Established in 1938, Christ the King has stood the test of time. Originally, it was to be located at 78th and Holmes “south of Waldo.” The original boundaries ran a zig-zag course from 75th Street and Troost to Martin City on the south and from Cherry to State Line on 80th Street.
Fr. Thomas J. Connelly was the first pastor. He did a census of the proposed parish area and discovered 17 families. A storeroom northeast of 85th and Holmes was rented, and the congregation celebrated its first Mass together on the Feast of Christ the King, October 30, 1938.
In 1941, a lot with a large house was purchased on the southwest corner of 85th and Wornall from T. Eugene Crawford. Construction on a new church in a mission style was begun. There were about 75 families.
On May 24, 1943, the church burned to the ground and took the rectory with it. The property was in the county at the time and there were no firefighting facilities. Parishioners immediately began to clear the ruins and by the following Sunday they were able to have Mass in the basement remains of the church. They built a new church identical to the former one, which was blessed December 19, 1943.
At the blessing ceremony Bishop Edwin O’Hara told the people the area was going to grow rapidly and encouraged them to plan for a school. In the fall of 1945, the basement of the church was divided into three classrooms and school opened with 46 children. By the fall of 1946, a new school was prepared for occupancy. It was made up of four classrooms and an office and cost $68,000. By 1950 there were 325 families.
In 1952, Msgr. Arthur Tighe came to Christ the King. He purchased additional property and on November 9, 1952, ground was broken for a new church. The boundaries for the parish were now from 80th to 110th Street and State Line to Troost.
In 1952, Father Tighe and Monsignor Marling broke ground for the new church at today’s location. Parishioners, Millie Oxler and her husband Mike, from Santa Fe Hills, also assisted in the groundbreaking for the new church to be built on the present location.
When Msgr. Vincent Kearney came in 1958 there were 2029 Catholic children in the parish (925 were enrolled in the school) and 2457 adult Catholics. Additions were made to the school to accommodate the growing student population.
In July 1960, the rectory was built and in March 1965, the gymnasium and cafeteria were added to the school. The church was air conditioned in the late summer of 1966, a goal which the Holy Name Society had been working toward since the spring of 1960.
When Fr. William Bauman came to Christ the King in 1984 there were 2,280 registered parishioners in the parish and there were 385 students in the school. In 1985 half of the convent was renovated into an apartment while the other half became the LIFE Center. The LIFE Center now serves as the Food Pantry.
Fr. Mancuso joined Christ the King in 1992 but was only at Christ the King for one year.
Fr. John Weiss came in 1993. There were several much-needed renovations in the school including new gym restrooms, the addition of a computer lab in the basement and the remodeling of the cafeteria to accommodate a hot lunch program.
Fr. David Holloway became Pastor in July 2004.
After a successful campaign, “Cool The Kids,” we began the installation of A/C and upgrading the electrical service for the school in the summer of 2005.
Fr. Gregory Lockwood became Parochial Administrator in July 2011. During his time at Christ the King, Father Lockwood has led the way in bringing tradition back to Christ the King. Fr. Gregory Lockwood became Parochial Administrator in July 2011.
8510 Wornall Road
Kansas City, MO
64114