About Saint Joseph Church - Christ the King Parish · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Christ the King Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh formed on July 1, 2021 by the merger of four historic Lower Allegheny Valley parishes — Saint Joseph (O'Hara Township), Saint Scholastica (Aspinwall), Saint Juan Diego, and Saint Pio — under the leadership of its founding pastor, Rev. Dale E. DeNinno. The parish family now worships across six church buildings, with the parish administrative center located at the Saint Joseph campus at 342 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15215. Its roots go back to 1841, when the first Mass of what would become Saint Joseph Parish was celebrated in a Sharpsburg log cabin, and it carries on a long tradition of Catholic life, education, and service along the Allegheny River.
- Established
- 1845
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Dale E. DeNinno, MDiv
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Christ the King offers the rare combination of a deeply rooted Catholic history (dating to 1845) and the pastoral reach of a modern merged parish. Worshippers can choose from Mass celebrated in English across five church sites and in Korean at Saint John Cantius, attend weekday adoration on the first Thursday of every month, and send their children to Vacation Bible School or the parish-linked Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy. A wide range of active ministries — St. Vincent de Paul, Respect Life, Creation Care, Hope for Haiti, the Social Committee, Youth Ministry, and a Music Ministry that hosts concerts and choral vespers — gives parishioners concrete ways to live their faith and serve neighbors in the Allegheny Valley.
Mass times at Saint Joseph Church - Christ the King Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM (Saint Scholastica Church)
- Friday 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM (Saint Edward Church)
- Saturday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Saint Joseph Church)
Adoration times
- First Thursday of the month, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (location varies; check the parish calendar)
History of Saint Joseph Parish
Saint Joseph's roots run back to 1841, when the first Mass was offered in a log cabin on Fifth Street in Sharpsburg. The mission became a parish in 1845 under Blessed Father Francis Seelos, who is remembered as the first pastor. A small chapel was dedicated on Christmas Day 1847 on land donated by James Sharp; a larger brick-and-stone church followed in 1849, and in 1873–74 the present Gothic Revival Sharpsburg church was built around it, complete with buttresses and crenellations. After Madonna of Jerusalem's buildings were destroyed by fire in 1960, Bishop Wright directed Saint Joseph to relocate to O'Hara Township; the new church was dedicated on October 31, 1961 with 499 families enrolled and a parish school staffed by the Ursuline Sisters. The parish marked its sesquicentennial in 1995 with a new logo and a Mass concelebrated by Bishops Wuerl and Tobin.
- 1841 — First Mass in a Sharpsburg log cabin
- 1843 — Sharpsburg becomes a mission of St. Philomena's
- 1845 — Blessed Fr. Francis Seelos installed as first pastor
- 1847 — First chapel dedicated (20 x 30 ft) on land from James Sharp
- 1849 — Larger church completed by Fr. Gribbs
- 1869 — School and rectory built; Sisters of Mercy arrive
- 1873–74 — Current Gothic Revival church built around the old one
- 1960 — Relocation to O'Hara Twp. after Madonna of Jerusalem fire
- 1961 — New church dedicated Oct. 31; parish school opens
- 1995 — 150th anniversary celebrated
- 1997 — Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy founded
- 2009 — New church dedicated Oct. 18 under Fr. Thomas R. Miller
Becoming Christ the King Parish
In 2018 the Diocese of Pittsburgh grouped Saint Joseph with Saint Scholastica, Saint Juan Diego, and Saint Pio parishes into the Lower Allegheny Valley grouping under Fr. Dale DeNinno. Three years later, on July 1, 2021, those four parishes were canonically merged into a single entity: Christ the King Parish, with Saint Joseph Church in O'Hara serving as the administrative center. The merged parish preserves the historic worship sites of each founding community while sharing clergy, ministries, and parish life across the Allegheny Valley.
- 2018 — Lower Allegheny Valley grouping formed under Fr. Dale DeNinno
- July 1, 2021 — Christ the King Parish canonically established
- Saint Joseph Church (O'Hara) serves as the administrative center
- Mass schedule spans six church buildings
Clergy & Staff
Christ the King is led by Pastor Rev. Dale E. DeNinno, MDiv, who has shepherded the merged parish since its formation. He is assisted by Senior Parochial Vicar Rev. William P. Siple, STL; Rev. Jinjo Kim, who serves as Chaplain to the Korean Catholic Community; and Deacon Robert F. Wertz, Jr. Meredith Troyan is the Coordinator of Youth Ministry and a regular point of contact for parish programs such as Vacation Bible School.
- Rev. Dale E. DeNinno, MDiv — Pastor (ddeninnodiopitt.org)
- Rev. William P. Siple, STL — Senior Parochial Vicar (wsiplediopitt.org)
- Rev. Jinjo Kim — Chaplain to the Korean Catholic Community (jkimdiopitt.org)
- Deacon Robert F. Wertz, Jr. (rwertzdiopitt.org)
- Meredith Troyan — Coordinator of Youth Ministry ([email protected])
Worship Sites
The merged parish continues to celebrate Mass at multiple historic church buildings across the Allegheny Valley. Saint Joseph Church in O'Hara Township serves as the administrative center and primary weekend worship site; Saint Scholastica Church in Aspinwall and Saint Mary Church in Sharpsburg also host regular weekend Masses; Saint Edward Church in Blawnox offers an 8:00 AM Sunday Mass; and Saint John Cantius Church in Sharpsburg is home to the Korean Catholic Community's 11:00 AM Sunday Mass and a Thursday Korean Mass at 11:30 AM. Madonna of Jerusalem Church in Sharpsburg, the historic building Saint Joseph handed over in 1960, no longer hosts weekend Masses but remains part of the parish family.
- Saint Joseph Church — 342 Dorseyville Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15215 (O'Hara Twp.)
- Saint Scholastica Church — 309 Brilliant Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15215 (Aspinwall)
- Saint Mary Church — 211 Garnier St., Sharpsburg, PA 15215
- Saint Edward Church — 450 Walnut St., Pittsburgh, PA 15238 (Blawnox)
- Saint John Cantius Church — 6th & High Streets, Sharpsburg, PA 15215 (Korean Mass)
- Madonna of Jerusalem Church — 9th & Clay Streets, Sharpsburg, PA 15215
Catholic Schools & Formation
Christ the King Parish is closely tied to two parish-based schools. Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy (CDTCA), established in 1997 from the former Saint Scholastica School, serves as the regional elementary school for the parish family and offers a CDTCA Preschool. The Saint Joseph campus also hosts a preschool, and the parish runs Vacation Bible School each June for children ages 4 (by June 1) through 5th grade. Bishop David A. Zubik's words about Catholic schools — that they 'educate not just the mind, but the heart and spirit as well' — are highlighted on the parish's learning pages.
- Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy (CDTCA) — regional school founded 1997
- CDTCA Preschool
- Saint Joseph Preschool
- Vacation Bible School — June 15–19, 2026, 9:00 AM – Noon at Saint Joseph Church
- Youth Ministry Summer of Service camps
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Christ the King parishioners are invited to put faith into action through a robust set of ministries. The St. Vincent de Paul Society provides rental, food, and emergency assistance to neighbors in need; the Hope for Haiti Committee supports the people of Haiti, 'the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere'; the Respect Life Committee advances the Church's teaching on the sanctity of human life; and the Creation Care Team responds to Pope Francis' call in Laudato Si' to care for creation and the poor. The Social Committee organizes the annual Parish Picnic and Donut Sundays, while Youth Ministry runs service projects and two week-long Summer of Service camps where teens live out Christian discipleship.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Hope for Haiti Committee
- Respect Life Committee
- Creation Care Team (Laudato Si')
- Social Committee (Parish Picnic, Donut Sundays)
- Youth Ministry (service projects & Summer of Service camps)
- Music Ministry (concerts, choral vespers, special programs)
Music & Liturgy
The Music Ministry enhances worship at Christ the King and offers a slate of parish-wide musical events. Donations to the Music Ministry underwrite concerts, choral vespers, and other special programs throughout the year, supplementing the music provided at each weekend Mass.
- Music Ministry concerts
- Choral vespers
- Special liturgical music programs throughout the year
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for the sacraments of initiation and life. Families can register children for Confirmation online, and the parish office coordinates preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick. Reconciliation is offered three times each week at rotating parish sites, and Holy Communion is brought to the homebound by parish ministers.
- Baptism preparation
- Confirmation registration (online)
- Marriage preparation
- Reconciliation: Thu 6:30 PM, Fri 9:30 AM, Sat 11:30 AM
- Anointing of the Sick on request
Stay Connected
Christ the King Parish uses Flocknote to keep members informed about parish life, upcoming events, ministries, and emergency notifications. Anyone can sign up by texting CTKpgh to 84576. The parish also maintains active accounts on Facebook and Instagram, including a separate Instagram feed for Youth Ministry (@ctk_pgh_ym), and publishes a digital bulletin with announcements and the full Mass schedule.
- Flocknote — text CTKpgh to 84576
- Parish Facebook page
- Parish Instagram — @ctk_pgh
- Youth Ministry Instagram — @ctk_pgh_ym
- Digital bulletin on the parish website
- 'Feeding Your Faith' monthly email for adults and families
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Blessed Fr. Francis Seelos1845
First pastor of Saint Joseph Parish (now Blessed; the cause for canonization has long been associated with the Redemptorists of the Pittsburgh area).
- Father Gribbs1849
Dedicated the second, larger Saint Joseph church in Sharpsburg.
- Father Kearney1869
Built a school and rectory; welcomed the Sisters of Mercy to staff the school.
- Fr. Joyce1960s
Led groundbreaking for the school building and temporary church; oversaw the move of Saint Joseph from Sharpsburg to O'Hara Township.
- Fr. Jack Price1984–1986
Established a Financial Advisory Board; registered 558 families; began plans to renovate the church. Killed in a flash flood on May 30, 1986, shortly after his 25th jubilee of priesthood.
- Fr. Walter Dworak1986
Completed church renovations; built a picnic pavilion and installed playground equipment on the church grounds.
- Fr. James Bedillion2000
Replaced the Parish Council with a Pastoral Council; formed the Exploratory Committee to build a new church.
- Fr. Thomas R. Miller2003
Appointed pastor September 29, 2003; formed the Building Committee and hired Brenenborg Brown Group as architects; new church dedicated October 18, 2009.
- Rev. Dale E. DeNinno2018–present
Led the Lower Allegheny Valley grouping from 2018 and has served as pastor of the merged Christ the King Parish since its canonical formation on July 1, 2021.