Trinity Cathedral - Pittsburgh, PA

09/06/2026

Our Holy Eucharist starts at 10:30 a.m.

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

Trinity Trivia: What Trinity rector was also an architect, artist, musician, teacher, and author who helped bring Gothic architecture to the American church?

Answer: The Rev. John Henry Hopkins

John Henry Hopkins left an extraordinary mark on both Trinity and American church architecture. Before entering the priesthood, he practiced law, but his interests ranged much further. He was a musician and organist, an artist, teacher, and self-taught architect. After becoming Trinity's rector, Hopkins designed the congregation's second church, completed in 1825 on the site where Trinity stands today.

The building was among the earliest Gothic Revival churches in the United States, created at a time when knowledge of Gothic architecture was still uncommon in America. Hopkins didn't simply draw the plans. According to a biography written by his son, he personally climbed the scaffolding and painted part of the ceiling to imitate the elaborate stone fan vaulting of medieval English churches.

His fascination with Gothic design eventually produced his 1836 Essay on Gothic Architecture, the first American book devoted specifically to the Gothic style. It included drawings and plans of Trinity and helped spread Gothic Revival church design across the country.

Hopkins later became the first Bishop of Vermont and eventually the seventh Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. His years at Trinity were an early chapter in a career that influenced how Episcopal churches across America would look and worship.

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09/02/2026

The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, August 30, 2026. The Rev. Catherine Munz delivers the sermon at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh.

Watch live Sunday mornings at 10:30 at https://vimeo.com/user121613172 .

08/27/2026

Trinity Trivia: Have a favorite seat in the Nave? How did Trinity parishioners save their spots in the past?

Answer: They rented their pews.

For much of the 19th century, having an assigned pew at church often meant paying for it. Pew rentals were a common way churches supported themselves, and Trinity was no exception. Parishioners paid annual fees for particular pews, providing the church with a dependable source of income for its ministry and operations.

But paying was never a requirement for entering or worshiping at Trinity. Even while the pew-rental system was in place, free pews were reserved for visitors and for those who could not afford to rent one. No one needed to pay for a place at Trinity.

In 1891, parishioner John Shoenberger helped Trinity adapt that old economic model for a changing church. He left Trinity $100,000, an extraordinary gift at the time, on the condition that pew rents be abolished and Trinity become a church “free to all.” His gift replaced income the church would lose by ending pew rentals and carried another important condition: Trinity was to provide daily Common Prayer.

More than 130 years later, that commitment to an open church continues. So does Morning Prayer. Everyone is invited to join Trinity for Morning Prayer Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 a.m. in the Chapel. Enter through the Oliver Avenue entrance.

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08/24/2026

A bell can speak when words fall short.

On Friday, August 28, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral will once again host Pittsburgh's annual Addiction Prayer Service in observance of International Overdose Awareness Day.

Before the service begins, the cathedral bell will toll 344 times. Each toll represents one life lost to an opioid overdose in Allegheny County in 2025.

Whether you have lost a loved one, are walking alongside someone in recovery, work in healthcare or emergency services, or simply want to stand with your community, you are welcome.

💜 Friday, August 28
🕛 12:00 p.m.
📍 Trinity Episcopal Cathedral

Following the service, all are invited to stay for a free community luncheon.

We hope you'll join us as we remember, pray, and reaffirm that no one should face addiction or grief alone.

08/20/2026

Trinity Trivia: What was the name of the restaurant located in Trinity Cathedral near the Olive Ave. entrance in the early 2000s?

Bonus: What was the restaurant’s original name?

Answer: Franktuary, originally named Hot Dogma.

Franktuary got its start right here at Trinity Cathedral in 2004. Originally called Hot Dogma, the small restaurant operated near the Oliver Avenue entrance before changing its name and eventually growing into a well-known Pittsburgh business.

Its unusual beginnings are also a reminder that Trinity has long found ways to make its historic space part of the everyday life of Downtown Pittsburgh. Today, that continues through worship, community partnerships, the Open Nave, Walk-In Ministry, and new opportunities to welcome the people who live, work, and visit Downtown.

Sometimes being a Cathedral for the city has looked like Morning Prayer. Sometimes it has looked like serving a neighbor in need. And sometimes, it has looked like smiling faces sharing a meal, perhaps with a mustard stain or two.

Source: https://ppuglobe.com/2016/06/hot-spotfranktuary/

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08/19/2026

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, August 16, 2026. The Rev. Catherine Munz delivers the sermon at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh.

Watch live Sunday mornings at 10:30 at https://vimeo.com/user121613172 .