Incarnation of the Lord Parish
4071 Franklin Road. Carlton Strong, (1869-1931), a noted Pittsburgh architect, designed Incarnation of the Lord Parish, formerly Nativity of Our Lord Church, in 1925. Strong is best known for the churches he designed in the Pittsburgh area that speak of praise in the language of brick, stone and steeple. He designed Incarnation with a dramatic interior-painted beamed roof.
Presently, Incarnation of the Lord Parish and Incarnation Academy, a K-8 grade elementary school, serve the community of Observatory Hill and North Hills. Incarnation of the Lord Parish was established in 1993, as part of the diocesan reorganization. The parish was formed by the merger of Annunciation and Nativity parishes.
Last year, a fire destroyed the original altar and caused tremendous smoke damage to the interior of the Church. The parishioners celebrated Mass in Incarnation Academy’s school cafeteria until Bishop Wuerl dedicated the new altar and sanctuary on December 22, 2002.
The stained glass from the former Annunciation Church was installed in the area behind the new altar. Father John Bachkay states, “We tried to bring elements of Annunciation and renew things that were important to Nativity and truly celebrate them. We are Incarnation Parish now. That was important.”