Guide to the Records of Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1894-1997
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Records of Trinity Presbyterian Church
- Creator
- United States Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District.
- Collection Number
- MSS#316
- Extent
- 2.0 cubic feet (1 box and 12 shelf volumes)
- Date
- 1894-1997
- Abstract
- The First Italian Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was organized on March 15, 1928. In 1903, the church building was built on the corner of Larimar Avenue and Mayflower streets. Although the church thrived as the "First Italian Presbyterian Church," the American nationalism of the WWII years became an issue, and in December of 1947, the difficult decision was made to change the church's name to, "Trinity Presbyterian Church." These records include Minutes of Session from the church's Presbytery (1928 - 1997) as well as documentation of membership and offerings through roll and offering books and other sundry items.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Sponsor
- This finding aid has been encoded as a part of the Historic Pittsburgh project a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Funding for this portion of the project has been donated by the Hillman Foundation.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History of Trinity Presbyterian Church (1928-)
The First Italian Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was organized on March 15, 1928. During the 1890s, eager missionaries of the East Liberty Presbyterian Church saw in the growing population of Italian immigrants an opportunity to spread their faith. Pittsburgh of the 1890s had no native Italian preachers or parishes, so the missionaries took the necessary steps to create an Italian mission complete with a native Italian Pastor. The mission offered the immigrants free lessons in English, and proceeded to open their minds to the teachings of the Holy Bible. By June of 1899 the "Italian Church of Pittsburgh" was established. Unfortunately, less than a year later, in February of 1900, the church dissolved. Although this event was disheartening, the mission began to grow and the faith of its establishers prevailed.
In 1902, the "congregation" of the Italian mission grew weary of worshipping in rented halls, and persisted in their wishes for their very own church building. By May of 1903, their wishes were granted with the completion of a church building and it's dedication in the fall of that same year. The church building was built on the corner of Larimar Avenue and Mayflower streets, what was in 1903 a bustling Italian thoroughfare. During the first twenty years that the congregation inhabited this building, they went through a few pastors, both good and bad. In 1922, when the congregation numbered only thirty-nine, they longed for a good and permanent pastor. Having had pleasing experiences with a young visiting preacher, Reverend Anthony Di Stasi, the congregation decided hastily and unofficially asked him to become their pastor. Di Stasi initially declined because of the unofficial way in which he was called. In June of 1922, the congregation served Di Stasi with official papers stating their wishes to call him the pastorate of their church, which he accepted.
The first few years brought many new and exciting opportunities for the mission church, and on March 15, 1928 the church officially established itself by petition. It took the name "The First Italian Presbyterian Church" and had 103 members. During the decades to follow, under reverend Di Stasi's leadership, the church continued to thrive. It offered aid, recreation, fellowship and faith to the community and it's congregation. The Church survived the Depression and war years, as well as good times. Although the church thrived as the "First Italian Presbyterian Church," the American nationalism of the WWII years became an issue, and in December of 1947, the difficult decision was made to change the church's name to, "Trinity Presbyterian Church." The non-ethnic title served the church well, it retained its old members and continued to grow. Membership reached upwards of 200 by the late 1950s, it's peak years.
In September of 1962, after much deliberation and disappointment of the congregation, Reverend Di Stasi retired from the pastorate and took the title "Pastor Emeritus." Two short years later, Di Stasi died at the age of seventy-one. During the years following his retirement and subsequent death, the congregation dwindled under the ever-changing leadership of full and student pastors.
Scope and Content Notes
The Trinity Presbyterian Church records are housed in an archival box and 12 wrapped shelf volumes, and are arranged alphabetically by folder title and chronologically by volume. This collection consists of Minutes of Session from the church's Presbytery (1928 - 1997) as well as documentation of membership and offerings through roll and offering books. There are also records of Baptisms, Dismissals and Receptions of Members, Minutes of Administrative Board meetings and a few marriage and death records. Also included are record books of internal societies of the church, minutes of the Forget-Me Not Bible Class, and treasury and offering records of the Women's Missionary Society, which include some Women's Circle treasury records and offering records. These records are in two books that overlap in years. Box 1 contains folders with Baptism Certificate stub books, a book with Baptism, Marriage, Death, Dismissal/Reception recordings, Administrative Board Minutes, Sunday School Treasury Reports, a certificate from the Presbyterian Wartime Service Commission, the Minutes of Session for the years 1987-1997 and a rededication program for 1983.
Through the minutes of session, information about the church committees, rules, activities and membership can be obtained. In the minutes is also information regarding the name change of the Church (1947) as well as the near upheaval that surrounded Reverend Di Stasi's retirement from 1960-1964. The minutes of the 1940s and 1950s are not organized in perfect order, meetings often switch month to month, between two different books. The minutes of session books also contain minutes of yearly congregational meetings. Administrative Board minutes often include Church Budget information. The minutes of the Forget-Me Not Bible Class may provide insight into the social and spiritual structure of some of the churches organizations, as well as some specific activities. Most of the Baptism and Reception/Dismissal Records are stubs from certificates. The Marriage and Death records are simply names and dates entered into a book, as are some of the dismissal/reception and Baptism records. The roll and offering book of 1927-1943 includes the original petition to organize.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These items came in one accession in June 2000.
Acc# 2000.0116 Gift of the Congregation of Trinity Presbyterian Church.
Preferred Citation
Records of the Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1894-1997, MSS #316, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Adeline Belohlavek on June 30, 2000.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Robert O. Stakeley on February 5, 2002.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.
Subjects
- Trinity Presbyterian Church
- Di Stasi, Reverend Anthony
- Allegheny County (Pa) -- churches
- Pittsburgh (Pa) -- church history
- Pittsburgh -- churches
- Church Buildings -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Church group work -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Church Records and Registers -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh -- Emigration and immigration -- Italian
- Italian Americans -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Presbyterianism -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Presbyterians -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Presbyterian Church -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.
- ITALIAN AMERICAN COLLECTION
- Women -- Societies and Clubs -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh