About St. Anselm Church - St. Joseph the Worker Parish · Swissvale, Pennsylvania
St. Anselm Church is one of the historic worship sites of Saint Joseph the Worker Parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, located at 7446 McClure Avenue in Swissvale, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1903 to serve the Irish Catholic community of the borough, the parish was originally led by Rev. Daniel O'Connell, who celebrated the first Mass in a citizen's home before a wood-frame church was erected in 1904. That structure was replaced by the present-day Romanesque-style church, designed by architect Albert F. Link and dedicated on July 19, 1925. In 2020, St. Anselm was merged into Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, a multi-campus Catholic community that unites several former congregations in the eastern Pittsburgh suburbs of Swissvale, Forest Hills, Churchill, Braddock, Wilmerding, and Turtle Creek. The parish is led by Fr. Michael J. Stumpf, with senior parochial vicar Fr. Martin F. Barkin, parochial vicar Fr. Nicholas Clinton, and five deacons.
- Established
- 1903
- Patron
- St. Anselm of Canterbury (original patron); parish patron: St. Joseph the Worker (for the merged parish)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael J. Stumpf
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Saint Joseph the Worker Parish welcomes new Catholics and visitors with a vibrant sacramental life celebrated across multiple historic church buildings, including St. Anselm in Swissvale. The community is grounded in prayerful, sacred liturgy supported by one of the largest music ministries in the diocese — including a 10 AM traditional SATB choir, a contemporary ensemble, a Gregorian Chant choir, the Good Shepherd Ringers handbell choir, and a thriving LiveStream ministry with nearly 1,200 YouTube subscribers that reaches shut-ins and beyond. A faith formation program offers Vacation Bible School and Ukulele and Guitar Camps for children, while the parish's Good Samaritans Mission mobilizes parishioners in Catholic Social Teaching through charitable works, advocacy, and outreach including a monthly food pantry. With a dedicated team of three priests and five deacons serving the eastern Pittsburgh suburbs, there are many ways to belong — from liturgical ministries and choirs to social justice outreach and parish leadership councils.
Mass times at St. Anselm Church - St. Joseph the Worker Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 6:00 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. (before Mass) — St. Maurice
- Saturday 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. — St. Maurice Church
Adoration times
- Monday 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. — St. Maurice Chapel
About St. Anselm Church and Saint Joseph the Worker Parish
Saint Joseph the Worker Parish is a large merged Catholic community in the Diocese of Pittsburgh formed in 2020 from nine historically ethnic parishes spanning Swissvale, Forest Hills, Churchill, Turtle Creek, Braddock, Braddock Hills, and Wilmerding. Its stated mission is to unite people to God and each other through prayerful liturgy, dynamic ministries, and loving outreach. The patron saint, St. Joseph the Worker, reflects the parish's identity as a hard-working, diverse community shaped by generations of immigrants — Irish, Italian, Slovak, and German Catholics who built the neighborhood parishes of the Monongahela River valley.
- Parish Administrative Center: 2001 Ardmore Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15221
- Phone: 412-271-0809
- Website: www.sjwpitt.org
History of St. Anselm Church, Swissvale
St. Anselm's roots go back to 1903, when Rev. Daniel O'Connell celebrated the first Catholic Mass in Swissvale in a private home. Within a year an Irish Catholic congregation built a small wooden church on the site, but the borough's rapid early-20th-century growth made the building too small almost immediately. Pittsburgh architect Albert F. Link was engaged to design a new Romanesque-style church; construction costs were approximately $158,000 for the building and about $250,000 fully fitted out, and the completed church was dedicated on July 19, 1925. The parish served Swissvale's Irish community for nearly a century before joining the 2020 merger that created Saint Joseph the Worker Parish.
- 1903 — First Mass celebrated in a citizen's home by Rev. Daniel O'Connell
- 1904 — Original wooden church built on McClure Avenue
- 1925 — Current Romanesque-style church dedicated (architect Albert F. Link)
- 1994 — Merged (as Word of God Parish) with neighboring parishes
- 2020 — Joined Saint Joseph the Worker Parish
Architecture of St. Anselm Church
The current church is a Romanesque-style edifice designed by Albert F. Link, a prolific Pittsburgh architect known for combining historically informed detail with modern Art Nouveau flourishes that veer toward Art Deco. Father Pitt's architectural survey notes the building's 'adroit combination' of styles, with original construction costs of approximately $250,000 including furnishings.
Clergy Team
The parish is staffed by three priests and five deacons serving the multi-campus community under the leadership of Pastor Fr. Michael J. Stumpf.
- Rev. Michael J. Stumpf — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Martin F. Barkin, MDiv — Senior Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Rev. Nicholas Clinton — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Deacon Joseph M. Dougherty
- Deacon Keith G. Kondrich
- Deacon Jeffrey McLaughlin
- Deacon Herbert E. Riley, Jr.
Music Ministry and Choirs
Music Ministry is one of the signature ministries of Saint Joseph the Worker Parish. The Sunday 10 AM Traditional Choir sings weekly from September through Pentecost with an SATB repertoire spanning classical, traditional, contemporary, and gospel. A Contemporary Ensemble (guitars, drums, flute, keyboard) leads music at the 4 PM Mass on the first weekend of the month, and a Gregorian Chant Choir sings the Entrance and Communion Antiphons at the 8 AM Mass on the first Sunday of the month from October through May. The Good Shepherd Ringers — a 13-member handbell ensemble playing five octaves of Malmark Handbells — perform monthly and travel for concerts at senior communities and festivals. Cantors and Psalmists proclaim the Responsorial Psalm and lead sung prayer throughout the year; new singers and instrumentalists are always welcome (no audition required for most ensembles).
- 10 AM Traditional Choir (SATB) — rehearses Wednesdays 7–9 PM
- Contemporary Ensemble — first weekend, 4 PM Mass
- First Sunday Chant Choir — 8 AM Mass, October–May
- Good Shepherd Ringers handbell choir — plays first Sunday and major Feasts
- Cantors and Psalmists (contact: Norm Chapman)
LiveStream Ministry
Founded in spring 2020 under the Music Ministry in response to pandemic restrictions, the LiveStream ministry has become a vital outreach to shut-ins and the wider community. Hosted on YouTube at youtube.com/@sjwpitt, it streams the 4 PM Saturday Mass (St. John Fisher), the 10 AM Sunday Mass (St. Maurice), and most daily Masses. As of June 2024 the channel had nearly 1,200 subscribers and around 4,000 views per month from across the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, other states, and even Europe and Africa.
- Director of LiveStream Ministry: Michael Burke
- Channels: Parish YouTube (youtube.com/@sjwpitt)
- Includes concerts, faith-education presentations, and special liturgies
Parish Leadership and Advisory Ministries
Several lay-led councils and committees shepherd the spiritual and organizational life of the parish. Together they help the community shift 'from maintenance to mission,' supporting the work of all other ministries.
- Pastoral Council — consults on vision and priorities
- Finance Council — oversees stewardship of parish resources
- Liturgy Committee — fosters prayerful and beautiful worship
- Facilities Mission Team — cares for the physical and organizational well-being of the parish
Good Samaritans Mission (Outreach and Social Justice)
Inspired by Pope Francis's encyclical Fratelli Tutti, the Good Samaritans Mission (GSM) is a parish-wide collaboration to address pressing social needs. It mobilizes parishioners in charitable works, awareness and education, relationship building, advocacy, and liturgy and prayer, guided by the seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching of the USCCB. A monthly Food Pantry distribution is one of its visible works.
- Themes: Life and Dignity of the Human Person; Call to Family, Community, and Participation; Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers; Solidarity; Rights and Responsibilities; Care for God's Creation
- Monthly Food Pantry distribution
Faith Formation and Summer Programs
Saint Joseph the Worker Parish offers seasonal formation opportunities for children during the summer, hosted on the parish campus.
- Vacation Bible School (June 15–19)
- Ukulele Camp (July 6–10)
- Guitar Camp (August 3–7)
Church Closures and Facilities Planning
In 2025 the Diocese of Pittsburgh initiated a major consolidation of the parish's nine worship sites down to a single campus at 2001 Ardmore Boulevard (Forest Hills / St. Maurice Church). Bishop Mark Eckman issued a letter to parishioners laying out the discernment criteria and forming a Facilities Mission Team. Decrees of suppression have been issued for St. Colman, Good Shepherd, St. John Fisher, St. Jude the Apostle, Madonna del Castello, Sacred Heart, and St. Anselm. The reported closure date for St. Anselm Church specifically is March 10, 2026. The parish maintains a Transition Team page and an FAQ series for parishioners navigating the change.
- Letter to Parishioners from Bishop Eckman
- Decrees of suppression for individual churches
- Facilities Mission Team and Listening Sessions
- Legacy Items Consideration Form for parish artifacts
Getting Involved
The parish invites new and longtime parishioners to participate in ministries ranging from liturgical service to social-justice outreach. The Music Ministry welcomes singers and ringers year-round, and the LiveStream team is always recruiting tech volunteers.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Daniel O'Connell1903–?
First pastor of St. Anselm; celebrated the first Catholic Mass in Swissvale in a citizen's home in 1903 and oversaw construction of the original wooden church (1904) and the new Romanesque edifice (dedicated 1925).