About Christ the King · Kansas City, Missouri
Christ the King is a Catholic parish in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph, located at 8510 Wornall Road in the Waldo/south Kansas City area. Established in 1938, the parish grew from 17 founding families into a large community anchored by a school for decades, and is today known for its strong commitment to traditional Catholic liturgy — including a weekly Traditional Latin Mass and Perpetual Adoration. It is currently served by Fr. Gregory J. Lockwood (Parochial Administrator since 2011) and Fr. Lou Farley (Parochial Vicar since 2021), with music director Dr. Sujin Yoon leading a Sanctuary Choir that sings chant and polyphony at the Sunday 8:00 AM Mass.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- Christ the King
- Rector
- Fr. Gregory J. Lockwood (Parochial Administrator, appointed July 2011)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph
Why belong here
Christ the King is a parish with deep south Kansas City roots (since 1938) that today combines that heritage with a strong traditional Catholic identity — a weekly Traditional Latin Mass, Perpetual Adoration (keycard access off hours), a Sanctuary Choir singing Gregorian and English chant to modern polyphony, and a pastor and parochial vicar who know their people by name. Practical outreach runs through the LIFE Center Food Pantry, the Women's Ministry, Team Martha church-cleaning volunteers, an active Adult Choir, and altar servers for the Latin Mass. For a Catholic looking for reverent liturgy, Eucharistic devotion, and a welcoming Waldo-area parish family, Christ the King offers both tradition and tangible community.
Mass times at Christ the King
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
- Monday–Friday: 7:00 AM to 7:30 AM
- Monday–Friday: 11:00 AM to 11:50 AM
- Saturday: 3:00 PM
- Private confessions may be scheduled by calling the parish office
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration — keycard required for access during off hours
History of Christ the King Parish
Christ the King was established in 1938 and has served south Kansas City ever since. Fr. Thomas J. Connelly organized the parish with 17 founding families; the first Mass was celebrated on the Feast of Christ the King, October 30, 1938, in a rented storeroom northeast of 85th and Holmes. The parish's identity is inseparable from that feast day — and from the resilience of parishioners who rebuilt the church themselves after a 1943 fire.
- 1938: Parish established; first Mass on Feast of Christ the King, Oct 30, 1938
- 1941: Lot with house purchased at 85th and Wornall from T. Eugene Crawford
- 1943 (May 24): Original mission-style church and rectory destroyed by fire
- 1943 (Dec 19): Rebuilt church blessed by Bishop Edwin O'Hara
- 1945: School opens in divided church basement with 46 children
- 1946: New school building (4 classrooms + office) ready at cost of $68,000
- 1952 (Nov 9): Ground broken for the present church on Wornall Road under Msgr. Arthur Tighe
- 1960: Rectory built (July)
- 1965: Gymnasium and cafeteria added to the school (March)
- 1966: Church air conditioned (late summer)
- 1985: Convent renovated — half became an apartment, half became the LIFE Center (today the Food Pantry)
- 2004: Fr. David Holloway becomes pastor (July)
- 2005: 'Cool The Kids' campaign installs A/C and electrical upgrades at school
- 2011: Fr. Gregory J. Lockwood appointed Parochial Administrator (July)
- 2013–14: Christ the King Catholic School (68 years) closes at end of academic year
Our Clergy & Staff
Christ the King is currently served by a Parochial Administrator and a Parochial Vicar, supported by parish secretary Mayra Campos and Music Director Dr. Sujin Yoon. The pastor is a priest of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis who came to the parish in 2011 with a ministry focused on restoring traditional Catholic liturgy.
- Fr. Gregory J. Lockwood — Parochial Administrator; priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis; ordained 1988; married convert and former Lutheran pastor who entered Catholic priesthood through the Pastoral Provision of St. John Paul II; former seminary professor at the archdiocesan seminary in St. Louis and at Holy Apostles College and Seminary.
- Fr. Lou Farley — Parochial Vicar since May 2021; ordained in the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph on May 28, 2011; previously assigned to St. John Francis Regis, St. Munchin (Cameron, MO), St. Aloysius (Maysville), St. Rose of Lima (Savannah), St. Patrick (Forest City), and St. Joseph Hospital in Kansas City; Cardinals and Blues fan.
- Dr. Sujin Yoon — Music Director; born and raised in South Korea; M.M. in Organ Performance from Westminster Choir College (Princeton, NJ) and M.M./D.M.A. in Church Music and Organ from the University of Kansas; serves as organist and teaches chant.
Music & Liturgy
Christ the King's Music Director Dr. Sujin Yoon leads a Sanctuary Choir that sings for the 8:00 AM Sunday Mass. The repertoire ranges from Gregorian and English chant to modern polyphony, and the choir sings from the weekend after Labor Day through the Feast of Corpus Christi, plus Solemnities, Holy Days, and the Sacred Triduum.
- Sanctuary Choir (Adult Choir) — Sundays 8:00 AM
- Gregorian and English chant, modern polyphony
- Choir season: weekend after Labor Day through Corpus Christi
- Also sings Solemnities, Holy Days, and the Sacred Triduum
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Christ the King's ministries emphasize both liturgical service and hands-on outreach to neighbors in need. The LIFE Center Food Pantry traces its roots to a 1985 convent renovation, and the parish offers several ways for adults and families to get involved.
- Food Pantry (LIFE Center)
- Women's Ministry
- Team Martha — church cleaning volunteers; contact Joan via the parish office
- Adult Choir / Sanctuary Choir
- Altar Servers — adult men and boys of First Communion age serving the Traditional Latin Mass; contact [email protected]
- Ushers — greeters, collection, bulletins, and post-Mass church care
Parish School
Christ the King Catholic School opened in the fall of 1945 with 46 children meeting in three classrooms divided out of the church basement. By fall 1946 a purpose-built school (four classrooms and an office) was ready at a cost of $68,000. The school expanded steadily through the 1960s under Msgr. Vincent Kearney, peaked at 925 students in 1958, and grew under later pastors with new gym restrooms, a computer lab, a hot-lunch cafeteria, and A/C installed in 2005 under the 'Cool The Kids' campaign. After 68 years of operation, declining enrollment and falling parish collections forced the parish to close the school at the end of the 2013–14 academic year, though the infant–toddler center and Montessori preschool continued.
- Opened 1945 with 46 children in church basement
- Purpose-built school ready fall 1946 (4 classrooms + office; $68,000)
- 925 students enrolled in 1958 alongside 2,029 Catholic children in the parish
- Gymnasium and cafeteria added 1965; A/C installed 2005
- Closed at end of 2013–14 academic year after 68 years
- Infant–toddler center and Montessori preschool continued
Contact & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach Christ the King by phone, email, or in person. The parish office is open weekday mornings; the church is otherwise open for scheduled Masses, confessions, and Perpetual Adoration.
- Address: 8510 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114
- Phone: 816-363-4888
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM; Fri 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM; closed Sat/Sun
- Email: [email protected] (pastor), [email protected] (parochial vicar), [email protected] (secretary)
- Website: https://ctkkcmo.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Thomas J. Connelly1938–c. early 1940s
First pastor; conducted the original census of 17 families and celebrated the parish's first Mass on the Feast of Christ the King, October 30, 1938.
- Msgr. Arthur Tighe1952–c. 1958
Purchased additional property and broke ground on November 9, 1952 for the new church at the present Wornall Road location.
- Msgr. Vincent Kearney1958–
Shepherded a growing parish of 2,029 Catholic children and 2,457 adult Catholics; oversaw school additions, the 1960 rectory, and the 1965 gymnasium/cafeteria; air conditioning installed 1966.
- Fr. William Bauman1984–
Came to a parish of 2,280 registered parishioners and 385 school students; oversaw the 1985 convent renovation that created the LIFE Center (today the Food Pantry).
- Fr. Mancuso1992–1993
Brief one-year assignment.
- Fr. John Weiss1993–
Renovations included new gym restrooms, a computer lab, and a hot-lunch cafeteria.
- Fr. David HollowayJuly 2004–
Led the 'Cool The Kids' campaign that installed A/C and upgraded electrical service at the school in summer 2005.
- Fr. Gregory J. LockwoodJuly 2011–present
Parochial Administrator; led the restoration of traditional Catholic liturgy at Christ the King.