St. Gabriel the Archangel
We’re proud to announce Resurrection Catholic Cemetery’s latest addition: The Archangel Gabriel Chapel Mausoleum. Named in honor of both the Archangel Gabriel Parish and St. Gabriel the Archangel, this beautiful mausoleum is thoughtfully designed to provide families with a dignified and lasting place of remembrance.
Resurrection chose the name “Archangel Gabriel” in recognition of the parish’s contributions to the area. This is Resurrection’s third dedicated to Angels, including Our Lady of the Angels and St. Michael the Archangel.
Archangel Gabriel Parish
The parish is the union of three churches: Holy Trinity, Saint Mary Help of Christians, and Saint Malachy. Archangel Gabriel parish serves the west of Pittsburgh, active in communities like Kennedy, McKees Rocks, and Robinson.
The beginnings of Archangel Gabriel Parish can be traced back to 1855, when a German community of Catholics near McKees Rocks purchased a plot of land in what is now Robinson Township. Here, they built Saint Mary, Help of Christians. Soon afterward, a new wave of immigrants from Europe would bring more Catholics and more requests for new parishes.
In 1906, Catholics in Moon Run wished to establish their own parish. Because there were too few people for a new building, a church was erected instead that was designated as a mission of St. Columbkille, Imperial. In 1944, Bishop Boyle established Holy Trinity Parish from this former mission.
Two years after Holy Trinity Parish was erected, a group from Kennedy Township requested a priest to serve the Catholics of their area. They would be known as the Kenmawr Mission. By 1953, it had grown large enough to be erected as a parish under the name Saint Malachy.
In January 2020, the grouping officially came together as Archangel Gabriel Parish, with Father David Poecking serving as its first pastor.
Read the full history of Archangel Gabriel Parish here.
St. Gabriel the Archangel
St. Gabriel, one of the three archangels, is known as a messenger for God. In the Old Testament, he provided guidance and clarity to the prophet Daniel, whose visions foretold the ultimate victory of the kingdom of Heaven. St. Gabriel is described as “one who looked like a man” (Daniel 8:15).
St. Gabriel appeared twice again in the New Testament. He revealed himself to Zachariah, proclaiming that his wife, Elizabeth, would be pregnant with a son, who would become John the Baptist. The angel appeared once more to the Virgin Mary to tell of Jesus’ birth (Luke 1:30-33).
St. Gabriel is often painted wearing blue or white robes, and popular artistic depictions include a lily, a trumpet, a lantern, a branch from Paradise, or a scroll. He is often shown in the scene of the Annunciation, in which he announced to Mary that she would bear the Savior. He is cited as the angel who will blow a trumpet to announce the Lord’s return.
St. Gabriel is the patron saint of messengers, telecommunication workers, and postal workers. His feast day, along with St. Michael and St. Raphael, is September 29.
Read more about St. Gabriel the Archangel here.