Holy Trinity Observes Centennial

Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday, September 11, 2022.

Worship was led by the Rev. David Jones, who has served as pastor of Holy Trinity since 1990. Bishop Wilma Kucharek of the Slovak Zion Synod preached and offered the Words of Institution and Lord’s Prayer in the Slovak language in remembrance of those who founded the congregation as well as all the faithful who are their descendants by blood or by faith who over the last 100 years furthered God’s mission. 

In her sermon, Bishop Kucharek called upon the people to remember the faithful witnesses and ministries of these past 100 years and to answer God’s call to faithfully carry the mission of Christ into the future.

Following the worship, a celebratory meal was shared by the worshippers and community guests outside on the street in front of the church. The meal featured a variety of food and desserts provided by parishioners and friends of the congregation, especially made possible by the late Mr. Michael Adam (brother of the late Rev. John Adam who served as a past bishop of the Slovak Zion Synod), whose generosity even after death provided the meals for the celebration. 

Holy Trinity is an offspring from St. Paul’s Church, a Slovak congregation in Braddock (where our Slovak Zion Synod humbly began 103 years ago, in 1919). Holy Trinity was officially organized in January 1922 by the Slovak community that was gathered in East Pittsburgh around the steel mill, their charter being granted five months later in May; but the congregation was already worshipping and meeting together, organizing a Sunday School in the year prior. A building committee was organized and formed the following year, with ground breaking taking place on April 14, 1924. The corner stone was blessed on June 29, 1924, and over the next couple of years the faithful founders of this congregation, using their own hands, built the current church edifice as we see it today. The congregation has been shepherded over the years by the Rev. James Sopko, Rev. Paul Fiska, Rev. Andrew Balaska, Rev. August Skodacek, and the Rev. Andrew Tomo, whom all accepted calls to this congregation prior to being served by Pastor Jones. 

Much has changed in the past 100 years, prompting the congregation to commit to building a foundation for the next 100 years with a Season of Prayer, joining each week through the season of Christmas to lift up and pray for the community, congregation, and leadership of the church as they seek God’s direction for their future.