Pittsburgh's many churches carry with them indelible records of the history of the region and the…read moreheritage of the families that settled here in addition to their evident architectural beauty. Saint Michael the Archangel church in Rankin PA is a majestic Russian Orthodox Church built near the Mongahela river and Braddock, PA. It is part of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church of the USA. It has a 9 AM Sunday Liturgy and 10 AM liturgy on Holy Days. You can see St. Michael's travelling to or from the Waterfront or Kennywood as you travel over the Rankin Bridge.
Built in 1908, a short history of St. Michael's was written by Christina Duranko for it's centennial and can be found at http://www.stmichaelsrankin.org. Some of the highlights are summarized here. It is interesting to note that St. Michael's is one of only a few churches of this era for which the original interior is intact. It is located in Rankin, very near Braddock. Settlers to Braddock and its steel, coal and glass industries that used the Mongahela river as a shipping and receiving waterway, included an influx of immigrants from the Carpathian Mountains. This mountain range extended through Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Poland, Serbia, many countries which had Eastern Orthodox Catholic churches.
An earlier Greek Catholic church, Saints Peter and Paul was organized on the Monongahela river in Braddock in 1896 and the long walk to this church from Rankin and East Pittsburgh motivated the need for St. Michael the Archangel, first as a Greek Catholic Union lodge (1899) followed by purchasing land (1906), formation of a parish (1907), laying of a second church cornerstone (1908) and final completion of the church in 1910. A rich history afterwards included legal battles with Rome over control of the property, a 1947 assimilation into a Carpatho-Russian Diocese, part of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Diocese and embroilment in U.S. Congressional efforts to accuse organizations of being Communist sympathizers.
Since few changes have been made to St. Michael's interior it represents one of the few remaining churches having altars lit by angel statue fixtures. The original bells still exist now connected to motors and activated by a wall switch.
This church is worth a look for persons of any religious persuasion for its history and aesthetic beauty. The church also welcomes all to services.