St. Anne
Parish
Celebrates
125 Years
Church and school celebrate more than
a century of history in the South Hills
BY MARK BERTON
I
n the same year that The Wall Street Journal published its first
issue, and four new states joined the union, St. Anne Parish
celebrated its first mass.
However, back then, it wasn’t the St. Anne Parish
that parishioners of the South Hills know today. In
1889, St. Anne was a mission of St. Michael, located on
Pittsburgh’s South Side in a private home that furnished
one room in the likeness of a chapel.
Masses were monthly, but work was already underway
to form a new church. By the early 1890s, a new St.
Anne was rising, and by the spring of 1893, St. Anne was
dedicated and celebrating weekly masses. Three years
later, it had its own resident pastor.
For nearly 70 years, St. Anne continued its weekly
vigil, interrupted only by necessary maintenance and
renovations, including removal of its tower. However,
time erodes all, and St. Anne was falling victim to its
own popularity with swelling numbers of congregants.
The final sign that St. Anne was no longer a viable place
of worship came at the conclusion of World War II, when returning
soldiers forming new families and settling down in the area proved to
be the bursting point of the church’s capacity.
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Church leaders started a fundraising campaign in 1957. By the fall
of 1961, groundbreaking ceremonies were underway, and the new,
new St. Anne became a reality, opening its doors on
April 14, 1963.
The former building, no longer necessary, was
demolished.
St. Anne was the mother of Mary, Jesus’ mother. She
is the patron saint of unwed women, housewives and
grandmothers, and she is said to be a protector against
storms. Shrines devoted to her are located in Quebec,
Canada, and Brittany, France. Locally, St. Anne was one
of the earliest churches in the South Hills, founded by
German Catholics who settled in the area. The successful
growth of the church has led to the establishment of
a cemetery for its fallen faithful, and a school for its
younger believers. The school was established in 1894,
and has been teaching students ever since.
While situated in a corner of Castle Shannon, St.
Anne Church is central to Bethel Park, Keystone Oaks,
Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair communities, with parishioners
hailing from each. They are known for an annual parish fair that dates
back more than four decades, and for throwing take-out dinners of
traditional German cuisine.