Saint Thomas à Becket History

During the 1950’s, the areas of Jefferson and Pleasant Hills were experiencing large growths in population and the Diocese of Pittsburgh recognized the need for a new parish.

Saint Thomas à Becket parish was formally established on June 3, 1957 and the first Mass was held less than two weeks later on June 16 in the Thomas Jefferson High School Gymnasium on Old Clairton Road.
Reverend John O. Griffith was appointed the Pastor by Pittsburgh’s Bishop John F. Dearden. Father Griffith and the original 200 families of Saint Thomas à Becket embraced a pioneer spirit in developing and growing the parish community.

Shortly after the establishment of the Saint Thomas à Becket parish, a building was purchased at 509 Gill Hall Road in Jefferson Hills from the Hanlon Construction Company  and subsequently remodeled into a church and parish office. On December 25, 1957 the first Mass was held at the reconstructed building on Gill Hall Road in what would be commonly referred to as the “Chapel”.

In January 1958, Father Griffith moved into the combination rectory, social hall and Chapel that at the time could hold 220 parishioners in its lower level. By September 1958, the first kindergarten class was held in the social room and in December 1960 Bishop John J. Wright presided over the confirmation of 127 children. 

In April 1962, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for a new “temporary” church and  school complex to be constructed on nearly 12 acres located at 139 Gill Hall Road.

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As described in the 1962 building campaign brochure, “the temporary church will accommodate 500 people and will eventually be converted into a gymnasium or recreation center for the youth of the parish after the permanent church is completed sometime in the future…we are building a temporary church in the interest of economy.

As the parish grows, it may be necessary to make the permanent church even larger than present plans indicate.” The new temporary church was dedicated on July 11, 1965.

In January, 1967, Reverend Gerald D. Kelly was appointed to succeed Father Griffith.

The staff of Saint Thomas à Becket parish was also expanded to serve the increasing population of the parish. Sister Dolores Ann, along with Sister Acquilline, joined the parish part time in 1975. Sister Dolores Ann became full time Director of Religious Education in 1979. Sister Mary Judith joined the parish as Parish Social Service Minister in 1987.

In the 1982 booklet celebrating the Silver Anniversary of the parish Father Kelly outlined the goals for the future as follows: a) retire remaining debt of $75,000, b) construct a 750 seat church, c) convert existing church into multipurpose center, d) construct rectory and offices on property, and e) convert present rectory into senior citizen’s center or sale of property. Father Kelly remained Pastor of St. Thomas à Becket for over thirty years until  his retirement on June 13, 1999.

On July 5 1999, one month after Father Kelly’s retirement, Reverend Robert L. Seeman was appointed the third Pastor of Saint Thomas à Becket parish by Bishop David Zubik.

In 2001, the Hall Property, which is adjacent to the northwest corner of the main Parish property, was purchased in preparation for the construction of our “permanent” church.

In 2004, a Building Committee was formed of parishioners and Pinnacle Design & Consulting, Inc. was commissioned to develop a comprehensive study for the properties of the parish. This study, which came to be known as the Master Plan Study of 2005 provided the parish with an inventory and analysis of existing conditions, an assessment and analysis of parish spatial requirements and projections of demographics and population trends.

In April of 2006, the Diocese of Pittsburgh gave St. Thomas à Becket approval to launch a building campaign totaling $6.5 million for the construction of a church, offices and rectory. This approval followed many years and much work from a number of dedicated parishioners, including those on the Building Committee, the Capital Campaign Committee and our Finance Council.

Groundbreaking for our new church occurred on April 10, 2011. Construction continued for 18 months and a dedication mass was celebrated by Bishop Zubik on September 23, 2012.

Our new church was designed by the Astorino architectural firm, who also designed a chapel within the Vatican in Rome. In addition to a worship space that can accommodate 800 people, there is a 100 seat chapel, office spaces and a future social hall on the lower level.

 

The following are the comments from L.D. Astorino, the Chairman of Astorino Architects:

Saint Thomas à Becket Church is designed in part to celebrate, reinforce and emphasize the most Sacred moment in the Catholic Mass. It is the consecration of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This moment is embraced and enhanced by the Architecture of the space – in particular the design of a drape-like wall behind the Altar. This wall is designed to echo the uplifting folds of the Priest’s Mass Vestments during that Sacred Moment.

When the Priest raises his arms with the Host and Chalice proclaiming the Body and Blood of Christ, the architecture will reinforce and emulate this gesture, as does a pebble dropped in a pond, creating ripples from that spot to seemingly everywhere in the body of water. As participants take part in this ceremony in remembrance of Christ, his messages are lived and spread throughout the World, through us, just as a pebble spreads its ripples.

When receiving Communion, Christ’s declaration is reinforced when the recipients look up to see the Crucified Christ on a Cross, back-lit by a round stained glass window. The experience is further enhanced as one looks up even higher through a Clear Skylight to see the Church Steeple on the roof with a Cross, now liberated with the risen Christ.

With the experience now complete, the parishioners are even more prepared to live and spread the “Word of God!”

As our parish continued to grow, Deacon Gerry Como was appointed by Bishop Zubik to the Saint Thomas A' Becket parish in July of 2011.

On July 13, 2013, the Reverend Daniel Maurer was installed by Bishop Zubik as Saint Thomas A’ Becket’s fourth pastor.

In April, 2015 the Diocese of Pittsburgh embarked on a restructuring effort:
On Mission For The Church Alive!  With input from parisioners, parish groupings were formed and priests were assigned to best serve the Diocese.
Saint Thomas à Becket formed a grouping along with Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Holy Spirit and Saint Clare of Assisi.

October 15, 2018, a new clergy team was assigned to serve our parish grouping: 
Father Bob Cedolia, Administrator, Father William Terza, Senior Parochial Vicar;  Father Kenneth Kezmarsky, Senior Parochial Vicar;  Father Fortunatus Mugisah, Student Resident Priest and Deacon Gerard A. Como, Deacon. 

On July 1, 2020, we became the new parish of Triumph of the Holy Cross, served by the Clergy Team of:  Father Paul Zywan, Pastor; Frather William Terza, Senior Parochial Vicar;  Father Kenneth Kezmarsky, Senior Parochial Vicar;  Father Michael Faix, Parochial Vicar, Father Fortunatus Mugisah, Student Resident Priest and Deacon Gerard A. Como, Deacon.

As of 2022, Triumph of the Holy Cross is served by: Father Paul Zywan, Pastor; Frather William Terza, Senior Parochial Vicar;  Father Barkey, Senior Parochial Vicar;  Father Michael Faix, Parochial Vicar; and Deacon Gerard A. Como, Permanent Deacon.

Our strength as a parish community comes through connecting with each other through Christ at Mass and parish activities. We are truly blessed.