About St. Bede Church, St. Mary Magdelene Parish · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
St. Bede Church is the Point Breeze worship site of Saint Mary Magdalene Parish, a merged Roman Catholic parish in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, belonging to the Diocese of Pittsburgh. St. Bede Parish was established in September 1922 by Bishop Hugh C. Boyle, and the original frame church was built in 1923 on land partly purchased from the Shoyer family. On January 6, 2020, St. Bede was merged with St. Charles Lwanga (Homewood/Lincoln-Lemington) and St. James (Wilkinsburg) to form Saint Mary Magdalene Parish, which today continues to worship in three historic church buildings while supporting St. Bede School and Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy. The parish describes itself as a diverse urban community that combines traditional Catholic worship, social-ministry outreach, and a strong commitment to the surrounding low-income neighborhoods of Homewood, Brushton, Point Breeze, and Wilkinsburg.
- Established
- 1922
- Patron
- Saint Bede the Venerable (parish); Saint Mary Magdalene (merged parish)
- Rector
- Rev. Lawrence D. Adams
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Saint Mary Magdalene Parish welcomes anyone seeking a historically rooted, genuinely diverse urban Catholic community that takes its social mission as seriously as its liturgy. With worship spread across three historic churches (St. Bede, St. James, and Mother of Good Counsel), a parish school, robust faith formation for children and adults, daily Mass, weekly Eucharistic adoration and confession, and a far-reaching social-outreach network (two food pantries, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Mary's Child, the Stone Soup Garden, and global solidarity partners in Uganda and Peru), the parish offers both deep sacramental life and tangible service to neighbors in Homewood, Brushton, Point Breeze, and Wilkinsburg.
Mass times at St. Bede Church, St. Mary Magdelene Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:30–10:30 AM at St. Bede Church (combined with Eucharistic Adoration)
- By appointment — contact Fr. Adams or Fr. Taylor at 412-661-7222 or [email protected]
Adoration times
- Saturday 9:30–10:30 AM at St. Bede Church
History of the Parish
St. Bede Parish was founded in September 1922 by Bishop Hugh C. Boyle of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, and the first Mass was celebrated by founding pastor Father John F. Enright in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hogan before any church building existed. A simple frame church was built in 1923, the parish school opened in 1926, and an addition completed in 1951 — part of which is the present worship space — was later renovated in 2007; a gymnasium and activity room followed in 2000. Father Enright's extraordinary 45-year pastorate (1922–1967) anchored the parish through the Depression, World War II, and the post-war boom, after which the parish was led in turn by Fathers E. Charles Patterson, Robert Wallace, and Edward M. Bryce, the last of whom served for 29 years and oversaw the absorption of former St. Philomena members after that parish's 1993 closing.
- Founded September 1922 by Bishop Hugh C. Boyle
- Founding pastor: Rev. John F. Enright (1922–1967)
- First church: 1923 frame structure
- School opened: 1926
- 1951 school addition (now church) and 2007 renovation
- 2000 gymnasium and activity room added
The 2020 Merger into Saint Mary Magdalene Parish
On January 6, 2020, the Feast of the Epiphany, St. Bede, St. Charles Lwanga, and St. James were canonically merged by Bishop David Zubik to form Saint Mary Magdalene Parish — one of eight parish mergers announced that day as part of a sweeping diocesan consolidation that reduced the Diocese of Pittsburgh from 177 to 152 parishes. Rev. Thomas J. Burke, who had become pastor of St. Bede in 2018 at the start of the consolidation process, served as the founding pastor. The name 'Saint Mary Magdalene,' chosen by the bishop from a short list of four proposed by the pastoral council, highlights Mary Magdalene's role as the 'Apostle to the Apostles' and the first to witness the Risen Christ.
- Established January 6, 2020
- Merger of St. Bede, St. Charles Lwanga, and St. James
- Founding pastor: Rev. Thomas J. Burke
- Three worship sites retained: St. Bede (Point Breeze), St. James (Wilkinsburg), Mother of Good Counsel (Brushton)
- Parish name chosen by Bishop David Zubik
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently led by Father Lawrence D. Adams as pastor, with Father David H. Taylor, MDiv (founding pastor of the former St. Charles Lwanga Parish) serving as Senior Parochial Vicar, and Deacon John S. Maier assisting. The parish also benefits from a wider staff including Melissa Viator (Safe Environment / volunteer coordination) and the school principal of St. Bede School, Kelly B. Maxwell.
- Rev. Lawrence D. Adams — Pastor
- Rev. David H. Taylor, MDiv — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Deacon John S. Maier
- Melissa Viator — volunteer/Safe Environment coordinator ([email protected])
St. Bede Church and Campus
The St. Bede campus sits on land that was partly purchased from the Shoyer family, whose original home still serves as the rectory and parish offices. The worship space occupies part of a 1951 addition to the parish school and was most recently renovated in 2007. The 2000 building campaign added a gymnasium and activity room, allowing the parish to host athletic, social, and faith-formation events on site. The Point Breeze church serves the Sunday 11:00 AM Mass, daily 9:00 AM Mass Monday through Saturday, and Saturday-morning Eucharistic Adoration with Confession from 9:30 to 10:30 AM.
- Address: 509 South Dallas Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15208
- Rectory/office: original Shoyer family home on site
- Present worship space: 1951 school addition, renovated 2007
- Gym and activity room: 2000
- Sunday Mass: 11:00 AM
Faith Formation, RCIA, and Youth
The Faith Formation Office coordinates sacramental preparation for First Eucharist and Confirmation across the parish, and a separate Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) process welcomes catechumens, candidates for full communion, and adult Catholics seeking Confirmation or First Communion. The parish also runs a Youth Ministry committee that combines catechesis, faith sharing, and social activities for middle- and high-school-age parishioners, plus the Camino young-adult group.
- Faith Formation (children)
- RCIA (adults)
- Youth Ministry (middle/high school)
- Camino Young Adult Group
- Family Ministry
Music Ministry
Saint Mary Magdalene Parish maintains three parish choirs that reflect its three worship sites. The St. Bede Choir rehearses on Thursdays from 7:30 to 9:00 PM in the church at St. Bede; the St. James Choir and Mother of Good Counsel Choir rehearse immediately before their respective Masses. The music ministry welcomes both singers and instrumentalists from high-school age through adulthood.
- St. Bede Choir — Thursdays 7:30–9:00 PM at St. Bede
- St. James Choir
- Mother of Good Counsel Choir
St. Bede School
St. Bede School, founded in 1926, is a PreK–8 Catholic elementary school located at 6920 Edgerton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15208, and is one of seven schools in the Pittsburgh East Regional Catholic Elementary Schools (PERCES) consortium. The school is led by Principal Kelly B. Maxwell and offers a rigorous, faith-centered curriculum serving a diverse student body from the surrounding East End neighborhoods.
- Address: 6920 Edgerton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15208
- Phone: 412-661-9425
- Email: [email protected]
- Principal: Kelly B. Maxwell
- Member of PERCES (Pittsburgh East Regional Catholic Elementary Schools)
- Grades: PreK–8
Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy
Located on the former St. James campus in Wilkinsburg, Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy is the merged product of St. James School and Holy Rosary School (the latter part of the former St. Charles Lwanga Parish). The school serves low-income families from the surrounding communities and is supported by the diocesan Extra Mile Foundation.
- Formed 2010 by merger of St. James School and Holy Rosary School
- Located on the St. James campus, Wilkinsburg
- Supported by the Extra Mile Foundation (Diocese of Pittsburgh)
Social Ministries and Community Outreach
Because the parish straddles some of the most impoverished neighborhoods of Pittsburgh — Homewood, Brushton, Lincoln-Lemington, and Wilkinsburg — social outreach is central to its identity. Saint Mary Magdalene runs a Ministry Center, two parish food banks, Mary's Child (support for families with children up to 10 years old), and the Stone Soup Garden. The St. Vincent de Paul Society conducts home visits and corporal works of mercy in the surrounding neighborhoods. Global Solidarity Partners include Queen of Apostles Academy in Uganda, Partners in Progress, Bread for the World, and the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocesan Mission in Chimbote, Peru.
- Two parish food banks
- Mary's Child program for families with young children
- Stone Soup Garden
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Global Solidarity: Uganda, Chimbote (Peru), Bread for the World, Partners in Progress
- Social Justice & Peace Committee (advocacy)
Worship-Site History: St. James and Mother of Good Counsel
The two other worship sites of the merged parish each carry their own history. St. James Church in Wilkinsburg was founded in 1869 as a mission of SS. Peter and Paul; its first members were largely Irish miners, and its name was chosen by the largest donor — the manager of the St. James Hotel in Pittsburgh. The Sisters of Charity opened St. James School in 1886 (grades 1–8), which eventually merged with Holy Rosary School to become Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy. Mother of Good Counsel Church in the Brushton section of Homewood was founded for Italian immigrants and is one of the two surviving worship sites of the former St. Charles Lwanga Parish, which was created in 1992 by merging six Homewood and Lincoln-Lemington parishes under founding pastor Father David H. Taylor — now the merged parish's Senior Parochial Vicar.
- St. James founded 1869 in Wilkinsburg (mission of SS. Peter and Paul)
- St. James School opened 1886 by Sisters of Charity
- St. James School merged 2010 into Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy
- Mother of Good Counsel founded for Italian immigrants in Homewood/Brushton
- St. Charles Lwanga Parish formed 1992 from six merged parishes; founding pastor Fr. David H. Taylor
Getting Involved and Volunteering
The parish's ministries page describes more than 25 ways to serve, ranging from liturgical roles (altar server, lector, Eucharistic minister, usher, music ministry) to formation (catechists, RCIA team, youth ministry) and outreach (food pantries, Martha's Ministry, St. Vincent de Paul, Social Justice). All volunteers must register with the Diocese of Pittsburgh's VIRTUS Safe Environment program and complete the required clearances; the parish's Safe Environment coordinator, Melissa Viator, assists with this process.
- Liturgical roles: altar server, lector, EM, usher
- Formation: catechist, RCIA team, youth ministry, Camino young adults
- Outreach: food pantries, Martha's Ministry, St. Vincent de Paul
- All volunteers must complete VIRTUS Safe Environment training
- Contact: Melissa Viator — [email protected], 412-661-7222
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John F. Enright1922–1967
Founding pastor; served 45 years, oversaw construction of first church (1923) and school (1926); celebrated first Mass in the Hogan home.
- Rev. E. Charles Patterson1967–1976
Second pastor of St. Bede.
- Rev. Robert Wallace1976–1989
Third pastor; served during the period of regional deindustrialization.
- Rev. Edward M. Bryce, STL1989–2018
Long-tenured pastor; welcomed former St. Philomena parishioners after that parish's 1993 closing.
- Rev. Thomas J. Burke2018–
Became pastor of St. Bede in 2018 at the start of the consolidation process; founding pastor of the merged Saint Mary Magdalene Parish (est. Jan. 6, 2020).
- Rev. Lawrence D. Adamspresent
Current pastor of Saint Mary Magdalene Parish, succeeding Fr. Burke.