About Us

Located only minutes away from beautiful downtown Pittsburgh, our mission as a parish is to serve God through worship and in service to others, to grow in our knowledge of Christ, and to be continually transformed into His Image and Likeness by His Grace.

We want to get to know you better too, and we invite you to join us for any of our worship services, educational offerings and activities. Whether you're looking for a place to worship, inquiring about Orthodoxy, or just have questions about your life, we'd love to meet you.

If you're a first time visitor to an Orthodox Church, we encourage you to read 12 Things I Wish I'd Known: First Visit to an Orthodox Church.

What We believe

When in Orthodoxy, we say we are the 'Church of the Apostles,' we mean it. For an Orthodox Christian, the most important thing is to hold the faith that has been practiced and taught 'everywhere, always, and by all," (St Vincent of Lerins).

Our faith is summed up in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed written in the fourth century:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light; true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. In one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

For a fuller treatment of Orthodoxy, consult the excellent work by Fr Thomas Hopko, The Orthodox Faith. At the OCA website you can also find a helpful series of Questions and Answers about Orthodoxy. Of course, you may write to Fr Tom at any time with any other questions you may have.

Parish History

Our parish has a long and rich history, having been established in 1914 by Slavic immigrants who lived in the area.

By 1913, numerous families in McKees Rocks were traveling by boat every Sunday to attend the only Orthodox church available to them, on the other side of the Ohio River! But their dedication to God and their industrious ways led them to build a beautiful church to the glory of God. Our current building was dedicated in 1917.

St Nicholas welcomed many new families especially during the the great immigration in the 1920's and 1930's who had made the arduous journey from Europe to their new home in America. Much of Pittsburgh's then flourishing industry was built on the hard work and dedication of these people.

As time has passed, the faces and names have changed, but our dedication to and love of God has remained. Today St Nicholas Church is made up of people from every walk of life, from every area of the Pittsburgh region, and from many nationalities. We are the proud home of many families who left the oppression of the former Soviet Union, some of them jailed for anti-Soviet activities and persecuted for the faith. Our parish is also the new spiritual home to many people who have recently entered the Orthodox faith, former Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Pagans, as well as those who used to embrace new age thought and atheism.

Come and join us to experience the beauty and majesty of Orthodox worship and the warmth of the people of St Nicholas.

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church • 320 Munson Avenue • McKees Rocks, PA 15136
412-331-1053 • info@stnicholas-oca.org