Advent for St. Alexis
In McCandless, a parish christens its new home with artifacts from churches now closed
When St. Alexis Catholic Church in McCandless held a dedication Mass for its new church last month, it completed a project that was decades in the making.
The original St. Alexis Church building was opened in 1962, but it was never supposed to be the parish’s main place of worship.
“It was supposed to be a gymnasium,” the Rev. Paul Zywan said. “We worshipped in that temporary church for 55 years.”
At long last, the parish has a proper 900-seat church where the old is new. Artifacts from closed churches that once dotted the Pittsburgh region were incorporated into the design to create a beautiful structure that hearkens back to the memories of numerous places of worship.
“When I first walked in, I was like, “Wow,” said Donna Bartlett, a parishioner for 22 years. “It just felt so wonderful. It really was so amazing because I think I didn’t realize how much the other building didn’t feel like a church.”
The most significant feature, Father Zywan said, is the incorporation of 72 stained-glass windows from St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Homestead, which closed in 1992. They windows were commissioned in 1930 and created by Willet Hauser Architectural Glass in Philadelphia, the same company that made the stained-glass windows at Heinz Memorial Chapel in Oakland.
The work of Willet Hauser is known for its use of brilliant shades of blue and a jeweled tone to the stained glass, noted Father Zywan.
The stations of the cross are another historic feature. Those came from the former St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Ambridge, which closed in 2004. It was the church that Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik attended when he was growing up.
Bishop Zubik, who celebrated the Mass of the new church’s dedication, recognized them right away.
“When I saw them, I knew exactly where they were from,” said Bishop Zubik. “It made my eyes well up with tears. It took me back to when I was a kid.”
The oldest artifact is a statue of Our Lady of the Assumption, located in the main lobby. The statue, which originally was in St. Stephen Catholic Church in McKeesport, is carved from wood and covered with a plaster wash. There is no artist name or date associated with the statue, but Father Zywan said that the artists who recently refinished the piece estimated it to be about 100 years old. St. Stephen closed its doors in 2002.
Three bronze bells from the former St. Josaphat
Catholic Church on the South Side found a new home at St. Alexis. The bells, which are perched atop the bell tower and weigh in at a combined 4,634 pounds, were cast in 1914 by McShane Bell Foundry located just outside of Baltimore. That company actually had the original work order on file and was able to replace the flywheels, so the bells are goodas new.
There also is a marble statue of Mary and Joseph in the main lobby that came from Holy Family of Nazareth Motherhouse in Bellevue, which closed in 2013.
“These things aren’t constructed anymore or in the same way,” said the Rev. Nicholas Vaskov of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. “They are sacred objects to us and should serve a purpose again.”
Items from the original St. Alexis, such as the tabernacle, also made the move to the new church on Old Perry Highway.
Tim Johnson, an usher who has been a parishioner for more than 20 years, estimated that attendance at Mass has gone up about 40 percent since the new church opened its doors. There was a running joke about the old building that the “heat” ran in the summer and the “air conditioning” ran in the winter because the seasons outside would always make their way intothe old building.
Like many others, Mr. Johnson immediately fell in love with the new church.
“I said to my wife after the dedication Mass, ‘Here’s the cool thing: We get to come back again next Sunday,’” Mr. Johnson said.
Gretchen McCabe has been a member of the church since 1965. Her five children each attended school at St. Alexis and three of her daughters were married in the old church. Ms. McCabe, who sings in the choir, said that over the years people wondered if a project of this scale would ever come to fruition. Now that it has, it’s like a dream come true.
“I can’t even begin to tell you the joy there is,” Ms. McCabe said. “This really has been a labor of love.”
Father Zywan said the plans to build a new church had been in the works for years and the parish conducted three different capital campaigns to raise funds. Father Zywan, who has been at St. Alexis for 19 years, said strategic planning goes back about 17 years.
The waiting period turned out to be a blessing for Father Zywan, who would visit churches before they closed and select the artifacts to go into his new church. Some items, like the stained-glass windows, were incorporated into the architectural design plans to ensure they fit properly.
Father Zywan said that it took the devotion of countless others to keep the project going so that future generations can enjoy the new church and learn about its rich history.
“It’s a beautiful statement of faith to take on a project like that,” he said. “At the same time, it offers a great hope for the future.”