Saint Anthony Chapel is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

chapel in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

within the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Description

Built in 1880 by Fr. Suitbert Mollinger, who was at that time pastor of Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish in the neighborhood of Troy Hill, the chapel houses 4,000 to 5,000 religious

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

s, making it the largest collection of relics outside the Vatican.

History

As originally planned, the building of the chapel was meant to be a joint effort between the congregation of Most Holy Name and Mollinger, who would match their contribution. However, when the parish refused to appropriate the large sum of money needed, Mollinger erected the building at his own expense with money which he had inherited from his family in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. After the original dedication, additions were made to house the life-sized stations of the cross as well as the growing number of pilgrims, and so the enlarged chapel was rededicated on June 13, 1892, the feast day of Saint Anthony. Mollinger died two days later following an operation for a ruptured stomach. Mollinger was the primary driving force behind the erection of the chapel and the collection of relics housed therein. Mollinger's great personal devotion to Saint Anthony of Padua prompted him to dedicate a chapel in his name. He made several trips to Europe in order to collect relics, an unprecedented amount of which were floating in the market at the time because of political upheavals due to the so-called ''

Kulturkampf (, 'culture struggle') was the conflict that took place from 1872 to 1878 between the Catholic Church led by Pope Pius IX and the government of Prussia led by Otto von Bismarck. The main issues were clerical control of education and ecclesiastic ...

'' in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and the unification of

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. Most of the 4,000 to 5,000 relics in the chapel have original certificates of authenticity, the oldest of which dates from August 12, 1716. Because Mollinger apparently died without leaving a

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

, his heirs descended on the chapel and stripped it of its crystal

chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent li ...

s, black onyx altar,

candelabra A candelabra (plural candelabras) or candelabrum (plural candelabra or candelabrums) is a candle holder with multiple arms. Although electricity has relegated candleholders to decorative use, interior designers continue to model light fixtures ...

, and all portable items that could be sold. The chapel and its remaining contents were subsequently sold to the parishioners of Most Holy Name for $30,000, a sum U.S. dollars. Notable among the chapel's collection are what purport to be the complete skeletal remains of a saint named Demetrius (housed underneath the altar), the skulls of Saint Macharius and a saint named Stephana, skulls of the martyred companions of

Saint Ursula Saint Ursula (Latin for 'little female bear', german: link=no, Heilige Ursula) is a legendary Romano-British Christian saint who died on 21 October 383. Her feast day in the pre-1970 General Roman Calendar is 21 October. There is little infor ...

, the skull of Saint Theodore, the

tooth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

of the chapel's patron, Saint Anthony of Padua, and a thorn from the Crown of Thorns. The chapel also houses a life-sized set of statues that depict the

Way of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The stations grew out of imitati ...

, which were imported from

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

and made by the Royal Ecclesiastical Art Establishment of Mayer and Company.

Restoration

By the 1970s the chapel had fallen into serious disrepair and group of parishioners formed a committee to raise funds to restore it. On April 7, 1972, the pastor of Most Holy Name approached Bishop Leonard of Pittsburgh and asked for his approval for this effort. Permission was granted, and the restoration was undertaken completely by donation. By 1978 the restoration was complete.

Gallery

File:Pittsburgh, St. Antony Chapel, esposizione dell'icona Caesarius Diaconus, opera dell'artista Giovanni Guida.jpg, High altar of the Chapel. File:SaintAnthony'sChapelInside1.jpg, Large interior view of the chapel. File:BonesofSaintDemetriusatSt.Anthony'sChapel.jpg, Shrine containing the bones of Saint Demetrius located behind the altar. File:SaintAnthony'sChapelBonesofSaints.jpg, Bones of Saints. File:ASaint'sSkullatSt.Anthony'sChapel.jpg, The skull of Saint Theodore File:AltarofSaintAnthony'sChapelPittsburgh.jpg, The altar. File:SaintAnthony'sChapelInsideRight.jpg, The altar on the right. File:SaintAnthony'sChapelInsideLeft.jpg, The altar on the left. File:SaintAnthony'sChapelStationsoftheCross.jpg, Stations of the Cross. File:SaintAnthony'sChapelInsideBack.jpg, Interior view of the back of the chapel. File:San Cesario nel Museo Mollinger di Pittsburgh.jpeg, Museum Fr. Suitbert G. Mollinger, icon of Saint Caesarius of Terracina

Notes

Sources

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External links

St. Anthony's Chapel
(official site)
Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish
{{Pittsburgh Roman Catholic chapels in the United States Christian reliquaries Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Roman Catholic churches in Pennsylvania Roman Catholic shrines Roman Catholic churches in Pittsburgh Roman Catholic churches completed in 1892 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States Troy Hill (Pittsburgh)