Saint Anthony's Chapel

Infobox religious building
building_name=Saint Anthony's Chapel


caption=
location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
geo=40°27′53″N, 79°59′01″W coord|40|27|53|N|79|59|01|W|type:landmark|display=title
religious_affiliation=Roman Catholic
district=Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
consecration_year=1880
status=Chapel
leadership=Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish
website= [http://www.mostholynameofjesusparish15212.org/st_anthony.html St. Anthony's Chapel]
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architecture_type=Church
architecture_style=
facade_direction=Southeast
year_completed=1892
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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.cite web | title =Anthony's Chapel in Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish | work =Saints Alive | publisher =The International Crusade for Holy Relics | date =1998-09-05 | url =http://www.ichrusa.com/saintsalive/anthony.htm | accessdate =2006-09-22] cite news | last =Meinzer | first =Melissa | title =St. Anthony's Chapel | publisher =Pittsburgh City Paper | date =2007-01-18 | url =http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A21432 | accessdate =2007-02-27]

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.

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.

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.

Notable among the chapel's collection are the complete skeletal remains of Saint Demetrius (housed underneath the altar), the skulls of Saint Macharius and a 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.

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.

Notes

ources

*cite book
title = St. Anthony's Chapel (limited edition commemorative volume)
publisher = Custombook, Inc
date = 1978
location = Hackensack
*cite news
title =Shrine of St. Anthony
publisher = The Pittsburg Press
date =1892-06-12
url =http://www.ichrusa.com/courtyard/st_anthony.html
accessdate =2007-01-14

External links

* [http://www.mostholynameofjesusparish15212.org/st_anthony.html St. Anthony's Chapel]
* [http://www.mostholynameofjesusparish15212.org/ Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish]
* [http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A21432 An article about the chapel] in Pittsburgh City Paper (18 January 2007)