According to Michelle Lucarelli, current Senior Warden of
the church, celebrating the 150th anniversary as a church and
part the community has delighted its current members. But she
acknowledges the church has had a history of hard times.
“Sam Richards, a member of our church, researched and wrote a
very detailed history of our existence dating back to the beginning
in 1866,” says Lucarelli. “In it, he talks about the difficult financial
times our church has faced, not only in the early 20th century, but
also up through post-WWII.
One fact Richards discovered was in 1922, after the priest left.
The vestry, which is a church council made up of non-ordained
members, arranged Sunday afternoon services for the members
using KDKA radio sermons broadcast from Calvary Church in East
Liberty.
“Parishioners gathered around a Victrola horn for three months.
The sound was not the greatest, so a trustee from the church hid
behind a curtain to adjust the volume. It is quite a testament to the
dedication of our long-ago congregants,” says Lucarelli.
St. Thomas improved dramatically after WWII and the
economic boom in the U.S. In the 1950s, the stained glass windows
designed by Pittsburgh Stained Glass Studios were added to the
vestibule, nave and chancel. The largest window honors the patron
saint of the parish while the majority of windows are part of a
series depicting the chronological life of Christ using symbols and
scriptural references.
The decades of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s brought many more
changes to the church, including the clergy. That, and growth
along Route 19, had members considering relocation. But the
church recommitted to Canonsburg. Then, in the ‘70s, St. Thomas
Episcopal Church welcomed David Kinsey as Lay Reader-inCharge. As a businessman, Kinsey studied for ordination and
eventually became an Episcopal priest and the Rector of St.
Thomas. His 25-year tenure allowed Sunday School to grow, the
Women of St. Thomas group to flourish, and the annual men’s
Continued on next page >
The Evensong recessional during Trinity Sunday, 1956, was led by a crucifer bearing
the handmade brass cross Mr. Thomas Townrow Jr. donated on Easter Day in 1914.
Photo courtesy Sam Richards.
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