South Oakland cliff shelters shrine for Virgin Mary

‘ ‘ ‘ Pittsburghers who believe that God is everywhere may be happy to know that the Blessed… ‘ ‘ ‘ Pittsburghers who believe that God is everywhere may be happy to know that the Blessed Mother has a watchful eye on the Parkway East. ‘ ‘ ‘ Since 1956, a South Oakland hillside has hosted a humble shrine to honor the Virgin Mary. On Aug. 13, more than 30 faithful attended the Mass at the site to celebrate the Assumption of Mary, the day Catholics believe that Mary was received into Heaven. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I think one of the prettiest things about it is the way the statue faces and overlooks the city of Pittsburgh. It’s almost like the Blessed ‘ ‘ ‘ Mother throws her mantle around Pittsburgh,’ said Audia Otto of Murrysville. ‘ ‘ ‘ The ivory statue of Mary stands below a pastel wreath, among candles and pots of silk flowers. ‘ ‘ ‘ Since its establishment in 1956, the Shrine of the Blessed Mother has had numerous additions, including an altar, various cliff-side ornaments’ and 13 towering wooden crucifixes. ‘ ‘ ‘ This hidden gem resides at the bottom of the steep brick road of Wakefield Street, which lies at the bottom of Ward Street. ‘ ‘ ‘ To get to the shrine, visitors must cut through two front porches and walk down a brick path. ‘ ‘ ‘ There are Masses on the 22nd of each month at 7 p.m. to correspond with the shrine’s founding on Sept. 22, 1956. ‘ ‘ ‘ However, the shrine regulars hold a special Mass for the Assumption of Mary, with a priest and music. ‘ ‘ ‘ Audia’s daughter Candace sang four hymns using a small Marshall amplifier and was barely audible over the steady stream of traffic and ambulance sirens. Candace was Miss Pennsylvania in 2003 and won the Bernie Wayne Performing Arts Award for her opera singing. ‘ ‘ ‘ Even though the Ottos are very involved in the Pittsburgh Catholic community, Audia did not know about the shrine until a young Candace noticed lights coming from the shrine as they drove on the parkway one night. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s really pretty at night, the way they have the lights. It just kind of stands out, and you know there is something,’ Candace said. ‘ ‘ ‘ The hill upon which the shrine rests is supposedly the site of miracles. The woman who started the shrine, Sophie Toma, saw the Virgin Mary in a dream. ‘ ‘ ‘ Mary told Toma that she would meet a man named Phillip, and he’d help her with the shrine. ‘ ‘ ‘ Eventually, they met. Phillip worked at the old Jones and Laughlin Steel Company mill, which used to overlook the current location of the shrine. ‘ ‘ ‘ Together they carried the statue of Mary to the site where Mary told Toma to go. ‘ ‘ ‘ When they arrived at the site, their feet sank into the mud. ‘ ‘ ‘ They knew it was a sign, and that’s where they placed the statue. ‘ ‘ ‘ Toma’s friend, Sophie McMurtry, from Swissvale, took two buses regularly to tend to the shrine. One day, she experienced a miracle on the lot when McMurtry noticed something shining in the sunlight embedded in the cliff. ‘ ‘ ‘ She investigated the gleam and discovered a sterling silver and pearl rosary, shrine frequenter Marty Marek said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I looked at this rosary. You know how sometimes they say ‘made in Italy’? There’s nothing on there,’ Marek said. He knew it was something special. ‘ ‘ ‘ Another miracle of the shrine is the steady stream of water that runs along the hill. ‘ ‘ ‘ It is because of this stream that the shrine used to be called Holy Waters. ‘ ‘ ‘ The legend goes that the frequenters of the shrine prayed for water to tend to the flowers, and then they discovered a small stream, Marek said. ‘ ‘ ‘ For the last 15 years, David Klickovich has organized special Masses to praise Mary. ‘ ‘ ‘ He doesn’t mind the work because so many others worked to get the shrine to this point. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The Italian ladies will take care of the flowers. They put a lot of hard work into here, and it all comes from the heart. That’s their devotion to the Blessed Mother,’ Klickovich said. ‘ ‘ ‘ Marek chimed in to say that the nice brick pathway and altar weren’t always there. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘You know where the cross is behind the altar? Those Italian ladies carried those bricks on their heads, like they did in the old country. They had to carry them all the way down that hill. They didn’t have them delivered here; they carried three, four, five at a time,’ said Marek. ‘ ‘ ‘ Candace hopes that a younger generation will feel a similar sort of commitment to the area because the lawn and flowers are a lot of work to maintain. She and Audia are grateful to have this place of peace in the crazy city. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The Blessed Mother is the mother,’ Audia said. ‘When a child is sick, the child seeks out the mother. I think that’s a comfort, being in the arms of the mother, and this is a quiet place where you can feel that.’ Photos by Michael Heater / Photo Editor