St. Mary Church - Christ the King Parish

About St. Mary Church

St. Mary Church is one of seven worship sites that together make up Christ the King Parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. It stands at 211 Garnier Street in the historic borough of Sharpsburg, just up the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh. Originally a German-nationality parish founded in 1852, St. Mary has served Sharpsburg Catholics for more than 170 years and today offers one Sunday Mass at 11:30 a.m. as part of a larger collaborative parish family.

Parish History

The German Catholic families of Sharpsburg began worshipping as part of St. Joseph, Sharpsburg (founded 1845). Differences over language and the desire for a parish school led the Germans to found their own parish in 1852. The basement church was completed that fall and the first Mass was celebrated there on December 8, 1852. The completed church was dedicated on June 18, 1854, with a school in the basement and priest's quarters behind the altar. Fire destroyed the church on January 4, 1866; a second church was dedicated on June 16, 1867. A larger, third church was dedicated on October 14, 1917, and survives today after surviving the 1936 flood (which reached the tops of the pews), a centennial renovation in 1952, and a 1970s renovation.

• 1852 — Parish founded as a German-nationality congregation
• Dec 8, 1852 — First Mass celebrated in the basement church
• Jun 18, 1854 — Completed first church dedicated
• Jan 4, 1866 — Fire destroys the church
• Jun 16, 1867 — Second church dedicated
• Oct 14, 1917 — Current (third) church dedicated
• 1936 — Flood waters reach the tops of the pews
• 1952 — Centennial renovation and redecoration
• 1970s — Second major renovation
• 1994 — Suppressed as German parish; reborn as a territorial parish
• Jul 1, 2021 — Merged into Christ the King Parish

Christ the King Parish Family

St. Mary is one of seven worship sites of Christ the King Parish, which was formed by the July 1, 2021 merger of St. Joseph (O'Hara), St. John Cantius (Sharpsburg), St. Scholastica (Aspinwall), St. Edward (Blawnox), Madonna of Jerusalem (Sharpsburg), and St. Mary (Sharpsburg). The parish is led by a clergy team serving all the worship sites together, so parishioners of St. Mary benefit from a much larger pool of Mass times, sacramental availability, and ministries than any single historic parish could provide.

• Saint Edward Church (Blawnox) — Sun 8:00 a.m.
• Saint John Cantius Church (Sharpsburg) — Sun 11:00 a.m. Korean Mass
• Saint Joseph Church (O'Hara) — Sat Vigil 4:00 p.m.; Sun 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.
• Madonna of Jerusalem Church (Sharpsburg) — no weekend Masses scheduled
• Saint Mary Church (Sharpsburg) — Sun 11:30 a.m.
• Saint Scholastica Church (Aspinwall) — Sat Vigil 5:00 p.m.; Sun 9:30 a.m.

Clergy & Staff

Christ the King Parish is staffed by a unified clergy team that serves all seven worship sites, including St. Mary Church. The current team is led by the Pastor and includes a Senior Parochial Vicar, a Chaplain to the Korean Catholic Community, and a Deacon.

• Rev. Dale E. DeNinno, MDiv — Pastor
• Rev. William P. Siple, STL — Senior Parochial Vicar
• Rev. Jinjo Kim — Chaplain to the Korean Catholic Community
• Deacon Robert F. Wertz, Jr.

Parish Ministries

Christ the King Parish supports a wide range of ministries that engage parishioners from across all seven worship sites, including St. Mary. They range from direct service to the poor and respect-life advocacy, to music, youth outreach, environmental stewardship, and parish social life.

• St. Vincent de Paul Society — rental, food, and emergency assistance
• Hope for Haiti Committee — solidarity with the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere
• Respect Life Committee — Spiritual Adoption, Birthright collections, 40 Days for Life, March for Life, Walking with Moms in Need
• Creation Care Team — responding to Pope Francis' Laudato Si'
• Social Committee — Parish Picnic, Donut Sundays
• Music Ministry — concerts, choral vespers, special programs
• Youth Ministry Social Outreach — service projects and Summer of Service camps
• Knights of Columbus — Guyasuta Council: Father’s Day Hoagie Sale, Annual Spaghetti Dinner, COAL Raffle, scholarships

Visit, Contact & Location

St. Mary Church is located at 211 Garnier Street in the borough of Sharpsburg, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 15215 — near the corner of Penn Street and Garnier Street. The administrative center for the entire Christ the King Parish is at 342 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15215. Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office by phone or email for inquiries about Mass times, sacraments, funerals, baptisms, or weddings.

• Address: 211 Garnier Street, Sharpsburg, PA 15215
• Parish Office / Administrative Center: 342 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15215
• Phone: 412-963-8885
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: http://christthekingpgh.org/

The Korean Catholic Community

As part of the larger Christ the King Parish, St. Mary shares in a multicultural ministry that includes the Korean Catholic Community (KCC). The KCC was established in 1989 and was previously sharing the facilities of St. Pamphillus Parish in Beachview before moving to St. John Cantius Church in 2008. Today the community is served by a resident chaplain at St. John Cantius, where a Korean-language Mass is celebrated each Sunday at 11:00 a.m.

• Korean Catholic Community established in 1989
• Joined Christ the King Parish predecessor (St. John Cantius) in 2008
• Korean Mass celebrated Sundays at 11:00 a.m. at St. John Cantius Church, Sharpsburg