The Historic Church of St. Peter Parish celebrates 180th anniversary
The Historic Church of St. Peter Parish in Brownsville – the oldest operating Catholic parish in Western Pennsylvania – is celebrating its 180th anniversary with a special Mass that organizers hope will help return people to the church.
The first Catholic Parish in Fayette County has a number of events planned that will culminate with a Mass at 11 a.m. April 6 at the parish at 118 Church St. It will be concelebrated by the Rev. Efren Ambre, the church’s pastor, and Monsignor Raymod E. Riffle, vicar general of the Diocese of Greensburg. Some of the parish’s former priests are expected to be involved as well.
Larry Franks III, a lifelong parishioner, said initial plans were to celebrate the parish’s 175th anniversary in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic halted the plans. He and Ambre are hoping to use the weekend celebration as a homecoming for former pastors and families.
“We didn’t want to wait another 20 years to celebrate,” Franks said. “The fact that the anniversary falls on a Sunday we thought was something special, so we want to use it to bring people back to the church. For different reasons, our numbers have been down since COVID. We’re trying to bring in anybody who’s ever been to the church, whether they’re a member or not. It’s a really special place, and we just want to get as many people as we can to this Mass.”
The Historic Church of St. Peter Parish was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is believed to have been the spot for the first religious service of any kind west of the Allegheny Mountains.
Only July 1, 1754, French troops, on their way to capture Fort Necessity from the British, climbed the bank from the Monongahela River with their chaplain, the Rev. Denys Baron, and prayed for victory. The Mass of the French troops is depicted in one of the church’s stained-glass windows.
The windows, which feature 32 different shades of blue, depict Catholic history from 1754 to 1843.
The church was established in 1843 to serve the growing Irish American population. At the time, Brownsville was an important gateway to the West and South due to its location on the National Road, and the belief that it, not Pittsburgh, would be the seat of the Episcopal See, the area of the bishop’s ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
“People didn’t think Pittsburgh would amount to anything since it was so close to Brownsville,” said Franks, who also serves as church historian. “It was built to be the center of the diocese.”
That didn’t take place, but evidence of such plans exists, especially in the construction of the church. The pulpit is on the right when typically, the pulpit in a Catholic church is on the left. Usually, only the bishop may speak on the right of the church.
The current building is actually the third church on the site after the first two were lost to fire. This building has remained on the site since 1845.
The celebratory weekend will begin with the Lenten Fish Fry on April 4 at the new parish social hall. Franks said there will be a table featuring photos and church relics as well as information on its storied history.
Franks also will be offering tours of the church after the 4 p.m. Mass on April 5. “I really enjoy showing off the church, taking people up to the choir loft and the gothic spiral staircase that no one ever goes up because it’s so treacherous,” he said. “Once you do get up there you see how really special the church is.”
Bishop Larry J. Kulick will not be in attendance, as he will be in Rome for the Diocesan Jubilee Year Pilgrimage but offered prayers to the parish for the upcoming anniversary celebration.
“This is a very special anniversary for the Historic Church of Saint Peter Parish,” said the bishop. “This anniversary not only calls on us to remember the history and the past of this magnificent parish, but marking this anniversary, in a special way, allows us to look toward the future of the parish with renewed hope, especially in this Jubilee Year of Hope.”
Franks, who is in charge of the celebration, is a third-generation member of the church.
“Both my dad and my grandfather were ushers and council members like I am now,” Franks said. “I try to do anything that I can do there. It’s something I’m very passionate about.”
The parish currently has about 520 families in its congregation. He wants to invite people to return to the church and views the celebration as a way to make that happen.
“We want to use this celebration and Mass as a way to gather our flock to come home,” he said.