It’s located in the former Holy Spirit Church and is open six days a week.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul held an official opening Thursday for its West Mifflin headquarters.
The grand opening of the new Holy Spirit Campus, located at 2603 Elizabeth Road at the former Holy Spirit Church, was Aug. 17. It is now open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday to Saturday.
The official ribbon-cutting was held Thursday, featuring guest speakers and a blessing of the new location, followed by a community open house that included tours of the new store and administrative offices.
“Today is about much more than opening a building,” said Fred Pappas, new board chair of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Pittsburgh. “Today is about a new beginning. This campus gives St. Vincent de Paul a new home, a new opportunity to grow, a new opportunity to serve our neighbors across the communities and counties that we serve.”
A global nonprofit organization that has been offering person-to-person assistance to those in need since its founding in France in 1833 by a college student named Frédéric Ozanam, St. Vincent de Paul is rooted in the gospel values of the Catholic faith.
The Council of Pittsburgh, established in 1852, spans five counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, Lawrence and Washington. Fifty conferences and 800 volunteer Vincentians across these counties support tens of thousands of neighbors in need every year.
Ricardo Luckow, executive director at St. Vincent de Paul, said they were looking for a space to re- place the current warehouse and recycling center in Penn Hills and found the church was up for sale in February 2025.
They use about 13,000 of the roughly 30,000 square feet of building space, along with about eight acres of land.
State Rep. John Inglis, D-West Mifflin, said he was approached last year by St. Vincent de Paul representatives who said they were going to be renovating this location, and there were mixed reactions from the community.
“I know so many people that attended church here, and when the doors closed to this church, so many members of this community were affected, so many were saddened,” Inglis said. “But there is truly no better organization to be moving into this location than St. Vincent de Paul, one that continues the scope of the mission that was here before, and that’s serving those in need.”
Ground was broken for the previous Holy Spirit church originally on Dec. 13, 1964, and the cornerstone was laid on Aug.15, 1965. The first Mass in the church was celebrated on Jan. 30, 1966, and the building was formally dedicated on July 10, 1966.
For decades, the campus served as much more than a place of worship. The church, school/classroom spaces, rectory and social facilities became part of the fabric of the West Mifflin community.
Father Michael Peck, administrator of the parish that was at the location, and Pastor Christine Rotella offered an interfaith invocation and blessing of the new space Thursday.
They both stated they were honored to be at the opening ceremony, and that it’s inspiring to see old parishioners now work in the building.
“Of all the churches that have had to be sold in our diocese, this one has one of the best outcomes,” Peck said. “It gives me joy being able to see this church, and this campus fulfill the mission of the church.”
The society’s mission is to help volunteers and those in need grow spiritually, to foster a more just world through personal connections and compassionate service and to alleviate the suffering of neighbors in need.
The Holy Spirit Thrift Store, located in the old church, offers quality clothing, furniture, home goods, books, and unique finds at affordable prices. It offered 25% off prices storewide on Thursday as guests shopped and toured the whole facility.
Each purchase and donation helps support the society’s mission to provide food, shelter, utility assistance, transportation and other essential services to families throughout the area.
They also saw an opportunity for program-based activities to be located in the downstairs area, according to Luckow, who added that they are still trying to find programs to be implemented in the building.
“We have room to consider what comes next,” Luckow said. “There are many possibilities. These are possibilities, not promises. We cannot do everything, nor should we try. We will listen to the community, determine what the property can accommodate and identify the services we can fund and sustain. Where can we make the greatest difference for the people that need us?” Several St. Vincent de Paul leaders and political figures said the society’s work is critical now because so many families across the region are struggling.
West Mifflin Mayor Chris Kelly said the area is a middle class community, but they are now “the new poor” because of what is going on in communities across the area, and that people that have good jobs cannot afford things.
“Everybody needs help,” Kelly said. “Find it in your heart to assist those in need.”
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, who was in attendance Thursday, stated that the location is getting a new life to provide critical services, adding that the new location is an investment in the region.
“Now more than ever, our neighborhoods, our communities rely on that care,” Lee said.
“There’s no shame in needing help. There’s no shame in having moments of need. I think the true shame is having the ability to help someone, and deciding not to. These organizations stand
in the gap when we are still waiting, and for that, we are incredibly grateful.”