St. Patrick's Church in Armstrong County is the oldest standing Catholic church west of the Alleghenies
While St. Patrick's Day is a loud celebration of Irish heritage around the country each year, the church that bears the saint's name near Worthington, Pennsylvania, sits in contrast with a quiet pride and reverence to the region's Irish and Catholic past.
Sean Marrow, a local high school history teacher, is the foremost authority on the legacy of the oldest standing Catholic church west of the Alleghenies.
He says that it took the 30-some Irish families living in the area two years to build the one-room church, and that when it was opened in 1806, it not only served as their house of worship but as a gathering place for Irish Catholics from miles around.
"There were four people that were actually tasked with the construction of the church," said Marrow. "And they went out in four different directions to raise funds to build the church and buy the land. The largest donation that was made was $2, which is about $50 today. And those same four people, when they got back, were each in charge of one of the walls. So, they had a day that they went out and got as many people as they could and they built a wall. That's where this church came from."
Normally, when one goes to a modern-day Catholic church, you get to see the Stations of the Cross very ornately displayed on the walls, but inside this rustic church, the Stations of the Cross are simply black painted crosses on the log walls that are numbered with Roman numerals one through 14.
Of course, as the community grew, so did the need for a bigger church. Another St. Patrick's was built in 1840, but only stood for some 30 years before burning down. Then in 1876, yet another St. Patrick's was built, only to be destroyed in a windstorm in 1904. Eventually another permanent St. Patrick's Church was built in 1930, but still, the old log church from 1806 remained.
Bishop Larry Kulick, the head of the Diocese of Greensburg, oversees this chapel. He says that the Irish immigrants who constructed this church were acting much as their patron saint did in bringing their faith and religion to this new world and spreading it in the community.
Bishop Kulick also says that this church is a great reminder that faith and religion can not only be found in the great churches and cathedrals of the Pittsburgh area, but it can be experienced in the elegance and simplicity of a small one-room building.
"While it is harkening back to a time long ago, there is still in it a sense of longevity and legacy," said Bishop Kulick. "I think that would be the word. When we think about Saint Patrick and the legacy that he has given to the Christian church, when we think about this building, we think about what we have inherited as a gift of faith. I would say that that, to me, is one of the most inspiring things."
The old log church is open on the weekends, May through September, and there are even a few Masses that are held on Memorial Day, Labor Day and the Fourth of July. Bishop Kulick says that all are welcome to not only pray but to come in and learn about the past.
"This reminds us of the legacy that we've been blessed to receive," said Bishop Kulick. "And in a sense of stewardship how we must then not only take care of it in the moment but pass it on for the next generation."
Old Saint Patrick's Church is located at 300 Street Patrick's Road, Worthington, Pa. 16262, at the intersection of Rattigan Rd (T362) and St. Patrick's Rd (T324).
