Church History – Christ the King

1940s

On the eve of the United States entry into World War II, Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley of St. Augustine decreed that a sixth parish would be established in Tampa and extend from Bay to Bay and be dedicated to Christ the King. Fr. John J. Mullins, a 38-year-old Irish-born priest, was appointed as the first Pastor. This would be the first diocesan run parish in Tampa since the Jesuits took over the administration of St. Louis Church (now Sacred Heart) in 1887.

The twenty-five Catholic families within the parish boundaries celebrated the first Mass at the Academy of the Holy Names on December 22, 1941. Fr. Mullins left Christ the King soon after its establishment to serve as an Army Chaplain for four years. In his absence the parish was administered by two different priests. Daily mass (as well as some weddings and funerals) were also held at the provisional rectory (a house on W. Barcelona Street).

In 1944, at the end of World War II, a surplus Army barracks was purchased by several parishioners and moved to the Dale Mabry property to serve as the church. The building was simple, but the parish now had their own church which seated 250 people.

During the postwar era Tampa grew significantly and Archbishop Hurley decided that Christ the King should open a school. Under Fr. Mullins’ leadership and with donations from parishioners and the community at large, construction began on the modern two-story building in August 1948. The school Sisters of Notre Dame agreed to staff the school, which opened in September 1949 with grades one through four.

Following Fr. Mullins’ last year as pastor in 1949, Father William O’Farrell led the parish for one year.

1950s & 1960s

In 1950 another Irish priest, Fr. Mark McLoughlin, was appointed pastor of Christ the King. This would mark the beginning of his 21 years of service to our parish. Less than a year after Fr. McLoughlin’s arrival, ground was broken for a new church. The new building was dedicated on March 20, 1952 and featured beautiful stained-glass windows of Christ and the saints. The early 1950s also saw the construction of the convent and the rectory.

Grade levels were added to Christ the King School each year until it included Kindergarten through eighth grade. During the 1950s the school grew to just over 1,000 students, making it one of the largest Catholic grade schools in Florida. To support the needs of the school, two wings, the cafeteria, the library, and school offices were added to the original building.

1960s & 1970s

In the 1960’s Fr. McLoughlin guided the parish through the sweeping reforms of Church life and worship as a result of Vatican II. As south Tampa continued to grow and the population boomed, Christ the King served two mission churches: Little St. Ignatius in Port Tampa and St. Patrick’s on Manhattan Avenue. St. Patrick’s was established as a parish and later built a school of its own. In 1965 Fr. McLoughlin was recognized for his leadership and named a Monsignor. In 1968 the Diocese of St. Petersburg was created to serve the faithful of west central Florida.

In 1971 Msgr. McLoughlin retired and Fr. Norman Balthazar was appointed as pastor. During his tenure, renovations were made to the church sanctuary in 1974 which included a modern-day portrait of Christ created by Tampa artist Joe Testa-Secca which replaced the traditional crucifix behind the altar, and in 1979 a Marian chapel was added along with the construction of a new parish center, the McLoughlin Center.

After the School Sisters of Notre Dame withdrew from staffing Christ the King School in 1974, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, better known as the Salesian Sisters, took over the running of the school, a task they would do lovingly for the next 30 years.

1980s & 1990s

In 1985 additional property was purchased on Morrison Avenue and was dedicated as the diocesan Catholic Media Center and became the home of the diocesan radio station WBVM.

In 1989 the church was renovated again with new carpet and the addition of marble for the walls. The next year, as part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the parish, a 40-rank Wicks pipe organ was installed in the church. On November 24, 1991 the entire parish was invited to a celebratory Mass and reception in honor of the 50^th anniversary of the parish. A commemorative book was produced with information and photographs chronicling the major events and ministries of the parish.

In 1992 Fr. Michael Muhr, was appointed Christ the King’s fourth pastor. A graduate of Leto High School, he was official installed as pastor on January 19, 1992. The parish experienced great growth under Fr. Muhr’s spiritual leadership, but the physical plant also required attention.

The mid 1990s saw the fundraising for and construction of a new building to house the Early Childhood program for four-year-old’s at the parish school, which welcomed its first class in September 1995. During this time a few important changes were made to the santuary. The Testa-Secca mural of Christ was donated to St. Leo College and a new stained glass window depicting Christ our King was installed in the back wall of the sanctuary. At that time a new Crucifix and a statue of the Holy Family were added as well. The modern Testa-Secca Stations of the Cross were replaced with a more classic bronze design. Fr. Muhr was able to locate Christ the King’s original tabernacle and have it refurbished and returned to the sanctuary. Also, new roofs were installed on the chapel and church, the sound system and lighting were enhanced, and the parish center received a complete renovation.

In early 1997 the parish had an opportunity to acquire more land and purchased the adjacent property on Dale Mabry Highway that housed a bank and a restaurant. The restaurant would eventually be demolished, but the bank was refurbished into the Youth Center. In order to better serve the ever-expanding parish membership, a capital campaign was begun in early 1999 to fund the renovation of the school administrative offices, paved parking in the athletic field, and the construction of a multi-purpose covered pavilion. It was also during this period that several parishioners began Trinity Café to help feed the poor with dignity in Tampa.

2000s

In 2001, after Fr. Muhr was assigned to the faculty of the St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Fr. Desmond Daly was appointed pastor. In November of that same year, Faith Café, a joint effort with the South Tampa Ecumenical Ministries, opened to help feed the poor and homeless.

In 2005 the Future of our Faith, a capital campaign was launched to construct the Mary Martha Center, the St. John Bosco Catholic Education Center, campus canopies and walkways. It was completed in spring of 2007.

In the fall of 2005, as a part of an ongoing parish-wide initiative to increase our outreach programs, Christ the King began a twining outreach with the community of Ste. Suzanne in Haiti. This relationship would grow and increase over the next decade under succeeding pastors and would include the establishment of Teens For Haiti. This relationship has helped both communities grow in generosity for others and in gratitude to God.

2010s

At the retirement of Msgr. Daly, Fr. David Toups was appointed pastor of Christ the King in July 2009. Fr. Toups brought great zeal to the parish and helped to spark a renewal of the parish. Under his watch, funds were raised to complete the reconstruction and expansion of Christ the King School. After just two years as pastor, Msgr. Toups was appointed Rector of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida.

Fr. Len Plazewski succeeded him as the first native Floridian to serve as Pastor of Christ the King in July 2012. A graduate of Jesuit High School, Fr. Len was already well-known to the people of Christ the King as he had been serving here as the parochial vicar for the previous year and a half. He took over the school construction project and the new school opened on time as promised in January 2013. He was also able to get the part of Inman Avenue that bordered the Pavilion vacated by the city so that the track and athletic field could be expanded.

On May 6, 2018, in conjunction with Bishop Parkes’ consecration of the Diocese of St. Petersburg to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Fr. Len solemnly designated the chapel as Our Lady, Queen of Angels as he blessed the two new windows that were installed only days earlier.

The parish continued to grow, and a number of new ministries were begun (including the St. Joseph Society which grew out of the That Man is You program). Christ the King Catholic School continues to prosper with enrollment running at full capacity. As the parish continued to grow, it faced the reality that the parish church was too small for the parish community with overflow crowds watching mass on closed circuit TV at half of the weekend masses on any given weekend.

After a successful capital campaign to expand the church as well as make a number of improvements (including new restrooms, confessionals, an expanded narthex, a porte-cochere, five new statues, three new mosaics, and new devotional areas including the St. Michael Courtyard and Gethsemane Garden), the expanded and renovated church was solemnly blessed on January 20, 2019, during a Pontifical Mass of Blessing celebrated by Bishop Parkes and Archbishop Broglio (Archdiocese for Military Services USA). Parishioners and guests alike acclaimed the church for its beautiful and elegant design, especially the new artistic elements including the new mosaics and statues.

2020s

Recognizing the need to replace the aging cafeteria and youth center (both of which were constructed in the 1950’s) as well as provide a space for a new and expanded nursery and theater, demolition of the cafeterias began in the summer of 2023 after a successful capital campaign. The new two-story building, the Bailey Center, was blessed by Bishop Parkes on October 6, 2024. The first floor includes a new dining hall, kitchen, and nursery while the second floor houses our new youth center and theater. The Bailey Center is connected to the second floor Schellman Hall with a covered walkway. In the Fall of 2024, the current youth center (which used to be an old bank) was demolished for additional parking and will include a new grand entrance off Dale Mabry Hwy.

History of Christ the King Catholic Church