Most Holy Name of Jesus

Parish History

The Roman Catholic parish of Most Holy Name of Jesus (MHN) was established in 1866 on Troy Hill, a neighborhood overlooking the Allegheny
River, in what was then Reserve Township (now part of Pittsburgh’s North Side). Within two years, construction was completed on the parish church
and its first—and arguably most influential—pastor had been assigned. Father Suitbert Godefreid Mollinger (1828-1892) was a Belgian-born priest
who had studied medicine in Europe before coming to the United States and entering the priesthood. For the next quarter century, he would serve his German immigrant congregation in a multitude of ways. Able to speak six or seven languages, he tended to the spiritual needs of his parishioners in their native tongue. He oversaw renovations and additions to the church, construction of a convent and school, and the creation of a rural parish
cemetery. With his own funds, he purchased a large home across from the church to serve as his rectory. Next door, he had a private chapel constructed —which he named the Shrine of Saint Anthony of Padua, or Saint Anthony Chapel—to house his growing collection of sacred relics. Today, containing over five thousand items, it is the largest relics collection in North America and third largest in the world. Shortly before his death in 1892, an addition to the chapel was completed to house life-sized Stations of the Cross. Each year, pilgrims came by the thousands, not just from Pittsburgh, but from across North America. They were drawn not only to venerate the relics, but also because Father Mollinger was widely acclaimed as a healer. The parish and neighborhood remained largely comprised of German descendants throughout most of the past century. During this time, the campus grew as a newer convent and school were constructed and a house was converted into a museum and shop focused on the chapel and Father Mollinger’s life.