Our History
St Nicholas Church ca.1917
St Nicholas Church ca.1917
St Nicholas Church ca.1917

A complete history of our parish was published in 2014 for our centennial by Dr Kristie Bosko Mertz and can be found here.

Our parish has a long and rich history, having been established in 1914 by Slavic immigrants who lived in the area.

By 1913, numerous families in McKees Rocks were traveling by boat every Sunday to attend the only Orthodox church available to them, on the other side of the Ohio River! But their dedication to God and their industrious ways led them to build a beautiful church to the glory of God. Our current building was dedicated in 1917.

St Nicholas welcomed many new families, especially during the great immigration in the 1920's and 1930's, who had made the arduous journey from Europe to their new home in America. Much of Pittsburgh's then flourishing industry was built on the hard work and dedication of these people.

As time has passed, the faces and names have changed, but our dedication to and love of God has remained. Today, St Nicholas Church is made up of people from every walk of life, from every area of the Pittsburgh region, and from many nationalities. We are the proud home of many families who left the oppression of the former Soviet Union, some of them jailed for anti-Soviet activities, and persecuted for the faith. Our parish is also the new spiritual home to many people who have recently entered the Orthodox faith -- former Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Pagans -- as well as those who used to embrace new age thought and atheism.

Come and join us to experience the beauty and majesty of Orthodox worship and the warmth of the people of St Nicholas.

Our misson: St. Nicholas Church will strive to glorify God through Orthodox Christian worship, sincere love and care for one another, and service to those in need around us.

We are a parish of the Orthodox Church in America.

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church • 320 Munson Avenue • McKees Rocks, PA 15136
412-331-1053 • info@orthodoxpittsburgh.org