 401)
• Kim Topczynski — Administrative Assistant
• Kristen Reiner — Bulletin Editor
• Mary Ann Dank — Director of Faith Formation (412-231-2994 ext. 7)
• Music Ministry: Carol Spehar, Ken Gerst, Melanie Harris, Zach Legas
• Carole Brueckner — St. Anthony's Chapel Chairperson
• Sandy Tivo — Chapel Gift Shop Manager

The Parish Community in the Strip District

St. Stanislaus Kostka was built by immigrants for immigrants. In the early 1900s, more than 7,000 families lived in the Strip; by the 2000 census only about 160 families remained. The parish that once served a sprawling Polish-American neighborhood is today a smaller, faithful community that draws people from across the region who want to pray in a true 'Polish Cathedral' — and the diocese's 2019 Shrine designation is designed to keep it that way for generations to come.

A Pilgrim's Note: The 1969 Visit of Cardinal Wojtyła

On September 20, 1969 — six years before he became Pope John Paul II — Cardinal Karol Wojtyła of Kraków visited St. Stanislaus Kostka. He greeted parishioners cordially, telling them the church reminded him of those in Poland, then knelt in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and at the Side Altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A humble memorial at that altar still marks the visit, making St. Stanislaus Kostka a touchpoint of Polish-American Catholic memory.

Visit, Contact & Connect

St. Stanislaus Kostka Church is open for visitation and prayer; consult the parish bulletin for current hours. The parish can be reached by phone, email, or through the Shrines of Pittsburgh website and social channels, which also livestream Masses and devotions.

• Address: 57 21st Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
• Phone: 412-471-4767
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.pghshrines.org
• Facebook: facebook.com/pghshrines
• YouTube: channel/UC9Hq_T3fjTRWYmNfi1Bwm9w