History of Christ the King
The history of Christ the King Parish began when Nicholas Ettelbrick, Sr., owner and operator of the Ettelbrick Shoe Company, approached Bishop James Griffin asking for a parish to be located in Greenup. He offered to donate the land and a church building. Bishop Griffin approved, and ground was broken for the church on May 26, 1937. The first pastor, Fr. George Powell, arrived October 20, 1937, and offered mass in the Ettelbrick home. The church was finished and dedicated on December 19, 1937. At the time, there were 14 families in the new parish, which was given the name Christ the King, the name which Bishop Griffin allowed Mr. Ettelbrick to choose. The parish has been served by many pastors, including Fr. Frank Lawler, Msgr. Lawrence Mattingly, Fr. Michael O'Reilly, Fr. George Juzaitis, Fr. George Nelis, Fr. Joseph Schmertmann, Fr. Lawrence Auda, Fr. Gilbert Burns, Fr. Jeffery Grant, Fr. Christopher Brey, Fr. Michael Haag, and Fr. Agustine Koomson. Many Franciscans have also served the parish between pastors. Our parish has also been served by religious sisters. Sr. Therese McKinnon and Sr. Barbara Jean Potthast are the most recent sisters who have served the parish. The parish saw steady growth in the early years, and in 1939 witnessed its first vocation. Fr. Rene Ettelbrick was ordained a Franciscan priest on Jun 19, eleven days after the death of his mother. He celebrated a first mass at Greenup in August of 1939. His brother, Albert, was ordained for the diocese in 1942, and also celebrated a first mass at Greenup. Fr. Albert died suddenly in a car accident in 1953. Fr. Rene retired after many years as a missionary in South America. In October of 1962, ground was broken for a new rectory which was completed the following spring. In 1973, a parish hall was built under the guidance of Fr. Joe Schmertmann. It contained classrooms and space for parish get-togethers. Unfortunately, Fr. Schmertmann died suddenly of a heart attack and was unable to see the hall to its completion. The parish hall was blessed by Bishop William O'Connor in June 1974. Now that the parish is more than 70 years old, the membership has grown steadily older, with only a slight increase in attendance. Currently, we have 123 families in the parish. We serve the eastern half of Cumberland County including Greenup, Toledo and Jewett. |
Church Staff
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