On June 9, St. Thomas Church will mark , to the day, the 150th year since our parish was granted a charter by Bishop Kerfoot, the first Bishop of Pittsburgh. Beginning as a group of people meeting in homes for bible study and morning prayer (kind of like the early Christians), a value of hospitality has been an enduring characteristic of our congregation throughout its long history. Even today, in addition to the various parish ministries that our buildings host, there are many different community groups who are welcomed to meet here on a regular basis.
On the actual anniversary day, the Rt. Rev. Ketlen Solak, the ninth Bishop of Pittsburgh, will come to St. Thomas Church to preach, to confirm and celebrate the eucharist, to seal a time capsule, to bless a memorial and for the whole congregation to enjoy a big meal to mark this very important milestone in the life of our parish. The 150th Anniversary Planning Committee intends to invite local officials as well as people who have been associated with St. Thomas Church in the past to return for a homecoming to join in our celebration. At the very core, the reason for all this is thanksgiving. This anniversary gives us the occasion to see how God has been faithful to our congregation, to our people, through the last fifteen decades. God has carried St. Thomas Church through seven wars, at least two pandemics, the Great Depression as well as other economic downturns, a split in our Diocese, a fire and a flood in our buildings as well as other less dramatic but no less challenging times. God has also blessed us with the events that mark our lives: baptisms, confirmations, weddings, funerals of loved ones and other events and celebrations that mark human life. In all these things, thanksgiving, of course, is that activity and type of prayer that has the surprising ability to increase faith. “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Because of what God has done in the past then we know for certain that we can trust him to do similar things for us in the future.
On that day, may God bless our congregation, expand our service within His Kingdom, protect us continually from every danger and rest His hand upon us to give us strength to do the work he has shared with us in Jesus Christ.
An Historical Display featuring a TIME LINE OF THE HISTORY OF ST. THOMAS, designed, developed and curated by parishioners Toby Stilly, Alice Ramser, and Pat Serafini is now on display in the cabinets in the Parish Hall. We invite you to walk through The Time Line, and view the pictures, document and other artifacts, arranged by Toby Stilly and Pat Serafini, that illustrate the founding of the parish in 1874.Throughout this Anniversary Year, there will be displays highlighting the life of St. Thomas over the past 150 years.
From the archives…
Then, October 1928…
On July 29, 1925, the Diocese of Pittsburgh assumed title for the Mission at Sandy Creek, now the parish of All Saints’, Rosedale. The Mission had been the Parish’s responsibility for fifty years. In 1928, with a new rector, the parish recovered optimism about the future. The Rector prepared 100 persons for confirmation, a parish record. The vestry decided to enlarge the vestry to 15 members on a rotating basis. They also began a program of rehabilitation of the buildings which had been neglected for some time. Overall, it was a time of “good feeling” in the parish, in the community and in the nation. Then, October 1928: The Great Depression … The effects of the recession years swept across the nation, including Oakmont. The rector voluntarily took a cut in salary; there were no Christmas decorations in the church. The church’s bank balance hit a low of 61 cents while debts for coal and sheet music and everything else piled up. St Thomas still felt the effects of the depression through the late 1930s. They had to restrict all expenses except the essentials of parish ministry.
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
During the fall and winter of 1873-4, a small group of business men and their wives, met regularly on Sunday for Morning Prayer and Bible Study in the home of Jacob W. Paul, (Washington and California Avenues between Third and Fourth Streets.) near Hulton Station. And there, one hundred and fifty years ago, on March 4, 1874, Jacob W. Paul presented the idea of organizing a new parish within the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.
On June 9 1874, The Court of Allegheny County granted a Charter of Incorporation to “Saint Thomas’ Parish of Verona, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.”
| FROM THE ARCHIVES… THE NEW CHURCH BUILDING
The Vestry did not take action on the construction of the new building until May 1, 1905, when the church members approved the construction of a stone church. The vestry sold the Chapel, including the organ, for $3,800 to pay for the new organ in the new Church. A young Pittsburgh architect, Robert Maurice Trimble, designed the architectural plans accepted on July 27, 1905; Milligan and Dible, contractors, built the building for $48,000 including the cost of pews. The original plans called for the church’s main doors to open onto Fourth Street rather than Delaware Avenue. There is also a cupola in the middle of the church roof. In 1906, the vestry had the bell and the clock taken from the original Church and installed into the new Church building tower. This same bell and clock are still serving us today. Mrs. Susan Fries Paul, wife of Senior Warden, Jacob Wheeler Paul, died April 19, 1906. She had been directly involved on every level of the life of the Parish from the beginning in 1874 From the Minutes of the April 30th, 1906 Meeting “Mr. J. W. Paul, our Senior Warden, asked to be allowed to build the new Church as a memorial to his wife, Susan Fries Paul, who had such a great interest in the spiritual welfare of the Church. In making the offer, Mr. Paul said: ‘I am very loath to make this offer although very anxious that it be accepted. In making this offer, I do not wish to be considered as trying to shut out any person from being allowed to help along with this work and would suggest that if my proposal is accepted, ‘the money already subscribed, and to be subscribed by the members of the congregation should go toward an endowment fund which would help maintain the Church after it is erected in a manner befitting the structure.” (The Endowment Fund still exists…) ~ From the 100th Anniversary Memorial Booklet, p. 19 (This compilation by anniversary committee member Alice Ramser is one of many to come in preparation and anticipation of St. Thomas’ 150th Anniversary Celebration. If you would like to join the committee, please contact Alice at aramser@aol.com) |
From the archives…
… The Second Church Building
The increased attendance at Sunday services between 1892 and 1895 overtaxed the seating capacity of our first Church building. Consideration was given to enlarging the structure so that our Church family might be better accommodated. “…meanwhile, the demand for increased seating facilities had become so urgent that it was felt to be of absolute necessity that some temporary arrangements be made. … on September 27, 1896 – just 22 years from the date of the first services in the first Church building -the congregation held Morning Prayer in this second building known as the Chapel.
In the meantime, a new organ had been installed in the Chapel. This instrument contributed to the worshipfulness of the services and was paid for by special contributions raised for that purpose. According to the record, the purchase price of the organ was $2,800, completely installed. The organ was ready for service at the Parish birthday party. The Parish of St. Thomas was 25 years old! What an eventful 25 years! Many changes in the lives of the people; many changes in the general Parish area; many changes in physical plant, and many changes in the strengthening of God’s work in our Parish. Appropriate ceremonies, led by Doctor MacLure, marked the date. Services of praise and Holy Communion were held on the actual anniversary date, September 27, 1899.
~ From the 100th Anniversary Memorial Booklet, p. 17
(This compilation by anniversary committee member Alice Ramser is one of many to come in preparation and anticipation of St. Thomas’ 150th Anniversary Celebration. If you would like to join the committee, please contact Alice at aramser@aol.com)
…It is Summer! Let’s have a picnic!!!!
The Church School annual picnics of those days were outstanding events. The youngsters of both Schools were asked to do only one thing – get to the boat landing! The teachers, with their girls and boys, boarded the pleasure stern wheel boat at the landing dock near the foot of Delaware Avenue and travelled down the Allegheny River to the Ohio River. The end of the run was in the vicinity of Davis Island dam.
Food and refreshments were served to all on board, everyone being the guest of Mr. William Wade who served as chief host on these outings. Games and entertainment made a full day’s schedule and a tired, happy group of youngsters rode home in grateful appreciation to Mr. Wade, the host, and to Mr. William Westerman, who did all the detailed planning for the entire program. Today, many of the older members of our Parish will remember these annual outings with much pleasure. Of course, the nostalgic memories of childhood are always treasured ones!
~ From the 100th Anniversary Memorial Booklet, p. 17
THE PRESENT CHURCH PROPERTY
The following year (1897) saw a solution to the question as to the site of the more permanent Church property. In May 1897, Mr. and Mrs. Harry W. Armstrong generously donated the land at the corner of “C” Street (now Delaware Avenue) and Fourth Street upon which the present Church building, Parish House and Rectory stand. This most valuable gift was gratefully accepted and the title was conveyed to the Vestry of St. Thomas’ Parish. The impetus of this new gift inspired a decision to go forward with plans for the development of a more durable and permanent Church building. The type of building and its architecture were being carefully considered. As we all know, the more durably one builds, the greater is the initial cost. Inasmuch as the congregation was now comfortably housed, it was decided to defer Church construction for the moment, but to do something immediately for the institutional and social needs of the Parish family. The Vestry secured the consent of the subscribers toward the construction of the present Parish House. This consent was readily obtained and on November 22, 1897, a contract was awarded to William Braithwaite for the erection of the building. The cost was $8,357.85. The next major change in the physical plant was in connection with a new Rectory. The small house located near the first Church building, and used as a Rectory since 1883, had proved to be inadequate and was sold for $2,500. The Vestry leased a house on California Avenue-then known as “A” Street, at the corner of Fifth Street, as a temporary home for the Rector and his family. It was decided, against the wishes of Dr. MacLure, to build a Rectory before going forward with the Church plans. It still seemed wise to defer action on the main structure until more ample funds were available to do the job properly. Accordingly, a contract was let to C. F. Reed and Brothers on October 2, 1899 for the erection of the new and present Rectory at a cost of $7,000.
~From the 100th Anniversary Memorial Booklet, p. 16
(This compilation by anniversary committee member Alice Ramser is one of many to come in preparation and anticipation of St. Thomas’ 150th Anniversary Celebration. If you would like to join the committee, please contact Alice at aramser@aol.com)
