About St. Athanasius / Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish · West View, Pennsylvania
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is a combined Catholic parish in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, formed on July 1, 2020, from the merger of four historic parishes: Saint Athanasius in West View (est. 1907), Incarnation of the Lord in Observatory Hill/Perry North (1993), Saint Sebastian in Ross Township (1952), and Saint Teresa of Avila in Perrysville (1867). All four church buildings remain in active use, with Saint Athanasius Church continuing to serve its West View congregation at 7 Chalfonte Avenue. The parish belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and is led today by Father John R. Rushofsky as pastor, with daily Mass, devotions, faith formation, evangelization and outreach ministries coordinated across the four worship sites.
- Established
- 1907
- Patron
- Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
- Rector
- Rev. John R. Rushofsky, MEd
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish invites Catholics in the North Hills to a single, combined community rooted in four historic worship sites — including Saint Athanasius Church, the heart of West View since 1907. Parishioners can attend daily Mass at 8:30 a.m. at Saint Athanasius, pray the Miraculous Medal Novena on Tuesdays, gather for Bible study with Father Leroy DiPietro on Wednesday evenings, attend First Friday Adoration, and participate in faith formation for children and adults, RCIA, youth and young adult evangelization, and a parish-wide Evangelization Team. With four churches still in regular use, the parish offers both the intimacy of a neighborhood parish and the breadth of a larger Catholic family.
Mass times at St. Athanasius / Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confession is offered across the parish; consult the parish bulletin or website for the current schedule of times and locations at the four worship sites.
Adoration times
- First Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Saint Athanasius Church, with reflection, Benediction and Reposition at 2:45 p.m.
About Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish brings together four former North Hills parishes: Saint Athanasius in West View (est. 1907), Incarnation of the Lord in Observatory Hill/Perry North (1993), Saint Sebastian in Ross Township (1952), and Saint Teresa of Avila in Perrysville (1867). All four church buildings continue to be used. Father John R. Rushofsky, MEd, serves as pastor. The parish belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.
- Saint Athanasius Church (West View) — 7 Chalfonte Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15229
- Incarnation of the Lord Church (Perry North) — 4071 Franklin Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15214
- Saint Sebastian Church (Ross) — 311 Siebert Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
- Saint Teresa of Avila Church (Perrysville) — 1000 Avila Court, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
- Parish Center / Administrative Offices — 800 Avila Court, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
History of Saint Athanasius Parish
Saint Athanasius Parish was established on July 8, 1907 by Bishop Regis Canevin of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, with Father A.M. Yochum as its first pastor. The first Mass was offered on July 14, 1907 in a barn. A combined church-school-convent-rectory building was begun with the cornerstone laid June 28, 1908 and dedicated June 6, 1909. A separate rectory was added in 1924 and an annex for classrooms in 1928. The present church was built 1941–1943 under Father August Vogt and dedicated May 2, 1943; the original 1909 building was demolished in 1980. Father Tomas Lappan directed the construction of a new school in 1957. Stained glass windows were installed in the late 1950s, the sanctuary was remodeled in the 1960s, and a new organ was added in 1974. On July 1, 2020, Saint Athanasius merged with three neighboring parishes to form Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish.
- 1907 — Parish established July 8 by Bishop Regis Canevin
- 1907 — First Mass July 14, in a barn
- 1908 — Cornerstone laid June 28
- 1909 — First church-school building dedicated June 6
- 1924 — Rectory built
- 1928 — Classroom annex added
- 1941 — Ground broken for new church, July 22
- 1943 — Present church dedicated May 2 under Fr. August Vogt
- 1957 — New school built under Fr. Tomas Lappan
- 1950s — Stained glass windows installed
- 1960s — Sanctuary remodeled
- 1974 — New organ installed
- 1980 — Original 1909 building demolished
- July 1, 2020 — Merged into Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish
Clergy and Staff
The combined parish is served by a pastoral team of priests, deacons, faith formation staff, and office staff, all coordinated from the Parish Center at 800 Avila Court.
- Rev. John R. Rushofsky, MEd — Pastor
- Rev. Michael R. Ruffalo — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Michael J. Maranowski, MDiv
- Rev. Leroy A. DiPietro — Retired with an Assignment as Pastor
- Rev. William E. M. Homer — Parish Chaplain / Delegate for Retired Priests
- Deacon Gary L. Comer
- Deacon David R. Witter
- Deacon Robert E. Koskosky
- Deacon Cliff Homer — Pastoral Associate Clergy / Spiritual Advisor, Evangelization Team
- Will Reaves — Director of Faith Formation and Intergenerational Catechesis
- Amanda Rodriguez — Religious Education Associate
- Cecilia Anthony — Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Evangelization
- Trish Monroe, Denise Wagner, Gina Harms, Nancy Koslosky — Office / Membership staff
Mass and Service Schedule at Saint Athanasius Church
Saint Athanasius Church is one of four worship sites of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m.; Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 p.m.; and Sunday Mass at 9:00 a.m. Masses are livestreamed via the parish Facebook page.
- Monday–Friday — 8:30 a.m. (Saint Athanasius)
- Saturday Vigil — 5:00 p.m. (Saint Athanasius)
- Sunday — 9:00 a.m. (Saint Athanasius)
- Other parish Masses: Mon–Fri 12:00 noon (St. Sebastian); Saturday Vigil 4:00 p.m. (St. Teresa of Avila); Saturday Vigil 6:00 p.m. (St. Sebastian); Sunday 8:00 a.m. (Incarnation), 10:00 a.m. (St. Sebastian), 11:00 a.m. (St. Teresa of Avila)
Faith Formation and Sacraments
Faith Formation is led by Will Reaves (Director of Faith Formation and Intergenerational Catechesis) with Amanda Rodriguez (Religious Education Associate) and Cecilia Anthony (Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Evangelization). The parish prepares children and adults for the Sacraments of Initiation — Baptism, Reconciliation (normally in second grade), Eucharist, and Confirmation — and offers RCIA for unbaptized adults and non-Catholic Christians seeking full communion with the Catholic Church. Sacramental preparation for older children (ages 4–18) and adult Catholics who missed earlier sacraments is also available through the Faith Formation Office.
- First Reconciliation — normally in second grade
- First Eucharist (First Communion) — through Faith Formation
- Confirmation — through Faith Formation
- Baptism preparation — through Faith Formation Office
- Marriage preparation — through Faith Formation Office
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Sacramental preparation for older children (ages 4–18)
- Sacramental preparation for adult Catholics (Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation)
Evangelization and Vocations
The parish Evangelization Team — composed of parishioners and staff, with Deacon Cliff Homer as Spiritual Advisor and Jim DiCostanzo as a key contact — coordinates parish-wide efforts to share the Gospel and form missionary disciples. A parish Vocation Committee (Tom Dionise and Deacon Dave Witter) supports those discerning a call to the priesthood or diaconate; visitors can also be directed to PGHPriest.com for discernment resources.
- Evangelization Team contact — Jim DiCostanzo, 412-613-0423, [email protected]
- Spiritual Advisor — Deacon Cliff Homer
- Vocation Committee — Tom Dionise (412-364-7322) and Deacon Dave Witter
- Discernment resource — PGHPriest.com
On Mission for The Church Alive! and the 2020 Merger
In April 2015, Bishop David Zubik announced "On Mission for The Church Alive!", a diocesan-wide consultative strategic planning process. Following years of consultation, the Diocese announced in May 2020 that Saint Athanasius would merge with Incarnation of the Lord, Saint Sebastian and Saint Teresa of Avila. On July 1, 2020 the four parishes officially became Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, with Father John Rushofsky as its first pastor. All four church buildings remain in active use; combined staff was reduced from 66 employees to 36.
- April 12, 2015 — Bishop Zubik announces 'On Mission for The Church Alive!'
- May 2020 — Diocese announces planned merger
- July 1, 2020 — Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is officially formed
- All four former parish churches remain in regular use
- Staff reduced from 66 to 36 employees
Plan a Visit
Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed at Saint Athanasius Church, 7 Chalfonte Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15229 (West View). The Parish Center and administrative offices are at 800 Avila Court, Pittsburgh, PA 15237; phone 412-367-9001. Masses are livestreamed via the parish Facebook page, and the parish bulletin (linked from the website) carries the most up-to-date weekday and confession schedules.
- Saint Athanasius Church — 7 Chalfonte Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15229
- Parish Center / Admin Offices — 800 Avila Court, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
- Phone — 412-367-9001
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — http://mountcarmelpgh.org/
- Livestream — parish Facebook page
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. A.M. Yochum1907–
First pastor, named by Bishop Regis Canevin when the parish was established in 1907.
- Rev. August Vogt
Pastor who directed construction of the present church, dedicated May 2, 1943.
- Rev. Tomas Lappan
Pastoredirected building of the new parish school in 1957.
- Rev. John R. Rushofsky, MEd2020–present
First pastor of the merged Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish (effective July 1, 2020).