About Guardian Angels · Cincinnati, Ohio
Guardian Angels is a Roman Catholic parish in the Mt. Washington neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1892 from a petition of 45 families to Archbishop Elder. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and, since 2023, is one of three worship sites (with Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. John Fisher) of the St. Gregory the Great Family of Parishes, led by Pastor Father Steve Angi. The parish serves over 2,500 registered families, runs a preschool-through-8th-grade Catholic school (named a 2007 U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School), maintains its own cemetery, and offers daily Mass, livestreamed Sunday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and a wide range of faith-formation, service, and pro-life ministries.
- Established
- 1892
- Patron
- Guardian Angels
- Rector
- Father Steve J. Angi
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
Guardian Angels offers the full rhythm of parish life — daily 7:30 a.m. Mass Monday through Friday, two livestreamed Sunday Masses, Saturday confession from 2 to 3 p.m., and First Friday Eucharistic Adoration from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. — alongside a Blue Ribbon Catholic school serving preschool through eighth grade, an active Family Faith Formation program (CCD), the St. Vincent de Paul Society, a dedicated Guardian Angels for Life pro-life outreach, Young Men's and Young Women's faith and fellowship groups, the Children's Liturgy of the Word, and the longstanding Angel Follies variety show. As part of the St. Gregory the Great Family of Parishes since 2023, parishioners also benefit from combined Family-wide ministries including marriage ministry, youth ministry, Bible studies, The Chosen viewing/discussion groups, and joint social-action and health councils.
Mass times at Guardian Angels
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Adoration times
- First Friday 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
History of Guardian Angels Parish
Guardian Angels was founded in 1892 when 45 Catholic families in Mt. Washington petitioned Archbishop Elder for a parish of their own. Organized that year at Mt. St. Mary's Seminary, the parish built a small brick church with a prominent bell tower on the same road, opened its school in 1895 in a one-room building, and acquired more than 11 acres for a cemetery in 1904. As the congregation outgrew the original church, the Fr. Haley gymnasium (built 1948–1949) was pressed into service as the temporary worship space until 1964, when Masses moved to the undercroft during construction of the permanent church.
- 1892: Parish organized at Mt. St. Mary's Seminary with 45 families
- 1892: First Baptism
- 1893: First Marriage
- 1895: School opens; first Confirmation class
- 1896: First First Communion class
- 1904: 11.43 acres acquired for the parish cemetery
- 1930s: Parent Teacher Association formed
- 1948: Athletic Boosters organization created
- 1948–1964: Fr. Haley gym used as the church
- 1964: First Angel Follies performance; Masses move to the undercroft
- 1966: Parish Pastoral Council formed
- 1971: Present church completed (designed by Elmer H. Schmidt)
- 2003: School main office renovated
- 2005: Sister Dolores Beringer Parish Center dedicated
- 2007: School named a U.S. Dept. of Education Blue Ribbon School
- 2016: New HVAC system in school; two columbaria added to cemetery
- 2023: Parish joins St. Gregory the Great Family of Parishes (Beacons of Light); major interior/exterior renovation
- 2024: Continued renovation work under St. Gregory the Great banner
The Church Building
The present Guardian Angels Church was completed in 1971 after a long building process that saw the parish use its gymnasium and then the undercroft as temporary worship spaces. Designed in Modern style by Elmer H. Schmidt (with the Queen City Survey blog also crediting Edward J. Schulte), the church is distinguished by an unusual arrangement of square and rectangular stained glass windows and a stylized Romanesque façade. The interior was originally configured with a raised dais in the transept to celebrate Mass 'in the round' beneath a drop ceiling.
- Style: Modern (Catholic Telegraph notes art-deco influence)
- Architect: Elmer H. Schmidt (also attributed to Edward J. Schulte)
- Master plan included the school (1931) and Fr. Haley gymnasium (1949)
- Distinctive square and rectangular stained glass windows
- Stylized Romanesque façade
- 2023 renovation: new pews, flooring, tile walkway to tabernacle, adoration chairs with kneelers, restored Stations of the Cross, restored historic crucifix over the tabernacle
Guardian Angels School
Guardian Angels School has been educating Catholic children since 1895, when it opened in a one-room building that was later expanded into a small two-story structure. The school now serves preschool through eighth grade and is a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence — named in 2007 by the U.S. Department of Education under the No Child Left Behind program. Major recent improvements include a 2003 renovation and redesign of the main office and entrance, the 2016 installation of a new HVAC system that brought air conditioning to every classroom, and a recent installation of artificial turf on the school playfield.
- Founded 1895 (one-room building)
- Preschool through Grade 8
- 2007 U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
- 2003 main office and entrance renovation
- 2016 full-building HVAC and air conditioning
- All-school Masses most Tuesdays during the school year, livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Family Faith Formation (CCD) at Guardian Angels serves children in Grades K–6 on Sundays from 8:30 AM to 9:45 AM at the parish, with several 'Family Sundays' each year when parents attend alongside their children. Grades 7 and 8 follow a Confirmation-preparation track that includes parent/sponsor meetings and a retreat. Adult formation includes RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) for those exploring the Catholic faith, and the parish provides free access to FORMED.org — a digital library of Catholic movies, ebooks, audio programs, and Bible studies — for all parishioners.
- Grades K–6: Sunday 8:30–9:45 AM at GA
- Grades 7–8: Confirmation preparation with retreat, rehearsal, parent/sponsor meetings
- RCIA for adults (contact Religious Education Office, 513-624-3146)
- FORMED.org digital faith content (free for parishioners)
- Bible study and prayer groups
- The Chosen TV series viewing and discussion
Ministries and Service Organizations
Guardian Angels maintains a broad ministry portfolio that has grown continuously since the 1930s. In addition to long-running parish bodies — the PTA (1930s), the Athletic Boosters (1948), the Parish Pastoral Council (1966), and the Angel Follies fundraiser (1964) — the parish sponsors outreach groups including the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Guardian Angels for Life pro-life ministry. Young adults can take part in the Young Men's Faith and Fellowship (Wednesday evenings) and Young Women's Faith and Fellowship groups, and families are invited to serve as Greeters and Gift Bearers at all three weekend Masses. The 2023 St. Gregory the Great Family-wide reorganization also created a Social Action Council and a Health Council that coordinate works of mercy across the parish.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Guardian Angels for Life (pro-life outreach)
- Young Men's Faith and Fellowship (Wednesday evenings)
- Young Women's Faith and Fellowship
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Parish Pastoral Council (since 1966)
- PTA (since 1930s)
- Athletic Boosters (since 1948)
- Angel Follies (since 1964)
- Greeters and Gift Bearers
- Health Council and Social Action Council (Family-wide, since 2023)
- Marriage Ministry (newlywed small groups, convalidation outreach)
- Bereavement services
Guardian Angels Cemetery
The parish cemetery was established in 1904 when the parish acquired more than 11.43 acres at the corner of Salem Road and Beechmont Avenue in Mt. Washington. It remains in active use and is open to registered parishioners of Guardian Angels. In the summer of 2016 two columbaria were installed to provide in-ground options for cremated remains. Burial-cost information and the cemetery's Rules & Regulations are available from the parish office.
- Established 1904 (11.43 acres at Salem Road and Beechmont Avenue)
- Open to registered Guardian Angels parishioners
- Two columbaria added in 2016 for cremated remains
- Burial cost details and Rules & Regulations available from the parish office
St. Gregory the Great Family of Parishes
Since 2023 Guardian Angels has been one of three worship sites of the St. Gregory the Great Family of Parishes, formed under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light pastoral-planning initiative. The Family unites Guardian Angels, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. John Fisher, and the Chapel of St. Jerome under the pastorship of Father Steve J. Angi. The Archdiocese has publicly identified St. Gregory the Great as a 'leading' family in the initiative, ahead of pace to achieve canonical unification by July 1, 2027. A unified Family Pastoral Council, with three representatives from each church, oversees the pastoral plan, and Family-wide ministries now include combined youth, marriage, social-action, and health-ministry councils.
- Formed 2023 under the Beacons of Light initiative
- Pastor: Father Steve J. Angi
- Sites: Guardian Angels, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. John Fisher, St. Jerome Chapel
- Reported by the Archdiocese as 'ahead of pace' toward unification by July 1, 2027
- All three churches reported debt-free
- Unified Family Pastoral Council (3 reps per church)
- Family-wide Evangelization, Health, and Social Action Councils
Contact and Visiting Information
Guardian Angels Parish is located at 6531 Beechmont Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45230, in the Mt. Washington neighborhood. The parish office can be reached at (513) 231-7440 (fax 513-624-3145). The parish maintains a presence online through its website, YouTube channel (which livestreams the Sunday 10 AM Mass and most school Masses), and its WeShare online giving platform. Visitors are welcome at all liturgies and at the parish cemetery, and seating is open for all weekend Masses (with limited seating for school Masses).
- Address: 6531 Beechmont Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45230
- Phone: (513) 231-7440 | Fax: (513) 624-3145
- Website: https://parish.gaparish.org/
- YouTube: livestreamed Sunday 10 AM Mass and school Masses
- Online giving: gaparish.weshareonline.org
- Cemetery location: Salem Road and Beechmont Avenue
Pastors & rectors through the years
- First pastor (unnamed in available sources)1892–
Original organizing pastor after the 45 Mt. Washington families petitioned Archbishop Elder; specific name not found in the sources reviewed.
- Father Steve J. Angi2023–present
Current pastor of the St. Gregory the Great Family of Parishes, which now unites Guardian Angels, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. John Fisher, and the Chapel of St. Jerome under the Beacons of Light initiative.