Saint Anthony's Chapel
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Saint Anthony's Chapel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was built in 1880 by Fr. Suibertus Mollinger, who was at that time pastor of Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish in the neighborhood of Troy Hill. More than five thousand relics are housed in the chapel, making it the largest collection of relics outside the Vatican itself.[1]
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[edit] History
As originally planned, the building of the chapel was meant to be a joint effort between the congregation of Most Holy Name and Father Mollinger, who would match their contribution. However, when the parish refused to appropriate the large sum of money needed, Father Mollinger erected the building at his own expense with money which he had inherited from his family in Belgium. After the original dedication, additions were made to house the large amount of relics and so the enlarged chapel was dedicated on June 13, 1892.
Because Father Mollinger died without leaving a will (or at least such a document has never been found), his heirs descended on the chapel and stripped it of its crystal chandeliers, black onyx altar, candelabra, 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.
Father 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 due to political upheavals in Germany and Italy). Most of the 4000 to 5000 relics in the chapel have original certificates of authenticity, the oldest of which dates from August 12, 1716.
Notable among the chapel's collection is the complete skeletal remains of Saint Demetrius (housed underneath the altar), the skulls of Saint Macharius and Saint Stephana, skulls of the martyred companions of Saint Ursula, the skull of Saint Theodore, and the tooth of the chapel's patron, Saint Anthony of Padua.
The chapel also houses a life-sized set of statues that depict the Way of the Cross, which were imported from Munich and made by the Royal Ecclesiastical Art Establishment of Mayer and Company.
[edit] Restoration
On April 7, 1972, the pastor of Most Holy Name approached Bishop Leonard of Pittsburgh and asked whether anything could be done to restore Saint Anthony's Chapel. Permission was granted, and the restoration was undertaken (completely by donation). By 1978 the badly needed restoration was complete.
[edit] External Links
- Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish
- Saint Anthony's Chapel
- Article about the opening of the chapel The Pittsburg Press, 12 June 1892
[edit] References
Most text incorporated from a book issued by the chapel on the occasion of the completion of restoration
- St. Anthony's Chapel. Hackensack, NJ: Custombook Inc., 1978.
- ^ Anthony's Chapel in Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish - Saints Alive." Saints Alive!. 05 Sept 1998. The International Crusade for Holy Relics. 22 Sep 2006 <http://www.ichrusa.com/saintsalive/anthony.htm>.
