About Blessed Trinity · Cleveland, Ohio
Blessed Trinity Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the West Park neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, part of the Diocese of Cleveland. Formed in 2010 from the merger of previous West Park parishes, the parish is led by Pastor Fr. Douglas H. Koesel and is known for its strong diversity, social-justice outreach, and creative ministries ranging from a food bank and mobile pantry to refugee gardening, Tai Chi, and Stephen Ministry. The parish gathers for Mass at its church on Puritas Avenue and extends its campus through the Joseph Center, Fogarty Hall, and gardens tended with resettled refugee families.
- Established
- 2010
- Patron
- Blessed Trinity
- Rector
- Douglas H. Koesel
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
Blessed Trinity welcomes anyone seeking an open, diverse, Eucharistic-centered Catholic community in Cleveland's West Park. The parish pairs traditional sacramental life — daily Mass, OCIA, Confirmation, First Eucharist, marriage preparation, and Anointing of the Sick — with a remarkable range of outreach: a free monthly community meal, the Bountiful Basement Food Bank, a Mobile Pantry, Stephen Ministers offering one-to-one care, and a community garden partnership with refugee families from Congo, Bhutan, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Add faith formation through PSR and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Stephen Ministry, Centering Prayer, Bible study, Couple's Ministry, and even Tai Chi classes, and the parish offers something for nearly every stage and season of life.
Mass times at Blessed Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment only
Parish History & 15th Anniversary
Blessed Trinity Parish was created by the Diocese of Cleveland as a new parish family serving West Park. The Diocese lists an establishment date of 2009, and Pastor Fr. Doug Koesel confirmed in the parish bulletin of June 8, 2025 that the parish's opening was June 5, 2010, with the first Mass celebrated on June 6, 2010. In fifteen years the parish recorded 162 baptisms, 125 First Communions, 176 Confirmations, 40 marriages, 407 funerals, and 8 people received into the Church through OCIA. The pastor reflected on how the early years were difficult but said the parish has grown into a vibrant, diverse community that lives out its mission of spiritual growth, community life, building a just society, and service to all God's people.
Parish Team & Staff
Blessed Trinity is led by founding Pastor Fr. Douglas H. Koesel and Deacon Richard C. Beercheck. The lay staff includes Briyant Hines as Pastoral Associate / Pastoral Assistant, Devra Konjura as Office Manager, Donna Bell as Business Manager, Julio Santana as Music Minister, and Phil Devaty as Custodial Engineer. Terri Pastura coordinates faith formation programs such as Confirmation, First Reconciliation, and First Eucharist. Pastor Fr. Doug Koesel also personally coordinates First Reconciliation preparation and Stephen Ministry contact. Of the original staff, only Fr. Koesel, Deacon Dick Beercheck, and custodian Phil Devaty remain from the parish's founding.
- Pastor: Fr. Douglas H. Koesel
- Deacon: Richard C. Beercheck
- Pastoral Associate: Briyant Hines
- Office Manager: Devra Konjura
- Business Manager: Donna Bell
- Music Minister: Julio Santana
- Custodial Engineer: Phil Devaty
- Faith Formation: Terri Pastura
Sacraments
Blessed Trinity prepares parishioners for all the major sacraments. Parents attend a pre-baptism class before their first child's baptism; adults seeking baptism enter OCIA. Confirmation is conferred by a diocesan bishop in early spring for youth in Grades 8–10, and adults are confirmed at the Easter Vigil. First Eucharist and First Reconciliation are prepared through the parish office or with Terri Pastura, and home visits can be arranged. Reconciliation is by appointment only. Marriage preparation must begin at least six months in advance and includes an interview, the PREPARE assessment, and either Pre-Cana or Couple-to-Couple ministry. Anointing of the Sick is offered once a year at Mass and anytime by request.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Eucharist / First Reconciliation
- Reconciliation (by appointment)
- Marriage (6+ months advance; parishioners only)
- Anointing of the Sick
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish offers two parallel faith formation tracks for children: the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based approach for children ages 3–12 that supplements diocesan guidelines (contact Briyant Hines), and PSR (Parish School of Religion), which supports parents as the primary educators of their children with sessions for Grades 1–8 on Sundays from 10:00–10:45 AM using the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies, a resource approved by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (contact Terri Pastura). An Adaptive Sacramental Preparation program serves individuals with special needs preparing for Reconciliation, First Eucharist, or Confirmation. Adults enter OCIA in the early Fall for baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (ages 3–12)
- PSR — Sundays 10:00–10:45 AM, Grades 1–8
- Adaptive Sacramental Preparation
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at Blessed Trinity is led by Music Minister Julio Santana. The parish describes its liturgies as reflecting the passion of the community for its mission, and offers daily Mass, a Vigil Mass, and special celebrations such as the parish's annual Anointing of the Sick Mass and the commissioning of new Stephen Ministers (most recently five new Stephen Ministers on February 2).
Outreach & Social Justice
Outreach is central to Blessed Trinity's identity. The Bountiful Basement Food Bank, now in the Joseph Center basement, serves families in need on Tuesdays 9:30 AM–12:00 PM and Wednesdays 5:00–6:45 PM, with clientele having quadrupled since the parish's founding. The Mobile Pantry distributes free produce to qualifying low-income households on the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30–6:30 PM in the Joseph Center parking lot. A free monthly Community Meal is served on the second Sunday of every month in Fogarty Hall from 12:00–1:00 PM, with a team of cooks and servers led by Cas Robertson and Briyant Hines.
- Bountiful Basement Food Bank
- Mobile Pantry
- Monthly Community Meal
- Haiti Committee (Just Haiti coffee)
- Peace and Justice Committee
- Witness for Ukraine
- IDCC Program (birth certificates, IDs)
Stephen Ministry & Pastoral Care
Stephen Ministers are lay members of Blessed Trinity trained to provide one-to-one confidential care to people experiencing grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness, or relocation. On February 2 the parish commissioned five new Stephen Ministers — Rose Jancsy, Nancy Barile, Steve Flynn, Rosemary Tanteh, and Terri Cotner — expanding the team's pastoral reach.
- Stephen Ministry
- Centering Prayer Group
- Couple's Ministry (engaged couple mentoring)
Community Garden, Edible Forest & Wellness
On the parish's south side, two formerly unused baseball fields have been transformed into a community garden and Edible Forest with 25 raised beds, 104 fruit trees, more than an acre of in-ground planting, and six beehives. The gardens are tended alongside refugee families from Congo, Bhutan, Nepal, and Afghanistan, and the harvest is shared as raspberry jam, mulberry jam, and applesauce. Tai Chi Easy, led by parish member Mike Reiling, meets Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 PM in the Joseph Center; free-will offerings support the Edible Forest.
- Edible Forest / Community Garden
- Six beehives
- Tai Chi Easy (Wednesdays 7–8 PM)
Parish Life & Fellowship
Fellowship is woven into parish life through monthly Coffee & Donuts on the third Sunday after each Mass in Fogarty Hall, with 'Just Haiti' Haitian coffee available for purchase. The Parish Pastoral Council assists the pastor in discerning the parish's pastoral direction; eight council members serve two-year terms and meet quarterly.
- Monthly Coffee & Donuts (3rd Sunday)
- Parish Pastoral Council (quarterly meetings)
Contact, Office Hours & Bulletin
The rectory office is open Monday–Wednesday 9:00 AM–8:00 PM, Thursday–Friday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (closed for lunch), and Saturday 1:00–3:45 PM. The parish publishes a weekly bulletin (PDF) on its website with a current and historical archive, including the announcement of the parish's first Mass on June 6, 2010.
- Office Phone: (216) 671-5890
- Fax: (216) 938-9843
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/BlessedTrinityCleveland
- Instagram: @btp216
- Flocknote: blessedtrinityparish2.flocknote.com
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Douglas H. (Doug) Koesel2010–present
Founding pastor; called to the new parish by the diocesan personnel board. Brought prior experience with the Retrouvaille marriage-healing program and time in El Salvador during the civil war.