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| First St. William Church, 1936 | St. William Church, 2002 | Interior of church, 2002 |
St. William, East Pittsburgh
St. William was established in 1906. The first Mass of the new parish was celebrated in a store in early 1906. Work soon began on a church. The cornerstone was laid on November 18, 1906. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on Christmas Day in 1906, although the church was not yet completed. Construction ended in early 1907 and the church was dedicated on Easter Day in 1907.
By the mid-1950's, the congregation had outgrown the existing church building. Ground for a new church was broken on November 4, 1956. The cornerstone was laid on October 31, 1957, and the completed church was dedicated on December 15, 1957. The original church was then torn down.
As the century progressed, the population of East Pittsburgh began to decline. By the 1990's, the population of East Pittsburgh had dropped to the point that the community could no longer support two independent parishes. In May of 1994, St. William merged with St. Helen to form the new Holy Cross parish. St. William Church remains open and serves the new parish.
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| First St. William Church, 1936 | St. William Church, 2002 | Interior of church, 2002 |
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