The Pittsburgh Steelers are off to a very uncharacteristic 0-4 start this season. A rash of injuries has made it difficult for the Steelers to find a rhythm.

While panic might be taking over in Pittsburgh, a beacon of hope resonates from right here in the Brooklyn Diocese at Mary’s Nativity-St. Ann parish, Flushing.

If you walk into the rectory office of the parish’s pastor, Father Ed Kachurka, you’ll notice a Steelers’ magnetic schedule and a few other minor traces of the team.

However, Father Kachurka’s residence at Mary’s Nativity is a full-blown Pittsburgh Steelers’ fan cave – as the sign on the door makes perfectly clear.

Father Kachurka has to be one of the most devout Steelers’ fans in the diocese. In fact, he’s probably one of the biggest Steelers’ fans east of Pittsburgh.

But wait a minute, how could a kid who grew up in St. Rose of Lima parish, Parkville, be a Steelers’ fan instead of following the New York Giants or Jets?

Well, it was the mid-1960s, and a young Kachurka was sitting with his father and uncles watching football on television. He seemed to gain an immediate grasp of the sport, and the time came when his father and uncles asked him which team he would ultimately follow.

The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1960s were far from the powerhouse teams of the 1970s, but Kachurka liked the idea of following an underdog team – since even at a young age, he understood the idea of being an underdog.

The Steelers were playing in the game that Kachurka was watching, and he asked his family members about which team was the underdog.

“They (family members) said the Steelers are the doormat of the NFL, and I said ‘OK, that’s my team,’” Father Kachurka said.

His dad was an Oakland Raiders’ fan, while his younger brother started as a Dallas Cowboys’ fan and later converted to a Giants’ fan. But even so, Father Kachurka has stood by his team.

He proudly recalls his memories of the Steelers’ teams from the 1970s that won four Super Bowls: IX (1974), X (1975), XIII (1978) and XIV (1979). He was a huge fan of the famous “Steel Curtain” defense, and when he played football as a kid, he mostly played linebacker to emulate his hero.

“My favorite player of all-time is Jack Lambert,” Father Kachurka said about the Hall of Fame middle linebacker who spent 11 seasons in Pittsburgh. “The two jerseys I have with my name on it, I wear his number (58).”

Father Kachurka also has a personalized hat, mug and sneakers – all with his initials and the No. 58 inscribed. But those items merely scratch the surface of his collection.

His residence is complete with, but not limited to, the following items: Steelers’ blankets, hats, books, figurines, mini-helmets, coasters, bath mats, signs, curtains, “Terrible Towels,” a Steelers’ bedspread, a piece of turf from the old Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, a signed and framed Jerome “The Bus” Bettis jersey, and of course, his very own Pittsburgh Steelers’ yarmulke.

Most of these belongings were given to him as gifts, since his parishioners and former parishioners are well aware of the fact that he bleeds black and gold. He and his former parishioners still play tackle football every Thanksgiving – without equipment – and he’s pretty easy to spot, since he’s the one wearing an all-out Steelers’ uniform. This year’s game should wrap up in plenty of time for him to watch the Steelers take on the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving night.

Father Kachurka also subscribes to the Steelers’ newspaper and plays Fantasy Football with his team name as the Steelers. He even wore his Steelers’ jersey under his vestments while presiding at his cousin’s wedding Mass!

Each season, Father Kachurka tries to plan a weekend to attend a Steelers’ game in Pittsburgh. He also goes to the games at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J., when the Steelers visit the Giants or Jets. He’s already excited for the Steelers’ Oct. 13 matchup with the Jets at MetLife Stadium.

During the team’s recent Super Bowl runs, Father Kachurka’s favorite player has been strong safety Troy Polamalu, who is known as much for giving his all-out effort on every play as he is for his long, curly hair. The Steelers won Super Bowls XL (2005) and XLIII (2008) but came up just short to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV (2011).

“I can’t complain,” Father Kachurka said. “Three Super Bowls in six years and winning two out of three.”

While these Super Bowl memories are still fresh in his mind, Father Kachurka has been disappointed by the team’s 0-4 start – its first since 1968.

“(Quarterback Ben) Roethlisberger is missing a couple of key weapons,” he said. “He misses (Mike) Wallace (wide receiver who singed with the Miami Dolphins). They just seem out of sync.”

The only team in NFL history to ever start a season 0-4 and make the playoffs is the 1992 San Diego Chargers. The team rattled off 11 wins in its next 12 games to finish the year 11-5. Father Kachurka hopes that the Steelers can write their own chapter in NFL history this season.

“There’s plenty of season left,” he said. “It could happen. It’s possible.”

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio calls Father Kachurka the “Steelers priest,” and if the Steelers do make a late-season run, they certainly can count on Father Kachurka’s undying support. Luckily for him, there’s no need to adjust his Mass schedule if the Steelers happen to be playing in either the 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. Sunday game.

“The one advantage is here at St. Ann’s-Mary’s Nativity,” he said, “our last English Mass at St. Ann is at 10:15. The last English Mass here (Mary’s Nativity) is at 11:30. So either way, I’m fine, unless there’s a parish event.”

And if there happens to be a parish event any given Sunday, Father Kachurka is still covered.

“The great thing is, I can DVR it, and I’ll watch it later,” he said. “I just avoid anybody telling what the score of the game is!”