Marking a milestone: St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Croatian Church in Millvale celebrating 125 years
Mary Theresa Petrich recalled walking from Hatfield Street in Lawrenceville over the 40th Street Bridge and up the hill to St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Croatian Church in Millvale to attend Sunday Mass.
“My mother and father had me baptized in that church,” said Petrich, 97, who still lives in Lawrenceville. “I have belonged to that church all my life.”
Born in 1927, she said St. Nicholas Church is more than a building.
It’s part of her Croatian heritage.
Petrich was the chairperson when the church celebrated its 100-year milestone in 2000. As the church marks its 125th anniversary on June 1, Petrich said it continues to be a landmark in the Millvale neighborhood and has endured because of the love from the people of Croatia who settled here and built the church.
“I believe in this church, and I have been involved in this church for my God and for the people who came before me,” Petrich said. “It has always been a part of me.”
That personal feeling of belonging is the consensus among the 131 active families who belong to St. Nicholas and the 13 members of the planning committee for the 125th anniversary celebration. They have been working for the past year to cherish this moment in time.
The upcoming celebration will begin with a Mass at 10 a.m. with Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik as celebrant with other clergy. A luncheon is being held off-site after the Mass.
St. Nicholas Church is more than historic, said Zubik, when asked about the anniversary of St. Nicholas Church.
“Its walls portray the history of early 20th century immigrants to the Greater Pittsburgh region,” Zubik said. “The spectacular and moving murals by artist Maxo Vanka are a statement of faith, a declaration of God’s love for immigrants and a prayer for peace and justice.”
Important place in history
The place of worship is home to murals by Croatian-born artist Maximilian “Maxo” Vanka that depict the history of the church’s immigrant founders. Some of those first parishioners were drawn in the paintings. One is holding a replica of the church, showing that the people are the church.
Vanka immigrated to America in 1934. The following year, his work was exhibited in Oakland. Among the impressed art lovers was the Rev. Albert Zagar of St. Nicholas, who wasn’t too fond of the bare, white walls of his church. Zagar and members of his flock asked Vanka to paint murals in Millvale in 1937. He obliged, adding more works in 1941.
The murals are the enduring gift of this artist inspired by the life of Croatians and Christ. As told by Zagar, “one could not exist without the other.”
Zubik said the very existence of the murals testifies to the strong faith and resilience of Croatian-American Catholics.
“The paintings on the wall were commissioned as a visible sign of the strong faith of our Croatian Catholics,” Zubik said. “It is my hope and prayer that many people will visit St. Nicholas Church and meditate on the meaning of these images for our world today.”
There is a group that continually works to preserve the murals — The Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka. There are weekly tours.
Petrich, who knew the church before the murals, said the murals depict the ordinary working man and are dedicated to social justice, which aligns with the philosophy of the new pope, Leo XIV.
“I love the murals and I love the people of St. Nicholas,” said Petrich, whose mother met her father at a Croatian dance. Her father came to the U.S. when he was 15.
As a member of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II, Petrich trained at St. Francis Hospital in Lawrenceville, attended Mercy College, which is now Carlow University, and also attended Duquesne University. She worked in a hospital, as a teacher and administrator and as a home health nurse.
Throughout her career, her faith remained an important part of her life. She taught CCD at St. Nicholas, which is one of the Shrines of Pittsburgh. Five Catholic churches — St. Nicholas, St. Anthony Chapel on Troy Hill, St. Patrick and St. Stanislaus Kostka churches, both in the Strip District, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Polish Hill are part of the Shrines of Pittsburgh.
“St. Nicholas has such an important place in the history of Croatian immigrants in the U.S.,” said the Rev. Nicholas Vaskov, director of the Shrines of Pittsburgh and who will be attending the celebration. “It is and has been a place to share the culture that is so important to the people of Croatia for generations.”
Vaskov said the murals are a way to remember the people who came before us.
“It is important to preserve these shrines,” he said.
Vaskov said there were times the Croatian Prime Minister and the president of Croatia visited the church. Mass is celebrated in Croatian once a month. Check the bulletin for dates.
“It is an important place in the history of Croatian immigrants in the country,” Vaskov said. “Throughout the city, many ethnic parishes formed because people settled in neighborhoods where they knew one another and spoke the same language.”
Some of them physically built the church, he said. They built communities where there were resources and a way to share in the culture, Vaskov said. He said the members continually look for ways to connect through the art, music and food and especially their faith.
“We need to celebrate the history because that history is what allowed us to be here today,” Vaskov said. “We would not be here without that history. Families for generations have worshipped here. I love seeing the joy of people in this church, some who have belonged their entire lives.”
Two lifelong members, Elaine Lascher of Shaler and Elaine Linkenheimer of Ross, were baptized at St. Nicholas. They and the parents of both women were married at St. Nicholas.
Continuing the tradition
Lascher and Linkenheimer, along with Mary Anne Librich of Ross, who married Rudolph “Butch” Librich Jr., a lifelong member at St. Nicholas, are on the planning committee for the anniversary celebration.
The three women talked to the Shaler Journal about what the church means to them.
“The Holy Spirit has led us,” Mary Anne Librich said. ”It’s about being in God’s presence. This is such a special church. There is so much history here.”
“This church is and has always been such an important part of my life,” Lascher said. “God wanted me to be here. We are in God’s presence in this church.”
“Everyone pretty much knows everyone at this church,” said Linkenheimer, whose father was an usher. “I have so many fond memories in this church.”
Librich, Lascher and Linkenheimer said St. Nicholas is a welcoming church, and their hope is it continues for another 125 years. They said the committee members wanted to be a part of the celebration as a way to honor their ancestors, for whom the church was the center of their lives. The event is about the rekindling of friendships, and an opportunity to pass on their ancestors’ legacy to the next generation, they said.
An emailed comment from a member of the Rudar family about her grandparents reads: “When Ignatius and Barbara arrived from Croatia in 1909 and settled in Millvale, St. Nick’s became the fabric of their lives. Countless life celebrations have been held in the church, and the Rudar family were loving and dedicated parishioners of St. Nick’s.”
“Hospitality is such a big thing to the members of this church,” Vaskov said.
The cornerstone of the Millvale church was dedicated on May 15, 1900.
The anniversary planning committee collaborated with Wendell August Forge in Grove City to make a holiday ornament of the church for $20. It is available before and after Mass and will be sold the day of the anniversary celebration.
“Think of everything that has happened in here in 125 years,” Vaskov said. “Think of all the baptisms and Holy Communions and confirmations and weddings. It is fascinating.”
Details: 412-821-3438 or pghshrines.org
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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