About St. Richard Church of Sts. Martha and Mary Parish · Gibsonia, Pennsylvania
St. Richard Church is one of two worship sites that together make up Saints Martha and Mary Parish in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Located in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania (Richland Township), the church serves the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh alongside St. Catherine of Sweden Church in Hampton Township / Allison Park. Originally founded as an independent parish in 1992 and dedicated in 1995, St. Richard today offers weekend and weekday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, faith formation for all ages, a pre-school, RCIA, Bible studies, and active youth and music ministries — all served by a shared clergy team from Sts. Martha and Mary Parish.
- Established
- 1992
- Patron
- St. Richard (patron of the church); parish is named for Sts. Martha and Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Robert J. Vular
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Sts. Martha and Mary Parish offers the rhythm of a small-town Catholic community with the resources of a larger parish — two welcoming church buildings (St. Catherine of Sweden in Allison Park and St. Richard in Gibsonia), daily and weekend Mass in English, monthly Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction, RCIA for adults seeking initiation, faith formation for children and teens, Bible studies, a parish pre-school, choirs and music ministry, and active high school and middle school youth groups. Parishioners who join or visit become part of a community shaped by the On Mission for the Church Alive! vision: sharing clergy, resources, and ministry across both worship sites while keeping each church's local identity alive.
Mass times at St. Richard Church of Sts. Martha and Mary Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM at St. Catherine of Sweden Church
Adoration times
- Wednesday 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM at St. Richard Church (1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month), with Benediction at 7:45 PM
Saints Martha & Mary Parish — Overview
Saints Martha and Mary Parish is a Catholic parish of the Diocese of Pittsburgh formed on January 4, 2021, through the merger of St. Richard Parish (Richland Township / Gibsonia) and St. Catherine of Sweden Parish (Hampton Township / Allison Park). The parish operates two worship sites — St. Richard Church at 3841 Dickey Road, Gibsonia, and St. Catherine of Sweden Church at 2554 Wildwood Road, Allison Park — under a single clergy team, with a combined administrative center at the Allison Park location. The parish provides weekend and daily Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, faith formation for children and teens, RCIA, a parish pre-school, music ministry, Bible studies, and active youth ministry.
History of St. Richard Church
St. Richard Parish was established on November 1, 1992 to serve the growing Catholic population of the Gibsonia / Richland Township area in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Until a church building could be constructed, the new community celebrated Mass at the chapel of St. Barnabas Nursing Home in Midland. Ground was broken for the new church on May 1, 1994, and the completed building was formally dedicated on December 17, 1995.
- Established as a parish: November 1, 1992
- Groundbreaking for the church: May 1, 1994
- Church dedication: December 17, 1995
- Entered shared clergy/staff arrangement with St. Catherine of Sweden under 'On Mission for The Church Alive!': around 2018
- Merged with St. Catherine of Sweden Parish to form Ss. Martha and Mary Parish: January 4, 2021
The On Mission for The Church Alive! Merger
In 2015, Bishop David Zubik announced a diocesan-wide strategic initiative called "On Mission for The Church Alive!" to address declining Mass attendance, reduced sacramental participation, and a shrinking number of priests available for parish ministry. Over the following years, parishes were grouped together, sharing clergy, staff, and bulletins during a transitional period. St. Richard and St. Catherine of Sweden were paired in this process and ultimately merged on January 4, 2021 into Ss. Martha and Mary Parish — one of 14 new parishes formed that day from 40 predecessor parishes across the diocese. St. Richard Church remains open as a worship site under the new parish.
Clergy Team
The parish is led by a single clergy team that serves both St. Richard and St. Catherine of Sweden churches. Pastor Rev. Robert J. Vular is assisted by a parochial vicar and three deacons, with a wider staff of pastoral associates, faith formation directors, youth ministers, music ministers, and administrative personnel supporting parish life.
- Rev. Robert J. Vular — Pastor
- Rev. Daniel R. Waruszewski — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Clifford M. Homer, Sr.
- Deacon Gary Molitor
- Deacon Donald W. Ruby
- Pastoral Associate: Mary Jordan (ext. 112, [email protected])
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is offered for children, teens, and adults across both worship sites. The parish publishes formation programming through its bulletin and website and lists a Director of Faith Formation & Family Ministry on staff. The parish also operates a pre-school.
- Director of Faith Formation & Family Ministry: Gary Roney ([email protected])
- Pre-school Director: Lisa Cuzzo
- Faith Formation Administrative Assistants: Joy Kella, Shannon McGrath
RCIA — Becoming Catholic
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) welcomes adult newcomers (inquirers) into the Roman Catholic Church, preparing them for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. The parish describes RCIA as a personal journey of transformation of mind and spirit, guided by the Gospel and the example of the parish community, in which both newcomers and team members deepen their relationship with God. Sessions begin in September each year.
- Contact: Mary Jordan, Pastoral Associate — 724-444-1971 ext. 112, [email protected]
Youth Ministry
Saints Martha and Mary Parish runs a robust youth ministry program for both middle school and high school teens, much of it based at St. Richard Church. The high school program follows a LifeTeen-style format with weekly Sunday gatherings and Tuesday 'Mass and Donuts' sessions. The parish recently posted a Director of Youth Ministry position indicating ongoing investment in forming young disciples.
- High School Youth Ministry: weekly Sunday Discipleship 7:00–9:00 PM at St. Richard; Tuesday Mass & Donuts 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at St. Richard
- Contact: Justin Probst, Director of High School Youth Ministry — 412-520-5800, [email protected]
- Contact: Don Ruby, Director of Middle School Ministry — 412-303-3440, [email protected]
- Instagram: @stsmarthaandmaryyouthgroup
Music Ministry
The parish's music ministry supports liturgies at both worship sites, providing choral music, cantors, and instrumentalists for weekend and holy day Masses.
- Minister of Music: James (Jim) Skalos — [email protected]
- Choir Director: Diane Rudolph — [email protected]
Bible Study
The parish offers ongoing Bible studies for adult parishioners. A recent example is an 8-part Ascension Press study on the Book of Hebrews, held on both Monday evenings and Thursday mornings in Rooms 5A/B of the Saint Richard Social Hall.
- Hebrews: The New and Eternal Covenant (Ascension Press, presented by Andrew Swafford & Jeff Cavins)
- Mondays 6:30–8:00 PM and Thursdays 10:00–11:30 AM at St. Richard Social Hall
- Contact: Mary Jordan — 724-444-1971 ext. 112
Sacraments & Sacramental Preparation
The parish celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments across its two worship sites. Infant Baptism is celebrated monthly at both churches, with Pre-Baptism classes required for parents. Reconciliation is offered Saturday mornings at St. Catherine of Sweden, and Eucharist is celebrated daily. Adult initiation proceeds through RCIA.
- Infant Baptism: 1st and 4th weekends at 12:00 PM at St. Richard; Sundays at 1:00 PM at St. Catherine of Sweden
- Pre-Baptism classes offered monthly, rotating between sites
- Reconciliation: Saturday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM at St. Catherine of Sweden Church
Parish Staff
Beyond the clergy, Saints Martha and Mary Parish is staffed by pastoral associates, administrative assistants, formation leaders, music ministers, business and facilities personnel, and a Safe Environment Coordinator. The parish office is open weekdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
- Pastoral Associate: Mary Jordan
- Administrative Assistants: Sharon McGrath, Mary Ann Cooper
- Parish Secretary: Janis Mottola
- Business Manager: Michael Stobba
- Bulletin Editor: Lisa Walsh
- Safe Environment Coordinator: Roseann Martino
- Director of Faith Formation & Family Ministry: Gary Roney
- Director of High School Youth Ministry: Justin Probst
- Director of Middle School Ministry: Don Ruby
- Pre-school Director: Lisa Cuzzo
- Facilities Manager: Ben Barcaskey
- Maintenance: Michael Downing, Ronald Downing, Greg Cunningham
Contact, Office Hours & Online Resources
Parish offices are open weekdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Administrative Center for the merged parish is at 2554 Wildwood Road, Allison Park, with a satellite office serving the St. Richard site at 3841 Dickey Road, Gibsonia. The parish publishes a bulletin, maintains social media accounts, and offers a Flocknote email platform as well as a parish account on FORMED.org for Catholic on-demand content.
- Administrative Office: 2554 Wildwood Road, Allison Park, PA 15101 — 412-486-6001 (FAX 412-486-6004)
- Satellite Office (St. Richard): 724-444-1971 (FAX 724-444-6001)
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.stsmarthaandmaryparish.org
- Facebook: Sts. Martha & Mary Parish
- Instagram: @stsmarthaandmaryparish
- FORMED.org parish code: 00613f
- Online giving: Faith Direct
- Communication platform: Flocknote