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| First Christ the King church, 1932 | Interior of first church, 1932 | Altar of first church, 1932 | Christ the King church, 2002 |
Christ the King, Ambridge
Christ the King was founded in 1926 as an Italian ethnic parish. In 1926, Bishop Hugh Boyle sent an Italian priest to Ambridge to organize a parish for the Italian immigrants in Ambridge. The first Mass of the new parish was celebrated on October 17, 1926, in the Sons of Italy Hall. Ground was broken in April 1927. However, the parish did not have enough funds to complete the church. The basement was finished and used as a temporary church. This building was dedicated on October 29, 1927.
This temporary church served the parish for the next 25 years. In 1951 work began on a new church. The new church was built on the foundation of the first church. This church was completed and dedicated on July 12, 1955.
Near the end of the century , the population of Ambridge dropped significantly. Eventually, the population of Ambridge was reduced to the point that it could no longer support the number of existing churches in the city. In 1994, Christ the King merged with Holy Trinity, St. Stanislaus, St. Veronica and Divine Redeemer to form the new Good Samaritan parish. At first Christ the King church remained open and served the new parish. As the decade progressed, however, it became obvious that the parish could not support four church buildings. After a three year study, the parish decided to close Christ the King Church in 2004. The final Mass in the church was celebrated on November 21, 2004.
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| First Christ the King church, 1932 | Interior of first church, 1932 | Altar of first church, 1932 | Christ the King church, 2002 |
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