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| St. Catherine Church, 2002 | Interior of church, 2002 |
St. Catherine of Siena, Beechview
St. Catherine parish was established in 1902. The origin of the parish can be traced back to 1891, when the pastor of St. James, West End, built a church in Beechview for the local Catholics. For a decade, this church was a mission of St. James. In 1902, St. Catherine was established as an independent parish and a resident pastor was assigned.
In 1904, the Mt. Washington Streetcar Tunnel opened, providing a direct link between downtown Pittsburgh and the South Hills. This led to a rapid population growth of the parish. By the end of the decade, the parish outgrew its church and a new church was built in 1910. This church soon proved inadequate as well. In 1914, work began on a combination church and school. The basement of the building served as a church and the upper floor as classrooms. The new building opened in 1915. The church was enlarged in the mid 1920's.
The parish continued to grow over the years. In the 1950's, the parish began acquiring additional property. By 1961, the parish purchased the last piece of property needed to build a new church. Groundbreaking for the new church took place on October 14, 1961. The completed church was dedicated on April 30, 1963.
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| St. Catherine Church, 2002 | Interior of church, 2002 |
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