On February 23, 1910, the Italian ethnic parish of Our Lady of Grace was established with Father Nicola Albanese as its first pastor. For a while Father Albanese worked out of Seton Hill College until he was able to rent a small storeroom on the corner of Tremont and Highland Avenues. This lasted until a new worship site was completed and dedicated in 1916.
By 1960 the parish had 340 families and was still growing. Due to continued population growth in this area, Bishop William G. Connare authorized construction of a larger church and at the same time designated the parish as territorial. The new “church” was dedicated on December 6, 1964, and the families of Our Lady of Grace moved to their new spiritual home.
The current church building was dedicated in 1999. With its completion additional space in the former church was freed up to be used for the needs of the parish connected with formation and social activities. The parish is now home to about 2,150 families and continues working to meet the needs of the parish members and surrounding community.
This year, as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of our parish, we are called by God to continue with the great tradition of service and sacrifice set forth by our predecessors. The parishioners of Our Lady of Grace celebrate a history rich in traditions and service to the larger community around us, especially the poor and less fortunate through our Saint Vincent DePaul and food pantry outreach.