St. Thomas Episcopal offers a warm welcome in Canonsburg
Church celebrating 160 years of faith
It has been a 160-year series of “ups and downs” for St. Thomas Episcopal Church, but the Rev. Jim Miorelli is hopeful that the Canonsburg institution can continue to offer a welcoming, supportive environment for its surrounding community for another 160 years.
Founded in 1866, St. Thomas has evolved through several different iterations until arriving at its current home on North Jefferson Avenue, which was constructed in 1901.
According to a history of the church compiled by Samuel Richards, financial hardship struck the church in 1915, lasting through the end of World War II.
The 1950s saw a surge in church attendance and a return to stable finances, which was highlighted by the installation of a series of stained-glass windows depicting scenes from St. Thomas the Apostle’s life and ministry.
Booming construction along Route 19 in the 1960s led to church leadership to consider relocation, according to Richards’ history, but was ultimately rejected in favor of remaining in Canonsburg.
The nearly 25-year lay leadership of David Kinsey that began in 1970 marked a period of transformation and change for St. Thomas, as the congregation deliberated differing views of conservative evangelical and progressive Christian faith.
The Rev. Rosalind Brown became the church’s first female priest in 1997 following the departure of Kinsey three years prior.
St. Thomas persevered as one of the only episcopal churches in Southwestern Pennsylvania following the 2008 schism within the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh over the status of homosexuality in the global Anglican community.
The Rev. Cathy Brall and Sr. Warden Michelle Lucarelli led the congregation through a “dramatic period of change” over the pandemic, which included virtual services and drive-through Ash Wednesday blessings.
Miorelli arrived at St. Thomas in August 2024 and began serving as priest-in-charge following his full ordination in May 2024.
Miorelli said that the church prides itself on being a “very open and welcoming community,” especially for LGBT+ people,
According to Miorelli, many LGBT+ people come to Episcopal churches from more conservative churches where they may feel unwelcome.
“We’re committed to respecting all human beings, to seeking and serving Christ and serving the spark of the divine in all people,” Miorelli said.
This emphasis on building community has been especially important in recent years.
“When people feel a lack of social connection that’s a huge problem … so many people feel depressed and isolated, so we try to offer a church community where people can come and feel loved, feel welcomed in a gracious environment,” Miorelli said.
St. Thomas installed a “blessing box” with free food and personal items outside the church in 2021 in order to provide for its neighbors, he said.
“It all goes back to community. The mission of the church is to share and celebrate Christ in our lives and Christ is in the body of the church,” Miorelli said.
A tight-knit community
Kelly Agirakis first attended St. Thomas after moving to Canonsburg from Robinson Township in 2017, and now regularly attends service with her parents, husband and two children.
“Everyone there is so warm and welcoming always,” she said.
After her father began experiencing health issues in recent years, Agirakis said that congregants made a point to offer support and prayers for her dad’s well-being.
This spirit of communal support was crucial during the pandemic, Agirakis said, when church members set up an informal “phone chain.”
This system paired up congregants with one another for regular phone check-ins to make sure everyone was connected despite social distancing.
“It was to see if everyone was doing OK,” she said.
Agirakis described St. Thomas as her “church family.”
Canonsburg resident Mary Pollard attends the church with her children and mother, Susan, where she has been “welcomed with love by kind people with big hearts.”
“I enjoy going every Sunday with my two children who are involved with the formal programs – Sunday school each week, the annual Christmas pageant and Messy Church six Wednesdays this summer,” Pollard said. “My children love being involved in regular church activities just to be helpful … I love how all St. Thomas’ members support and encourage my children – it just feels like a big family.”
According to the Rt. Rev. Ketlen Solak, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, the ministry of the St. Thomas congregation is a blessing to the wider community
“The congregation’s care for neighbors in need, welcome to the stranger, steadfast support of local families and generous offering of time, talent and compassion, make the love of Jesus Christ visible in humble and profound ways. St. Thomas’ ministry reaches beyond the walls of the church,” Solak said in a statement, noting the outreach programs the church hosts in service of the Canonsburg community.
The core message of St. Thomas can be found on a tapestry hung inside the entryway off of North Jefferson Avenue.
“No matter where you come from or where you’re going, no matter what you believe or what you don’t, no matter what you feel or don’t feel today, no matter whom you love, you are welcome into this space to be met by God, who knows your name, who knows your heart, who knows your mind … and wants to have a relationship with you,” reads the banner.