Kaitlyn Hughes | news editor

Duquesne President Ken Gormley has a long history at St. Anselm Church in Swissvale.

He and his four siblings attended kindergarten through 12th grade there, his mom taught third grade there for 20 years, he was baptized in the church, received his first Communion and confirmation there, and his four children attended grade school there.

“I have a lifetime of memories in that church,” he said.

After more than 100 years, St. Anselm will be closing its doors.

“Lots of emotions come out when something like this happens,” Gormley said. “The loss of these traditions and this community will be the hardest thing. Obviously, there are other beautiful churches, but for most of us there will only be one St. Anselm Church in Swissvale, and we’ll always miss it.”

The Diocese of Pittsburgh is closing seven churches within the Saint Joseph the Worker Parish including Good Shepard, Madonna del Castello, Sacred Heart, St. Anselm, St. Colman, St. John Fisher and St. Jude the Apostle. They will permanently close for worship on March 12, according to a letter from Bishop Mark Eckman released on Feb. 7.

St. Maurice Church will be the only building in the parish that will remain open for worship.

“Beginning in 2021, in light of declining population trends, declining Mass attendance and because of the financial constraints faced by the parish there has been a gradual reduction in the number of church buildings used for regular worship,” the letter said. “During the entire last year of 2025, through careful study of current realities, it has become abundantly clear that the parish cannot sustain all of its current church buildings.”

‘It’s very similar to a funeral’

Rumbles of the churches’ closures began at the end of last year, so when Gormley attended Christmas Mass at St. Anselm, he knew it would likely be his last time attending a service there. He said many people he knew since his childhood were there too.

“We had a chance to just drink it in a final time and remember,” he said.

Jim Macek has been going to St. Anselm for 35 years. He said he has felt a range of emotions since learning about the closures.

“It’s very similar to a funeral where you go through the emotions of mourning, sadness, the anger,” Macek said.

He said that a lot of the people that come to Sunday Mass walk there.

“How they are going to get to St. Maurice … I just don’t know,” Macek said.

Ryan McCartney, a Duquesne alumnus, also has a long history attending St. Anselm.

“St. Anselm has been a part of my entire life. It’s been my home,” he said.

After the closure, McCartney does not know if he will go to St. Maurice or find another parish to join. He said his head has been “spinning circles” since he was first told the news.

“I’m hoping I find a home, a parish that will help me get my faith back,” he said.
 

McCartney also disagreed with the closure coming during Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter marked by prayer, fasting and charitable works.

“It is a time of penance. It is a time of renewal. And we’re preparing to celebrate Easter the mystery of death and resurrection,” University Chaplain Bill Christy said. “As we see the closures of old communities, we also have to prepare ourselves for the formation of the new community.”

Eckman said in his letter that he knows the closures bring a sense of loss.

“For many years, you have poured your lives into these sacred buildings, strengthening your community through holy faith, fervent prayer and tireless service,” the letter said. “While we say goodbye to a physical space, our mission remains unchanged.”

A decrease in population

What is happening in the Diocese of Pittsburgh is part of a series of nation-wide church closures because of declining population, said James Swindal, professor of philosophy and Catholic studies at Duquesne.

Gormley said the closure was not a surprise to him because of this.

The Religious Landscape Study found that the number of Christians in the United States decreased 9% between 2014 and 2024.

“There are less Catholics in general, and that means less resources,” he said.

Christy said that this decrease is reversing right now. After the Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in the early 2000s and the pandemic, he said people turned away from Sunday worship.

But now he is seeing an increase of students attending Mass.

“We’re seeing a resurgence,” he said.

‘Part of the life cycle’

Christy said that just because churches are closing in the Pittsburgh community doesn’t mean it is a bad thing.

“It’s something that we in Pittsburgh aren’t attuned to, but places with longer histories than ourselves would see that as part of the life cycle of their community,” he said.

Swindal said that the church needs to develop to meet the needs of the contemporary world.

“The church is really the people, it’s not so much the building,” he said.

Kaitlyn Hughes can be reached at hughesk10@duq.edu