About Madonna of Jerusalem Church - Christ the King Parish · Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania
Madonna of Jerusalem Church is one of six worship sites of Christ the King Parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, located at 9th and Clay Streets in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1904 as an Italian nationality parish to serve the growing Italian-speaking Catholic community along the Allegheny River, it is the only parish in the United States named after the Madonna of Jerusalem. After a 1960 fire, the parish merged into the nearby St. Joseph Church complex; the original Madonna church was eventually torn down in 1979 and a new catechetical center named after Pope John Paul I was built on the site. Madonna of Jerusalem Church was merged into Christ the King Parish on July 1, 2021, and as of late 2022 has been closed to the public for structural repairs.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- Madonna of Jerusalem (Our Lady of Jerusalem)
- Rector
- Rev. Dale E. DeNinno, MDiv
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Madonna of Jerusalem Church carries the unique heritage of being the only Catholic parish in the United States named after the Madonna of Jerusalem, with roots in the Italian immigrant community of the early 1900s. As part of Christ the King Parish, it joins a multi-site Catholic community along the Allegheny River that celebrates Mass in both English and Korean, supports a vibrant Music Ministry, runs a Youth Ministry with week-long Summer of Service camps, and serves neighbors through the St. Vincent de Paul Society, a Hope for Haiti Committee, a Respect Life Committee and a Creation Care Team inspired by Laudato Si'. Worshippers here belong to a parish that honors its immigrant past while actively reaching out to the poor and the earth today.
Mass times at Madonna of Jerusalem Church - Christ the King Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 9:30–10:00 AM (Madonna of Jerusalem Church)
- Saturday 11:30 AM–12:00 PM (Saint Joseph Church, O'Hara)
- Thursday 6:30–7:00 PM (Saint Joseph Church, O'Hara)
Adoration times
- First Thursday of the Month (location per parish calendar)
History of Madonna of Jerusalem
Founded in 1904 as an Italian nationality parish to serve Sharpsburg's Italian-speaking Catholics, Madonna of Jerusalem Parish is the only Catholic parish in the United States named after the Madonna of Jerusalem. The original building was a former Presbyterian church purchased on July 29, 1904 and dedicated on September 11, 1904. After a 1960 fire and a sweeping reorganization of Sharpsburg's Catholic parishes under Bishop John Wright, the parish absorbed the historic St. Joseph territory and worship moved into the 1873 St. Joseph Church, while the original Madonna church was eventually demolished in 1979.
- Founded 1904 as an Italian nationality parish
- Original building purchased July 29, 1904; dedicated September 11, 1904
- 1922: new altars installed and steeple removed
- 1946: extensive renovation (new pews, windows, statues, confessionals, altars, entry, vestibule)
- February 1960: major fire damaged the church
- 1960: Bishop John Wright transferred St. Joseph parish to O'Hara Township and gave its building to Madonna of Jerusalem
- October 1979: original Madonna church demolished for a senior citizens' highrise
- 1979: Pope John Paul I Catechetical and Pastoral Center dedicated
- 1986–88: post-Vatican II renovation
- July 1, 2021: merged into Christ the King Parish
Christ the King Parish Today
Since July 1, 2021 Madonna of Jerusalem Church has been one of six worship sites of Christ the King Parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, a multi-site Catholic community spanning Sharpsburg, Aspinwall, O'Hara Township and Blawnox along the Allegheny River. The parish's administrative center is at 342 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15215, with parish-wide ministries and a clergy team led by Pastor Rev. Dale E. DeNinno.
- Saint Edward Church (Blawnox), 450 Walnut Street, Pittsburgh PA 15238 — Sunday 8:00 a.m.
- Saint John Cantius Church (Sharpsburg), 6th and High Streets — Sunday 11:00 a.m. (Korean Mass)
- Saint Joseph Church (O'Hara), 342 Dorseyville Road — Saturday Vigil 4:00 p.m.; Sunday 9:00 & 11:00 a.m.
- Madonna of Jerusalem Church (Sharpsburg), 9th and Clay Streets — no weekend Masses scheduled (currently closed for structural repairs as of Nov 30, 2022)
- Saint Mary Church (Sharpsburg), 211 Garnier Street — Sunday 11:30 a.m.
- Saint Scholastica Church (Aspinwall), 309 Brilliant Avenue — Saturday Vigil 5:00 p.m.; Sunday 9:30 a.m.
Clergy & Staff
Christ the King Parish is led by a small team of priests and deacons serving all six worship sites, including Madonna of Jerusalem Church.
- Rev. Dale E. DeNinno, MDiv — Pastor
- Rev. William P. Siple, STL — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Jinjo Kim — Chaplain to the Korean Catholic Community
- Deacon Robert F. Wertz, Jr.
- Meredith Troyan — Faith Formation / Sacramental Preparation contact ([email protected])
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Christ the King Parish supports a broad range of ministries that parishioners at Madonna of Jerusalem Church are invited to join, from liturgical music to youth service and care for the poor and the earth.
- Music Ministry — concerts, choral vespers and special programs
- Youth Ministry Social Outreach — service projects feeding the hungry and clothing the naked; two week-long Summer of Service camps
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — rental, food and emergency assistance to neighbors in need
- Hope for Haiti Committee — supporting our brothers and sisters in Haiti
- Respect Life Committee — advancing the sanctity of all human life
- Creation Care Team — responding to Pope Francis' call in Laudato Si'
- Social Committee — Parish Picnic and Donut Sundays
Sacraments & Faith Formation
Sacramental preparation is coordinated parish-wide at Christ the King Parish. Parents register children for Confirmation classes held on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, or through their Catholic school, with sacramental preparation workshops and retreats scheduled throughout the year.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- Confirmation — registration via the parish website; classes Tue/Wed/Thu plus Catholic-school track
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Sacramental preparation workshops and retreats
- Baptismal certificates from St. Joseph, St. Juan Diego, St. Pio, St. Scholastica or any Diocese of Pittsburgh parish do not need to be resubmitted
Stay Connected
Parishioners and visitors can keep up with Christ the King Parish through social media, the digital bulletin and Flocknote email/text alerts.
- Parish Instagram: @ctk_pgh
- Youth Ministry Instagram: @ctk_pgh_ym
- Parish Facebook
- Flocknote — text CT to 84576 for parish news and emergency notifications
- Digital Bulletin (online)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bonaventure Piscopo1904–1908
Founding pastor at dedication on September 11, 1904.
- Fr. Carmine Falcone1908–1945
- Fr. Joseph Farina1945–1958
- Fr. Richard Paluce1959–1959
- Fr. Dominic Olivieri1959–1969
Served during the 1960 fire and the merger with St. Joseph parish.
- Fr. Dario Gelati1969–1969
- Fr. Michael Vecchio1969–1996
Long-tenured pastor; oversaw 1979 demolition of original church and construction of Pope John Paul I Center.
- Fr. Andrew Fischer1996–2007
- Fr. Frank D. Almade2007–2009
Last pastor before the parish was merged into Christ the King Parish in 2021.