About St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin, Our Lady of Hope Parish · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Our Lady of Hope Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Pittsburgh serving the South Hills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Established on January 4, 2021, it was formed by the merger of four historically independent parishes: Nativity (South Park), St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin (Whitehall), St. Germaine (Bethel Park), and St. Valentine (Bethel Park). All four church buildings remain open and active worship sites for the new combined parish. The parish's administrative offices are located at the St. Germaine campus, 7003 Baptist Road, Bethel Park, and it is pastored by Rev. John W. Skirtich with the assistance of a senior parochial vicar, a chaplain, and three deacons. The St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin church, located at 5200 Greenridge Drive in the Whitehall neighborhood, hosts Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses and is also home to the parish's notable tuition-free Catholic school.
- Established
- 2021
- Patron
- St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin
- Rector
- Rev. John W. Skirtich
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Our Lady of Hope is one of the largest combined parishes in the South Hills, offering four active worship sites so parishioners can attend Mass close to home while sharing in one unified community. The parish is served by a dedicated team of two priests, a chaplain, and three deacons, and is supported by a flourishing Faith Formation program (CCD) for children across all four sites, including a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program at the St. Valentine site. The parish is also home to St. Gabriel School—the only tuition-free Catholic school in the Diocese of Pittsburgh—making it a distinctive destination for Catholic families seeking parish life, sacramental preparation, and accessible Catholic education.
Mass times at St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin, Our Lady of Hope Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: 8:30 AM (upon request, after the 8:00 AM Mass at St. Germaine Church)
- Wednesday: 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM at Nativity Church (prior to the 7:00 PM Mass)
- Saturday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM at St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin Church
- Saturday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM at St. Valentine Church
Parish History
Our Lady of Hope Parish was created on January 4, 2021, when four historic South Hills parishes—Nativity (South Park), St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin (Whitehall), St. Germaine (Bethel Park), and St. Valentine (Bethel Park)—were formally merged under Bishop David Zubik's 'On Mission for The Church Alive!' initiative. The merger was the culmination of a multi-year consultation and shared-clergy transition that began in 2018. Despite the administrative merger, all four worship sites remain open, allowing each historic community to continue gathering in its own church while sharing one parish staff, clergy team, and bulletin.
- Established January 4, 2021
- Formed from four parishes in the South Hills of Pittsburgh
- One of 14 new parishes created in the Diocese of Pittsburgh's 2021 merger wave
- All four original church buildings remain active
St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin Church (Whitehall)
St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin is the oldest of the four constituent parishes, established in 1944, with the current church building dedicated on April 23, 1976. Located at 5200 Greenridge Drive in the Whitehall neighborhood of Pittsburgh (15236), the church is one of two principal weekend Mass sites within Our Lady of Hope, hosting Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM and Sunday Masses at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Weekday Masses are celebrated Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 AM, Friday at 8:30 AM (often as a school Mass), and Saturday at 10:00 AM.
- Established 1944
- Current church dedicated April 23, 1976
- Address: 5200 Greenridge Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15236
- Saturday Vigil 5:00 PM; Sunday 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM
Clergy & Staff
Our Lady of Hope is served by a clergy team of two priests, a chaplain, and three deacons, working together to provide sacraments, preaching, and pastoral care across the four worship sites.
- Rev. John W. Skirtich — Pastor
- Rev. Michael S. Suslowicz — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Rev. John E. Hissrich, MDiv, MA — Parish Chaplain
- Deacon Thomas B. Mills
- Deacon Robert J. Stein
- Deacon Loc Van Tran (Transitional Deacon)
- Parish Administrative Office reachable at (412) 833-0661
Faith Formation & Religious Education (CCD)
The parish's Faith Formation program (CCD / Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) provides Catholic religious education for children across all four worship sites. The program is administered from the Faith Formation Office at 2709 Mesta Street, Bethel Park (the bottom floor of the St. Valentine School building), and includes a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program (Level II and Montessori) for grades 1–6 at the St. Valentine site.
- Faith Formation Office: (412) 833-3780 Ext. 6
- Address: 2709 Mesta Street, Bethel Park, PA 15102
- Director of Faith Formation: Mrs. Carol Vater — [email protected]
- Coordinator of Faith Formation: Mr. Jeff Conklin — [email protected]
- Administrative Assistant: Maryann Wellinger — [email protected]
- Monday 6:30–7:45 PM at St. Germaine site
- Tuesday 6:00–7:15 PM at Nativity site
- Wednesday 5:00–6:15 PM and 6:30–7:45 PM at St. Valentine site
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level II: 5:00–6:00 PM at St. Valentine site (Grades 1–3)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Montessori: 6:00–7:45 PM at St. Valentine site (Grades 4–6)
St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin School
St. Gabriel School, located on the St. Gabriel campus in Whitehall, is a parish Catholic school and the only tuition-free Catholic school in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The school serves roughly 400 students a year from the parish and broader South Hills community. Tuition-free status has been a deliberate pastoral mission of the parish, made possible through parish stewardship and a substantial annual parish-school budget.
- Only tuition-free Catholic school in the Diocese of Pittsburgh
- Serves approximately 400 students annually
- Enrollment limited to children of registered parishioners
- Distinguished nationally under longtime pastor Fr. John Haney's 28-year tenure
- Website: stgabrielpgh.org
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners of all ages are invited to serve in liturgical roles at Mass. The parish maintains a Music Ministry and an Altar Server program for students in 3rd grade and older. All adult volunteers age 18 and older must complete Safe Environment clearances before serving in any parish ministry.
- Altar Servers — open to students in 3rd grade and up; contact Jonathan Harvat
- Parish Choir and Music Ministry — supports liturgy with hymnody and sacred choral music
- Safe Environment clearances required for all adult volunteers (18+)
Sacraments
Inquiries about joining the parish, or arranging Baptisms, Weddings, or Funerals, are handled through the parish Administrative Offices at (412) 833-0661. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation is provided through the parish Faith Formation (CCD) program.
- Baptism — call (412) 833-0661
- Wedding — call (412) 833-0661
- Funeral — call (412) 833-0661
- First Reconciliation / First Eucharist — via CCD
- Confirmation — via CCD
- Anointing of the Sick — by request
Visit, Connect & Stay Informed
Our Lady of Hope maintains an active online presence to help parishioners and visitors stay connected. The parish website hosts the live Mass schedule, the weekly bulletin, and links to the parish's social media. Live-streamed and recorded Masses are available on the parish's YouTube channel.
- Parish website: olhpgh.org
- Live-streamed and recorded Masses on YouTube
- Facebook and Instagram pages linked from olhpgh.org/find-contact-us
- Flocknote email / text messaging list for parish updates
- Detailed maps and addresses for all four worship sites on the Find / Contact Us page
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John HaneyLong-serving pastor (28 years, prior to 2021 merger)
Pastor of St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin Parish, Whitehall. Recognized nationally with the Distinguished Pastor's Award from the National Catholic Education Association for sustaining the parish school as the only tuition-free Catholic school in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.