Saint John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church
Pastor:
Rev. Thomas G. Schaefer
Pastoral Ministry:
Sister Celeste Hupert, CSFN
Address:
1720 Jane Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Phone:

412-431-1090
Fax:
n/a
E-mail:
Web site:
n/a
DIVINE LITURGY SCHEDULE
Sundays:
9:30 am
Holy Days:
6:00 pm
Confessions:
before all liturgies
GREAT FAST (LENT) SERVICES
Wednesdays:
6:00 pm - Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
HOLY MYSTERIES (SACRAMENTS)
Baptism/Chrismation/Eucharist:
please contact pastor
Reconciliation:
please contact pastor
Marriage:
please contact pastor
Anointing:
please contact pastor
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Adult Education:
classes offered throughout the year; call for information
Men's Club:
contact pastor for information


The history of St. John the Baptist parish began in 1891, when the present St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Church, located at South Seventh and East Carson Streets, was organized. At that time Rusins from the Transcarpathian area of Europe and the Ukrainians, having the same religious identity, formed one parish. As membership grew, the Ruthenian immigrants organized a separate parish in 1900 under the name “Second St. John the Baptist Greek Catholic Church,” the present parish.

The parish initially met in a residence near South Tenth and Sarah Streets. In 1901 the parish purchased St. Casimir's Lithuanian Catholic Church at 613 East Carson Street and used this church until 1958.

In 1923 the parish purchased a twenty acre farm in the Castle Shannon area of Allegheny County as a cemetery. The cemetery is used by other Byzantine parishes in the county and has seen much development. The state used a portion of the property to expand Connor Road, and the county transit authority used another portion to build its major nearby terminal. In 1975, the parish built a chapel at the cemetery. Perhaps the best known person interred in the cemetery is the artist Andy Warhol.

In 1958 the parish relocated its church from 613 East Carson Street to 1720 Jane Street, the site of the former Rooster Church, so-named because of the ornament on its steeple. The first Divine Liturgy in the new church was celebrated on Christmas Eve 1958.

The present church was constructed in a modern motif with classic Byzantine lines. The icon screen is from the old church. It was reduced to scale and completely redone to help blend the sanctuary and the nave into an integral whole. The central crystal candle chandelier was also transferred from the old church and is the only candle chandelier known to still be in use in a Byzantine church in the Metropolia.

A special feature of the church is the Church Unity ceiling mural. Inspired by the Second Vatican Council's emphasis on church unity, the mural weaves the major historical events of the Church into a twentieth century memorial. The mural measures thirty-six by fifty feet.

St. John the Baptist was the home parish of Bishop Emil Mihalik. The present parish complex at 1720 Jane Street is well-located at the center of the dramatically reinvigorated South Side section of Pittsburgh.

The Official Website of the
Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh
66 Riverview Avenue • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15214
Telephone: 412-231-4000 | Fax: 412-231-1697

The Archeparchy of Pittsburgh Website is an Official Publication of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. © 2003, Office of Communications. Neither any part of this site nor its content may be reproduced, transmitted, copied, or used in any way without the expressed permission of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh Office of Communications. This site may be linked freely.