About Christ the King · Abingdon, Virginia
Christ the King is a Roman Catholic parish in Abingdon, Virginia, in the Diocese of Richmond. Founded in 1983, it serves the city of Abingdon and parts of Washington County in far southwest Virginia, and is pastored together with its associated parish, St. John the Evangelist in Marion. The parish offers daily and Sunday Mass in English, Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, regular confession times, a Social Outreach Committee that coordinates a number of local and international service projects, and access to FORMED, the Catholic on-demand faith formation platform.
- Established
- 1983
- Patron
- Christ the King (Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe)
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher Masla (Fr. Chris)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond (Deanery 14)
Why belong here
Christ the King offers the full rhythm of Catholic parish life in a small, mission-style setting: daily Mass four days a week plus a Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and steady confession times on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons. The parish's Social Outreach Committee — open to new members — runs a wide network of ministries, from Faith in Action, Crossroads Medical Mission and Meals-on-Wheels locally to long-standing commitments to Jose's Village in Mexico and a Haiti Outreach, so parishioners can grow in faith while serving both their Washington County neighbors and communities abroad. Worshippers also have access to FORMED for Catholic Bible studies, family films and sacramental prep resources, and Fr. Chris publishes his weekend homilies as a podcast (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music).
Mass times at Christ the King
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- A half hour before each daily Mass
- Communal Reconciliation Service during Advent and Lent (evening, with several priests)
Adoration times
- Thursdays 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM (following the 8:00 AM Mass, until 9:00 PM per the diocese listing)
Welcome and Parish Identity
Christ the King is one of two Catholic parishes in a cluster served by a single pastor — the other being St. John the Evangelist in Marion — within the Diocese of Richmond. The parish serves Abingdon, Virginia and the surrounding part of Washington County along the I-81 corridor at Exit 19, with daily and Sunday Mass in English and a small but active mission community feel. Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed on the parish website by Fr. Chris Masla, who also invites them to register in the parish.
- Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Richmond, Deanery 14
- Part of a two-parish cluster with St. John the Evangelist in Marion, Smyth County
- Located on E. Main Street (US-11), Exit 19 off I-81
History of Christ the King
The Catholic community in Abingdon began as a mission of St. John the Evangelist in Marion, which itself had been founded in 1952 by Cardinal Francis Spellman as a mission of St. Mary Mother of God in Wytheville. The community took the name Christ the King in April 1975, was given its own Administrator in February 1983, and dedicated its new church building in May 1983. It has been led by a succession of pastors since then and currently includes the parish in the same pastoral cluster as St. John the Evangelist.
- 1974: Southwest Virginia parishes transferred from Diocese of Wheeling to Diocese of Richmond
- 1974: Rev. Daniel Bain appointed Pastor of St. John and the Abingdon mission
- April 1975: Abingdon community adopts the name Christ the King
- 7 May 1983: Dedication of the new Christ the King Church in Abingdon
- 31 May 1983: Rev. Carl DeSouza formally appointed first Pastor
Parish Staff and Leadership
Pastoral and administrative leadership at Christ the King is shared with St. John the Evangelist in Marion. The pastor, an office manager, a bookkeeper, and a finance council chair make up the published team; the parish office keeps regular Tuesday–Friday hours and can be reached by phone or email for all routine parish business.
- Rev. Chris Masla — Pastor (Fr. Chris)
- Adam Brock — Office Manager
- William O'Shea — Bookkeeper for Christ the King & St. John the Evangelist
- Michael Robinson — Finance Council Chair
Social Outreach
An active Social Outreach Committee coordinates a diverse set of local, regional and international ministries under the leadership of contact Jo Ann Detta. The committee meets three or four times a year to plan, evaluate and welcome new members, while individual ministries are run by their own coordinators.
- Faith in Action
- Haiti Outreach
- Jose's Village — food and supplies to 15 small villages in Mexico, founded by parishioner Jose Olguin
- Christmas for FIA Families
- Crossroads Medical Mission
- Meals-on-Wheels
- Good Ness Jail & Prison Ministry
Faith Formation and FORMED
Parishioners are offered free access to FORMED, the Catholic on-demand platform, with Bible studies, family films, sacramental prep resources and children's programming. Registration is by parish zip code (24354) on the FORMED website, allowing the parish cluster to appear as the home community.
- FORMED — Catholic Faith. On Demand.
- Sign up at formed.org/signup with parish zip code 24354
- Resources for small-group Bible study, family movies, children and sacramental prep
Homilies and Online Media
Fr. Chris Masla's weekend homilies are made available as a podcast so parishioners can listen at home, in the car or on the go. Subscriptions are offered through the major podcast platforms.
- Spotify
- Apple Podcasts
- Amazon Music
Sacraments
Christ the King celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, with Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick and Matrimony all available through the parish office and by appointment with the pastor. Inquiries about Holy Orders are directed to the Diocese of Richmond vocations office.
- Baptism — celebrated by appointment; parents take a Baptism Preparation Class
- Eucharist — daily and Sunday Mass; First Communion preparation for 2nd-grade students
- Confirmation — preparation typically begins in 9th grade with the sacrament in 10th
- Reconciliation — Thursday and Saturday schedule; by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — celebrated any time on request
- Matrimony — preparation begins at least one year before the ceremony
Visit, Contact and Pastoral Territory
The parish sits on East Main Street in Abingdon (Exit 19 off I-81) with a P.O. Box mailing address and a regular Tuesday–Friday office schedule. The Diocese of Richmond lists Christ the King as parish #515, deanery 14, with pastoral boundaries covering the city of Abingdon and a defined portion of Washington County.
- 820 E. Main Street, Abingdon, VA 24210
- Mailing: P.O. Box 1201, Abingdon, VA 24212
- Phone: (276) 628-2941
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, noon – 5:00 PM
- Associated parish: St. John the Evangelist, Marion, VA
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Daniel Bain (6)10 December 1974 –
Appointed Pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Marion and the Abingdon mission.
- Rev. Carl DeSouza (7)28 February 1983 (Administrator) / 31 May 1983 (Pastor)
Led the 7 May 1983 dedication of the new Christ the King Church in Abingdon.
- Rev. Leo Cervantes (8)29 May 1985 –
Appointed Pastor.
- Rev. Kenneth Stofft26 August 1988 –
Appointed Administrator.
- Rev. Robert Krenik (9)30 May 1989 –
Appointed Pastor.
- Rev. Paul Maier (10)1 September 2003 –
Appointed Pastor; moved the pastor's residence to Abingdon during his tenure.
- Rev. Francis Xavier Musolooza (11)1 July 2012 –
Appointed Pastor.
- Rev. Rolo B. Castillo (12)1 August 2022 – June 2023
Appointed Pastor.
- Rev. Chris Masla1 July 2023 – present
Current pastor; also serves as Pastor of associated parish St. John the Evangelist in Marion.