Our History

St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, is a Roman Catholic Church, which is located on eighteen acres encompassing the church, parish school, rectory, and beautiful meditation gardens.

Archbishop Coleman Carroll established St. Thomas the Apostle on June 30, 1959. Father Louis Roberts was appointed as our founding pastor and served the community for two years. In 1961, Father Patrick Slevin became the second pastor and received approval in 1962, to build a church and parish school.

The first Mass was celebrated on midnight, Christmas 1963, in an incomplete church without windows! Glory and praise were given to God despite the bitter cold winter winds and the new church was dedicated on Sunday, April 12,1964. The church was on the first floor and the school was on the second. This original building still stands today and is called the Mercy Wing.

The first school bells rang in September of 1964. The Sisters of Mercy, from Pittsburgh and Mrs. Lorraine O’Brien staffed the school. The early classes were kindergarten through fifth grade, with grades sixth through eighth added in the ensuing years.

Father Francis Fenech was pastor from 1966 to 1968, and he led the renovation of the original rectory and administrative offices. Father Christopher Konkol, the fourth pastor, in 1968, began implementing II Vatican Council and undertook the construction of the multi-purpose family center and chapel.

In October of 1989, Father Daniel I. Kubala was appointed as pastor. Under the leadership of Father Kubala the meditation gardens were developed and the acquisition of the priests residence and the new rectory administrative building became a reality.

With Father Kubala, the school grew to a three track per grade facility beginning with Pre-K two and continuing through eighth grade. Two new wings of classrooms were planned and constructed. Archbishop John Favalora and Archbishop Emeritus Edward A. McCarthy blessed and dedicated the McCarthy Wing on October 1, 1995, and the Carmelite Wing was blessed and dedicated in November of 2000. In September of 2014, St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School was recognized as an International Baccalaureate School from Kindergarten through 8th Grade.

Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski appointed Father Alejandro J. Rodríguez Artola pastor of St. Thomas in August of 2013. For Fr. Alejandro, this was a true “coming home”: he was baptized at St. Thomas and attended St. Thomas the Apostle School from 1st to 8th grade.

St. Thomas the Apostle is a wonderful Catholic Community built with the love and devotion of all Pastors, Priests, Religious, and parishioners, past and present, which have given so generously of their time and resources.