from “Beauty & Grandeur:
The Art & Grace of St. James Catholic Church, Wilkinsburg, PA”
Compiled 1981 by Richard Hissrich and Gregory Kirchner
St. James Church was established in November 1869. The present church building was begun in February, 1928 and was dedicated on August 10, 1930. The cornerstone, located beside and below the oak carved pulpit, is inscribed “Built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ Himself being the cornerstone. 1928”
The church is built of Indiana limestone in the Gothic style of the 11th and 12th centuries. The pastor and chief influence on its design was Monsignor Stephen Walsh. Its most noticeable exterior feature is its large SQUARE BELL TOWER.
Its exterior is graced with WINGED ANGELS & SWANS. Inside the tower are 24 BRONZE BELLS, ranging in size from 14,000 lbs to 483 lbs. The 20 bell Carillon is played from a small keyboard to the right of the organ console.
The organ itself is a Moller organ made in 1962 and installed in 1967. Its 65 ranks of metal pipes and wooden reeds are found in four locations: in both the east and west transepts, and in two chancel chambers above and behind the two side altars.
The bulk of the WOOD APPOINTMENTS of the interior of the church are made of oak.
The exception is the CEILING, 80 feet above the nave floor, which is solid chestnut. The primary carved decoration motif of both the pulpit and the exquisite communion rail is of ornately twining grapevines. In addition, the COMMUNION RAILS have four 4 inch angels with folded hands at their ends. The PULPIT has an eagle with wings outstretched holding the bookstand upon its back. The six-faced pulpit has a small shield in the center of each side. Beginning at the left, they are: AN EAGLE WITH A LION’S HEAD, below it, MARK: A MAN HOLDING A BOOK and below, MATTHEW. The front side, A DESCENDING DOVE; then A WINGED BULL AND LUKE; AN EAGLE & JOHN; & A BOOK WITH A SWORD AS A BOOKMARK & PAUL.
One of the outstanding features of the edifice is the ITALIAN MOSAIC BACK ALTAR PICTURE set in a hand carved wooden Gothic frame decorated with hand carved two foot statues of angels and saints. This arches mosaic panel of the alter, constructed in Venice, depicts the darkening of the heavens and the eclipse of the sun during the Crucifixion. The arched columns of the altar are of geen Italian marble quarried in Genoa. On either side of the Crucifix are two four foot carved wooden Statues of Mary, Jesus’ mother, and of John the beloved disciple.
MATCHING MOSAICS with high levels of blue and gold tiles are: the front of the high altar with its symbols of the Greek letters Alpha & Omega (A & Z, the beginning and the end), and Chi Rho, (Ch & R, for CHRIST). The left side altar, the Marian altar, depicts an M for Mary.
The right altar mosaic has a Lily for St. Joseph. The baptismal font is decorated with similar mosaic designs.
The Stations of the Cross, set into the side walls of the church, are fourteen beautiful mosaic pictures of the way along which Jesus carried his Cross to Calvary. Strictly speaking, according to the Franciscan tradition, the actual Stations are the small wooden crosses above each picture.
