Father Pitt

Why should the beautiful die?

St. Mary’s Church, McKees Rocks

Now the home of St. John of God Parish, this is a splendid Gothic church that many another Catholic diocese would be proud to have for its cathedral. The fact that there are literally dozens of churches equally splendid in Pittsburgh and its surroundings is something Pittsburghers simply accept, but it absolutely astonishes outsiders. This one took four years to build; it opened in 1905. The architect was Akron-based William P. Ginther.

Camera: Olympus E-20n.

Here we see the main entrance and the top end of the improvised wooden wheelchair ramp, which looks like a Kennywood ride—perfectly safe but rather exciting.

Camera: Konica-Minolta DiMAGE Z3.

This was originally the German parish in this part of McKees Rocks. Above we see it from the parish cemetery, which is on a hilltop overlooking McKees Rocks in Kennedy Township.

William P. Ginther also designed the adjoining rectory, which is certainly a fine place to keep one’s priests.

Camera: Canon PowerShot A590 (hacked).
Camera: Olympus E-20n.

Father Pitt does not know the original purpose of the building that is now the Xavier Personal Care Home. It looks like a work from the 1920s or 1930s, executed in the storybook fantasy Gothic that was popular then. Was it a convent for the sisters who taught at the parish school? Perhaps a parishioner will enlighten us. (Update: Note the comment from Shelley below, for which old Pa Pitt is very grateful, confirming that this was where the sisters lived.)

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13 responses to “St. Mary’s Church, McKees Rocks”

  1. circusvue

    Magnificent building. I suppose the three front doors are for the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost or should I say Holy Spirit.

    Reply
    1. Dr. Boli

      That may be the symbolic justification. A large church, especially a Catholic church, usually has three doors in the front for simple safety reasons: it is a well-known habit of Catholics to burst out of the church like caged beasts escaping the moment Mass is over.

      Reply
      1. zeppflyer

        Hardly, sir. Catholics leave in dribs and drabs. Some never return to their pews after receiving communion (leading visitors to suspect that this whole transubstantiation thing must be incredibly dangerous). Some kneel for a moment and then leave. Some, feeling the need for a little boost through the week, leave after the final blessing. Others wait for the prelude to the final hymn, hoping that nobody will notice their exit as they look for the correct page. Some stay for the first verse and bolt as soon as the Priest has turned his back to exit. Some stay through the end of the hymn (usually the second verse) and then make their way out. Finally, some stay long enough to pray a rosary, light a candle, and grumble about everyone who left earlier.

        So you see, the exit from mass is not much of a mass exodus at all, but a gradual, orderly affair.

        The beginning of mass is similar. While the church may look a bit bare for the first hymn, it usually fills up in time for Communion. Attendance counters will do their job earlier or later in the mass, depending on whether the diocese is assessing tithes from the congregation, or distributing grants based on attendance.

        The real reason for having multiple doors is so that congregants can choose to either stop and shake the Priest’s hand as they exit, or sneak around behind him, depending on how long it has been since they went to Confession. There are two side doors so that escapees can choose the one that Father can’t see from his position at the main door.

        Reply
  2. circusvue

    Laughing out loud.

    Reply
  3. Jerry

    Dr. Boli, are you familiar with the Archives & Records Center at the Diocese? They have a reasonably active Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Archives-Records-Center-of-the-Diocese-of-Pittsburgh/474854752656523

    Someone there may know the history of that last building, or know someone who knows; or, perhaps, know that it is unknown.

    Reply
  4. Larry

    Yes, that building was the convent. It housed the Sisters of Devine Providence that taught at the 12 grades of St. Mary’s School.

    Reply
  5. Shelley

    Yes, the Xavier home used to be the convent where the nuns lived.

    Reply
  6. Charlotte Alexander/1972

    In time neighbor was sick in Ralph or ambulances1967 thru 1970 out Namar don’t tell Bab in accident ohio1965 bkueboldsmobile we used god to h al us me dan not kid in blue suit in cul to find out when char’s money mail is coming in ups or fed ex . Blue suited kid didn’t mention Marge Snyder nor dan neighbor on Gould drive not neighbors in crestwood tol Ohio as soon ascmarges gedeco wasn’t dr gedeco didn’t mention Aloisio- gedeco Ruth a duchess dntbmentin Michelle of Aloisio and Thoma geoDr didn’t mention girl in Zammerilla office his drugs booze and blue suited male in cul he his had and dadsvpubic couple yea s ago. Barb didn’t want no thing to do with Jon in Cha s other bank accounts complete ng of Chars thru Cathy — no other business he related to mtnlebanon Zbob cobbett he hid and Cathy in andersons house up from a Aja ke delivered her mum was at when she delivered food hm a Nancy declared to her Zoennysaver she got an anonymous letter and didn’t mention Rod Stewart in front any lottery mac of he of Tate a teeth on Deano show Dean didn’t mention Zammerlkavpush the button/ nor Mary Ann in3090 named fbis Mary Ann of jefferson1979 in Aloisio cow pooped on boulevard. Don Lewis didntbmention n Lewis s the dentist as Zcathy ddnt ask of Domolky nor does f Randy brother was in casket in Brentwood . One of Ang in morgue in hospital with woody barrels new on Cheers telling no not Jack the smack i any nut unit.. Corrado gasped as Carey s abbed the grass to remove or. As Thelma and Louise can’t ge into s nicks church in Laguna hills California .thoma says d to kid in blue suit what bye thinks with neighbors he and oval Geiger cousins thinks he going to do with DrThoma as shown and in Dan-Pat othe kid by Nancy Jon don’t see Dave or NancyvSylvia Four garofolo s checkingscaccounts with their r relative be in phot on winloot on sofa and in jap man he she didn’t talk to drvthoma about Cathy — the othebone by she thinks she going to do to mike Charlotte dan jeff Jon Fr Probonic 1/2 recipe Jon made in Part11 so is was no waste by Gold store couple stores down Dr Thoma says d he don’t want my wallet in 3090 and jewelry in it nirvmy 2007 lottery tickets misdng nod my1000.00 of BiscayneBlvd. Or khe d n blue suit sits with police asckid beg. Dirvroadvor yellow hair girl has tw guns daring Char to walkd ńot ge Beth Ann any money behind1998 I moved here Shubert1995 didn’t don’t mentioned n Thoma md and Rhoades in freezer on Rt 51 grocery where Phar Mor now s bye drink 2/3 whiskey ginger ale Gotham didn’t ask of Buckyslegbif Bill did it when fightingbof coyrsnot1970 and nonron didn’t do Baxters in hall in 330greenlee

    Reply
  7. Denise

    The Xavier Personal Care building originally was the convent for St. Mary’s, which was inhabited by Divine Providence nuns. Sister Xavier was the longtime elementary school principal at St. Mary’s. She terrorized small children by carrying her “friend Brownie,” a leather razor strap that she hung from her waistband and used to beat us.

    Reply
  8. Chris

    Yes, the last photo is a picture of the convent for the nuns who taught at the school. There are no pictures of the school that still stands, and is now a personal care home. Also, the inside of this church is beautiful, but was more spectacular before they stripped the marble altar that used to go to the vaulted ceiling, and before they took all of the chandeliers out. The whole campus is a shell of itself now.

    Reply
  9. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Polish Hill – Father Pitt

    […] P. Ginther, an Akron-based architect who also gave us St. Mary’s in McKees Rocks, designed this magnificent church, but much of the labor was done by the Polish railroad workers […]

    Reply
  10. George

    Love the work!
    Hope you will add the majestic Miles Bryan High School of McKees Rocks.
    Sadly & shamefully, it has been left to deteriorate over the years but boy was it a beauty!

    Reply
    1. Father Pitt

      That is definitely on the list. Our friends at the McKees Rocks Historical society, after heroic effort, identified the architect as McKees Rocks’ own John H. Phillips, an unusually talented artist who was responsible for a number of other exceptional buildings in McKees Rocks. Look for pictures soon, and thank you for the suggestion.

      Reply

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