Entry No. 4 — the Pittsburgh file — filed under: history
Saint Anthony's Chapel
An unassuming neighborhood chapel that houses over 5,000 sacred relic cases, making it the largest collection of Catholic relics in the world outside of the Vatican. Amassed by a wealthy 19th-century priest, the collection includes bone fragments of saints, a splinter of the True Cross, and a thorn from the Crown of Thorns.
The story
Walk down a quiet residential street in Troy Hill past ordinary brick homes, and you would never suspect that behind the doors at 1700 Harpster Street sits the densest concentration of sacred human remains and historical relics anywhere outside the Vatican.
In the late 19th century, Father Suitbert Mollinger—a wealthy doctor turned priest—spent his personal fortune buying up endangered sacred relics as political upheaval swept across Europe. He did not settle for a handful; Mollinger built this chapel out of his own pocket to house over 5,000 certified reliquaries. Look closely at the carved wooden altars lining the walls and you will see glass cases holding bone fragments, teeth, a splinter of the True Cross, and a thorn from the Crown of Thorns.
Across the street in Mollinger's former rectory, the weirdness shifts from holy relics to human history. The small museum holds the evidence of Mollinger's second reputation as a physical healer: rows of wooden crutches, metal leg braces, and thick eyeglasses abandoned by 19th-century pilgrims who claimed his prayers cured them on the spot.
What it's like
Stepping inside feels like entering an opulent European crypt compressed into a quiet neighborhood church. The interior is heavy with carved dark wood and wall-to-wall brass reliquaries. Take your time reading the tiny handwritten labels and Latin inscriptions, but keep your voice low—this is an active, consecrated place of worship, not a standard museum. Be sure to check operating hours before navigating the steep, narrow streets up Troy Hill.
The move: Examine the thousands of intricately labeled reliquaries lining the chapel walls, then cross the street to the Father Mollinger Museum to see a collection of crutches and eyeglasses left behind by those who claimed to be miraculously cured.
- 📍 Troy Hill
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1700 Harpster St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Center for PostNatural History — Follow a 19th-century collection of holy bone relics with a modern storefront museum dedicated to living organisms genetically engineered by humans.
- Photo Antiquities Museum of Photographic History — Pair thousands of 19th-century sacred reliquaries with thousands of 19th-century cameras and early daguerreotypes just across the river.
- Randyland — Contrast the dark-wood, reverent quiet of Troy Hill's relic chapel with Randyland's neon explosion of outdoor folk art.
Good to know
How many relics are inside Saint Anthony's Chapel?
The chapel contains over 5,000 certified Catholic relic cases, giving it the largest collection of holy relics in the world outside of the Vatican.
What specific relics are kept here?
The collection includes bone fragments and teeth of saints, pieces of holy cloth, a splinter of the True Cross, and a thorn from the Crown of Thorns.
Who was Father Mollinger?
Father Suitbert Mollinger was a wealthy 19th-century priest and physician who used his personal inheritance to finance the chapel and rescue thousands of relics from European conflicts.
What can you see in the museum across the street?
The Father Mollinger Museum contains personal items from the founder's life, alongside crutches, braces, and spectacles left behind by 19th-century visitors who claimed miraculous healings.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · uncoveringpa.com · visitpittsburgh.com · Wikipedia
last checked: 2026-07-21