About Assumption of the B.V.M. · Barnesville, Ohio
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish is a small Catholic parish in Barnesville, Belmont County, Ohio, belonging to the Diocese of Steubenville. The parish serves the Belmont County community from its church at 306 West Main Street and is currently linked with St. Mary Parish in Temperanceville, sharing a pastor. Assumption is notable for being the home parish of Fr. David J. Cornett, a former Divine Word Missionary who celebrates the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass simultaneously in spoken English and American Sign Language — believed to be the only such bilingual (English/ASL) Mass in the Diocese of Steubenville. The parish community traces its roots to 1873 and has been a continuous presence in Barnesville for well over a century.
- Established
- 1873 (land purchased); 1889 (first church dedicated); 1900 (first resident priest); 1901 (current downtown site acquired)
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (under her title of the Assumption)
- Rector
- Rev. David J. Cornett (also pastor of St. Mary Parish, Temperanceville)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Steubenville
Why belong here
Assumption of the B.V.M. offers the warmth of a small-town Catholic parish in the heart of Belmont County, with the convenience of weekend Masses on Saturday evening and twice on Sunday morning — including a unique 11:00 a.m. Mass celebrated simultaneously in English and American Sign Language for the deaf community. The parish is paired with St. Mary in Temperanceville, giving parishioners a wider rural deanery footprint, and is supported by lay lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and a religious education program for children preparing for Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. It is a faithful, multi-generational community where Catholics from the Barnesville area have worshipped continuously since the 1880s.
Mass times at Assumption of the B.V.M.
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:30 PM – 3:45 PM (per catholicchurch.directory)
- Saturdays 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (per parish listings)
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM (per parish listings)
History of Assumption of the B.V.M.
Catholic life in Barnesville began in 1873 when John H. Forbes, Edward McGinnis, and Henry Creighton — essentially the entire local Catholic community — purchased one acre on the hill south of town (the present Catholic Cemetery) from Richard Hunt for $500. The cornerstone of a church building was laid in 1881 during the pastorate of Fr. Montag, and the completed building was dedicated by Bishop Watterson on September 29, 1889. After lightning destroyed the hilltop church in August 1899, Rev. D. A. Coffey became the parish's first resident priest in 1900 and acquired two downtown lots at Main and Gardener, moving a former Presbyterian church onto the site. Fr. Bede Hansen followed in December 1904, paid down the parish debt, and served until 1911. The parish has continued without interruption in the same downtown location ever since.
- 1873 — Hilltop cemetery land purchased
- 1881 — Foundation for first church laid under Fr. Montag
- 1889 (Sept 29) — First church dedicated by Bishop Watterson
- 1899 (August) — Church destroyed by lightning
- 1900 (Aug 2) — Rev. D. A. Coffey arrives as first resident priest
- 1901 — Current downtown site acquired; former Presbyterian church moved in
- 1904 (Dec 14) — Rev. Bede Hansen assigned; church bell installed
Parish Staff
The parish is currently led by Rev. David J. Cornett, who also serves as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Temperanceville. Day-to-day operations are supported by Mrs. Mary Anne Stephens, Office Administrator, and Mr. Tim McKelvey, Grounds and Maintenance.
- Rev. David J. Cornett — Pastor
- Mrs. Mary Anne Stephens — Office Administrator
- Mr. Tim McKelvey — Grounds and Maintenance
Ministries and Liturgical Roles
Lay parishioners serve as lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at weekend and daily Masses. A separate religious education program forms children in the faith and prepares them to receive the sacraments.
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Religious Education (children)
- Music ministry (weekend Masses)
- Pastoral care of the deaf community (English/ASL Mass)
Sacraments
The parish prepares children and adults for the full sacramental life of the Church. First Reconciliation is celebrated in 2nd grade in December; First Holy Communion is celebrated in 2nd grade in the spring, after First Reconciliation; Confirmation preparation classes meet on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Parents preparing for Baptism or Marriage should contact the parish office.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- First Reconciliation — 2nd grade, celebrated in December
- First Holy Communion — 2nd grade, spring
- Confirmation — Wednesday evening classes 7:00–8:30 PM
- Marriage — contact parish office
Ministry to the Deaf Community
Under Fr. David J. Cornett — a former Divine Word Missionary who began learning sign language at age 19 — the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass at Assumption is celebrated simultaneously in English and American Sign Language, with Fr. Cornett signing the prayers, readings, and hymns himself. Fr. Cornett also serves as interpreter for fellow priests across the Diocese of Steubenville when they encounter deaf parishioners. He previously ministered to the deaf for ten years in the Congo, and in Washington and Chicago.
- 11:00 AM Sunday Mass — English and ASL
- Fr. Cornett interprets for deaf parishioners across the diocese
- Partnership with the National Catholic Office for the Deaf
Linked Parish: St. Mary, Temperanceville
Assumption of the B.V.M. shares its pastor, Fr. David J. Cornett, with St. Mary Parish in nearby Temperanceville, a small rural community in Belmont County. Together the two parishes form a single pastoral team serving eastern Belmont County.
- St. Mary Parish, Temperanceville — shared pastor
- Combined email: [email protected]
Catholic Cemetery
The parish's original 1873 one-acre tract — purchased from Richard Hunt for $500 by the early Catholic families of Barnesville — remains in use today as the Catholic Cemetery on the hill south of town, the same hilltop site where the parish's first church was built in 1886 and destroyed by lightning in 1899.
- One acre purchased 1873 from Richard Hunt
- Located on the hill south of Barnesville
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Heeryc. 1873
In charge when the original one-acre hilltop lot was purchased.
- Fr. Montagc. 1881–1889
Laid the foundation for the first church in 1881 and saw it dedicated by Bishop Watterson on September 29, 1889.
- Rev. D. A. Coffey1900–
Sent August 2, 1900 as the parish's first resident priest; bought the current downtown lots and moved the former Presbyterian church onto them.
- Rev. Bede Hansen1904–1911
Born 1847 in Bedburg, Rhenish Prussia; ordained 1874 in Paderborn; arrived in U.S. 1875. Came to Barnesville December 14, 1904 to clear parish debt; procured the church bell, reduced the debt, and resigned in 1911 due to ill health. Died November 23, 1911.
- Rev. David J. Cornett
Current pastor; also serves St. Mary Parish, Temperanceville; former Divine Word Missionary who celebrates the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass in English and American Sign Language.