About Church of the Resurrection (St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish) · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Saint Teresa of Kolkata Parish is a Roman Catholic faith community in the Beechview and Brookline neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, formed on July 1, 2019 by the merger of five former parishes under the Diocese of Pittsburgh's 'On Mission for The Church Alive!' initiative. The parish celebrates the Eucharist at three of the five former church buildings — St. Catherine of Siena in Beechview, Church of the Resurrection in Brookline, and St. Pius X in Brookline — and serves a multilingual congregation with weekend Masses offered in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The Church of the Resurrection, located at 1100 Creedmoor Avenue, is the parish's Brookline worship site and the historic heart of the Resurrection congregation, which traces its roots to 1909.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- Saint Teresa of Kolkata (the merged parish); the Church of the Resurrection itself is dedicated to the Resurrection of the Lord
- Rector
- Rev. Fernando Torres, LC
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Saint Teresa of Kolkata Parish welcomes worshippers at three historic churches — St. Catherine of Siena (Beechview), the Church of the Resurrection (Brookline), and St. Pius X (Brookline) — making it easy to find a Mass in your neighborhood. The parish is intentionally multilingual, with a Sunday Mass in Spanish and a twice-monthly Mass in Portuguese alongside the regular English schedule, and a full faith-formation program for children and adults in both English and Spanish. Active groups like the Women's Guild, the Catholic Book Club, Teresa's Table community dinners, GriefShare, and parish-wide outreach through the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Ladies of Charity, the Brookline and St. Catherine food pantries, the Wednesday Night Table (part of Community 341), and Operation Safety Net give parishioners concrete ways to live their faith beyond Sunday Mass.
Mass times at Church of the Resurrection (St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 7:15 AM – 7:45 AM, Church of the Resurrection
- Wednesday 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM, St. Pius X
- Saturday 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM, St. Catherine of Siena
Adoration times
- St. Catherine of Siena: 1st Friday of the month, after 8:45 AM Mass until 10:00 AM (unless there is a funeral)
- St. Pius X: Last Wednesday of the month, after 7:00 PM Mass until 8:00 PM
- Church of the Resurrection: First Saturday of the month, after 8:00 AM Mass until 9:15 AM
- Thursday in June 2026: Eucharistic Adoration at Resurrection Church, Brookline at 7:00 PM
About Saint Teresa of Kolkata Parish
Saint Teresa of Kolkata Parish is a Roman Catholic faith community in the Beechview and Brookline neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was formed on July 1, 2019 by the merger of five former parishes — Resurrection, Our Lady of Loretto, and St. Pius X (Brookline), and St. Pamphilus and St. Catherine of Siena (Beechview) — and is served today by three priests and several deacons. The parish celebrates the Eucharist at three of the five former church buildings: St. Catherine of Siena, Church of the Resurrection, and St. Pius X. The parish is bilingual (English/Spanish) and also offers a monthly Portuguese Mass.
History of the Church of the Resurrection
The Resurrection congregation was officially established on May 25, 1909, made possible by the 1904 opening of the Mt. Washington Streetcar Tunnel which opened the South Hills to commuter growth. The first parish Mass was celebrated May 30, 1909 in a rented storeroom. In June 1909 construction began on a combined church-and-school building (cornerstone laid September 19, 1909), with the first Mass in the new basement sanctuary celebrated March 27, 1910. The school grew through additions in 1912, 1923–24, and 1928. By the late 1930s the parish had outgrown the basement church; ground was broken for a new, free-standing church on April 25, 1938 and the building was dedicated February 13, 1939. The original building was converted to a gym (and later, in 1953, into four classrooms). The 1939 church was renovated in 1955 and 1984. Like many urban parishes, Resurrection saw declining Mass attendance and fewer available priests in the early 21st century, leading Bishop David Zubik to announce the 'On Mission for The Church Alive!' initiative on April 12, 2015. After several years of shared clergy, staff, and a joint bulletin with neighboring parishes, Resurrection officially merged with Our Lady of Loretto, St. Pius X, St. Pamphilus, and St. Catherine of Siena to form the new Saint Teresa of Kolkata Parish on July 1, 2019. Resurrection Church remains open as one of the new parish's three worship sites.
- Established May 25, 1909
- Land purchased May 3, 1909
- First Mass: May 30, 1909 in a rented storeroom
- Cornerstone of combined church/school: September 19, 1909
- First Mass in new basement church: March 27, 1910
- School expansions: 1912, 1923–24, 1928, 1957
- New church groundbreaking: April 25, 1938
- Current church dedicated: February 13, 1939
- Church renovations: 1955 and 1984
- Merged into Saint Teresa of Kolkata Parish: July 1, 2019
Architecture & Buildings
The current Resurrection church, designed by architect William P. Hutchins, was completed in 1939 and is described as a streamlined modernist Gothic structure — a sumptuous Gothic interior set behind a starkly simple exterior, with the main entrance recessed deep into the facade and elaborate Gothic tracery and inscription that only reveal themselves up close. The original combined church-and-school building next door (likely designed by John T. Comès, the documented architect of its 1912 addition) was renovated in stages and now operates as a retirement home called Creedmoor Court.
- 1939 church designed by William P. Hutchins
- 1909 combined church-and-school building (architect likely John T. Comès)
- Original sanctuary was in the basement of the 1909 school building for 29 years
- Adjacent former school now operates as Creedmoor Court retirement residence
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by Pastor Rev. James M. Bachner (with Fr. Fernando Torres, LC also listed as Pastor on the parish homepage), Parochial Vicars Rev. Gary W. Oehmler, Rev. Fernando Torres LC, and Rev. Carmen D'Amico, and Deacons Mark S. Bibro, Thomas J. O'Neill, Richard A. Longo, and Scott Potter. The parish also employs a Parish Business Manager, Faith Formation coordinators (English and Spanish), and a Safe Environment Coordinator.
- Rev. James M. Bachner, Pastor
- Rev. Gary W. Oehmler, Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Fernando Torres, LC, Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Carmen D'Amico, Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Mark S. Bibro
- Deacon Thomas J. O'Neill
- Deacon Richard A. Longo
- Deacon Scott Potter
- Parish Business Manager (412-531-2135 ext. 211)
- Safe Environment Coordinator: Patty Schwerin ([email protected], ext. 226)
Worship Sites
After the 2019 merger, the parish retains three of the five former church buildings as active worship sites.
- St. Catherine of Siena — 1810 Belasco Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15216 (Beechview) — Main Parish Office, ext. 210
- Church of the Resurrection — 1100 Creedmoor Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15226 (Brookline)
- St. Pius X — 3040 Pioneer Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15226 (Brookline) — ext. 226
Faith Formation
The parish runs a Faith Formation program for both children and adults, with parallel tracks in English and Spanish.
- Faith Formation for Children — ext. 220 (English), ext. 223 (Spanish)
- Faith Formation for Adults
Parish Ministries & Groups
Beyond the liturgy, the parish runs a wide range of ministries, fellowship groups, and outreach programs that connect parishioners to one another and to the wider community.
- Women's Guild
- The Catholic Book Club (e.g. monthly meetings at Creedmoor Court next to Resurrection Church)
- GriefShare
- FunFest (annual parish fundraiser)
- Prayer Line (call 412-531-2135 to submit or pray for requests)
- Safe Environment / Volunteer program
Outreach & Social Services
Outreach is a major part of parish life. St. Vincent de Paul and the Ladies of Charity serve neighbors in need; two food pantries serve the Brookline and Beechview communities; Teresa's Table and the Wednesday Night Table (part of Community 341) provide hot meals; and Operation Safety Net brings parishioners to serve Pittsburgh's homeless.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — 412-342-8836
- Ladies of Charity — contact via parish office 412-531-2135
- Brookline Food Bank — 1036 Brookline Boulevard, 2nd Saturday of each month, 9–11 AM
- St. Catherine Food Pantry — corner of Crosby & Pauline Avenues, 2nd & 4th Saturday of each month, 9:30–11 AM
- Teresa's Table community meals
- Wednesday Night Table (Community 341) — every Wednesday 5:00 PM at Saint Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church, Brookline
- Operation Safety Net
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh — 412-456-6999, www.ccpgh.org
- Beechview Manor — 1926 Pauline Avenue, 412-571-2999
- Creedmoor Court — 1100 Creedmoor Avenue, 412-344-1540
Sacraments
Information about the parish's celebration of the seven sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony) is available through the parish office.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- Marriage / Weddings — contact the parish office
- Reconciliation (Confession) — see Confession times
- Eucharist — see Mass times
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
Contact & Connect
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by phone, fax, email, or social media, and can stay informed through the weekly bulletin, parish calendar, and online prayer and formation opportunities.
- Parish Office: 412-531-2135 ext. 210
- Fax: 412-531-8543
- Email: [email protected]
- Resurrection site inbox: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/STK15216
- Twitter / X: @STKolkataPgh
- YouTube: youtube.com/c/SaintTeresaofKolkataParish
- Weekly bulletin and parish calendar posted on the parish website
- Zoom Rosary — Monday–Friday at 6:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James M. Bachner2015–2019 (as pastor of Resurrection Parish and the grouping); continued into St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish from 2019
In September 2015 the diocese called Fr. Bachner to take on Resurrection and St. Pamphilus in addition to parishes he already served, making him pastor of five distinct churches. He is listed as Pastor of the merged Saint Teresa of Kolkata Parish from its formation in 2019.