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St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church moving to South Fayette

By Suzanne Elliott 2 min read
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Construction is underway on the new St. George building, which is located on Washington Pike. Once completed, it will seat more than 230 people and be fully handicap accessible.

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St. George was formed in 1920 by a group of Syrian migrants who bought a former blacksmith shop on McLaughlin Run Road in Bridgeville. The current St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church on Dewey Avenue in Bridgeville was completed in 1950 for a cost of about $85,000.

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A wedding reception in St. George’s reception hall in the early 1950s.

It can be said it was a century in the making, plus six years.

But St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church is expected to move into its new home on Washington Pike in South Fayette Township sometime in spring 2016.

“It took prayer and a lot of open discussion,” said Father Jason DelVitto of his parish’s decision to build a larger, more modern church and social hall on church-owned property.

The new $2 million building, which will be on one-floor and completely ADA-compliant, will give the Bridgeville church, started more than 100 years ago, the room to offer more services and an out-reach ministry not only to its parishioners, but to the community as a whole, DelVitto said.

St. George, the church home to 100 families, will be able to accommodate more than 230 at worship services when the new building opens during the first half of next year, he added. The new church will also have 50 to 60 parking spaces, something its existing Dewey Avenue location does not have, he said.

“Back about 2000, we began discussing whether we should renovate or use the cemetery property we own in South Fayette and build,” said Catherine Deep, a parishioner. In 2005, that question was put before the St. George congregants, who overwhelmingly voted to construct a new church, she said.

“We have a building committee of six people,” DelVitto said. “We’ve kept that same group throughout this process, which has allowed us to streamline things.” The South Fayette property, owned by St. George, was purchased in 1935 by church members for $800. Some of the land is being used as the parish cemetery, which both Deep and DelVitto like because in the Orthodox church, members believe the dead are always present and nearby.

DelVitto and Deep said the project is being completely funded through donations and fundraising, like the popular Mediterranean Food Festival. DelVitto said there have not been any decisions made about its Dewey Avenue building, which the church has occupied since the early 1950s. “It is on hold until we find an appropriate buyer,” DelVitto said. “The buyer will have to use the building for an honorable purpose.”

Most of the church’s furniture, stained glass and religious icons will be moved to the new location, DelVitto said.

“On the day of our move, we’re going to ask everyone to bring their largest car,” Deep joked.

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