About St. Edward Church - Christ the King Parish · Blawnox, Pennsylvania
St. Edward Church is one of seven worship sites that make up Christ the King Parish in the Lower Allegheny Valley, in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Located in Blawnox (mailing address Pittsburgh, PA 15238) at 450 Walnut Street, St. Edward offers Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m. and shares a parish clergy team led by Fr. Dale E. DeNinno. The parish was created in 1938 as a mission of St. Scholastica in Aspinwall, has roots going back to 1917, and is now joined with St. Scholastica, St. Joseph (O'Hara), St. John Cantius, Madonna of Jerusalem, St. Mary, and St. Pio under the Christ the King umbrella.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- St. Edward (named in honor of its first pastor, Fr. Edward J. Nemmer)
- Rector
- Rev. Dale E. DeNinno, MDiv (Pastor of Christ the King Parish)
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
St. Edward is the Blawnox worship site of Christ the King Parish — a small, historic riverside community of faith with deep local roots going back over a century. Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m., Friday morning Mass, Saturday confessions, and weekday adoration in the surrounding parish churches give parishioners a full sacramental rhythm close to home. The parish reaches beyond its walls through St. Vincent de Paul, the Respect Life Committee, the Hope for Haiti Committee, the Creation Care Team, and youth service trips — concrete ways to live the Gospel in the Lower Allegheny Valley and beyond.
Mass times at St. Edward Church - Christ the King Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM (Saint Edward Church)
Adoration times
- First Thursday of the month, 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM at Saint Scholastica Church (parish-wide)
History of St. Edward Church
St. Edward traces its roots to 1917, when Catholics in the riverside community then called Hoboken (later Blawnox) belonged to St. Scholastica Parish in Aspinwall. With limited public transportation and few cars, getting to Mass became impractical. In February 1920 parishioners and Fr. M. Boyle of St. Scholastica purchased land on Cable Avenue and Maple Alley for $1,500, and the Knights of Columbus donated a WWI-era barracks which volunteers dismantled and reassembled into a mission church. Christmas Day 1920 saw the first Mass. After 18 years as a mission, the Diocese of Pittsburgh formally created the parish in 1938 and named Fr. Edward J. Nemmer its first pastor; the faithful chose the name St. Edward in his honor.
Building the Parish (1947–1963)
Growth quickly outgrew the original frame building. In August 1947 ground was broken for a new brick church at the corner of Cable Avenue and Walnut Street, dedicated in May 1949 by Bishop John F. Dearden. A school followed in September 1958, staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Ghost who were car-pooled from their West View motherhouse. A new rectory was begun in March 1959, and a convent was dedicated in July 1963 — in time for the parish's Silver Jubilee celebration.
- August 1947: Groundbreaking for new church
- May 1949: Church dedicated by Bishop John F. Dearden
- September 1958: School building completed
- March 1959: Rectory groundbreaking
- July 1963: Convent dedicated for the Silver Jubilee
Mergers: From St. Edward to St. Pio to Christ the King
The parish school closed in 1981. In 2011 St. Edward was merged with St. Timothy in Indianola and St. Francis of Assisi in Harmar to form St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish. A decade later, in July 2021, St. Pio joined with St. Scholastica (Aspinwall), St. Joseph (O'Hara), and St. Juan Diego to create today's Christ the King Parish under Fr. Dale DeNinno. St. Edward remains a worship site within the larger parish, retaining its own address and its own Sunday morning Mass.
Saint Edward Church Today
St. Edward is the Blawnox worship site of Christ the King Parish. It hosts Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m. and a Friday morning Mass at 9:00 a.m., and offers confessions on Friday from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. A Cry Room is available inside the main church entrance for young families. The parish office at St. Edward is open on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Address: 450 Walnut Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15238 (Blawnox)
- Phone: (412) 828-4066
- Fax: (412) 828-3084
- Office hours: Friday 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Cry Room at main entrance
Christ the King Parish Clergy Team
Christ the King Parish is led by a unified clergy team that serves all seven worship sites, including St. Edward in Blawnox. Together they shepherd the merged communities of St. Edward, St. Scholastica, St. Joseph, St. John Cantius, Madonna of Jerusalem, St. Mary, and the former St. Pio parishes.
- Rev. Dale E. DeNinno, MDiv — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. William P. Siple, STL — Senior Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Rev. Jinjo Kim — Chaplain to the Korean Catholic Community ([email protected])
- Deacon Robert F. Wertz, Jr. ([email protected])
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Christ the King Parish supports a wide range of ministries that parishioners from all worship sites, including St. Edward, are invited to join. These groups combine parish-wide service with local leadership, and the parish website accepts online donations designated to each ministry.
- Music Ministry — concerts, choral vespers, and special programs
- Youth Ministry Social Outreach — including two Summer of Service week-long camps
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — rental, food, and emergency assistance for neighbors in need
- Hope for Haiti Committee
- Respect Life Committee — 40 Days for Life, March for Life (Washington, D.C. and Harrisburg), Life Chain, collections for Birthright/Angels Place/Genesis; meets third Thursday, 7:30 p.m. at St. Scholastica Pastoral Center
- Creation Care Team — responding to Pope Francis' Laudato Si'
- Social Committee — Parish Picnic (held Sunday, August 2 in the current parish calendar) and Donut Sundays
Sacraments & Faith Formation
Sacramental preparation for Confirmation and other sacraments is coordinated across Christ the King Parish. Families register online, and sacramental preparation classes are offered Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evenings for children who do not attend Catholic school.
- Confirmation registration handled through the parish office at 342 Dorseyville Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15215
- Contact: Meredith Troyan — [email protected]
- Children baptized at St. Joseph, St. Juan Diego, St. Pio, St. Scholastica, or any Diocese of Pittsburgh parish need not submit a baptismal certificate
- A Sacramental Preparation Calendar is available for download from the parish website
Catholic Schools Near St. Edward
Although St. Edward's own school closed in 1981, Christ the King Parish families are served by the regional Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy (CDTCA), together with affiliated preschool programs.
- Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy
- CDTCA Preschool
- Saint Joseph Preschool
Contact & Parish Administration
St. Edward and Christ the King Parish can be reached through the building office or the parish administrative center.
- St. Edward Church office: 450 Walnut Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15238 — (412) 828-4066 — Fax (412) 828-3084
- Parish administrative center: 342 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15215 — (412) 963-8885
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: christthekingpgh.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Edward J. Nemmer1938–
First pastor of the newly created Blawnox parish; the church was named St. Edward in his honor.