About St. Sebastian Church / Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh formed on July 1, 2020, through the merger of four North Hills congregations: Saint Athanasius in West View (est. 1907), Incarnation of the Lord in Observatory Hill/Perry North (1993), Saint Sebastian in Ross Township (1952), and Saint Teresa of Avila in Perrysville (1867). All four historic church buildings remain in active use, allowing the unified parish to serve a wide swath of the northern Pittsburgh suburbs. The Parish Center, which houses the administrative offices, is located at 800 Avila Court in the Perrysville neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The parish is led by a team of pastors, parochial vicars, deacons, and lay staff, and offers a full sacramental life across its four worship sites, including daily and Sunday Masses, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, faith formation for children and youth, evangelization initiatives, and ongoing devotions such as the Rosary, Miraculous Medal Novena, and Bible study.
- Established
- 2020
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel (parish); Saint Sebastian (the Ross Township church within the parish)
- Rector
- Rev. John R. Rushofsky, MEd (Pastor); Rev. Michael R. Ruffalo (Parochial Vicar); Rev. Michael J. Maranowski, MDiv (Parochial Vicar); Rev. William E. Dorner (Retired with an Assignment as Pastor)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish offers the rare gift of four historic worship sites — St. Athanasius, Incarnation of the Lord, St. Sebastian, and St. Teresa of Avila — all still active, so parishioners can pray in the church community that best fits their week. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. (St. Athanasius) and 12:00 noon (St. Sebastian), with three Saturday Vigil and four Sunday Masses spread across the parish. Robust ministries include a faith formation program for children and youth, an Evangelization Team running ChristLife, Life in the Spirit Seminars, parish missions, and a monthly Rosary and Talk, plus ongoing devotions such as the Miraculous Medal Novena, Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction, Bible study with Fr. Leroy DiPietro, centering prayer, and a McDonald's Ministry outreach led by Deacon David Witter. It's a parish where long-standing North Hills Catholic tradition meets intentional outreach to form missionary disciples.
Mass times at St. Sebastian Church / Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Daily at 8:30 a.m. (Saint Athanasius) — before the 8:30 a.m. daily Mass
- Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. (Saint Teresa of Avila) — before the 4:00 p.m. Vigil Mass
- Specific confession times and additional opportunities are published in the parish bulletin (see mountcarmelpgh.org/masses)
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Saint Athanasius Church, with Reflection, Benediction and Reposition at 2:45 p.m.
About Our Parish
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish brings together the former parishes of Saint Athanasius in West View (est. 1907), Incarnation of the Lord in Observatory Hill/Perry North (1993), Saint Sebastian in Ross Township (1952), and Saint Teresa of Avila in Perrysville (1867). All four church buildings continue to be used. A separate history of each founding parish is published on the parish website, written for the most part by parish historian Ted Rybka, along with a page explaining the Carmelite devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
- St. Athanasius History
- Incarnation History
- St. Teresa of Avila History
- St. Sebastian History
- The History of Our Parish (by Ted Rybka)
- About Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Clergy and Pastoral Team
The parish is served by a team of priests and deacons together with lay office staff. Rev. John R. Rushofsky serves as Pastor; Rev. Michael R. Ruffalo and Rev. Michael J. Maranowski serve as Parochial Vicars; and Rev. William E. Dorner serves in a retired assignment as Pastor. Rev. Leroy A. DiPietro serves as Parish Chaplain and leads the weekly Bible study. Four permanent deacons — Gary L. Comer, Clifford M. Homer Sr., Robert E. Koslosky, and David R. Witter — assist across the four church sites.
- Rev. John R. Rushofsky, MEd — Pastor
- Rev. Michael R. Ruffalo — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Michael J. Maranowski, MDiv — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. William E. Dorner — Retired with an Assignment as Pastor
- Rev. Leroy A. DiPietro — Parish Chaplain
- Deacon Gary L. Comer
- Deacon Clifford M. Homer, Sr.
- Deacon Robert E. Koslosky
- Deacon David R. Witter
Parish Office Staff
The Parish Center, which houses the administrative offices, is located at 800 Avila Court. Parishioners can reach the office staff for scheduling, membership services, and general inquiries during regular business hours.
- Denise Wagner — Receptionist/Scheduler/Secretary (ext. 8451)
- Nancy Koslosky — Membership Services Coordinator (ext. 8536)
- Gina Harms — Executive Secretary (ext. 8410)
- Trish Monroe — Receptionist/Scheduler/Secretary (ext. 8451)
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
The Faith Formation office coordinates catechesis for parish children, First Reconciliation (normally in second grade), and youth and young adult evangelization. The team works alongside families and clergy to prepare young parishioners for the sacraments and to form them as missionary disciples.
- Will Reaves — Director of Faith Formation and Intergenerational Catechesis
- Amanda Rodriguez — Religious Education Associate
- Cecilia Anthony — Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Evangelization
Evangelization
The Evangelization Team was formed about seven years before the merger to develop a long-term vision of evangelization for the parish and to coordinate many activities that had previously been managed independently. The Team pursues two approaches: a programmatic approach offering faith-building and sustaining programs/events, and a strategic approach that has produced a five-year plan for developing missionary disciples. Spiritual advisor is Deacon Cliff Homer; contact is Jim DiCostanzo.
- Programmatic events: Monthly Rosary and Talk, Lenten and Advent seminars, parish missions, Life in the Spirit Seminars, free prayer guides and spiritual books at Christmas/Easter
- Strategic five-year plan for missionary discipleship
- Four core experiences: ChristLife — The Way, On Fire, and Your Mission
- Spiritual Advisor: Deacon Cliff Homer
- Contact: Jim DiCostanzo, 412-613-0423, [email protected]
Rosaries, Devotions and More
Beyond Mass and confession, the parish maintains a rich devotional life across its four church sites — including morning and afternoon Rosaries, the Miraculous Medal Novena, Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction, Bible study, centering prayer, and a special monthly prayer for those who have been away from the Church.
- Morning Rosary — Mon/Wed/Fri after 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Athanasius (also livestreamed on Facebook)
- Afternoon Rosary — Mon–Fri after noon Mass (McDonald's Ministry)
- Miraculous Medal Novena — Tuesdays after 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Athanasius
- Bible Study with Fr. Leroy DiPietro — Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 p.m. at St. Athanasius Rectory
- First Friday Adoration — 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at St. Athanasius, with Benediction at 2:45 p.m.
- Monthly Rosary and Talk — First Sunday, 12:15 p.m. at St. Teresa of Avila
- Spirit Refill Team Monthly Rosary & Presentation — 13th of each month, 7:00 p.m. at St. Teresa of Avila
- Prayer for Return — First Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. at St. Sebastian Chapel
- Centering Prayer — Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. in the Prayer Room at the Parish Center
- Rosary at the Haven — senior residence outreach on Babcock Boulevard
Saint Sebastian Church (Ross Township)
Saint Sebastian Church, located at 311 Siebert Road in Ross Township, was founded in 1952 to serve the post-war Catholic population of the North Hills. The first church was dedicated on September 19, 1953; construction of the present (larger) church began in 1959 and it was dedicated on November 20, 1960. The building is visible from McKnight Road. The parish also operated Saint Sebastian School, with its first eighth-grade graduating class photographed in front of the church on June 16, 1961, alongside Pastor George M. Haber and assistant pastors Father Regis Ragan and Father Joseph Laboon. After nearly seventy years as an independent parish, St. Sebastian became part of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish on July 1, 2020.
- Founded 1952; first church dedicated September 19, 1953
- Present church dedicated November 20, 1960
- Address: 311 Siebert Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 (Ross Township)
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 6:00 p.m.
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 a.m.
- Weekday Mass: Monday–Friday 12:00 noon
- Historic Pastor: Rev. George M. Haber
- Former assistants: Father Regis Ragan, Father Joseph Laboon
- Long-time pastor (2008–2020): Rev. John R. Rushofsky
- Saint Sebastian School — first graduating class June 16, 1961
2025 Presentations (Spirit Refill Team)
The Spirit Refill Team offers a monthly Rosary and presentation on the 13th of each month at 7:00 p.m. at Saint Teresa of Avila Church. After praying the Rosary, a guest speaker presents on a topic that is often liturgically or currently relevant, and in all cases spiritually enriching. Parishioners are encouraged to attend any or all of the evenings.
- Monthly Rosary and presentation on the 13th, 7:00 p.m. at St. Teresa of Avila Church
- Contact: Janet Lindner, 412-389-6246, [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John R. Rushofsky2008–2020 (as pastor of St. Sebastian Parish); 2020–present (as Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish)
Twelve years as pastor of St. Sebastian before the 2020 merger; in his July 5, 2020 bulletin column he welcomed parishioners as 'charter members' of the new merged parish.