In 1965, parishioners at St. Thomas Á Becket in Jefferson Hills gathered to dedicate the “temporary” church with the expectation that a permanent facility would follow soon thereafter for the growing community.

Forty-eight years later, after eight years of discussion, design plans and models, capital funding campaigns and construction, St. Thomas Á Becket's church community fulfilled the promise.

“To have had a part in building a place where people can gather and worship God, from the beginning stages of the church ... it's just been challenging but I've been filled with a lot of joy,” said the Rev. Robert L. Seeman, church pastor. “A lot has gone into it – time, talent and financial support ... I'm just thrilled to see it come to its completion.”

St. Thomas Á Becket Parish will hold a dedication ceremony and Mass on Sunday at 2 p.m. for the newly constructed $8.2-million church. Bishop David Zubik will preside over the Mass, which will be followed by a reception.

“From the very beginning, there was always one intent for a permanent church to be built,” Seeman said. “It's an exciting time. Everyone's been waiting for a long time.”

The building holds more than 800 people in the main church; 100 people in an adjoining daily mass chapel; parish offices; a cry/bridal room; confessionals; a devotional prayer spot; long, open hallways; and a basement, which is intended in future construction as a social hall.

“It's a big building, but many purposes,” Seeman said.

Seeman knew that he would most likely be centrally involved in building a new church when he was assigned to St. Thomas Á Becket in 1999, he said. The parish had about 1,000 families in 2000, which has since boomed to about 1,600 because of continuous residential developments in the borough.

In short, the “temporary” church couldn't support the number of parishioners during Mass each Sunday.

So the parish commissioned a master plan in 2004 and formed building and capital funding committees.

Chuck LoPresti, one of the building committee chairmen, said the group worked with the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Astorino Architects and A. Martini & Co., the general contractor for the project, on everything from the layout of the building to paint color. The collaboration was challenging but positive and productive.

“I think it's been a very productive eight years,” LoPresti said.

The church is a contemporary design with an abundance of natural lighting mixed with stained-glass windows, 14 of which came from Sacred Heart Church in McKeesport, which closed in 2007, Seeman said.

“It gave them new life,” he said.

The altar is a dramatic display that centers around a hanging crucifix over Italian marble fixtures. The pews are set in a semi-circle with wide aisles.

Lo Presti said his favorite feature of the building is that he can sit anywhere in the pews and the dramatic altar will capture his attention.

“It will hold the center of attention,” he said.

White wavy walls on each side of the altar are backlit with colored LED lights, which will be used to highlight different seasons throughout the year.

“Hopefully, it will accentuate the liturgical seasons,” Seeman said.

Also, metal panels on the ceiling were designed to bring out the acoustics, Seeman said.

Outside, the bells are from St. Stephen Church in McKeesport, which closed in 2002, Seeman said. They were forged in 1901.

“I heard that they sounded really good,” Seeman said.

Of course, the church still would be a dream without the financial support of the parish community.

“Even during these tough economic times, our people never stopped giving,” Seeman said. “The people have been tremendous.”

So far, parishioners have raised more than $6.4 million said Tom Kondrat, capital fund chairman. The campaign, “Fulfilling the Promise,” of raising the remaining funds goes until 2014.

“This Sunday, on the 23rd, we're going to deliver on that promise,” Kondrat said. “Truly, it's a community effort ... What you see just takes your breath away.”

The capital campaign started in 2007 by contacting every family in the parish, providing them with information about the project and requesting donations, Kondrat said. Likewise, the church hosts events throughout the year, such as the Columbus Day golf outing on Oct. 8 at South Hills Country Club, which raised more than $150,000 in five years.

“We really looked at the bulk of our support to come from within,” Kondrat said.

The capital fund committee also received more than $100,000 in grants, Kondrat said.

“We still had a steady response. Times were tough, but again we still had that constant response,” Kondrat said. “We have a little bit more work to do.”

Laura Van Wert is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-388-5814 or at lvanwert@tribweb.com.

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