About Shrines of Pittsburgh, St. Patrick Church · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
St. Patrick Church (also known as Old St. Patrick's) is a historic Catholic church tucked on a side street in Pittsburgh's Strip District, at 17th Street and Liberty Avenue. Founded in 1808 by Rev. William F.X. O'Brien, it was the first Catholic parish established in what is now the city of Pittsburgh and the first parish within the current boundaries of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Today it is part of the Shrines of Pittsburgh, a 2019 diocesan grouping dedicated to preserving some of the area's most distinctive devotional and immigrant heritage. The church is best known for its full-scale replica of Rome's Scala Sancta (the Holy Stairs), a piece of Ireland's Blarney Stone set into the tower, the Monastery Gardens, and the Depression-era mission of Father James R. Cox, who made the parish a center of relief for Pittsburgh's poor.
- Established
- 1808
- Patron
- St. Patrick of Ireland
- Rector
- Rev. Nicholas S. Vaskov, S.T.L.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
St. Patrick's offers something rare in American Catholicism: the chance to worship in the oldest parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, founded in 1808, in an intimate building designed to evoke a country church in Ireland. It is a place of pilgrimage and prayer — the Holy Stairs invite a personal, penitential encounter with Christ's Passion; the Lourdes grotto and monastery gardens draw visitors who need to 'pour out their hearts,' as pastor Father Nicholas Vaskov puts it. As part of the Shrines of Pittsburgh, the parish keeps alive more than two centuries of immigrant and devotional heritage while remaining an active, welcoming worship community open to visitors, weddings, and the faithful throughout the week.
Mass times at Shrines of Pittsburgh, St. Patrick Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Welcome to St. Patrick Church
Tucked away on a side street in the heart of Pittsburgh's Strip District, St. Patrick Catholic Church — also known as Old St. Patrick's — is the first Catholic parish founded in what is now the Diocese of Pittsburgh. From the outside the church seems unassuming, with a small, narrow tower and a simple brick exterior, but a statue of St. Patrick in a striking monastery garden hints at what is inside. The parish is now part of the Shrines of Pittsburgh, a diocesan grouping dedicated to preserving some of the area's most distinctive religious history. The church is open for visitors on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM; group tours can be arranged by calling the parish office at 412-471-4767.
The Holy Stairs (Scala Sancta)
As soon as you enter the front doors of the church you are met with a sign reading, 'Holy Stairs, ascend on knees only.' The Holy Stairs — the Scala Sancta — are a full-scale replica of the originals at St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. They consist of 28 white marble steps, and according to Roman Catholic tradition mark the steps that led up to where Jesus was judged by Pontius Pilate during the Passion. The original stairs were reportedly brought to Rome by St. Helena in the fourth century. Pittsburgh's set was built in 1936 during the rebuilding of St. Patrick Church and was commissioned by Father James Cox so that his largely poor parishioners, who could not afford to travel to Rome, could still make a local pilgrimage.
- Ascended on the knees, one prayer per step
- Brides may walk up on their wedding day — the only exception
- Smaller side staircases for those unable to kneel
- Pilgrims regularly visit on Good Friday as a reminder of the Passion
Architecture, Relics & Monastery Gardens
The present church was designed under Father James R. Cox to resemble a rural stone church in Ireland — a way of giving immigrants a feeling of their homeland. The narrow baptistry tower holds a piece of the Blarney Stone from Blarney Castle in Ireland, set into the structure when the church was rebuilt in 1935–36. The Monastery Gardens, completed in 1937, included a large outdoor grotto containing a marble altar, where Masses were celebrated in good weather. Beneath the church, Father Cox also created 'catacombs,' subterranean passageways and rooms he promoted as a devotional attraction.
- Stained-glass windows of St. Brigid of Kildare and St. Patrick of Ireland, donated by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, designed and crafted by Nick Parrendo of Hunt Stained Glass Studios
- Stained-glass windows blessed by Bishop Bradley of the Diocese of Pittsburgh on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2006
- Piece of the Blarney Stone set into the baptistry tower
- Monastery Gardens with Lourdes grotto and marble altar
- Underground 'catacombs' devotional space
Parish History
St. Patrick was founded in 1808 by Rev. William F.X. O'Brien, ordained that year in Baltimore and assigned to Pittsburgh. The first church, near what became Union Station, was dedicated in August 1811. As the congregation outgrew the building, the 1827 meeting led by Fr. Charles Maguire set in motion the building of St. Paul Cathedral. In 1834 St. Patrick became a German ethnic parish for five years, returning to English-speaking worship in 1840. After a fire destroyed the 11th Street church in 1854, a new one was built on 14th Street (1858), then moved to the current 17th Street & Liberty Avenue site in 1865. Father James R. Cox's arrival in 1923 began a remarkable era of revival, devotional innovation, and Depression-era relief work. A 1935 fire destroyed the 1865 church; the rebuilt church was dedicated on St. Patrick's Day 1936. In 1993 the parish merged with St. Stanislaus Kostka and St. Elizabeth to form St. Patrick–St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish; St. Patrick church remains open.
- 1808: parish founded by Rev. William F.X. O'Brien — first parish in present-day Diocese of Pittsburgh
- 1811: original church dedicated (Bishop Michael Francis Egan)
- 1812: pipe organ acquired — first in a Catholic church in western Pennsylvania
- 1834–1840: German ethnic parish phase
- 1854 fire on 11th Street; rebuilt on 14th Street (1858)
- 1865: present site at 17th Street & Liberty Avenue dedicated (December 15)
- 1923: arrival of Rev. James R. Cox
- 1924: dedicated as the 'American Shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes'
- 1925–1958: daily Mass broadcast on local radio (33 years)
- 1935: fire destroyed the 1865 church (March 21)
- 1936: rebuilt church dedicated on St. Patrick's Day (March 17)
- 1937: Monastery Gardens and grotto completed
- 1993: merged with St. Stanislaus Kostka and St. Elizabeth
- 2019: included in the Shrines of Pittsburgh by the Diocese of Pittsburgh
Father James R. Cox, 'Pastor of the Poor'
Ordained in 1911, Father James R. Cox served as a military chaplain in France during World War I before arriving at St. Patrick in 1923, when only 35 families remained. He dedicated the parish to Our Lady of Lourdes in 1924 after his own eyes were healed at Lourdes, and his deep devotion to the Passion of Jesus led him to bring the Holy Stairs, a Lourdes grotto, and underground catacombs to his parishioners — bringing the great pilgrimage sites to people too poor to travel. During the Great Depression, St. Patrick became a center of relief for Pittsburgh's poor, distributing over two million free meals and 500,000 baskets of food, clothing, and fuel. He led a peaceful march on Washington to urge federal relief efforts and became known nationally as the 'Pastor of the Poor.'
- Founded the 'American Shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes' (1924)
- Started local-radio daily Mass broadcasts (1925)
- Commissioned the Holy Stairs replica during the 1936 rebuilding
- Built the Monastery Gardens and grotto (1937)
Visiting & Tours
St. Patrick Church is open to visitors who wish to pray, climb the Holy Stairs on their knees, or simply see the historic interior and Monastery Gardens. Visitors are welcome on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Group tours can be arranged by contacting the Parish Office at 412-471-4767.
- Monday & Thursday — 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
- Saturday & Sunday — 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM
- Group tours by appointment: 412-471-4767
Part of the Shrines of Pittsburgh
In 2019 the Diocese of Pittsburgh grouped St. Patrick–St. Stanislaus Kostka with five other historic churches into the Shrines of Pittsburgh, a parish family dedicated to preserving the region's unique religious heritage as sites of pilgrimage and prayer. The other Shrines are St. Anthony's Chapel (Troy Hill), Immaculate Heart of Mary (Polish Hill), Most Holy Name of Jesus (Troy Hill), and St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church (Millvale). Father Nicholas S. Vaskov, S.T.L., serves as pastor of the grouping and is described by the diocese as director of the Shrines of Pittsburgh.
- St. Patrick–St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish (Strip District)
- St. Anthony's Chapel — Troy Hill
- Immaculate Heart of Mary — Polish Hill
- Most Holy Name of Jesus — Troy Hill
- St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church — Millvale
Clergy & Staff
The Shrines of Pittsburgh are led by a small clergy and staff team based out of the parish offices in the Strip District and Troy Hill.
- Rev. Nicholas S. Vaskov, S.T.L. — Pastor, Shrines of Pittsburgh
- Rev. Michael — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Michael R. Ruff — Curator of the Shrines of Pittsburgh
Weddings at St. Patrick
St. Patrick is a popular wedding location because of its unique beauty, intimate scale, and Irish-country-church atmosphere. In keeping with tradition, brides are the one exception to the kneel-only rule of the Holy Stairs — they may walk up the steps on their wedding day. Couples can arrange weddings through the parish office at 412-471-4767.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William F.X. O'Brien1808–
First pastor; founded the parish in 1808; built the original church dedicated in August 1811.
- Rev. Charles Maguireby 1827–
Called the 1827 meeting that led to building what became St. Paul Cathedral; turned St. Patrick over to the German congregation in 1834.
- Rev. James R. Cox1923–c. late 1930s
Revitalized the parish; dedicated it as the 'American Shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes' in 1924; began daily-Mass radio broadcasts in 1925; led Depression-era relief work; rebuilt the church after the 1935 fire and installed the Holy Stairs, Blarney Stone, grotto and monastery gardens. Known as the 'Pastor of the Poor.'
- Rev. Harry Nicholsby 2014
Pastor of St. Patrick–St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish at the time of a 2014 TribLive feature on the Holy Stairs.
- Rev. Nicholas S. Vaskov, S.T.L.by 2019–present
Current pastor; oversees the Shrines of Pittsburgh grouping designated by the diocese in 2019.