I went with a friend this past week. It was a first visit to a Buddhist Temple for each of us. We…read moreare both new to meditation, too. So, as we walked up the steps to the Three Rivers Tibetan Cultural Center, it made me feel relaxed to see the sign" All are welcome here", before I opened the door. We took our shoes off in the small vestibule. I had read that while the beginner meditation classes on Saturday mornings are free, it is suggested that a small donation be made, since this is how the monks rely on keeping the center running, and how they are able to feed and support themselves with basic everyday needs. I donated money in a jar in the hall entranceway. I was warmly greeted by Jonnie. She seated us . Throughout the entire service and meditation session, terms and the service itself, were well-paced and explained, so I didn't feel like an outsider. The concept on intentions, paired with meditation, were eye-opening. The concept behind what real compassion is, was heart-opening.I am excited to go back and try other meditation services at local Buddhist Temples, like the one near me in Monroeville. Three Rivers Tibetan Cultural Center is located in Swissvale and there is free residential street parking.

Being able to attend service here felt very meaningful to me being that both my mother and grandma…read moregrew up going to this church both as students and as members of the church. It's a big beautiful building and I really felt the awe and reverence for God for most of the service. I also loved how tall the ceilings were, the images painted on them, and the colorful stain glass windows. The building was so beautiful that I barely looked at the person who was singing or the person who was preaching, but the sermon itself and the songs that were sung resonated deeply with my soul and the way that they echoed through the building gave me space to process my own feelings related to the experience and to appreciate the sacredness of my own spirituality. Something about the bigness of the building, the smell of the incense, the reverence in the person singing and preaching, and the fact that the beautiful sounds that were made were not too loud really helped to decrease my anxiety to the point that I was able to receive the message and spirit of what was being said better than I am usually able to during a church service and I really felt the Holy Spirit in that place. However, the strictness in some of the people regarding the holy communion really took away from the overall experience if I am being honest. As such, I would like to plead with some of the people in charge to be mindful about not doing anything that could take away from the power of Gods presence in that building. For instance, when I went up to take communion I was under the impression that we needed to take the communion with us as we sat down and that we would all take communion together, however, at this church they expect you to eat the wafer in front of them BEFORE you sit down and I did not know that going into the experience. For me this is a very minor difference compared to how other churches I have been to do things and is ultimately not really that big of a deal, however, I had experienced a couple people run after me as if I had stolen a large screen TV from Walmart demanding that I eat that thin wafer in front of them before I was "allowed" to sit down and I genuinely had a hard time believing that they were being serious. So did a lot of people who observed this who were with me as they were quite loud and militant in contrast with the peaceful vibe of the service. What makes a person become so consumed with having others prove themselves to them that they value that so much more than making people feel a basic level of safety or comfort in their presence? What kind of energy compels people to obsess over such trivial details that they become distracted from the power of the message within the song and sermon itself, especially when that fixation stands in direct contrast to the very message being preached? While I responded with "I will" assuring them I did, in fact, take this symbolic practice seriously, a woman still judgmentally and angrily snarled at me that "I need to do it now" as she glared at me with such disgust and disdain it made me wonder why she would even bother being in any kind of church in the first place, especially since everything about Jesus resists that kind of energy. After the service, several of my friends reached out to me asking if I was okay after what happened, and similarly shared their shock and disapproval of how that person handled things, and unfortunately her behavior discouraged a lot of people from coming back. My grandma and mother also felt that behavioral does not, or at least should not, reflect the overall meaning and message of what that church should strive to achieve. As such, I would like to again plead with some of the people in charge to be mindful about not doing anything that could take away from the power of Gods presence in that building. Thankfully, I have a deep enough relationship with God that I didn't fall into the trap of taking that behavior personally or broadening it to my overall concept of how I see the church, but I do worry about how people who are less deep in their faith might respond to that kind of behavior, and how much that behavior could, unfortunately, make them flee the church without being able to experience the true power of what church is actually supposed to be about. I say this as someone who lives from a place of love and genuinely hopes that those who could benefit from church are able to find the help and healing they need. My hope is that people are not made to feel triggered, excluded, or as though they do not belong simply because they do not know every nuance of a particular denomination. Too often, petty traditions or minor differences in symbolism can become distractions from the power of genuine spiritual life in Christ, much like how the Pharisees' fixation on the Sabbath caused them to condemn Jesus rather than bask in the power of his healing glory.

Strictly fish fry review! The church is beautiful!... Ok. So…read moreif you have never been here before and just want to try the fish fry, it may be difficult to find where to go. The church is huge and they have no signs around to direct people on where to go. I will leave a step by step photo map that may help folks. They are open for fish fry lunch and dinner so that makes it very convenient. The fish combo is $9, includes a fish sandwich and fries. The sandwich alone is $7 so the combo is worth it. They also have a shrimp combo, a plate of fries, pizza, Mac n cheese, slaw, and a side salad(for $2). The fish is not mushy, battered in a nice beer batter, and is very big. The service can be slow, but they are all volunteers, so it's not really important. I enjoy this place for their fish fry, now that I know how to get in!

What a warm and welcoming congregation!…read more The sanctuary is lovely, featuring beautiful wood and stunning stained glass. The congregation seems to enjoy singing, and there were lots of opportunities to do that in the service. The church is located across from a lovely stream, and I saw a fly fisherman returning to his car parked across the street. It appears that the building is often used by community groups during the week.

I attended a funeral service at this church. The church itself is beautiful. It is very peaceful…read more There are two huge stained glass windows-one on each side of the church. Above the alter area there are 2 skylights which really bring in a lot of light. The Priest was wonderful! He did an excellent job. He is well spoken and very kind. There was also a choir and their singing was lovely. I could have listened to them all day. It brought peace to all of us. I would like to go back to this church for a regular mass to see what that is like. As we were leaving they were putting up a tent for a carnival. I like family friendly events. Sometimes they can be hard to find. I'm sure they offer more than what I experienced today but today was very nice.

Come join us!!! I have been a member of this parish for going on 9 years! The people are so…read morewelcoming, we have CCD for the children, BYOB for young adults, a wonderful music ministry and you will definitely feel the Presence of our Lord !!! See u soon

Lovely, intimate, sanctuary with a warm and welcoming congregation…read more They often host musical and community events. I recently attended a free Bach concert in their sanctuary and a reception that followed in their social hall. The church was packed, but volunteers moved quickly to add folding chairs and make sure everyone was comfortable. I have to praise the way they have become a wonderful community resource.

My family and I love hosting parties in their activity room. It's a beautiful and open space. They…read morehave plenty of chairs and folding tables and full kitchen. This was our third event here and this once again proved to be the perfect venue!

A welcoming and loving Maronite community! Merci Abouna and parishioners for making us feel so a…read morepart at Qorbono and at the Festival. We were blessed to be here the whole weekend! May God continue to bless you all!

Wow ! One of the best temples in USA ! This place has a very special vibe and we all enjoy coming…read morehere .. going here is almost like going to Thirumala Tirupathi where we cross 7 mountains ! Parking can get a little crowded on weekends and special days .. Just love the ambience and positivity in this temple . The main Venkateswara deity is sinilar to India Tirupathi vigraha.. the wedding hall is good. Canteen is really good. They have good quality food. Lots of events happening all around the year . Super good overall.

Since my last visit here, which was prior to Covid, the temple has been enlarged, and has a new…read moregrand entrance. I enjoyed visiting, and walking around the temple, and I saw people taking pictures inside the temple, which I thought wasn't allowed, but since they were doing it, I thought the rules had changed. So I snapped a few photos, and a gentleman came up and told me that I was not allowed to take photos in that area. Later on, I saw more people snapping photos in a different area, and I asked someone if it was allowed, and he told me that YES, it was only allowed in that specific area, so I snapped a few selfies there, when all of a sudden, an armed security guard yelled at me . . . "NO PHOTOS!!!" I said to him that other people were taking pictures here, and they said I could, and he just snapped at me, and yelled "NO PHOTOS, You've been warned twice!!!" What a way to harsh my mellow. I decided to just leave . . . it wasn't the excellent experience I had at my last visit . . . meh. P.S. This temple is celebrating 50 years in 2026 ... Happy 50th!!!