Millvale Apparition
From: Sally Cech (Mi7ce@aol.com) Story type: Ghost Location: Millvale, PA Source: Form Submission Date submitted: Sun Jan 6 06:14:10 2008
This story, of a ghostly priest in Saint Nicholas Croation Roman Catholic Church in Millvale Pa.is one of Alleghney County's most famous tales. An artist was hired in April of 1937 to paint a mural on the walls of the church. On the second night he was there he heard a sudden long sound come from the organ in the back of the church. On the fourth night he glanced at the alter below him and there was a figure of a man in black moving and raising his arms and making gestures in the air. The artist assumed it was the priest who hired him to paint the murals and dismissed the incident. Unfortunatly that was not the end of it.
On the eighth night at about midnight the specter appeared again. this time walking slowly down the main aisle of the church, mumbling rhythmically as if he was "praying". he paced the aisle for half and hour to an hour then vanished. This time the artist asked the priest if he had been in the church. The father had not- and had been asleep since nine that evening. The following nights the priest decided to come into the church and stay with the artist until quitting time. The following evening the priest verbally taunted the specter with a summons to appear. Soon the men heard knocks emananating from the back of the church. Soon after they saw an old man in black sitting in the fourth pew. He was there for a moment- then vanished! That night the priest also reported hearing knocks or clicks in his room.
As the artist continued his work the old man in black appeared again, this time moving down the aisle toward the alter where they saw him blow out the light of the eternal flame. In eight years that light had never been extinguished. The spector appeared throughout the job-for two months, usually around eleven or twelve midnight. Sometimes he would burn candles on the chandelier in front of the alter.
The haunting continues to this day. The current priest of St. Nicholas has said that his German Shepherds jump and bark furiosly aroung something leading to the front door of the church, and always around 11 o'clock. He refuses to enter the church after a certain hour.
It is believed that the spirit of the old priest haunts the church because he stole money from parishioners and neglected priestly duties and has returned to make amends. Whatever the case may be, should you find yourself in Millvale Pa. This is one church you may want to avoid. Sleep tight tonight!