Vandals strike Catholic church in Pleasant Hills

Bishop Mark Eckman shared photos of the damage in hopes that they will help track down whoever is responsible.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pleasant Hills, located at 1 Grove Place, was vandalized last week, according to the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

While it’s not clear when the incident occurred, a press release from the diocese contained photos of “hateful vandalism,” including spray painted anti-Catholic and antisemitic symbols and language on the side of the Triumph of the Holy Cross parish church and on statues.

The diocese said it shared the photos with the hope that it will “prompt someone in the community” to come forward with information that may assist investigators in identifying those responsible, adding that the incident is “deeply disturbing.”

St. Elizabeth of Hungary was established in 1941. The origin of the parish can be traced to the movement of population to Pleasant Hills in the late 1930s.

Due to declining attendance, parishes were grouped together in 2018 and served by a single clergy team to eventually form one new parish.

During this transition period, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish remained an independent parish while sharing clergy and staff and eventually publishing a joint bulletin with the other parishes.

That ended July 1, 2020, when St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish merged with the parishes of Holy Spirit Parish in West Mifflin; St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Clairton and St. Thomas a Becket Parish in Jefferson Hills to form the new Triumph of the Holy Cross Parish. St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church remained open as part of the new parish.

According to Bishop Mark Eckman, the messages left behind during the incident are hurtful to not only the people of the parish, but every member of the diocesan family.

“This holy place, meant for prayer, community, and the merciful presence of God has been violated in a deeply painful way,” Eckman said

in a statement. “To the faithful who feel shaken, and to all in our wider community, know that your pain is shared, and my prayers are with you for comfort and healing.

“… The parishioners of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary and our entire diocesan family are heartbroken over this hateful act. I ask the faithful to join me in praying for comfort and peace, and I urge anyone with information, no matter how small it may seem, to contact the FBI.”

Anyone with information about the incident may report it by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visiting tips.fbi.gov.