724.230.6010 info@TheClement.com

St. Clement was founded in 1903 as a Slovak parish. The parish was the result of the growth of Slovak immigration to the area beginning in the late nineteenth century. Until St. Clement was established, local Slovaks attended either St. Peter or Sacred Heart in Tarentum. In 1902, a committee of Slovaks was formed to secure a Slovak parish. On February 15, 1903, the committee began fund raising for a church. On October 29, 1903, a priest was assigned to St. Clement parish. In April of 1904, construction began on the church. The cornerstone was laid on September 4, 1904, and the completed church was dedicated on May 20, 1906. Over the years, this church has been renovated and remodeled. By the end of the twentieth century, it became obvious that Tarentum could no longer support two independent parishes. In 1992, St. Clement was merged with Sacred Heart-St. Peter parish to form the new Holy Martyrs parish. St. Clement church remains open and serves the new parish today.

A whiff of intrigue involving the Vatican and Italian investors
http://phlf.org/2008/07/03/former-church-in-west-tarentum-caught-up-in-f

Here is more information on that aforementioned scandal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vati-Con_scandal

Here is an information pamphlet that was put together for the auction

http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourallekiskivalley/yourallekiskivalle

What does that writing on the church loft mean?

The Slovak saying under the choir loft is from Psalm 117: “Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol Him, all peoples!” Apparently this is a common thing to write under choir lofts—though usually in Old Slovak, not modern Slovak