About St. John Fisher Church - St. Joseph the Worker Parish · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
St. John Fisher Church is one of the eight historic worship sites that, together, form Saint Joseph the Worker Parish in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The parish was created on July 1, 2020 by Bishop David Zubik, merging eight formerly independent parishes — St. Colman (Turtle Creek), Good Shepherd (Braddock), St. John Fisher (Churchill), St. Jude the Apostle (Wilmerding), Madonna del Castello (Swissvale), St. Maurice (Forest Hills), Sacred Heart (Braddock Hills), and Word of God — into a single Catholic community in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. St. John Fisher Church itself was founded in 1960 and dedicated on May 31, 1963, and at the parish level the church building at 33 Lewin Lane in Churchill serves as the Saturday Vigil and Sunday 8:00 a.m. Mass site for the wider community.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- St. John Fisher (Saint John Fisher Church building); Saint Joseph the Worker (parish patron)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael J. Stumpf
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Saint Joseph the Worker Parish combines eight historic Catholic communities of the Mon Valley into one family where every Mass, devotion, and ministry is rooted in a culture of prayer and service. A multi-clergy team of three priests and four deacons keeps the sacraments widely available, and a full lay staff directs music and liturgical ministries, faith formation, youth ministry and evangelization, communications, and parish business. The parish runs active faith formation for children, dynamic youth ministry, a healing and grief-support outreach, an "As I Am" ministry accompanying LGBTQ+ individuals and families, and a robust music program directed by a Director of Music and Lay Liturgical Ministries — making it a welcoming place to belong at any stage of the Catholic journey.
Mass times at St. John Fisher Church - St. Joseph the Worker Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 6:00 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. (before Mass) — St. Maurice
- Saturday 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. — St. Maurice Church
Adoration times
- Monday 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. — St. Maurice Chapel
Parish Identity & History
Saint Joseph the Worker Parish serves the Mon Valley communities of Braddock, Churchill, Forest Hills, Swissvale, Turtle Creek, and Wilmerding in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. It was created on July 1, 2020 when Bishop David Zubik merged eight historic parishes — St. Colman, Good Shepherd, St. John Fisher, St. Jude the Apostle, Madonna del Castello, St. Maurice, Sacred Heart, and Word of God — into a single new parish family. St. John Fisher Church itself was founded in 1960 and dedicated on May 31, 1963, anchoring the Churchill campus.
- Founded 1960; dedicated May 31, 1963
- Merged into Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, July 1, 2020
- Eight original parishes span Braddock, Churchill, Forest Hills, Swissvale, Turtle Creek, and Wilmerding
Clergy Team
The parish is served by three priests and four permanent deacons, supported by a full lay pastoral and administrative staff. Contact emails for clergy follow the @sjwpitt.org and @diopitt.org patterns.
- Rev. Michael J. Stumpf — Pastor
- Rev. Martin F. Barkin, MDiv — Senior Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Nicholas Clinton — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Joseph M. Dougherty
- Deacon Keith G. Kondrich
- Deacon Jeffrey McLaughlin
- Deacon Herbert E. Riley, Jr.
Lay Pastoral & Administrative Staff
A complete lay team coordinates faith formation, music, youth ministry, communications, business, and safe environment compliance across the multi-campus parish.
- Cheryl Kirkland — Pastoral Associate (412-351-6710)
- Norman E. Chapman, CAGO — Director of Music and Lay Liturgical Ministries
- Cindy Rizza — Coordinator of Faith Formation
- Dante Romito — Director of Youth Ministry, Evangelization & Communications
- Kelley Rodgers — Business Manager
- Susan DePasquale — Administrative Assistant
- Natalie Hyzy — Administrative Assistant
- Patricia Naughton — Safe Environment Coordinator & Administrative Assistant
Parish Ministries
Parish ministries at Saint Joseph the Worker Parish provide essential leadership, oversight, and service to the spiritual and practical life of the community. They are composed of parishioners who offer their time, wisdom, and expertise to guide the mission forward with faithfulness and integrity.
- Pastoral Council — consults on the vision and priorities of parish life
- Finance Council — ensures good stewardship of parish resources
- Liturgy Committee — fosters prayerful and beautiful worship
- Facilities Mission Team — cares for the physical and organizational well-being of the parish
- Music Ministry (led by Norman E. Chapman, CAGO)
Faith Formation
Faith formation across the parish is coordinated by Cindy Rizza, who oversees programs for children and families across the multi-campus community.
- Cindy Rizza — Coordinator of Faith Formation
- Programs for children and families throughout the parish
Youth Ministry & Evangelization
A dedicated Director leads outreach to young people and evangelization efforts across the parish, supported by strong communications to share the parish's life online and in the bulletin.
- Dante Romito — Director of Youth Ministry, Evangelization & Communications
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music ministry is led by Norman E. Chapman, CAGO, who serves as Director of Music and Lay Liturgical Ministries, supporting all of the parish's remaining church buildings and livestreamed liturgies.
- Norman E. Chapman, CAGO — Director of Music and Lay Liturgical Ministries
Support and Healing Ministries
The parish's Support and Healing Ministries walk alongside parishioners and neighbors through life's most difficult seasons — providing caregiver outreach, mental health resources, pastoral accompaniment, and grief support.
- Caregiver outreach
- Mental health resources
- Pastoral accompaniment
- Grief and bereavement support
As I Am Ministry (LGBTQ+ Outreach)
The 'As I Am' Ministry accompanies individuals and families identifying as LGBTQ+ and their loved ones, offering a safe, welcoming space within the parish community. The ministry is rooted in the parish's broader call to welcome every person as Christ.
- Pastoral accompaniment for LGBTQ+ individuals and families
- Safe and welcoming environment
Recent Pastoral Decision
Following an extended pastoral review in 2024–2025, pastor Rev. Michael Stumpf announced that Saint Maurice Church in Forest Hills would be retained as the sole remaining worship site for the consolidated parish. The Diocese of Pittsburgh, under Bishop Mark Eckman, approved the closure of seven of the eight church buildings — including St. John Fisher in Churchill, effective March 12 of the announced year — with sacred items to be removed and preserved, and renovations planned for the Saint Maurice campus.
- Review began in 2024 by the parish's pastoral council
- Saint Maurice Church, Forest Hills — designated sole remaining worship site
- St. John Fisher, St. Anselm, Madonna del Castello, St. Colman, Good Shepherd, St. Jude the Apostle, and Sacred Heart — slated for closure
Locations & Contact
The parish has two principal contact points: the St. John Fisher Church building in Churchill, and the Saint Joseph the Worker Parish Administrative Center at 2001 Ardmore Boulevard in Forest Hills.
- St. John Fisher Church — 33 Lewin Lane, Pittsburgh, PA 15235
- Parish Administrative Center — 2001 Ardmore Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15221
- Parish phone: 412-271-0809
- St. John Fisher direct line: 412-241-4722