Welcome Fr. Gizler

Reverend John B. Gizler III has been appointed Pastor of Mary Queen of Saints Parish (Aliquippa/Center/Hopewell/Monaca) effective Tuesday, July 1, 2025.

Father Gizler was born in Sewickley, the oldest child of John and Elaine Gizler. He has a younger brother, Mark, who is married with two children.  He grew up in South Park Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and attended South Park High School, graduating in 1992. He earned a B.A. in French from California University of Pennsylvania in 1996. He was accepted into the Diocesan Priestly Formation Program at Saint Paul Seminary in the fall of 1996 and completed the Pre-Theology Program, along with graduate studies in philosophy at Duquesne University in the Spring of 1998.

In the summer of 1998, he was assigned to study theology at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy. He earned a S.T.B. in Theology and a S.T.L. in Dogmatic Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained a transitional deacon by the late Cardinal Pio Laghi in Saint Peter Basilica in Rome on October 4, 2001. He was then ordained a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh by then Bishop Donald Wuerl in Saint Paul Cathedral on June 22, 2002.

Since his ordination, Father Gizler has served the diocese as Parochial Vicar at Saint Charles Lwanga Parish (Pittsburgh East End), Saint Patrick Parish (Canonsburg), and Assumption Parish (Bellevue). He was appointed Pastor of Saint Martin de Porres Parish (McKeesport) in 2008. He was then appointed Pastor of Holy Sepulcher Parish (Glade Mills) in 2011.

In the Spring of 2014, Bishop Zubik appointed Fr. Gizler as a pastor to oversee the pre-On Mission For The Church Alive! grouping of Ascension Parish (Ingram), Guardian Angels Parish (Crafton Heights) and Holy Innocents Parish (Sheraden). One year later, in 2015, he was appointed pastor of a fourth parish, Saint Philip (Crafton). In 2016, all four parishes were successfully merged into the current Saint Philip Parish. Father remained as pastor until 2020, when Bishop Zubik appointed him Episcopal Regional Vicar of the Northern Vicariate, which encompassed 30 parishes in Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and northern Allegheny Counties. He remained in this role until June 2022, when he took a leave of absence to care for his ailing father. He returned to Replacement Ministry in the North Vicariate in January 2024, continuing in this assignment until he was appointed Senior Parochial Vicar at Holy Spirit Parish (New Castle) in July 2024.  Bishop Zubik assigned Fr. Gizler as pastor for Mary Queen of Saints Parish beginning on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.

Welcome Fr. Gizler to our parish community of faith.