The original St. Sylvester Church - Later the Lyceum

 

The present parish of St. Sylvester was formed from territory taken from St. Wendelin’s. It was to include the Borough of Brentwood, then a sparsely settled area of ninety Catholic families.

A committee of men, namely: L. McLaughlin, I. E. Muenz, W. G. Horn, M. Dowling, B. P. Elker, and C. W. Calverly, representing the Catholics of Brentwood, on July 14, 1924, wrote a letter of petition to Bishop Hugh C. Boyle, DD. of fond memory. This petition sought the establishment of a Church with a priest to provide Mass for the Catholics of the Borough.

Bishop Boyle granted the petition of the men, giving permission to establish a mission church and assigned its care to the direction of Father Jules Utecht, Pastor of St. Wendelin’s, and his assistant priests, Father Herman Seible, Father Frederick Mansmann, and Father Henry Hanse. The zealous faith of the founding fathers of this parish was demonstrated by their efforts that resulted in the purchase of property on West Willock Road and the completion of a mission church.

The church was dedicated by the Very Reverend William McMullen as delegate of Bishop Boyle on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1924. This was a memorable day for the public demonstration of the faith of the Catholics of Brentwood.

Through the kindly wisdom and guidance of Father Utecht and the work of his assistants the church was not only cleared of debt quickly, but a reserve for expansion was provided. Thus on Thanksgiving Day of 1926 there took place the formal burning of the mortgage against the property.

The first Church Committee, who served the parish until January 1, 1930, were: J. E. Muenz, W. Horn, M. Dowling, N. Obringer, B. P. Elker, F. Scrable, N. Gries, and J. Fitzmaurice. During this time the parish grew in such numbers that the Bishop raised St. Sylvester from its mission status to that of a parish.

The Reverend Joseph V. Sharp was appointed the first pastor of St. Sylvester with definite parochial lines being assigned in March, 1929. Father Sharp took up residence in a rented house near the Church. He purchased a plot of ground of the Cowan Estate with a frontage of 220 feet on Brownsville Road and a depth of 150 feet on Willock Road, adjoining the original plot obtained in 1924. This property with the rectory was purchased for the price of $20,000.00.

The committee selected to assist Father Sharp in the administration of the temporalities of the parish were the following: W. P. Reynolds, E. J. Reilly, Kenneth A. Franz, J. S. E. Ruffennach, J. P. Lally, and A. H. Beckes. With the assistance of these men, Father Sharp began an extensive drive to collect funds for the purpose of erecting a Catholic school. Thus was laid the groundwork for the combination church-school that served for many years as the Church. The untimely death of Father Sharp on May 21, 1931 and the stress of the times caused a temporary halt in the matter of building.

The present beloved pastor, Rev. R. Hamilton, was appointed to St. Sylvester on July 8, 1931 to succeed Father Sharp. Father Richard Hamilton, ordained in 1899, had served as assistant at St. Peter’s, South Side, for two years. He was appointed to Springdale, Pa. where he established the parish of St. Alphonsus in 1901, serving there continuously until his appointment to St. Sylvester, then a struggling small country parish. It became the duty of the new pastor to make a study of new building plans and carry them out. A parish census in 1931 revealed that the Catholic population had doubled in seven years and numbered 180 families. The newly elected Church Committee, who collaborated with Father Hamilton in the building plans, are: J. S. E. Ruffennach, P. Ruffennach, E. J. Reilly, J. M. Fitzmaurice, W. G. Horn, A. M. Woolensack, A. F. Jancsar, A. H. Beckes, and Kenneth A. Franz. Work on the combination Church-School Building was begun in June, 1933 and the church portion was dedicated with formal ceremonies on Sunday, September 9, 1934. Father L. Stenger, Pastor of St. Basil’s Church, was appointed Delegate of Bishop Boyle to bless the church and Father Jules Utecht, the founder of the parish, was Celebrant of the Solemn High Mass on that occasion.

Father Francis E. Tassey was appointed assistant at St. Sylvester in 1946.

In 1948 the original frame church was converted into the present convent after many major alterations in preparation for receiving the Sisters of Divine Providence who staff your school. These good Sisters have as their primary function the education of the souls of your children in collaboration with the Church and parents. After much preparation the school opened to receive children in the first three grades in September, 1948.

Father R. Hamilton, your beloved pastor, celebrated his Fiftieth Anniversary of his Ordination to the priesthood on May 26, 1949. He was ordained on that date in 1899 at St. Vincent’s Seminary Chapel by Bishop Richard Phelan of fond memory. This memorable Golden Anniversary, was marked solemnly on May 26 at 10:00 in the Church. A public reception for the jubilarian was held that evening in the South Hills Country Club with the presentation on behalf of the entire parish of a spiritual bouquet.

Father John 0. Griffith was appointed the third Assistant Pastor to St. Sylvester’s to assist Father Hamilton in June, 1952. His busy labors of five years were marked by great progress of the parish in the building of the beautiful new church and school addition.

With the influx of great numbers into the parish, particularly with the building boom after the World War II, new buildings became imperative for St. Sylvester Church. After much planning Ermes Brunettini was selected as Architect for the proposed new church. After many drawings and the approval of His Excellency, John F. Dearden, S.T.D., ground for the new church was broken with appropriate religious and civil ceremonies on April 3, 1955. In the meantime, to assist Father Hamilton and Father Griffith, the Bishop appointed an additional assistant to assist in the needs of this large parish with the arrival of Father Hugh M. Gloninger on June 14, 1956.

The cornerstone for the new church was laid on September 16, 1956 by the Ecclesiastical Dean, Monsignor Carl P. Hensler as Celebrant. These were thrillingly busy days for the parishioners of St. Sylvester with the building of the huge new church as well as that of the large and much needed school addition, a rare feat for any parish.

The five classroom addition of the school with additional space providing for a gymnasium, a library, and faculty offices was built. This large school project was dedicated by His Excellency, Bishop Coleman F. Carroll, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh on February 3, 1957.

Bishop John F. Dearden, S.T.D., Bishop of Pittsburgh, performed the Solemn Pontifical Rites for the Dedication of the Church and the Consecration of the Main Altar.

“Terrible is this place: it is the House of God, and the gate of heaven; and it shall be called the court of God.” Ps. 83. “How lovely are thy tabernacles 0 Lord of Hosts! My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord.” The above is taken from the Introit of the Mass for the Dedication of a new church.

There is a special pride to be taken by the laymen of St. Sylvester parish. It is through their generosity of effort, leadership, time, contributions, and cooperation with the priests of the parish that so much has been accomplished in so little time for the honor and glory of God. The beautiful church so much needed is an object of pride that a fitting temple of worship has been achieved for the people of this age and the generations to cbme. The Church and Building Committee for the new church were: Felix Alber, Edward L. Alberter, Vincent M. Casey, Sr., Walter Coleman, William P. Daley, 1. E. Dugan, C. J. Engel, John Fleckenstein, Kenneth A. Franz, John D. Holahan, J. A. Malady, and Leo M. Sweeney.

“How lovely 0 Lord are Thy Tabernacles.” Herein are babies brought at Baptism to become children of God and heirs of heaven; marked by the sign of the Holy Trinity eternally. In your church for Confirmation the Bishop will sign the foreheads with the sacred oil of chrism in the form of the Cross to indelibly imprint the seal of adulthood in the Faith as a soldier of Jesus Christ. Herein, too, at fixed places your soul will be washed in the Sacrament of Penance—God’s earthly tribunal of mercy. In your beautiful church, too, will be witnessed the sacred bond of the Sacrament of Marriage—uniting until death do them part, the children of the Church. May it please God, too, to allow the celebration of many First Solemn Masses of your priest sons of the parish ordained for work in the Church for the salvation of souls. It will be in your church, too, that the faithful departed will have the consoling requiem read begging for the mercy of God.