About Holy Cross · Columbus, Ohio
Holy Cross Church is a historic Roman Catholic church at 204 S. 5th Street in the Discovery District of Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1833 as the city's first Catholic parish (originally under the name St. Remigius, then renamed Holy Cross in the 1840s), it is the oldest surviving church building in downtown Columbus and a cornerstone of the Diocese of Columbus. Since April 5, 2023 the parish has been formally suppressed and merged with neighboring St. Joseph Cathedral, and Holy Cross is now operated as a worship site of "The Community of St. Joseph Cathedral and Holy Cross" (sjchcc.org). The Gothic Revival brick church—built in 1848 by architect Cornelius Jacobs and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979—continues to host a Sunday Mass and a Saturday morning Mass.
- Established
- 1833
- Patron
- Holy Cross (Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross)
- Rector
- Father Kitsmiller (current pastor of The Community of St. Joseph Cathedral and Holy Cross)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Columbus (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Holy Cross is the oldest surviving Catholic church building in downtown Columbus and remains an active, intimate worship site inside the merged Community of St. Joseph Cathedral and Holy Cross. Worshippers who come here value its scale—one Sunday Mass and one Saturday Mass, a historic 1848 Gothic Revival interior, and a central location in the Discovery District that is easy to reach. It is a living landmark: visitors pray in the same brick walls where Dominican missionaries, German settlers, Irish Famine refugees, and Central Ohio's first Spanish-speaking Catholics have worshipped for nearly two centuries.
Mass times at Holy Cross
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confessions at Holy Cross are heard on Saturday following the 11:30 a.m. Mass (per sjchcc.org welcome page).
Adoration times
- Wednesday Holy Hour & Confession at St. Joseph Cathedral, 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. (parish community-wide).
History of Holy Cross
Holy Cross traces its roots to 1833, when five Columbus landowners offered land on Fifth and Walnut streets to Father Thomas Martin, OP, on the condition that a Catholic church be built within five years. The first chapel—Saint Remigius—was dedicated in 1838, and at Father Juncker's request the parish was renamed Holy Cross in the 1840s. The present Gothic Revival church, designed by architect Cornelius Jacobs with Joseph Sattler as mason foreman, was consecrated by Bishop John Purcell on January 16, 1848, just as Irish Famine immigrants began arriving in Columbus.
- 1833: Parish organized by five Catholic landowners meeting with Dominican priest Fr. Thomas Martin, OP.
- 1838: Saint Remigius Church dedicated (55 × 30 ft).
- 1843: Fr. William Schonat becomes first resident priest; first rectory built.
- 1844: Plans drawn for a larger Gothic-style church.
- January 16, 1848: Holy Cross Church consecrated by Bishop (later Archbishop) John B. Purcell.
- Before 1858: Tower and spire added.
- June 1877: Fire destroys the high altar; repairs completed and rededicated in 1880 by Bishop Augustus Toebbe of Covington.
Santa Cruz Parish and the Hispanic Community
Holy Cross has a special place in the history of Hispanic Catholicism in Central Ohio. In 1980 the parish hosted the first Spanish-language Mass in the Columbus area, drawing about 50 worshippers. In 1993 Bishop James Griffin formally established the non-geographic personal parish of Santa Cruz for the region's growing Latino Catholic population, with Holy Cross as its central worship site. By 2001 the congregation had outgrown the building and relocated to Holy Name Church in Old North Columbus.
- 1980: First Spanish-language Mass in Columbus held at Holy Cross.
- 1993: Bishop James Griffin establishes personal parish of Santa Cruz at Holy Cross.
- 2001: Santa Cruz congregation relocates to Holy Name Church.
Architecture and the Historic Complex
The 1848 Holy Cross Church is an early example of Gothic Revival architecture in central Ohio and the oldest church building still standing in downtown Columbus. The complex includes the church, the rectory (1861), and the three-story school, all designed or expanded by architects Cornelius Jacobs and George H. Maetzel. Built of brick on a thick stone foundation—reportedly using more than 800,000 bricks—the church features a high altar (rebuilt after the 1877 fire), an enlarged choir loft, and a clock tower with statue and the inscription 'Follow Me.' The complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 26, 1979.
- Architectural style: Gothic Revival.
- Architect: Cornelius Jacobs (1848 church); George H. Maetzel (1861 rectory and three-story school addition).
- Mason foreman: Joseph Sattler.
- NRHP reference #79001837; added April 26, 1979.
- Periods of significance: 1825–1849 and 1850–1874.
Holy Cross School
A frame school built in 1843 was the first parochial school in Columbus, originally staffed by lay teachers. In 1856 Fr. Caspar Borgess brought Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur from Cincinnati to teach—the first religious women to teach in the city. The Sisters remained until 1961, their longest U.S. tenure. Beginning in 1872, the boys of the parish were taught by Marianist brothers from Dayton. Enrollment peaked near 450 in the early 1900s and declined after World War I.
- 1843: First parochial school in Columbus built.
- 1856: Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur arrive—their longest U.S. community (1856–1961).
- 1872: Marianist brothers from Dayton begin teaching the boys.
- Early 1900s: Enrollment peaks at ~450 students.
Suppression and Merger with St. Joseph Cathedral
On April 5, 2023, Bishop Earl Fernandes formally suppressed Holy Cross as a territorial parish and merged its territory with St. Joseph Cathedral, citing demographic changes, declining Mass attendance, declining offertory revenue, and a shortage of priests. The church building continues in use as an active worship site of The Community of St. Joseph Cathedral and Holy Cross (sjchcc.org), with a Sunday Mass and a Saturday Mass still scheduled at Holy Cross.
- April 5, 2023: Parish suppressed and merged into St. Joseph Cathedral by Bishop Earl Fernandes.
- Holy Cross continues as a public Mass site.
- Parish identity now 'The Community of St. Joseph Cathedral and Holy Cross.'
Ministries and Devotional Societies
Holy Cross has long-standing parish societies that outlasted even the parish's suppression as a territorial entity. The Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Altar Society trace directly to societies Fr. Hemsteger founded in April 1869—the Children of Mary and the St. Aloysius Society.
- Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary (est. 1869 as Children of Mary).
- Altar Society (est. 1869 as St. Aloysius Society).
- Pastoral and volunteer ministries coordinated through The Community of St. Joseph Cathedral and Holy Cross office.
Visiting and Contact Information
The parish office of The Community of St. Joseph Cathedral and Holy Cross serves both worship sites and is open Monday–Thursday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Doors at Holy Cross are typically open about half an hour before Mass begins; visitors are welcomed by parish volunteers.
- Holy Cross Church: 204 S. 5th Street, Columbus, OH 43215.
- St. Joseph Cathedral: 212 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215.
- Parish phone: (614) 224-1295.
- Website: https://sjchcc.org.
- Diocese: https://columbuscatholic.org.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Henry D. Juncker1837–c.1843
Diocesan priest serving St. Remigius/Holy Cross from Cincinnati; at his request the parish was renamed 'Holy Cross.'
- Rev. Josue M. Young
Listed in the St. Remigius sacramental register among early-serving priests.
- Rev. Arthur G. Alleman, O.P.
Dominican; recorded in the St. Remigius register.
- Rev. Basil Shorb
Recorded in the St. Remigius sacramental register.
- Archbishop John B. Purcell
Future Archbishop of Cincinnati; recorded in the St. Remigius register before his elevation, later consecrated Holy Cross in 1848.
- Rev. Joseph Gallinger
Recorded in the St. Remigius sacramental register.
- Rev. William Schonat1843–
First resident priest of the parish; first rectory completed in 1843.
- Rev. J. B. Emig
Recorded in the St. Remigius register.
- Rev. Dominic Senez
Recorded in the St. Remigius register.
- Rev. Joseph Ts Jacbo, O.P.
Dominican; recorded in the St. Remigius register.
- Rev. Otho Henry Borgese1850
Diocese of Columbus assignment list.
- Rt. Rev. Caspar H. Borgess1850–1859
Long-serving pastor; brought Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur from Cincinnati in 1856; later Bishop of Detroit.
- Rev. John Bernard Hemsteger1859–1878
Born 1827 in Alt Schermbeck, Germany; ordained 1854; built the present rectory (1861, $8,500), enlarged choir loft, founded Children of Mary and St. Aloysius societies (1869).
- Rev. George H. Ahrens
Former assistant priest under Hemsteger; later became pastor of Holy Cross.
- Father Kitsmiller2023–present
Current priest of The Community of St. Joseph Cathedral and Holy Cross following the 2023 merger.