Mount St. Peter Roman Catholic Church
Website:
https://www.newkensingtoncatholic.org/
Telephone Number:
Location:
100 Freeport Road, New Kensington, PA 15068
Description:
St. Peter´s Congregation was organized in 1902 for the Pittsburgh Diocese. The Bishop of Pittsburgh, Rev. Richard Phelan, was very interested in the Italian Catholics and was responsible for no less than seventeen parishes to be organized. The first of these was the one erected in New Kensington.
This new parish was named St. Peter because until that time, the Italian people of the area were under the spiritual guidance of the Italian Friars Minor who were in charge of St. Peter´s Church in Pittsburgh. The people adopted St. Peter, the first Pope, as their patron saint.
By 1903 the new parish had its first resident pastor and a place to worship - the corner of Second Avenue and Tenth Street. Later in the year the congregation moved to the basement of St. Mary´s Church on Kenneth Avenue. Then a piece of land on the corner of Ridge Avenue and Constitution Boulevard (across from the YMCA) was donated to the church by the Burrell Improvement Company. On July 4, 1904, the cornerstone for the first St. Peter´s Church was blessed. Bishop Regis Canevin formally dedicated the new church on September 25, 1904.
It is interesting to note that in 1903 the monthly salary of the Pastor was $35, which was cut to $30 in 1904. The kitchen furniture and equipment cost $7.23. Furniture for a bedroom, office and dining room cost $74.89. The altar stone, sacred vessels and vestments were donated by another priest.
Many priests came and went during those early days. They did their own cooking and washing. They traveled on horseback to say Mass at another church. They were threatened and shot at. They did not know the English language, but in spite of that handicap, they were able to achieve what they did for the Church . These men of God saved the faith of many Italian immigrants and sent it down through the generations.
On September 7, 1923, Rev. Nicola Fusco was appointed Pastor. He was born in Italy and was brought to the East End of Pittsburgh early in his life. He was always devoted to the arts and architecture of Italy and the Church. He was educated at the College of the Archabbey of St. Vincent at Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Who could have foreseen that his love of art and architecture would be so invaluable in building of the beautiful Mt. St. Peter Church.
The new Pastor and his assistants took the church to the people. They went to Logans Ferry, Barking, Glassmere, and then to Braeburn.
St. Peter´s continued to grow and by 1937 Confirmation had to be administered twice because the Church could not hold the class at one time. It was apparent that a larger church was necessary.
Reference: Mt. St. Peter, 1944, 1970 Nicola Fusco, Guideline Printing Co., Springdale, Pennsylvania.
Greensburgh Tribune-Review, James D. Van Trump, May 19, 1985.
From the church’s website
