Father Pitt

Why should the beautiful die?


Immaculate Heart of Mary, Polish Hill

Click on the picture to enlarge it.

It is impossible to get a good picture of Immaculate Heart of Mary without a forest of cables in front of it. But part of the magnificence of the building is the way it rises up from an impossibly cramped and sloping lot in a crowded hillside neighborhood; it is more impressive because it can never be seen all at once.

The madly ambitious Polish railroad workers who built this church with their own hands chose a design that intentionally resembles St. Peter’s in Rome. The rest of the neighborhood is still modest and picturesquely shabby, but Immaculate Heart of Mary is a building that could easily pass for a cathedral.

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8 responses to “Immaculate Heart of Mary, Polish Hill”

  1. […] Immaculate Heart of Mary, Polish Hill. Built by Polish railroad workers in their meager leisure hours, it dominates its […]

  2. Pope John Paul II slept here.

  3. […] honored guests of the family.  At midnight, Yimmy joined us and we all went to a Polish church, Immaculate Heart of Mary, with respect for […]

  4. […] Immaculate Heart of Mary, Polish Hill. Built by Polish railroad workers in their meager leisure hours, it dominates its […]

  5. elmer of brackenridge

    One of the most beautiful christmas Midnight Masses that I’ve ever experienced.Church was just beautiful. I recommend it as a Christmas must for all to enjoy in wonder.

  6. Kevin Hammer

    Immaculate Heart of Mary was designed by architect William Ginther, and there’s a recent book about him, full of photos / illustrations of his work (mostly in Pennsylvania and Ohio).

    http://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/2011/dedication/

  7. von Hindenburg

    I got the chance to attend mass here this evening. It’s just mind-blowing. The amount of ornamental encrustation on every surface and wall to wall statues and shrines make it feel like a European cathedral that has been around for centuries, rather than an American church from the 1900s.

    Of special interest, but not surprise: This was the first place that I’d ever seen a statue and relic of St. John Paul II.

    I’ve attached links to interior pictures on another comment, to alert the spam-checking butler.

  8. von Hindenburg

    https://imgur.com/a/gdliobb

    Pictures of the interior of Immaculate Heart of Mary.

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