We, the parish community of St. Ursula, guided by the Holy Spirit, are called to continue the mission of Jesus Christ. We dedicate ourselves to the fulfillment of this mission by committing to use our varied and abundant gifts to serve the Lord and one another through worship, faith formation, and education. Centered in Christ, nurtured by the Eucharist, our covenant is to extend Christ’s peace and compassion to all.

A group of parishioners living in the Allison Park area belonging to St. Mary’s Pine Creek asked for a church nearby. Bishop Regis Canevin established St. Ursula Parish on December 22, 1908, with the opening Mass on January 1, 1909. The first pastor was Father Joseph Rossman. A frame house was purchased for the first rectory the following year. As the school began in 1911, that structure housed the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who arrived in 1919 to assume the work of St. Ursula School.
 
Meanwhile Father H.J. Killmeyer succeeded Father Rossman as pastor in 1917 and served for 33 years. As the congregation grew in Hampton Township and nearby areas, plans were made to succeed the small structure with the present church building that was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day in 1928. In the early days of the post-World War II, the parish grew rapidly. In May of 1950, after long years of service, Father Killmeyer died suddenly. Father Herman Heilman succeeded him in June of 1950, and planned shortly after for a new school, that occurred in two phases —1954 and 1956. Early in the growth period of the “fifties” (1953), the Vincentian Sisters of Charity became the teaching staff of the new school.
 
The Golden Jubilee of the parish was celebrated by priests and people with Bishop (later Cardinal) John Wright as principal celebrant of the anniversary Mass.
 
In the mid-1960s Father Heilman directed the construction of the current rectory and priests’ residence. Through the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s to the present, the parish grew in numbers as well as in programs when assistant pastors were assigned. In sequence, they were Fathers Robert Wallace, Joseph Grosko, John Wersing, Philip Donatelli, Nicholas Spirko, James Garvey, Albert Leonard, Stephen Palsa and the present Parochial Vicar, Father Ernest Strelinski, who celebrated his Golden Jubilee in May 2015.
 
Father Heilman was pastor until his death in 1969, followed briefly by Father Herman Walter, then by Father Henry Petrie (June 1970-November 1995).
 
The influence of the Second Vatican Council brought growth and structural changes to parish life everywhere. The CCD program grew and several lay teachers became faculty members of the school. The participation of lay persons in worship roles increased over this period, as well as leadership roles in a variety of parish committees and organizations. Father Petrie guided the renewal of the church sanctuary area with a new altar, tabernacle, furnishings, and lighting. All was brought to completion with the dedication of the woodcarving of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1981. These updating elements were completed in time for the 75th anniversary celebration of the Parish when Auxiliary Bishop John B. McDowell served as principal celebrant and homilist. Over the next 25 years, St. Ursula continued to grow and carry on the mission of all those who came before. In November 1995, Fr. Harry Petrie celebrated his Golden Jubilee and retired. Rev. Garrett Dorsey was appointed successor.
 
With Father Dorsey as pastor and Father Strelinski as associate, the congregation began to look toward the future and the challenges facing an aging church. At Father’s invitation, a group gathered in early 1998 resulting in the formation of a “Master Plan” that was approved in spring 2002. This Plan was a comprehensive vision for the parish’s future arising from a detailed investigation and evaluation of the present use of current facilities and buildings.
 
During this period, St. Ursula Parish members made progress implementing this vision for facilities improvement. The first phase of the Master Plan was completed. This included a new parking lot beside the church that provided convenient access for disabled persons, new doors and patio areas leading to and opening up the church social hall, and creation of accessible entrances to the school building.
 
Early in 2011, with the aid of the Building Committee and the Finance Council, we concluded that our next project should be the renewal of the church building itself. After many design and approval steps, construction began in the Fall of 2012 and was completed in the Spring of 2013. The main components of the building project included: a new roof; work on the electrical, air-conditioning, and heating systems; renovations to the sanctuary around the altar; an addition to the parking lot side allowing for a covered entry way to the body of the church; a stairway and elevator to the lower hall to provide accessibility to all; and renovations to the church social hall. The church was rededicated on June 13, 2013 when Bishop David Zubik served as principal celebrant and homilist.
 
With the renovations complete, Fr. Dorsey retired in July 2015 after serving the diocese for over 50 years. Upon his retirement, Fr. Aaron Kriss was named pastor. In July 2016, Fr. Kriss was reassigned and Rev. Larry Adams was appointed Administrator.
 
Many times throughout its long history, St. Ursula’s parishioners have built and rebuilt. Following that tradition, even in this 21st century, not much has changed in that respect. Like Catholics over the decades, guided by the Holy Spirit, we further the mission of Jesus Christ. Using our gifts and talents, we continue to pray, to grow, to teach, to serve, and to worship as community—and to be a presence in this community—if God wills—for the next hundred years.