About St. Thomas the Apostle Parish - St. Rita Church · Munhall, Pennsylvania
St. Thomas the Apostle Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh that was formed on July 1, 2020, through the merger of eight former parishes as part of the diocese's 'On Mission for the Church Alive!' initiative. The merged community — collectively called the Steel Valley Catholic Community — unites the churches of Christ the Light of the World (Holy Name), Holy Trinity, Resurrection, St. Agnes, St. Joseph, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Rita, and St. Therese of Lisieux, serving Duquesne, Homestead, Munhall, West Mifflin, and Whitaker in the Mon Valley south of Pittsburgh. St. Rita Church is one of the parish's worship sites, located at 219/229 West Schwab Avenue in Munhall, and traces its roots to 1936. All parish business is administered from the St. Therese Church office at 1 St. Therese Court, Munhall, PA 15120.
- Established
- 1936
- Patron
- St. Rita of Cascia (church); Parish of St. Thomas the Apostle (since 2020 merger)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
St. Rita Church and the wider Parish of St. Thomas the Apostle welcome Catholics from Duquesne, Homestead, Munhall, West Mifflin, and Whitaker to worship in a family of eight historic Mon Valley churches that have served the Steel Valley since 1936. The parish keeps a full weekly schedule of Masses, confessions, and Eucharistic adoration spread across its church sites, reaches out to homebound and nursing-home parishioners through a Shut-In Ministry, and runs faith formation for Confirmation candidates and other sacraments — all under the umbrella of the Diocese of Pittsburgh's 'On Mission for the Church Alive!' renewal effort.
Mass times at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish - St. Rita Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM–4:00 PM at St. Therese Church (3:15 PM–3:45 PM)
- Saturday 3:00 PM–4:00 PM at Holy Trinity Church (3:15 PM–3:45 PM)
- Monday 6:15 PM–6:45 PM at St. Therese Church
- Wednesday 6:15 PM–6:45 PM at St. Therese Church
Adoration times
- Monday 12:00 PM–3:00 PM at St. Agnes Church (with 3:00 PM Chaplet)
- 1st Friday 8:30 AM–9:15 AM at St. Agnes Church
- 1st Saturday 8:30 AM–9:15 AM at St. Agnes Church
- Friday 12:00 PM–4:00 PM at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church
About St. Thomas the Apostle Parish
The Parish of St. Thomas the Apostle is a unified Roman Catholic community serving the Steel Valley south of Pittsburgh. Its official website (thomastheapostle.net) describes the parish as 'The Steel Valley Catholic Community — a grouping of eight parishes (eight churches)' now operating as a single canonical parish since July 1, 2020. The merger was undertaken under Bishop David Zubik's 'On Mission for the Church Alive!' pastoral planning initiative. The parish stretches across Duquesne, Homestead, Munhall, West Mifflin, and Whitaker, and 'all are welcome and encouraged to join us.' As of August 2025, all parish business is conducted at the St. Therese Church office, 1 St. Therese Court, Munhall, PA 15120.
- Eight church sites: Christ the Light of the World (Holy Name), Holy Trinity, Resurrection, St. Agnes, St. Joseph, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Rita, and St. Therese of Lisieux
- Communities served: Duquesne, Homestead, Munhall, West Mifflin, Whitaker
- Parish office: 1 St. Therese Court, Munhall, PA 15120
History of St. Rita Church
St. Rita Church was founded in 1936 to serve the Catholic faithful of Munhall and the surrounding steel-mill boroughs in the Monongahela Valley. The church was dedicated on May 22, 1959, and was rededicated on Sunday, October 10, 1976, at a 4:00 PM ceremony — an event documented in a pamphlet held by the University of Notre Dame Library under the title 'Dedication of St. Rita Church : Whitaker : Munhall Gardens : West Mifflin.' A 50th-anniversary parish directory, 'St. Rita Church, 1936–1986,' is also preserved by Notre Dame's library. The parish church sits on West Schwab Avenue and for generations served families from Munhall, Whitaker, Munhall Gardens, and West Mifflin — neighborhoods shaped by the Homestead Works and the broader Steel Valley industrial economy. On July 1, 2020, St. Rita was merged with seven neighboring parishes into the new Parish of St. Thomas the Apostle, but the church building remains an active Mass site.
- Established 1936
- Dedicated May 22, 1959
- Rededicated October 10, 1976
- 50th-anniversary directory 'St. Rita Church, 1936–1986'
- Merged into St. Thomas the Apostle Parish on July 1, 2020
Ministries and Outreach
The parish website highlights a Eucharistic Ministers ministry whose members assist the celebrant at all Masses with the distribution of Communion (training is provided and a schedule is created based on Mass preference and availability). The parish also runs a Shut-In Ministry: volunteers dismiss from the 9:00 AM Mass at Resurrection Church to take the Eucharist to Locust Grove (which falls within the parish boundaries behind Resurrection Church), and other volunteers bring Communion to homebound parishioners. The website encourages parishioners to contact [email protected] to volunteer for any of these ministries.
- Eucharistic Ministers — distribute Communion at all Masses; contact [email protected]
- Shut-In Ministry — visits to Locust Grove and housebound parishioners
Sacraments
St. Thomas the Apostle Parish celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments across its worship sites. The parish's website includes dedicated pages for Confirmation preparation and other sacramental preparation. Because the parish was formed by merging multiple former parishes, sacramental records and sacramental-preparation registration are handled centrally through the St. Therese Church office. Families preparing for Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, or Anointing of the Sick should contact the parish office for guidance and formation schedules.
- Baptism
- Confirmation (with dedicated parish page)
- Eucharist / First Communion
- Penance / Reconciliation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Marriage (Matrimony)
- Holy Orders
Bulletin, Worship Aid & News
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin that is available online through the parish website. The bulletin carries the current Mass schedule, confession and adoration times, and announcements from across the eight-church community. The 11:15 AM Sunday Mass at St. Therese Church is livestreamed, with the link available on the parish website, so homebound parishioners and those unable to attend in person can participate virtually.
- Weekly parish bulletin — available at thomastheapostle.net/bulletin
- Sunday 11:15 AM Mass livestreamed from St. Therese Church
Visiting the Steel Valley Churches
St. Rita Church is located on West Schwab Avenue in Munhall, while the other worship sites of the parish are spread across Duquesne, Homestead, Munhall, West Mifflin, and Whitaker. Visitor reviews note that some of the older Steel Valley parishes (including St. Therese) feature high ceilings and stained-glass windows in the traditional style, and that parking at the urban sites can be tight during busy services and events. The parish encourages visitors to attend Mass at whichever site is most convenient, and the website invites all to 'join us' regardless of where they live.
- St. Rita Church — 219/229 W Schwab Ave, Munhall, PA 15120
- St. Therese (central parish office) — 1 St. Therese Court, Munhall, PA 15120
- Visitor reviews note beautiful stained-glass windows and traditional architecture across the parish
- Parking is described as limited at some sites during busy times