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7 Beautiful and Historic Churches to Visit in Pittsburgh

During Pittsburgh’s heyday, it was one of the most popular destinations for immigrants coming to the United States. Each of these immigrant groups left their cultural marks on the city that can still be seen today in the city’s food and even in the Nationality Rooms at the Cathedral of Learning . It can also be seen in the city’s churches.

Pittsburgh seems to be a city of churches, with spires visible throughout the city’s skyline. While some of them have been repurposed (like Church Brew Works in Lawrenceville ) and others have been left to decay (like Saints Peter and Paul Church , a filming location for the movie “Dogma”), others have retained their incredible beauty and history.

During my visits to Pittsburgh , I’ve had the chance to visit many beautiful churches in the city. The ones listed below are not only beautiful, but can also be appreciated by visitors outside of weekly services. Whether you are religious or not, put a visit to these churches on your list for your next visit to Pittsburgh.

St. Anthony’s Chapel

There might be no more remarkable church in Pennsylvania than St. Anthony’s Chapel. Located in a residential area of Troy Hill, this church looks unremarkable from the outside. However, inside is a completely different story. Few people know that this Pittsburgh church is home to the largest collection of Catholic relics outside of the Vatican.

In fact, there are over 5,000 relics from saints dating back to Jesus’ Apostles. Tour guides offer a great overview of the church and how these relics came to be housed here. They also highlight some of the most remarkable items in the collection.

For more information on this fascinating church, check out our full article on visiting St. Anthony’s Chapel .

Heinz Memorial Chapel

Located adjacent to the Cathedral of Learning on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, Heinz Memorial Chapel is one of the most striking churches in Pennsylvania. Built between 1933 and 1938, this impressive chapel was built with money donated by Henry John Heinz, founder of the H.J. Heinz Company (though construction didn’t start until 14 years after his death).

The chapel honors Heinz and his mother, Anna Margaretta Heinz. Today, it is used by the University of Pittsburgh for a variety of functions, both university related and religious.

The chapel was designed in a French Gothic Revival style by the same architect responsible for the Cathedral of Learning. Inside, towering stained-glass windows highlight this striking chapel.

For more information about visiting, head on over to the chapel’s website .

Old St. Patrick’s Church

Old St. Patrick’s Church is another house of worship that looks relatively plain on the outside, and that plainness continues into the inside. However, it is the lack of ornate decoration that gives this church its beauty.

Located in the Strip District, the current structure dates to 1936 and the stone tower is said to contain a piece of the famous Blarney Stone. Inside the church, a set of Holy Stairs leads up to the center altar, which is on the second floor. These Holy Stairs are one of only a handful in the United States and are modeled after the original Holy Stairs in Rome.

This church is open to the public from time to time, or can typically be seen on the Burgh Bits and Bites food tour through the Strip District. For more information on the church, visit its website .

First Presbyterian Church

First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh is located on Sixth Avenue in the downtown area and is one of the city’s most beautiful structures. The fourth Presbyterian Church to sit on the site, this one was constructed starting in 1903.

The interior of the church features 13 Tiffany windows, and more than 250 other stained-glass or leaded windows. The church’s Tiffany windows are 26 feet in height and were made using a technique only used for these windows, making them unique among the company’s creations.

In addition to the beautiful windows, the church also features an organ with more than 4,000 pipes and huge doors at the front. I’m told that despite their incredible size, they can be easily moved by one person.

Tours of the church are offered after services on Sundays, but visitors can also explore the sanctuary when open. For more information, visit the church’s website .

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral

Located adjacent to the First Presbyterian Church is Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. The current cathedral dates to 1872 and is built in a Gothic style. It claims to be the city’s oldest unreconstructed landmark. The interior was redone in the 1960s after a fire destroyed much of the building.

Outside, the church’s graveyard contains the oldest marked graves west of the Atlantic Seaboard. Built on an old Indian graveyard, the site is thought to have been the final resting place for up to 4,000 people, though many were reburied during the building’s construction. Today, there are approximately 125 marked graves in the cemetery.

The oldest recorded burial in the cemetery is from 1762, but the oldest legible gravestone is that of Captain Samuel Dawson of the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment, who died on September 6, 1779. Also buried in the cemetery are Red Pole, a Shawnee chief, and Dr. Nathaniel Bedford, the founder of the University of Pittsburgh and the area’s first doctor. Strolling through the graveyard offers an amazing look back at the city’s history.

Find out more about its history on the church’s website .

St. Paul Cathedral

St. Paul Cathedral was constructed in 1906 and sits near the University of Pittsburgh. The mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, this cathedral is very impressive to see in person.

Designed in Gothic Revival style, St. Paul Cathedral is 247 feet in height, with a statue of St. Paul mounted to the top of the structure. Inside, pillars flank the pews and create a very impressive sight.

Find out more on the website of St. Paul Cathedral .

St. Mary of the Mount Church

Of all the churches on this list, St. Mary of the Mount Church is the only one I’ve never been inside. However, if you’ve visited Pittsburgh, it’s likely that you’ve seen this church. Sitting along Grandview Avenue on Mount Washington, this church can be seen throughout the city and is well illuminated at night.

St. Mary of the Mount was completed in 1897 and features a beautiful interior. A steeple was added in 2000.

If you visit Pittsburgh, make sure to take a trip up to Mount Washington to enjoy both the beauty of this church and its amazing view of downtown Pittsburgh .

For more information on the church, visit its website .

Want more great churches to explore? Check out our article on 7 beautiful and historic churches in Philadelphia . Looking for more to do in Pittsburgh? Visit the second largest university building in the world, the Cathedral of Learning , take epic Pittsburgh photos , or taste some unique brews at Church Brew Works . 

See map for other area attractions.  

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Visiting the World’s Second Largest Collection of Catholic Relics at St. Anthony’s Chapel in Pittsburgh

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Jim Cheney is the creator of UncoveringPA.com. Based in Carlisle near Harrisburg, Jim frequently travels around Pennsylvania and has visited, written about, and photographed all 67 counties in the state. He has also traveled to more than 30 different countries around the world.

5 thoughts on “7 Beautiful and Historic Churches to Visit in Pittsburgh”

Jim…Thank you so much for posting these wonderful things to do and see in Pennsylvania. The trip we will make in the falll will be our third to Pennsylvania and we look forward with full enthusiasm and excitement to seeing so many of t he places you have posted! Please don’t forget to mention to the readers (maybe you have and I just wasn’t on your reader list yet) that the Hessians (including my great..great…great grandparents) purchased farm land there at the suggestion and with the money that Gen. George Washington gave them from his own pocket. They were a hard working lot and I believe that after fighting alongside these folks, that Gen. Washington knew that they would be a wonderful addition to our new country.

Thanks again for keeping those of us who come as tourists in mind as you write your absolutely great blog! Love it! Willy and Lynda Dostal…Beaumont, California

I am surprised you didn’t mention Immaculate Heart of Mary in Polish Hill. It is a beautiful church and historic landmark! It is beautifully decorated during Christmas!

Oh, Jim, did you not get out to the East Liberty district? There you may find the East Liberty Presbyterian church, AKA the Cathedral of Hope. I have not been to Europe, but I would not be surprised if the East Liberty Presbyterian parish church were to be the equal of the great cathedrals of the middle ages. It is breathtaking.

It is the largest & most elaborate Presbyterian Church ! East Minster Pres. church is only 2 blocks away ! S one people by the of MELLON wanted a church of their own so they built (hoped) one of their own ! 3 MELLONS are buried in the basement !

My uncle was minister of First Presbyterian Church in the late 60’s – 70’s….I believe it is one of the most beautiful structures I have ever seen. The huge wooden doors behind the pulpit are beyond a work of art and it is awesome to watch them close or open. Great Friday nights there as well at girls club! Beautiful church and many memories

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PASSPORT TO PITTSBURGH

"the purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost.".

Eleanor Roosevelt

Pittsburgh has 90 neighborhoods and in those 90 neighborhoods are so many beautiful and unique houses of worship. This series of tours offers several different options to explore the unique churches in Pittsburgh. This tour is perfect for Church Groups and Organizations of 15 or more in your group.

SHRINES OF PITTSBURGH

Various Pittsburgh Locations

STRONGER THAN HATE TOUR

Squirrel Hill

BREWS AND PEWS TOUR

Lawrenceville

Northside of Pittsburgh

BREAKFAST & TIFFANY TOUR

• Plan A Visit
• Stewardship
• Devotionals

Plan a VISIT

Join us every sunday morning

We would love to meet you this Sunday at the Cathedral. Kindly let us know that are coming so that we can be expecting you – or feel free to simply stop by and attend the service at 10:30am.

8:30 AM | Said Service 10:30 AM | Choral Service

328 6th avenue, pittsburgh, pa 15222, 325 oliver avenue, pittsburgh, pa 15222 (wheelchair accessible entrance), what to expect.

Style: We are a traditional church for non-traditional people. For all our services of Holy Eucharist, we follow the Rite II (except during Advent and Lent) liturgy from The Book of Common Prayer. We also have a rich choral tradition at Trinity Cathedral and the Trinity Cathedral Choir leads us in singing.

Liturgy: Our Sunday services usually include an opening procession, singing, readings from Scripture, a sermon, prayer for ourselves and others, and the Eucharist, also known as Communion. If you are new to a formalized way of prayer and worship, the bulletin will help guide you every step of the way.

Reverence: During the service, you may notice others kneeling or standing, making the sign of the cross, or other movement throughout the service. We encourage your participation with out any concern or worry about “getting it right.” Worship is never about perfection, but drawing our attention closer to God. 

Connect: We would like to connect with you when you visit! You are warmly invited to join us for Coffee Hour following our Sunday service at 10:30 am. Please fill out the visitor card and drop it in the offering plate so that we connect with you following the service you attend. 

No. All are welcome to join us at any of our services. If you’re passing through Pittsburgh, please feel free to stop by as well. All baptized Christians, regardless of age or denomination, are welcome to take Communion at Trinity Cathedral. 

Kids are an important part of the worshiping community at Trinity Cathedral.  We encourage children to participate in all parts of the community's worship. Near the pulpit on the right side of the church, there is a children’s area that provides our youngest members with a full view of the altar area. Kids are invited to move, play, and participate as we worship together. Should you need to step out with your child, the children’s area provides easy access to nearby restrooms and the parish hall. More information can be found in our FAQ section. 

Our 8:30 am service is a peaceful, quiet service that includes a sermon and Communion with no music. We gather in St. Mary’s Chapel and the service lasts about 40 minutes.

Our 10:30 am service is a traditional, sung Holy Eucharist service that includes the organ, Trinity Cathedral Choir, a sermon, and Communion. Families and children are welcome. This service is also available online. 

On Sundays limited street parking is available for free downtown. Discounted ($1) parking is available on Sundays at the nearby Oliver, Mellon Square, and Smithfield garages. 

Please remember to stamp your parking ticket when you arrive at the Cathedral or when you leave. To receive the discount you will need your parking ticket stamped and pay the $1 fee in cash at the attendant’s window. 

During the week parking is available at many garages and with limited street parking. www.ParkPGH.org offers a map of the area parking garages with real-time updates on the number of available spaces.

Public Transportation: Numerous Port Authority Bus Routes stop near and in front of Trinity Cathedral on Sixth Ave. Trinity Cathedral is within walking distance of the Wood Street and Steel Plaza T stops Downtown.

Visit the HISTORIC Cathedral

We welcome visits to the Cathedral throughout the week. One of our staff members would love the opportunity to give you a tour of one of PITTSBURGH’S oldest and most historic churches. 

our Weekday VISITATION HOURS

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FPCP is a historical landmark.  We offer tours of our building throughout the week, during Doors Open Pittsburgh, and other city-wide events. It's packed with history.  Take the 3D tour below.  Or, better yet, come visit us! 

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Created by Pittsburgh Beautiful

These 10 Churches In Pittsburgh Will Leave You Absolutely Speechless

Beth Price-Williams

A professional writer for more than two decades, Beth has lived in nearly a dozen states – from Missouri and Virginia to Connecticut and Vermont – and Toronto, Canada. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., she has a BA in Journalism from Point Park University (PA), a MA in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Stockton University (NJ), and a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University (PA). A writer and editor for Only In Your State since 2016, Beth grew up in and currently lives outside of Pittsburgh and when she’s not writing or hanging out with her bunnies, budgies, and chinchilla, she and her daughter are out chasing waterfalls.

More by this Author

Pittsburgh’s rich religious history is reflected in the many churches that dot its landscape. Many of Pittsburgh’s churches welcome both churchgoers of all ethnicities for regular services and visitors to tour their breathtaking buildings. Here are 10 beautiful churches in Pittsburgh that will leave you absolutely speechless.

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These are only 10 of the most beautiful churches in Pittsburgh. Go beyond Pittsburgh to explore even more beauty at these 10 beautiful churches in Pennsylvania .

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Pittsburgh’s St. Anthony Chapel: The World’s Second Largest Collection of Relics

Sitting high atop Troy Hill on the North Side of Pittsburgh is St. Anthony Chapel. On the outside it is a rather ordinary-looking church with twin spires and a statue of St. Anthony on the top. It sits several streets back from the Main Street and if you weren’t looking for it you might miss it. What you might not know is that this unassuming church holds the largest collection of Catholic relics outside of the Vatican.  

The chapel was dedicated in 1883 under the direction of Father Suitbert G. Mollinger, the son of a wealthy Belgian family. As a young man, Father Mollinger originally studied medicine before being called to the priesthood.

After entering seminary, Father Mollinger studied in Ghent before he volunteered to be a missionary to the Americas. He arrived in New York in 1854, traveled to Latrobe (presumably St. Vincent Seminary ), and eventually to Ohio. In February 1857 he was ordained a priest as was assigned to a parish which was then a part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. In 1865, he came to Pittsburgh and established several missions, and settled as pastor of The Most Holy Name of Jesus parish in Troy Hill.  

Now, Father Mollinger had a hobby. A very unique hobby. He collected relics.

What is a Relic?

Probably the most basic question you might have is “ What is a relic ?” Basically, a relic is a physical or personal remain of a saint. A memento, per se, that a holy man or woman has left behind.  

Now, there are different kinds of relics as well. (Confused yet?) In fact, there are three different types of relics.  

A first-class relic is a relic that is part of the body of a saint (such as a bone fragment, hair, or skin) or items directly related to Christ’s life or Passion (such as splinter from the true cross).

A second-class relic is a relic that was used or owned by a saint (a piece of clothing or glasses).

A third-class relic is an item (usually a piece of cloth) that has been touched to a first or second-class relic and is usually affixed to a prayer card.  

How the Relics Came to St. Anthony Chapel

Now that we know what a relic is, let’s talk about Father Mollinger’s hobby. While Mollinger still lived in Europe there was a lot of unrest going on. Monasteries were destroyed and relics were ending up in pawn shops. Mollinger, who had always had an interest in relics, began having a reputation as someone who was collecting relics for safekeeping so not only was he personally buying the relics from the pawn shops (at his own expense) but religious leaders were also sending him relics for safekeeping.

Father Mollinger didn’t take just any relics, however. All of the relics that he took in for his collection had to have a Document of Authentication which is signed by a bishop, abbot, or religious superior and two witnesses as means of establishing the authenticity of first and second-class relics.

Father Mollinger’s Dream

In 1880, Father Mollinger traveled back to Europe to procure more relics. Upon his return, he approached the church to propose the building of a larger church in which his relics could be housed. The church realized that it could not afford such an undertaking and denied Mollinger’s request.  

At that point, Mollinger decided to build a chapel with his own private funds in order to display the relics. On the Feast of St. Anthony in 1882, the cornerstone of the St. Anthony Chapel was laid and the chapel was completed a year later.

About the St. Anthony Chapel Relics

St. Anthony Chapel is currently home to more than 5,000 relics in 800 reliquaries throughout the front of the chapel in addition to 525 certificates of authenticity.   Some of the many relics housed in the chapel include a splinter of the True Cross (on which Jesus was crucified), a thorn from the Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the cloak of St. Joseph, bone fragments of all 12 apostles, and the entire skeletal remains of St. Demetrius.  

It can seem overwhelming with all of these relics and reliquaries, but the chapel has a book cataloging all of the relics as well as their location within the chapel — if you happen to be looking for something specific.  

Stations of the Cross

While St. Anthony Chapel is famous for its relic collection, it is also home to a life-size set of Stations of the Cross. These stations, which Father Mollinger purchased on a trip to Europe, are hand-carved and one-of-a-kind. They also necessitated an addition to the chapel. The addition was completed in 1892.

St. Anthony Chapel Today

Father Mollinger spared no expense in building St. Anthony Chapel spending $300,000 of his own funds on importing stained glass windows, building an impressive edifice, and of course, purchasing the Stations of the Cross and the relics.  

Unfortunately as many of these stories go, years after Father Mollinger’s death, the chapel began falling into disrepair. In 1972, the Diocese of Pittsburgh realized the gravity of the situation and established the St. Anthony Chapel Restoration Fund Committee and restoration was done in three stages, ending in 1977.  

While many of us will never get to the Vatican, or any of the other great cathedrals of the world, St. Anthony Chapel is a great way to experience some amazing relics right here in Pittsburgh. Just another reason why Pittsburgh is such a hidden gem!

Currently, the chapel is open to the public Saturday through Thursday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Be sure to check out the chapel gift shop across the street from the chapel as well as small museum dedicated to Father Mollinger’s healing ministry.  To find out more about the chapel, Father Mollinger’s healing ministry, and the relics, visit the St. Anthony Chapel website . 

Read more Pittsburgh church history …

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Church Route

The Church Route on the South Side Slopes neighborhood of Pittsburgh is a walking tour that goes up unique stairways, over beautiful views of the city, and by eccentric hillside architecture and historic churches. For 10 years this route was a part of our annual StepTrek but we decided to retire it and post it here instead!

Printable Instructions with Route Narrative

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Questions? 

Q. How long does this take? A. About an hour.

Q. How many steps? A. 379 steps up, 441 steps down.

Q. Are there signs? Will I get lost? A. Church Route signs were installed in the June of 2016.

Q. Does it cost anything? A. 100% free. Any online donations however will help us maintain the stairs.

Q. Where can I park? A. There is plenty of street parking and lot parking. Check out the South Side Pittsburgh Parking Authority Parking Lots: Parking Lots.

Q. Okay, I have a smart phone, what is the route? A. Here is a link: Church Route

Q. Okay, I do not have a smart phone, what is the route? A. Here you go: Church Route

Q. Is there another route available? A. We are constantly constructing new routes for StepTrek . Please join us!

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ARTS & CULTURE

A pittsburgh church holds the greatest collection of relics outside of the vatican.

Behold the treasures of this tiny neighborhood church

Rachel Wilkinson, Photographs by Joni Sternbach

On a hot morning in June 1891, more than 15,000 people crowded the grounds of a modest church in Pittsburgh. St. Anthony’s Chapel had been designed to serve about 50 families of mostly German origin, but pilgrims from all over the country descended to seek the aid of the church’s famous “priest-physician,” the Rev. Suitbert Godfrey Mollinger. They suffered from rheumatism, fever, paralysis, epilepsy and blindness, and came by carriage, in wagons, and on crutches, stretchers and mattresses. Father Mollinger had been rumored to possess the healing powers of the “wonder-worker” St. Anthony, whose annual feast day fell on June 13. One year at that time, a streetcar—which locals nicknamed “the ambulance”—was so overloaded on its way up the hill that it slid backward and nearly toppled.

The deeply revered priest was a tall man with a long Old World beard and a biretta cap perched on his head. The Pittsburg Dispatch described him as “a giant physically and mentally,” both “strong-willed” and “tender as a flower.” His reputation arose partly from what current chapel chairperson Carole Brueckner calls his “unusual hobby”: He collected relics of Catholic saints. By the time he died in 1892, he had amassed more than 5,000 relics, the world’s largest collection outside of the Vatican.

Today, St. Anthony’s Chapel stands on a quiet street in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill neighborhood. It’s an unassuming two-steepled church—not the kind of place you’d expect to find wood pieces from the Last Supper table or a golden sarcophagus with the full skeleton of St. Demetrius. The building is laid out in a classic cruciform shape, a painted Romanesque arch at its center and a crystal chandelier above the pews. The altar of St. Anthony, featuring a backlit statue of its 13th-century namesake, sits beside the arch, and gleaming glass cases of golden reliquaries line the walls up to the altar. Mollinger’s chapel is purportedly home to 22 splinters of the True Cross (on which Jesus was crucified), a scrap from the Virgin Mary’s veil, and bones from all 12 of Jesus’s apostles. His most prized relic was a molar from St. Anthony—the only part of the saint kept outside of his hometown of Padua, Italy. After blessing the afflicted, Mollinger would often touch their injuries with a golden cross-shaped reliquary that stored remains from multiple saints.

It’s Catholic doctrine that relics contain some of the holiness of the saints they’re associated with, a veneration that dates back to the second century. Robin M. Jensen, a Notre Dame theology professor who has written extensively about relics, says they reflect a certain “materiality” built into Catholic doctrine: “Created matter and natural things are able to mediate the presence of the holy for us.”

The reasons behind Mollinger’s mission remain unclear. He was born to a wealthy family in Belgium in 1828, and his father died when he was 8 years old. When he was a young man, his mother sent him on the customary grand tour of Europe during which aristocrats were encouraged to choose their professions before attending university. Mollinger chose medicine, and became a practicing physician. In 1852, he began training for the priesthood. Two years later, at 26, he lost his mother. His parents’ deaths left young Mollinger with a vast inheritance. Brueckner speculates that “he was such a determined person that he was going to achieve something” with it.

In 1854, a bishop recruited him for mission work in America. Europe was in chaos: Nation-states were forming, and Italy’s Giuseppe Garibaldi and German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck were leading anti-Catholic campaigns. Relics were being confiscated, desecrated and even destroyed. Many wound up on the open market, sold on street corners or hocked in pawnshops. It was the religious equivalent of a fire sale.

As word got around that a priest in Pittsburgh wanted to rescue relics, European Catholics sought out the agents he’d hired, thinking it better to send the artifacts to safety in America than to risk their destruction in Europe. Mollinger insisted that all relics come to him with papers of authenticity, certified by a bishop and two witnesses. By 1880, the relic collection at St. Anthony’s had grown so large that it necessitated a new chapel. Mollinger paid for it.

For the Germans of Troy Hill, these European relics had special meaning. “There’s a way in which it was kind of a symbolic reunion, especially for immigrants coming to a new country,” notes Jensen. “Bringing these objects from their ancient past into their reality here and now was a way of closing time and space.”

But Mollinger himself was St. Anthony Chapel’s biggest draw. He gave blessings—and also wrote prescriptions, hiring a druggist to fill them. Some observers “ascribed the healing powers of Father Mollinger entirely to a power above and superior to him,” the Pittsburg Dispatch reported, while “others thought that the medicines which the priest prescribed played a part in the cures.” Not all his patients were Catholics, the paper noted: “Protestants based their confidence in the Father upon his acknowledged medical learning and skill.”

To the chapel’s namesake, physical and spiritual ministrations had also seemed complementary. Addressing the packed churchyard in June 1891, the Rev. John Toohill Murphy, the president of Pittsburgh Catholic College, proclaimed that St. Anthony had been able to simultaneously “restore the spiritual life which had been lost, and give back the bodily health which had decayed.” Mollinger, he noted, did his healing through St. Anthony’s “miraculous intervention.”

After Mollinger died in 1892, the crowds stopped coming. In the 1970s, when Pittsburgh was struggling through a recession, the chapel fell into such disrepair that the diocese considered closing it. But there’s been a resurgence in pilgrimages among American Catholics, as Jensen points out, and St. Anthony’s Chapel attracts a small but steady stream of visitors. There’s no congregation and no healing priest, but about 15 to 20 people from nearby and out of town come each day to tour the chapel or pray privately. On Tuesdays, they recite the novena to St. Anthony.

Some visitors come purely out of historical interest, viewing the relics as exhibits in a museum. Brueckner says tourists often remark on the otherworldly atmosphere. “Many people have told me they feel a presence when they’re there,” she said. “It’s quite gratifying, you know? There is a presence that reaches within to us.”

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Joni Sternbach | READ MORE

Joni Sternbach is a fine art photographer who uses large format film and early photographic processes. Her work is in many public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art.

How to attend the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple open house

The public open house will be friday, aug. 16, through saturday, aug. 31, excluding sundays; no reservations are needed.

By Christine Rappleye

The Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple public open house will be Friday, Aug. 16, through Saturday, Aug. 31, excluding Sundays. Tours are available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. EDT, according to the open house information on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. No reservations are required to tour the open house.

The free tour includes a brief video overview followed by a short walking tour through the temple. Comfortable shoes and modest dress are recommended. The temple is wheelchair accessible. The video and walking tour last approximately 45 minutes.

The temple is at 2093 Powell Road, Cranberry Township, in western Pennsylvania.

After a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is built or has undergone an extensive renovation, it is opened for public tours prior to being dedicated or rededicated. After the dedication or rededication, Church members with temple recommends can enter to perform sacred ordinances.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple in two sessions on Sunday, Sept. 15, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. EDT. The dedication will be broadcast to all meetinghouses within the temple district.

About the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple

Church President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple for Pittsburgh during the April 2020 general conference , one of eight locations he identified on April 5. The site location and accompanying exterior rendering were released on Jan. 19, 2021 .

Plans and renderings indicated a single-story temple of approximately 32,000 square feet with a center spire on a 5.8-acre site.

The groundbreaking was on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, and Elder Randall K. Bennett , a General Authority Seventy and then president of the North America Northeast Area, presided and offered a dedicatory prayer for the site and the construction process.

The Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple is one of three houses of the Lord in the state and will be the second to be dedicated. The first — the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple — was dedicated Sept. 18, 2016. A temple for Harrisburg was announced in April 2023.

More than 53,000 Latter-day Saints in 107 congregations reside in Pennsylvania, where many significant events in Church history occurred. Much of the Book of Mormon was translated in the town of Harmony (now Oakland Township) with the first members of the Church baptized in the Susquehanna River in May 1829.

Recent temple dedications

In May and June, five houses of the Lord were dedicated, including the Puebla Mexico Temple on Sunday, May 19, by Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; the Taylorsville Utah Temple by Elder Gong on June 2 and the Coban Guatemala Temple by Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Sunday, June 9.

On June 16, the Salta Argentina Temple was dedicated by Elder D. Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the Layton Utah Temple by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Upcoming temple open houses

• The Mendoza Argentina Temple public open house will be Thursday, Aug. 22, through Saturday, Sept. 7, excluding Sundays. Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the house of the Lord, located within the foothills and high plains of the eastern side of the Andes, on Sunday, Sept. 22.
• The Salvador Brazil Temple public open house will be Thursday, Aug. 22, through Saturday, Sept. 7, excluding Sundays. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the 11th operating house of the Lord in Brazil on Sunday. Oct. 20.
• The Casper Wyoming Temple public open house will be Thursday, Aug. 29, through Saturday, Sept. 14, excluding Sundays. The second house of the Lord in Wyoming will be dedicated by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Sunday, Oct. 13.
• The San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple public open house will be Thursday, Sept. 12, through Saturday, Sept. 28, excluding Sundays. Elder Renlund will dedicate the San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple — the second house of the Lord in the Central American nation — on Sunday, Oct. 13.
• The Deseret Peak Utah Temple public open house will be Thursday, Sept. 26, through Saturday, Oct. 19, excluding Sundays and excluding Saturday, Oct. 5, for general conference. The Deseret Peak temple, one of 30 in Utah, will be dedicated on Sunday, Nov. 10.

Information about tour reservations will be available later on reservations.ChurchofJesusChrist.org .

Upcoming Tour Dates

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See inside the new Pittsburgh LDS Temple

“we want people to understand what the temple is,” says local women’s leader, “and to see what happens inside.”.

Cranberry Township, Pa. • As houses of worship across much of the Western world shutter their doors due to shrinking attendance, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is in the process of adding more than 150 new temples around the globe.

One of the newest completed temples, located in the Cranberry Township suburb of Pittsburgh, is open to the public for two weeks (Aug. 16-31, except Sundays) before being officially dedicated Sept. 15. This rare occasion allows the wider community to walk through a site that will in the future be closed to the public and for Latter-day Saints to share their beliefs and practices.

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint) The Celestial Room of the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Temple.

“We want to be a part of the community, and we want people to understand what the temple is, and to see what happens inside. I think after it’s dedicated, because only we go in the temple, then that’s how people have all sorts of misconceptions about what happens in the temple ,” said Linda Johnson, a Cranberry resident and president of the women’s organization the Relief Society in Pittsburgh North congregations. “But when you come through, the temple is very Christ-centered.”

[Read about how the Latter-day Saint temple endowment ceremony has changed for the fourth time in 5½ years.]

She added that she hopes visitors from the surrounding community, which she described as welcoming to people of all faiths, would feel peace and God’s love for them at the temple.

The Pittsburgh location is the second temple in Pennsylvania, after the Philadelphia Temple ; a third temple in Harrisburg is also being built. Temples aren’t to be confused with meetinghouses, the buildings where church members meet routinely for Sunday worship. There are seven Latter-day Saint congregations in the northern Pittsburgh area, and the temple district encompasses roughly 29,000 members in more than 80 congregations in western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, northeastern Ohio and a sliver of western New York. Previously, church members in the Pittsburgh area had to travel three hours for temple ceremonies.

(Jeremy Harmon | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple in 2016.

Church President Russell M. Nelson announced the Pittsburgh Temple in April 2020 . The slew of new temples isn’t necessarily correlated with membership growth, said Chris Hoke, president of the Pittsburgh North Stake and a former Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle. While church growth has seen slow but steady in recent years, the new temples are often a matter of putting these deeply sacred rituals within reach.

“Right now, it’s tied to bringing God’s blessings to all of God’s children,” Hoke said. “There are people that have to fly to another continent to go to the temple, and President Nelson is determined to get a temple in an area that is accessible to all the saints in the world so they can learn more about Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ.”

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) President Chris Hoke of the Pittsburgh North Stake speaks at a news conference during media day for the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple in Cranberry Township on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024.

Operating and maintaining a 32,240-square-foot temple is no small task. Approximately 650 volunteers from the temple district will work there after the dedication, coming twice a month or more. On Thursday, volunteers were already at the site, donning reflective vests over dress pants and button downs to direct traffic. A row of volunteers sat under a tent at the entrance to the temple waiting to adorn visitors’ feet with shoe coverings, and others were stationed throughout the temple. Kenneth Witzel, director of communications for the Pittsburgh Coordinating Council, said around 3,000 Latter-day Saint volunteers would be serving during the open house.

The building is adjacent to a preexisting Cranberry meetinghouse dedicated in 2005, and the two structures, separated by a parking lot, are also connected via a small bridge — a nod to Pittsburgh, the city of bridges .

While many Latter-day Saint temples share similar architectural elements — spires, light-colored exteriors — the Pittsburgh Temple is embellished with motifs that reflect the surrounding area, including Pennsylvania’s state flower (the mountain laurel) and the region’s pink and white dogwood blossoms. Just inside the front door, visitors are greeted by a near-life-size portrait of Christ, and most rooms in the temple feature art depicting Jesus, or altars, which Hoke said point to Jesus’ sacrifice.

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Stained-glass mural of the state flower, the mountain laurel, in the Pittsburgh Temple. The mountain laurel was designated as Pennsylvania’s official state flower in 1933.

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) The entry foyer inside the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple.

The rooms also are filled with soft earth tones, frosted stained glass, plush carpets and lifelike paintings. During the open house, visitors learn about several of the temple’s features, including the baptismal font, upheld by 12 impressively large oxen, where members can baptize deceased family members by proxy ; the Celestial Room, a place with high ceilings and crystal chandeliers designed to reflect God’s presence; and sealing rooms, primarily used for marriage ceremonies, where two mirrors are situated on opposite sides of an altar to create a visual representation of being sealed into an eternal family.

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) A sealing room in the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple, where husbands and wives kneel at an altar like this and promise to be faithful to each other and God.  Their marriage is sealed for eternity. Children can also be sealed to their parents.

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) In the baptistry inside the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple, faithful Latter-day Saints can be baptized by proxy on behalf of their deceased ancestors, who can choose whether to accept this baptism.

“It’s very humbling, because this temple represents the faith of so many who were here before us,” said Johnson, adding that there are people in this area whose family ties to the church stretch back to the 1800s. In the early 1900s, she said, those families went without any meetinghouses or church structures at all. “I hope that we don’t take it for granted.”

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) The Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple.

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Kamala Harris, Tim Walz rally supporters at a series of visits in Allegheny, Beaver counties

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, made a series of campaign stops Sunday in Western Pennsylvania, weaving her way through Beaver and Allegheny counties in an effort to build momentum ahead of the Democratic National Convention.

Harris visited six locations, speaking with liberal supporters, high school football players, service workers and diners on a tour focused on inspiring her base, while also exuding joy about the future America.

The sitting vice president visited Rochester and Aliquippa in Beaver County, giving speeches focused on hope and promise, and decrying efforts to divide the country.

Harris spoke to the Aliquippa High School football team, last year’s state champs, and said she was counting on them to continue to excel.

“Our nation is counting on your excellence,” she said. “And we want to give you every opportunity to succeed.”

The 6-hour visit was heavy on Western Pennsylvania icons, including getting an assist from Steelers legend Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, who introduced the campaign at Aliquippa High School. Harris and Walz also made quick stops at Western Pennsylvania staples Sheetz and Primanti Bros.

Harris also took questions from the press after a stop at a Primanti Bros. restaurant in Moon, where she answered questions about her campaign and the Israel-Hamas War.

“I very much consider us the underdog,” she said of her campaign. “We have a lot of work to do to earn the vote of the American people. That’s why we’re on this bus tour today and we’re going to be traveling the country as we’ve been and talking with folks and listening to folks and hopefully earning their vote.”

Harris spoke to dozens of Beaver County supporters in Rochester for about five minutes. She spoke about the campaign’s policies of backing LGBTQ rights, ending child poverty and “fighting for the middle class.” The speech was meant to fire up local Democrats.

Kamala Harris took a few questions from the press outside of Primanti Bros. in Moon. She was asked about her campaign in Pennsylvania, a ceasefire deal in Gaza, and other topics. Will post second half of video in thread pic.twitter.com/ILZygNfbBw — Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) August 18, 2024

“The strength of a leader is not about who you beat down, but who you lift up,” Harris said.

Dozens of supporters were waiting outside of the Democratic headquarters in Rochester, hoping to catch a glimpse Harris, Walz and their spouses. Rochester also attracted a small group of Trump supporters, who jeered at the bus tour as it drove by.

Walz said the energy of the campaign is electric, citing recent large rallies held across the country.

He said Harris is bringing out “the joy in the hearts of Americans.”

Walz, a former high school football coach, said there is still plenty of work left for the campaign, and there will be no rest until after the election in November.

“Coming into football country, and as a football coach, you don’t hope to win, you plan to win,” he said to the cheering crowd.

After the speeches at Rochester, the campaign began what was expected to be a series of brief visits with a stop at a fire station in Aliquippa.

Vice President Kamala Harris says hello go to Hank the dog of the Aliquippa Fire Department. Harris gifted the fire department with a burnt almond torte from Prantl’s. pic.twitter.com/lD4zS9iWSG — Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) August 18, 2024

The Harris plane landed in Pittsburgh at about 1:15 p.m. and the bus tour got underway about 1:45 p.m. Harris and Walz briefly greeted some of the people in the crowd at the airport before the tour moved out.

Jerome Bettis, legendary Pittsburgh Steeler “the Bus” is here with Bob Casey. He is here as part of Harris- Walz bus tour pic.twitter.com/tBVPzT5hPz — Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) August 18, 2024

One of the invited supporters at the airport, 62-year-old Jennifer Robbins of Ross, said she was thrilled by the level of excitement inside the Wright Bros. Aero hangar in Moon.

“It feels like we are at a concert,” Robbins said as music blared from speakers and supporters streamed in.

A local Democratic committeewoman, she said she is backing the Harris-Walz ticket because of its support for abortion access in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned.

Jennifer Robbins and Rosie Rabish from the North Hills are here as crowd now swells to over 100. Robbins said the energy is like a concert, and it is growing. They said they are pumped to see Harris and Walz pic.twitter.com/CLGcSsDkdS — Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) August 18, 2024

Derek Haeussler, 20, of Pittsburgh’s South Side Slopes, said he woke up at 6 a.m., left shortly after that and then waited outside the hangar for over an hour to get a front row spot.

“I can’t even describe the energy,” he said. “Harris and Walz know how important Western Pennsylvania is.”

Derek Haeussler, 20 of Pittsburgh's South Side Slopes, said the energy inside the hangar is "unreal." He woke up a 6 a.m. and waited for over an hour to get a front-row spot in the hangar for the Harris-Walz in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/bO5cyBgJ7n — Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) August 18, 2024

Emily Best, 40, traveled from Brussels, Belgium, to attend the event with her mother, Ellen Garbury, 69, who lives in Butler.

“It feels so festive. Everybody I have talked to is fired up,” Best said.

Emily Best, a Butler native, travelled home all the way from Brussels, Belgium to attend the invited Harris-Walz event outside of the Pittsburgh airport. She is with her mom Ellen. “It feels so festive” said Best. pic.twitter.com/Kd76ZNBung — Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) August 18, 2024

In a statement released Sunday morning, the campaign advisors for former President Donald Trump said he and running mate Sen. J.D. Vance will be meeting with Americans in contested states.

“At the DNC, Kamala Harris will hide behind celebrities because everyday families know that she has been an absolute disaster for our nation, and real Americans are worse off now than four years ago,” the statement said. “President Trump and Senator Vance will remind voters that under their leadership, we can end inflation, protect our communities from violent criminals, secure the border, and Make America Great Again.”

Following today’s campaign stops in Western Pennsylvania, Harris and Walz will fly to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, which gets underway Monday.

As for the Western Pennsylvania stops on Sunday, Allegheny County has remained a solid base for Democrats over the decades, while Beaver County has fallen out of their grasp in the past several presidential elections. Even so, towns along the Ohio and Beaver rivers have remained pockets of blue politically in what has increasing become hostile territory for Democrats.

Maintaining votes in these industrial and largely white, working-class areas remain vital to Democratic candidates in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state with 19 electoral votes up for grabs.

The bus tour was expected to focus on meeting voters in community settings such as retail locations. The campaign did not publicly release a schedule of the planned stops.

Ryan Deto is a TribLive reporter covering politics, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County news. A native of California’s Bay Area, he joined the Trib in 2022 after spending more than six years covering Pittsburgh at the Pittsburgh City Paper, including serving as managing editor. He can be reached at [email protected] .

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Harris-Walz to kick off 'Road to Chicago' bus tour from Pittsburgh Sunday

Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Gov. Tim Walz will kick off a bus tour from Pittsburgh Sunday, stopping in multiple Western Pennsylvania spots.

The tour, dubbed "on the Road to Chicago," comes the day before the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago, the Harris-Walz campaign told USA TODAY Wednesday.

The candidates' spouses Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz will join them on the tour, the first time all four are campaigning together. The group will focus on meeting voters in their communities, stopping at volunteer canvass events and local retailers.

This will be Harris' eighth visit to Pennsylvania this year. The tour is scheduled after Harris is expected to make her first policy-centered speech in Raleigh, North Carolina Friday.

More: Coach Walz's primetime debut: Four takeaways from the first Harris-Walz rally

Sign-up for Your Vote: Text with the USA TODAY elections team.

Pennsylvania is a key battleground state

Pennsylvania provides 19 electoral votes (one less than it did in 2020). It was one of a handful of states that switched its vote from Donald Trump in 2016 to the Democratic Party in 2020.

In 2016, Trump won the state by less than 50,000 votes, beating Hillary Clinton with 48.6% of the vote compared to 47.9% of the vote for Clinton.

In 2020, President Joe Biden won 50% of the votes, beating Trump who won 48.8% of the vote.

Harris has already made several campaign stops in Pennsylvania, including her first appearance with running mate Walz. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was another top contender for vice president.

When is the Democratic National Convention?

Harris' western Pennsylvania tour comes as many others in the party are headed to Chicago for the DNC.

The DNC is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 19 through Thursday Aug. 22.