The History of Christ the King Parish
While Catholicism has a long history in Leechburg, Christ the King parish is relatively new. It was canonically erected in 1999 from the former Leechburg parishes; Assumption (Gilpin), St. Martha, and St. Catherine & its mission, St. Francis, Hyde Park. Fr. Joseph Bonafed and Fr. Richard Mackiewicz were named co-pastors. In the year 2000, Fr. Bonafed became the sole pastor.
With Fr. Bonafed’s leadership, the parish consolidated. At that time, the parish had three sites; the Second Street site, where we conducted the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and other liturgies, Confession, Baptism, and Confirmation, and the Gilpin Township site, where we conducted religious education classes, programs, the parish festival, and meetings of parish organizations; and the St. Catherine Cemetery.
Fr. Joseph Trupkovich was appointed pastor in October of 2003. A new church was realized. The new worship space at the Gilpin Township site was dedicated on August 5, 2012, by Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt. In December, 2013, parish office renovations at our new facility at Gilpin were completed, and on January 6, 2014, our new parish office was opened.
On February 12, 2014, Christ the King Church was partnered with St. Gertrude Church in Vandergrift. With the partnering of our parishes, Fr. James Loew, O.S.B., pastor of St. Gertrude Church became our administrator.
In the year 2001, the diocese organized its parishes into Regions. The Diocese of Greensburg currently has 10 Regions that comprise 5 Deaneries. Along with St. Gertrude Parish, Vandergrift, St. James the Greater Parish in Apollo, and Our Lady, Queen of Peace Parish in East Vandergrift, we make up Region 2, Deanery I of the Diocese of Greensburg. Together we have worked to establish a regional identity conducting a variety of programs on the regional level.