CAR WORSHIP
Former church now a place for autos and those who love them
In a place and time when it’s not unusual to see former churches transformed for new purposes, the former St. Helen Catholic Church in East Pittsburgh still looms large.
Founded in 1917 with a Slovak parish, built in 1929-1931, and closed in 2014, the stone landmark was sold by the Diocese of Pittsburgh to new owners who have transformed it into a place for automobile buffs to congregate and store their prized cars: The Holy Grail Garage and Car Club.
The new owners removed the pews and added two big garage doors so people can drive their high-end cars inside and park them in not only the sanctuary but also the church basement. The former kitchen down there is slated to hold motorcycles.
There’s a security and fire-prevention system, battery jump boxes and air compressors, even a separate washing/detailing garage.
The former church balcony holds a coffee lounge with a bigscreen TV. The view from up there, beneath a huge stained glass window, is gorgeous.
“You can’t get cheaper square footage, and you can’t get more beautiful square footage,” said Mike Fanto of Tower Auto Sales in Blawnox, who purchased the property with Kimberly Phillips in January for $50,000. They love old churches and, in fact, own another, even bigger one in the West End — Holy Innocents in Sheraden. They’re also car people and had the idea about five years ago of