In the 1850s, Western Pennsylvania was a vast wilderness that was quickly swelling its numbers through immigration from Europe. Roman Catholics who arrived on our shores received little spiritual shepherding due to a shortage of clergy and vowed religious. Bishop Michael O’Connor had the responsibility of ministering to Catholics scattered across 22 counties. To help him with this daunting task, he invited many religious communities to establish foundations in his Diocese. One such group was the Congregation of the Passion (Passionists).
In November 1852 four Passionists, Fathers Anthony Calandri (Superior), Albinus Magno, Stanislaus Parczyk, and Brother Lawrence DiGiacomo, sailed from Italy and docked in Philadelphia, PA. Unfamiliar with the language and culture of Americans, these dedicated missionaries made the difficult overland journey to Pittsburgh to plant their Congregation in the burgeoning city of Pittsburgh. In two short years the three priests and one brother succeeded in building a Monastery in what is now Pittsburgh’s South Side, and dedicated it to their founder, St. Paul of the Cross. Five years later they dedicated a church in his honor.
St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775), Paul Daneo, was an 18th Century Italian mystic, gifted preacher and director of souls. He was raised up by God to found a new Congregation in the Church to meditate upon and proclaim the passion and death of Jesus as the permanent sign of God’s love for humanity. St Paul founded 12 monasteries in his lifetime, and longed for the day when the Congregation would expand outside of Italy. Seventy-seven years after his death St. Paul’s desire was fulfilled in the United States. The community in Pittsburgh grew quickly as candidates appeared at their doorstep seeking to join them, and this required additions to be built in 1855 and 1856. The original structure of the Church was constructed in 1859 with two later additions. The Passionist community was the cradle of the Congregation in North America, and from there it spread to many cities and overseas.
The Monastery community sent preachers out to evangelize the people in the neighboring towns around Pittsburgh and they founded several parishes. Passionists conducted parish missions, novenas and 40 Hours devotions in various languages to serve the people from Western Europe. Those who were looking for additional spiritual nourishment and direction found comfort in the weekly Novena to St. Paul of the Cross, St. Gabriel Possenti and St. Gemma Galgani which began in 1925. Passionists were known as compassionate confessors, and this drew large crowds to our Monday Novena services and to our Monastery parlors. When the Great Depression occurred, a weekly food bank was initiated to serve the poor around the Monastery, and it continues to this day.
In 2010 the remains of Servant of God Fr. Theodore Foley, C.P., former General Superior of the Passionist Congregation, were brought to the Monastery Church and placed in a crypt. Fr. Theodore’s cause for beatification is in progress, and a prayer for his intercession is recited at the end of the weekly Novena devotions. For the past two years the Passionists have undertaken an extensive restoration project for our Pittsburgh Landmark Church. The sanctuary has new furnishings, two statues of Mary and Joseph are more visible, new pews were installed, and a new shrine to St. Maria Goretti was erected.
St. Paul of the Cross wished that rooms be set aside in our monasteries so that lay men could make private days of retreat. As the numbers increased, a better solution was sought. With the encouragement and support of Bishop Regis Canevin, the Passionists undertook the construction of a retreat house alongside the Monastery. Opened in 1921, the center was the first building in the United States built specifically for retreats for laymen. Forty years later a new wing was added in order to accommodate the increased number of retreatants that came from Diocesan parishes and beyond. An extensive renovation project is underway which will provide 50 rooms with a private bath by 2021. We offer hospitality to not for profit organizations for their own programs, in addition to offering space for a weekly meetings for Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and Narcotics Anonymous. The Passionists also hear Fifth Steps of those who are recovering from addictions.
In 2020 the worldwide Passionist Congregation is celebrating its 300th Anniversary of its founding by St. Paul of the Cross in 1720. It is also the 100th Anniversary of the Retreat Center. We give glory to God for all the years of dedicated service of Passionists since 1852 who have shared their lives and ministry with the people of Pittsburgh. The Passionists pay tribute to the love and financial support of so many people in the greater Pittsburgh area. We thank God for all the wonders he has done in our midst. It has been a privilege to serve the people of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and it is our hope and desire to build on the legacy that has been entrusted to us.
“The passion of Christ is an ocean of sorrow, but all the more it is an ocean of love.”St. Paul of the Cross
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