In 1947 Bishop Eugene McGuinness saw the need for a new parish in the northwest area of Oklahoma City, and Christ the King parish was conceived. Vacant land at Elmhurst Avenue and Dorset Drive was purchased for $15,000, and on Passion Sunday of 1949 Bishop McGuinness broke ground for the building of four classrooms and a multipurpose room, which could serve as a temporary chapel. The campaign for financing was called "Building Generations." Rev. Charles Buswell, then an assistant pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, was named the new pastor. Christ the King began with 125 families.
The School
The parish school was such a high priority that construction of the final church building was postponed in favor of building classrooms, and the school began in 1949 in a rented four-room framed cottage. The teachers were Benedictine Sisters, and by the 1954-55 school year the school offered all eight grades with an enrollment of 362. A new library, teacher's lounge and gymnasium were built in 1982. Classroom space was expanded in a new north wing, completed in the fall of 1998, and much-needed administrative offices were built in 1999. The south classroom wing, school commons and youth room were completed in 2001. Our long-awaited pre-school will open in the fall of 2009 in the newly renovated space formerly used for the youth program.
The Church
The church has occupied three locations. The first was the site of the current parish offices, and the second location was the present school cafeteria. After 15 years the parish finally had a permanent church, which was dedicated on September 16, 1962. Fr. John Walch designed the stations of the cross, the canopy over the altar and the baptismal font. The bell tower contains three bells imported from Amsterdam, Holland. The bells were named in honor of the first three bishops of the diocese: Victor (Reed), Eugene(McGuinness) and Francis (Kelly). In the late 1990s the present Parish Center was built as a result of the generous stewardship of parishioners through the "Building Christ the King" campaign.
Music
From the beginning music was an important part of the liturgy at Christ the King, and Fr. Halpine started a small men's choir with the help of volunteers. A full-time professional church musician was hired in 1962, and women were then allowed to join the choir. Throughout the years the choir has performed many notable works, such as Amahl and the NightVisitors, Mozart's Requiem Mass and others. In 1986 a women's bell choir was established. In 1993 the choir toured Italy, singing in St. Peter's Basilica. In the spring of 2009 Christ the King Music Director and Organist, Edwin Day, oversaw the installation of a new antiphonal organ in the balcony of the church to supplement the main pipe organ.
Outreach
After Vatican Council II lay people were called upon to take a more active role in caring for the needy, and the first Social Ministries Board began its work with Neighbor for Neighbor. In 1972 poor boxes were installed at the church doors to support foreign missions in Guatemala and Peru. In 1989 the parish began serving monthly meals for the homeless, and our St. Vincent de Paul Society has a long history of assistance to needy people within our parish boundaries who need food, rent, utility and prescriptions.
Throughout the decades many have generously contributed their time, energy and money to build and sustain the parish, but no one has contributed more of the spirit of God to our parish than the wonderful Pastors and Associate Pastors.
The Pastors
Rev. Charles Buswell, Rev. Msgr. James Halpine, Rev. Charles Conley, Rev. Ernest A. Flusche, Rev. Clement E. Pribil, Rev. Gerald Mayfield, Rev. Joseph Ross, Rev. Rick Stansberry (Current)
Associate Pastors
Rev. Msgr. James F. Halpine, Rev. Charles J. Johnson, Rev. David L. Jones, Rev. Robert J. O'Brien, Rev. Lawrence Courtright, Rev. Joseph LaBarge, Rev. Francis D. Colavechio, Rev. A. G. MacAulay, Rev. John A. Petuskey, Rev. Thomas Dowdell, Rev. Gary C. Aultz, Rev. James J. Mickus, Rev. Philip Creider, Rev. Thomas L.P. O'Toole, Rev. Mark Mason, Rev. John R. Metzinger, Rev. Joseph Vas, Rev. Victor J. Van De Walle, Rev. Joseph R. Ross, Rev. Duanne D. Mallon, Rev. David A. Cowden, Rev. John D. Carl, Rev. James A. Goin, Rev. James Kastner, Rev. Balasamy, Rev. Francis Nguyen