St. James Church: Over the Years

The Parish published in 1963 St. James Church Parish in connection with the dedication of the new St. James School builidng.

This history of the development of St. James Parish of Wilkinsburg has a twofold purpose. First, it is to honor in letters the memory of those persons who did so much in molding this great parish in an equally great diocese. And secondly, it is to leave to the parishioners of the future the rich legacy of spiritual growth and material progress which we have inherited from the sturdy pioneers and faithful forefathers of the past.

It is difficult to determine at what time the first Catholic families began to make their homes in Wilkinsburg and vicinity. They assisted at Mass and fulfilled their other religious duties either at SS. Peter and Paul Church, now in the East End of Pittsburgh, or at St. Thomas Church, in Braddock. When it became necessary to build a church, the main body of the little congregation consisted of coal miners employed at the Duquesne Mines-sometimes called “Muckelrat”—some two miles east of the town. After the opening of these mines, a number of Catholics came from the anthracite regions in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania. The first arrivals were Michael Kennedy and John Boyle in the Fall of 1865. Others quickly followed them. A few came from various places, some even from Ireland, until their number reached about 45 families.

James Kelly, a non-Catholic donated lots for church sites to a number of Wilkinsburg’s religious denominations-including the Catholics. It was situated on the present South Avenue, now Numbers 910 and 912, the deed for which is dated January 17, 1868. For some unknown reason, most of the people and the Bishop thought it was not the place for a church. The Bishop sent Very Rev. Tobias Mullen, Vicar-General of the Diocese, and Pastor of St. Peter’s Church, Allegheny, and Rev. A. P. Gibbs, Pastor of St. Mary’s Church, Forty-sixth Street, Pittsburgh, to visit the town and select a more eligible site. Having decided upon a spot, Father Gibbs asked Philip Weisenberger, an oil dealer and a friend, to purchase the ground. He accordingly bought lots numbers 359 and 360 of the Wilkinsburg plan, each 116 feet wide and extending 264 feet from Rebecca to Franklin Avenues, parallel with Mulberry Street, though 116 feet west of it. The deed is dated September 20, 1866. Philip Weisenberger and his wife deeded these lots to Bishop Domenec in trust for the congregation, May 8, 1868, for $2,800.

Interestingly enough, St. James went by the name of SS. Phillip and James in the marriage and baptismal registers of the church, during the pastorates of Fathers Joseph Suehr and Walter L. Burke. In one of the early meetings of the Catholics, the priest and parishioners agreed that whoever gave the largest donation for the erection of the church should have the honor of naming the sacred edifice. This person was James K. Lanahan, long-time proprietor and manager of the St. James Hotel that stood on Liberty Avenue directly opposite the Union Station in Pittsburgh. On July 12, 1869, he paid the sum of. $50 to one of the solicitors, Edward Sweeney. The notice of the dedication of the church in the Pittsburgh CATHOLIC of October 30, 1869, read: “St. James’ Church, Wilkinsburg, will be dedicated on the 18th of November”. The Very Rev. John Hickey, the Vicar-General, who dedicated it in the absence of Bishop Domenec, assured Monsignor Andrew A. Lambing that he would put it under the patronage of St. James. It has appeared that way annually in the Catholic Directories since 1872. With confidence we can assume that Monsignor Lambing settled this controversy for all time when he wrote, “Hence it was without authority that the title SS. Philip and James was assumed and retained in the registers till I corrected it.”

Edward Sweeney of the Duquesne Mines, and John Carley and Arthur Cregan of Wilkinsburg, who traveled on foot on a Sunday after Mass, as far east as Irwin and as far west as Noblestown, asking assistance from coal miners, almost exclusively solicited for the first church.

The cornerstone was laid without ceremony, and without recording the date, and Father Hickey dedicated the little edifice on its completion by Moore and Chambers, on Thanksgiving Day, November 18, 1869, Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of SS. Peter and Paul in Rome. A special train for the accommodation of the Catholic societies and others came out from the city, as the GAZETTE informs us, and the celebration was an elaborate affair. The church was an unpretending little frame structure of no particular style of architecture, 30 by 60 feet, with a little belfry over the entrance and a small gallery or organ loft.

It seems that all went well until the Sunday night of December 23–24, 1888, when about midnight a fire broke out in the basement and burned the building to the ground in an incredible short time since the borough had no water supply nor fire department and there was no means of reaching the fire. Only a few charred beams remained.

After the dedication, this first church was a mission of the Cathedral for a short time before the Oblate Fathers of St. Charles Borromeo, who established a house of their institute in the East End in Pittsburgh in 1870, ministered the spiritual needs of the congregation. Their story is an interesting one.

Two young men, Harmar Denny and Polland McCormick, belonging to two of the oldest and most respected families of Pittsburgh, had about completed their studies for the ministry of the Presbyterian denomination when they went abroad to make a tour of Europe before ordination. So deeply were they impressed with what they saw and heard of the history, teachings, and practices of the Catholic Church that after a careful study of its claims, they accepted it as the one true church established by Christ. Consequently, they resolved to enter it, and to study for the priesthood. They both returned to their homes devout Catholics. After their ordination, they went to London, England, where they joined the Society of the Oblates of St. Charles Borromeo. They returned to America and to their native city about the end of 1869, with a view of establishing a house of their institute in the diocese, bringing a lay brother with them. They rented a house in the East End, which they named Our Lady of Victories, and from that time one of them, usually Father Morgan, ministered to the little congregation of St. James until August, 1878. Convinced, however, that the time was not yet ripe to establish such an institution here, they reluctantly discontinued it. Father Denny joined the Jesuits. Father Morgan returned to the ranks of the diocesan clergy working chiefly with St. Andrew’s congregation, just recently torn down because of the redevelopment program on the North Side. Failing health forced him into retirement. His edifying life came to an end April 14, 1872.

Then to St. James came its first resident pastor in the person of Father Suehr. He was born on March 12, 1874, in Dinshein, a village at the foot of the Vosges Mountains in Alsace. In 1855, his parents brought him to Allegheny where he attended St. Mary’s School. In 1859, he began his studies for the priesthood at St. Vincent College. In the following years he entered St. Michael Seminary at Glenwood, Pittsburgh, where he finished his studies at 20 years of age. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Mullen of Erie, July 28, 1870. (Incidentally, it was Bishop Mullen, then Father Mullen, who was sent by Bishop Domenec to select property for St. James Parish.) After ordination, Father Suehr took charge of the newly-erected church at Wilkinsburg, and a small mission at Verner Station, now Verona. Our parish then was in debt. But through hard work and the generosity of Father John M. Bierl of SS. Peter and Paul Church in East Liberty, who held a fair in his parish for the benefit of our congregation, the debt was paid off a few months after his appointment. Several years later, both congregations had increased in number so much that the Bishop divided the parishes and appointed a resident pastor. Father Suehr moved to Verona where he worked until May, 1878, when he was appointed Rector of SS. Peter and Paul Church in East Liberty. He became Vicar General of the diocese October 9, 1905. On January 24, 1906 he received a Papal Brief, creating him a Domestic Prelate to His Holiness Pope Pius X with the title of Right Reverend Monsignor.

The next pastor here was Father Walter L. Burke who was born in the Cathedral Parish, September 13, 1840. He attended the Cathedral School and a private academy before entering the diocesan seminary where he completed his Philosophy and Theology studies. He was ordained a priest on March 21, 1863. After serving as an assistant at the Cathedral, in July 1868, he became Pastor of St. Agnes Church, Soho, Pittsburgh. But failing health forced him to withdraw to Mercy Hospital. After a speedy recovery, he was appointed Chaplain of St. Paul’s Orphanage, then located on Tannehill Street, Pittsburgh. On June 28, 1873, the Bishop named him pastor of this congregation.

One of his initial projects was the building of the rectory. This was, indeed, a great undertaking for the parish at the time since the great financial panic was just getting underway. With a sense of foresight for the future of the parish, he was anxious to secure more property, especially the lots between the Church and Mulberry Street. Bishop Twigg refused to consent to this purchase until the parish had sold the lot on South Avenue which Mr. Kelly donated. It was finally sold to John Sherry. The pastor then bought the desired lot from the National Banks of Commerce, under a deed dated March 23, 1881, for $1,400. A short time later, a one story frame hall, 32 by 60 feet, was built for the use of the congregation. Father Burke’s mind was preoccupied with the thought of a school, but the congregation was too small and too scattered for such an undertaking, thus forcing him to reluctantly abandon this dream.

The town now began to build up, but the St. James congregation was unable to expand with it. And Father Burke was not to enjoy its future prosperity either. His health began to fail and his physician warned him he might expect a stroke at any moment. It came as is so often the case, without warning. He was preparing a class for their first Holy Communion on Monday, September 21, 1885. The children remarked how cheerful he was that day. When he failed to appear for daily Mass no one paid any attention to it at first, since his health often restricted him from saying Mass daily. But soon, some parishioners became suspicious as to his whereabouts. When he failed to respond to repeated knocking and calling they broke down the door. He was found dead in his chair, his right hand hanging down by his side, and his breviary lying on the floor. In his last act, he apparently was fulfilling his priestly duty for the day-the recitation of the Divine Office. He was a man of medium height with a pleasing though retiring disposition to his duties.

On October 15, 1885, the Bishop appointed Father Andrew A. Lambing pastor of St. James. An immediate descendant of Michael Anthony Lambing and Ann Shields, he was born on February 1, 1842, in Manorville, a little community between Ford City and Kittanning. After an early matriculation in the Kittanning Academy, he entered St. Michael’s Preparatory and Theological Seminary at Glenwood, Pittsburgh. He was ordained in the seminary chapel by Bishop Domenec, August 4, 1869, and sent to St. Francis College, Loretto. At the same time he attended the little congregation of St. Joseph’s in Williamsburg, Blair County. On January 5, 1870, he became pastor of St. Patrick’s Church at Cameron Bottom in Indiana County, until April 21 of the same year, when he transferred to St. Mary’s Church, Kittanning, with its missions ranging from eight to 22 miles away. On January 17, 1873, he was appointed to St. Mary’s Church, Freeport, with the additional care of the congregation of St. Joseph in Natrona. Father Robert M. Murphy, the present pastor, was an assistant at the latter parish, in 1930. The rich vistages of the faith left there by the zealous and pioneering efforts of the distinguished Monsignor Lambing impressed Father Murphy and gave him a feeling of deep pride. After a short duration as Chaplain of St. Paul’s Orphanage there at Tannerhill Street, Pittsburgh, (later established as the House of Hospitality by Father Charles Owen Rice), Father Lambing was appointed pastor of the Church of Our Lady of Consolation, at The Point.

It was here that he accomplished things which were to materialize into great contributions to the history of the diocese. He bought and remodeled a Protestant Church, at the corner of Ferry Street and Third Avenue, dedicating it on September 24, 1876, under the invocation of St. Mary of Mercy. He later placed in it an altar dedicated to “Our Lady of the Assumption at the Beautiful River,” in memory of the one that stood in the chapel of the same name in Fort Duquesne during the French occupancy from 1754 to 1758. For years, he was president of a Catholic Institute, which in a sense, was forerunner of the Pittsburgh College of the Holy Ghost, now known as Duquesne University of the Holy Ghost. The education, teaching, and literary ability of Monsignor Lambing had put him in a status of prestige and dignity. For this reason, many persons called upon him to give his time and talents to many church, civic, and educational undertakings in the city, state, and church, at this time. Andrew Carnegie asked him to join the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Institute of Technology. The famed University of Notre Dame in 1883, conferred on him the honorary degree of Master of Arts. He was also President of the Diocesan School Board. Despite these numerous community and diocesan contributions, Monsignor Lambing did many things for the parish upon assuming the role of pastor on October 15, 1885.

It was during his pastorate that a new church was dedicated on December 22, 1889. Many adults and children remember this old church which later became a parish gymnasium and classroom space to handle the overflow of the school enrollment. It was razed to make room for the new building. It was he, too, who invited the Sisters of Charity from Seton Hill in Greensburg to come to Wilkinsburg and open a parochial school. He built a school house, a rectory, and a convent during his years at St. James. The fruitful and highly pastoral administration came to an end on Christmas Day, 1918. He died as he lived, working for the glory of God. When he failed to appear for Mass after a long delay, parishioners went to the rectory and found him dead in his room. His death extinguished a great sacerdotal and scholarly light in this community.

For this parish history and many others in Pittsburgh Diocese we owe a debt of undying gratitude to the scholarly Monsignor Lambing. An outstanding pastor here, he was the eminent author of many books, among which is found a illustrious and comprehensive account of the early days of this diocese. Some of his outstanding works are “A History of Allegheny County”, in two volumes. “The Standard History of Pittsburgh,” “Come Holy Ghost”, “The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and “The Foundation Stones of a Great Diocese.”

While St. James parishioners were mourning the passing of a dedicated and devoted pastor, they learned that Bishop J. Regis Canevin had appointed the distinguished and widely-admired Chancelor of the Diocese, Monsignor Stephen Walsh as their spiritual leader and shepherd. Monsignor Walsh entered the community as an ecumenical figure; that is; his personality inspired men of all faiths to have confidence in his wisdom . . . to grasp and solve problems common to them and their Christian concern . . . and to generously show them talents to execute these things which would bring people together, and assure their welfare. He was the guiding light, the persuasive influence, the source of guidance and courage to the leaders of the other faiths in their campaign against the evils of the daydrink and the Sunday movies. But it was in the area of his priestly office that he made his deepest impression in the hearts of the people. In the pulpit, in the confessional, and in the convert class, his success was spectacular and most efficacious to those whom he served. The Priestly zeal of Monsignor Walsh still shows so eloquently here at St. James in the large numbers of people who receive communion each Sunday.

He was born July 14, 1865, in Lucinda, Clarion County. According to a priest nephew, who is presently pastor of St. Louis Church, Norfolk, Virginia, the future pastor of St. James was baptized at St. Patrick’s Church in Brady Bend. He received his formal education for the priesthood at Mt. St. Mary College and Seminary in Emmittsburg, Maryland. Bishop McGovern ordained him there on June 11, 1892. During his entire priestly life, a devoted loyality to his Alma Mater was a touching inspiration to his intimates, and his days at this school often became the choice topic of his scholarly conversation.

His appointments in the diocese were many and required a priest of his talents. He was an assistant at St. Agnes, Pittsburgh, July 1, 1892 to March 19, 1894. He was the first Pastor of St. Agatha in Bridgeville, and its Missions (Bower Hill, Marshal, Morganza, Canonsburg, and Hustonville) 1894 to December 1895; assistant, St. Paul’s Cathedral, December 12, 1895 to January 21, 1901; Chaplain, St. Mary’s Academy, (Mt. Mercy) January 21, 1901; Chancelor of the diocese, April 19, 1909, to January 23, 1919; and Vicar General in the diocesan curia, May 16, 1910, to September 30, 1929. He was made a Domestic Prelate (Right Reverend Monsignor) on February 19, 1915.

It is a common belief that he never wore the robes proper to the title for a deep sense of respect for the sacradotal character. Although we have installed an organ and dedicated a Music Room to his memory, nothing will ever surpass in dignity and testimony the church erected during his pastorate. Under his imaginative leadership, the new structure was begun in February 1928, and is built of Indiana limestone in the Gothic Style of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. One of the outstanding features of the edifice is the Italian mosaic altar picture, set in a hand carved frame of Gothic grace and beauty. The arched mosaic panel of the altar, 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 green Italian marble quarried in Genoa. The high piercing affect of the Gothic times is carried out in diminutive scale. Wright Company of Boston designed and executed the stain glass panels, which line the walls of the nave, transept and sanctuary. They are glaring shades of red, blue, and green with the sun shining through them, and cast a colorful gleam over the entire interior of the church. Another unique feature is the Carillon of 20 bells. When the bells were blessed, the Pittsburgh PRESS reported that “Wilkinsburg has the largest carillon found in any Catholic Church in the United States, and there are few churches of any other denomination which have a better set.” The big bell weighs 4,495 pounds. The little one is but 440 pounds. The melodious tones of these bells peal out now as they did then, summoning the faithful to Mass and Devotion.

One of the few priests of the Diocese known to Bishop Dearden when he came to Pittsburgh was Father Joseph A. Mitsch the Pastor of St. Mary in Kittanning. Maybe it was divine incident that their first meeting took place in the Parish of St. Agatha in Bridgeville. John F. Dearden, a seminarian, was visiting there. Father Mitsch, then recently-ordained and assigned to the parish, was curate to the late Stephen Ward. Undoubtedly, the priestly character, the genial disposition, and captivating personality of Father Mitsch left a deep and lasting impression on the young seminarian, who by the providence of the Holy Ghost was to become, in later years, his bishop. This impression was the factor that helped him make the all important choice of the successor to Monsignor Walsh. This was his first official act in the diocese after the death of his illustrious predecessor, Bishop Boyle. It was, indeed, a most gratifying one to both the fellow priests of the diocese, and particularly to the people of this parish.

The forte of Father Mitsch was a fascinating personality which generously endowed him with an assest to make friends rapidly and with a life-time loyalty. Clergy and laity alike immediately accepted him as a very warm and understanding person, deeply aware of the needs of others. Father Murphy recalls him, especially, as the assistant to Father Herzog of St. Joseph Church in New Kensington. His spirited smile, the revelation of a noble soul, made him a popular idol among children, the young people, and the aged of the parish and the community. In and out of Catholic circles, he won the admiration of all who knew him. His priestly zeal gave this parish in New Kensington the outstanding Holy Name Society of the diocese. He was also a vital force in building the lay retreat movement.

Father Mitsch was born on February 26, 1894, in a humble home in the East End section of Pittsburgh. He was baptized and received his First Communion in SS. Peter and Paul in Pittsburgh. For his elementary education his pious and devoted parents sent him to the parish school under the tutelage of the Sisters of Divine Providence. He was graduated in 1909 with definite signs of a priestly vocation. In the fall of 1909, he was admitted to St. Fidelis College, located in Herman, for his preparatory education which he completed in 1915.

In September of 1915, he entered St. Vincent Seminary, near Latrobe. On June 26, 1921, in the Archabbey of St. Vincent, Joseph A. Mitsch, became Father Mitsch, as Bishop Canevin, ordained him. Father Mitsch said his first Solemn Mass in his parish church, SS. Peter and Paul, on Sunday, July 3, 1921.

His first appointment was as assistant pastor of St. Agatha Church in Bridgeville where he remained until his transfer to New Kensington in 1925 as assistant pastor of St. Joseph Church. He remained there until August 14, 1940, when he assumed the pastorate of St. Mary Church, Kittanning. It was the unique privilege of Father Murphy, who, then was in the neighboring parish of St. Mary, Ford City, to welcome him to his new charge. The people of Kittanning-Catholic, Jews and Protestants-almost immediately found themselves appreciative of the lovable man of God and all claimed him as their own. Here, he remained as a priestly priest, a dedicated shepherd to his flock and healthy influence in the community until 1950 when he succeeded the late Monsignor Walsh as Pastor of St. James.

On coming to St. James, he was immediately confronted with the task of enlarging the facilities of the school which were too small to cope with the expanding child population of the parish. Under the supervision of Father Mitsch, the parish added a spacious third floor to the existing school building, and Bishop John F. Dearden, duly blessed it. He formed many societies—The Holy Name, Christian Mothers and others—during his pastorate. Father Mitsch took a keen interest in all parish activities’ and his parishioners loved him dearly.

When fire of an unknown origin broke out in the basement chapel, in March of 1961, the noon recess was in progress. The nuns quickly ushered all the pupils into the grade school where they started praying immediately. In a matter of minutes the assistant priest, Father Wichmanowski, was at the side door but the intense heat and dense smoke prevented him from entering the building. A fireman gave Father a helmet and face mask, which enabled him to rush in and remove the Blessed Sacrament. Fortunately, the fire was kept within the sanctuary, but the main section of the chapel suffered damage mostly from heat and water.

Shortly after the fire, the Bishop transferred our beloved Father Mitsch to St. George’s Parish in Allentown. This order of the Bishop was hard to believe, but Father Mitsch took it like the true Shepherd of Souls he was, and blindly obeyed the voice of ecclesiastical authority. It was the privilege of Father Murphy to know him as a friendly neighbor, fellow priest, and a personal friend. He said he can readily understand the depth of devotion, admiration, and affection in which the people of the parish revered him. This explains the tragic shock endured by them over his transfer to St. George Church and later by his premature death in August of 1961. May the gymnasium, erected to honor him, inspire many to pray for him and urge all of us to follow the noble example he gave us. May God give him the eternal reward which his Christ-like living has justly merited.

Then on March 22, 1961, Bishop John J. Wright appointed Father Robert M. Murphy as pastor of St. James Parish. He, too, like his predecessors, quickly won the hearts and support of his parishioners . . . as indicated by this new school addition.

Father Murphy came to St. James with a full background and 13 years as pastor in two other parishes of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. A native of Braddock (born: February 8, 1903), he was graduated from St. Thomas Grade and High School there, and attended Duquesne University. He received his training for the priesthood at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, and was ordained on October 20, 1929, in the Archabbey Church.

His first assignment was as assistant at St. Joseph Church in Natrona until 1939. For the next two years, he was Vicar Econome at St. Mary in Ford City, before moving to assistant at St. Joseph Protectory in Pittsburgh until 1942. From September 1942, until June 1943, he was assistant at St. Mary of Mercy in Pittsburgh and also was attached to the Missionary Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. He returned as assistant at St. Joseph in Natrona for five years, until 1948.

Father Murphy received his first pastorate on July 22, 1948, at SS. Peter and Paul in Beaver, serving there until 1952 when he became pastor of St. Joseph Church in Coraopolis. He worked faithfully with his congregation there until his assignment to St. James.

The recent addition of the new building with 10 classrooms and the various halls is a testimony to the admiration and gratitude of great people of a great parish for the priests who served them as shepherds of their souls. The remodeled cafeteria, now called Vianney Hall, pays tribute to the many assistant pastors, and bears the name of the Cure of Ars, whom the late Pope Pius XII cannonized as the patron of the Diocesan priesthood. The Pellegrini Associates designed the building and James J . McGaffin Company constructed it.

Much history occurred in the diocese and the world during the construction of the building. It was during this time that John F. Kennedy served his country as the first Catholic President. It was also during this time that the assassination of this vigorous president and world leader shook America. The world came to the brink of a nuclear explosion over the Cuban Crisis. One of the greatest Pontiffs of our time was the Vicar of Christ in Rome. All mankind had found its warmest friend in the person of Pope John XXIIII. Bowing to the urgings of the Holy Spirit, he instigated the Second Vatican Council which inevitably will change the status and the image of Holy Mother Church in the ages of the world that lie ahead of the human race. His successor, Pope Paul VI, has already made a sensational impact on the world by his timely and significant visit to the Holy Land.

Also, at this time American Catholics were jubilant over the news that one of her children, the foundress of the Sisters of Charity who staff our school, Elizabeth Ann Seton, was raised to the royalty of the altar. It was under the intelligent and inspiring episcopate of Bishop Wright that the concept of this parochial addition was born. We must give much credit to this intellectual gem and outstanding prelate of the American Hierarchy. And finally, we pray that this undertaking keeps priests and people of the parish always aware of the great prestige enjoyed by this congregation in the past, and ask that its presence open up new frontiers to the greater love of God and our fellow men.

In 2010 St. James School and the Holy Rosary School in Homewood merged to become the Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy in the former St. James School building.

St. James Parish, St. Charles Lwanga Parish in Homewood and Lincoln-Lemington, and St. Bede Parish in Point Breeze merged to become Saint Mary Magdalene Parish on January 6, 2020.

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Father Robert M. Murphy, pastor; William E. Delserone, ed., St. James Church Parish, 1963, pp. 22–39.
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