About Holy Family Catholic Church · Dayton, Ohio
Holy Family Catholic Church is a parish located at the corner of Findlay and Fifth streets in East Dayton, Ohio, and is notable as the first and only diocesan-approved parish in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to exclusively offer the Traditional Latin Mass (Tridentine Mass) on a daily basis. Founded in 1905 to serve the Catholic families of East Dayton, the parish has been staffed by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) since July 1, 2010, when Archbishop Dennis Schnurr entrusted it to the FSSP. All Masses and Sacraments are celebrated according to the liturgical books of 1962 (the Roman Missal in force before Vatican II). Holy Family draws approximately 350 parishioners to its Sunday Masses and serves the entire west-central Ohio region, including Dayton, Kettering, Middletown, Springfield, and Xenia.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Fr. George Gabet, F.S.S.P.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
Holy Family is the only parish in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati where the Traditional Latin Mass and all seven Sacraments are offered daily in the Extraordinary Form (1962 Roman Missal). It is a vibrant, growing community of approximately 350 faithful—drawn from Dayton, Kettering, Middletown, Springfield, Xenia, and even neighboring Mercer and Champaign counties and Indiana—who value reverent liturgy, Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony, traditional Catholic culture (frequent modest dress, chapel veils, reverent silence), and a notable presence of young homeschooling families. It is staffed by the FSSP and offers the full sacramental life of an old-world Catholic parish in the heart of East Dayton.
Mass times at Holy Family Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before all Masses (private confessions prior to Mass, per the parish's extraordinary-form practice)
- Consult the bulletin or call (937) 938-6098 for the current confession schedule
Adoration times
- First Saturday: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 8:00 AM, with Benediction at 8:45 AM
- Contact the parish for additional scheduled adoration times
About Holy Family Catholic Church
Holy Family Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati located at the corner of Findlay and Fifth Streets in East Dayton, Ohio. Established by the generosity of Archbishop Dennis Schnurr and entrusted on July 1, 2010 to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), it was created in order to minister to the faithful attached to the most traditional forms of Catholic worship, and more generally, to all those who desire to experience the richness and diversity of the Church's liturgical and spiritual traditions. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and all the Sacraments are celebrated according to the traditional Roman Rite books of 1962.
- First and only diocesan-approved Latin-only parish in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
- Staffed by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP)
- Traditional Latin Mass offered daily (1962 Roman Missal)
- Part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati under Archbishop Robert Casey
History
Founded in 1905 and dedicated May 12, 1907, Holy Family was created to serve 194 families in East Dayton and to provide both church and school facilities. It originally celebrated the Mass in Latin according to the universal Tridentine Rite. After Vatican II, the parish transitioned to a regular diocesan English-Rite parish while a Traditional Latin Mass community continued to gather 'under its wings.' That community grew under the chaplaincy of Father Mark Wojdelski (appointed 2008), accelerated by Pope Benedict XVI's Summorum Pontificum (2007), and on July 1, 2010, Archbishop Schnurr entrusted the parish to the FSSP—making it the first Latin-only parish in southwest Ohio and the 13th in the nation.
- 1905 — Parish founded for 194 East Dayton families
- 12 May 1907 — Parish dedication
- 1924–1925 — Present church building constructed in late Romanesque Revival style (Murphy & Jaekle, architects)
- 1936–1941 — Stained glass windows installed
- 2006 — Fr. Mark Wojdelski begins commuting from Indiana to celebrate Sunday Latin Mass for the local community
- 2007 — Pope Benedict XVI issues Summorum Pontificum
- 2008 — Fr. Wojdelski formally appointed chaplain of the Dayton Latin Mass community
- 1 July 2010 — Archbishop Schnurr entrusts the parish to the FSSP; Fr. Wojdelski becomes its first FSSP pastor
- 1 July 2016 — Fr. George Gabet, FSSP, appointed pastor
Architecture & Sacred Art
The present church building was designed in 1924–1925 by Frederick V. Murphy (in association with W. Lawrence Jaekle) in a late Romanesque Revival style. Its interior is a small museum of Catholic sacred art: a great painted vault over the altar depicts the extended Holy Family—Christ child beneath the hand of God and the dove of the Holy Spirit, surrounded by angels, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Anne, St. Joseph, and St. Joachim—above a stylized Tree of Jesse with 22 medallion portraits of the royal lineage of Christ. There are three rose windows, 24 decorative knotwork squares between the flat beamed ceiling, seven diamond-shaped medallions representing the sacraments behind the altar, twelve stained-glass windows in the apse featuring angels based on the paintings of Fra Angelico, two carved stone side altars dedicated to Mary and Joseph, twelve additional stained-glass windows depicting saints (including St. John Vianney), and a single bell in the tower. All stained glass was crafted between 1936 and 1941.
- Architect: Frederick V. Murphy (assoc. with W. Lawrence Jaekle)
- Style: Late Romanesque Revival
- Built: 1924–1925
- 3 rose windows; 24 knotwork ceiling squares; 1 bell
- Painted vault: extended Holy Family and Tree of Jesse (22 medallions)
- 12 apse windows based on Fra Angelico's angel paintings
- 7 sacrament medallions behind the altar
- 2 carved stone side altars (Mary and Joseph)
- 12 saints' windows including St. John Vianney
Music Ministry
Holy Family's music ministry centers on the parish's liturgical choir, which sings Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony for the High Mass and major feasts. Under the direction of Choir Director Amanda Gulick, the choir sings the entire contents of the Kyriale over the course of a year, drawing on centuries-old settings of the Mass ordinary and the propers of the season. The choir is widely regarded as a defining feature of the parish's liturgical life, embodying the Church's call for sacred music that lifts the mind and heart to God.
- Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony
- Rotates through the entire Kyriale each year
- Directed by Amanda Gulick
Parish Life & Community
As of 2017, Holy Family draws approximately 350 parishioners to its Sunday Masses, with attendees traveling from across west-central Ohio (Dayton, Kettering, Middletown, Springfield, Xenia) and from neighboring Mercer and Champaign counties and Indiana. The community is notably family-friendly: a large share of attendees are young families, many of whom homeschool their children. The parish follows traditional Catholic cultural norms—men commonly wear suits, women wear dresses or skirts with lace chapel veils—and emphasizes reverent silence during liturgy. Those wishing to become parishioners must register with the pastor.
- ~350 Sunday Mass attendees
- Strong presence of young, often homeschooling families
- Traditional dress and reverent silence observed
- Parish registration required for membership
Clergy & Staff
Holy Family is served by two FSSP priests: Fr. George Gabet, F.S.S.P., Pastor (appointed July 1, 2016), and Fr. Joseph Orlowski, F.S.S.P., Parochial Vicar. Fr. Gabet previously served as the North American District Superior of the FSSP (2004–2008), during which time the fraternity opened 11 new apostolates in the U.S. and helped found Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska; he later served as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Fort Wayne, Indiana before coming to Dayton.
- Fr. George Gabet, FSSP — Pastor (2016–present)
- Fr. Joseph Orlowski, FSSP — Parochial Vicar
- Telephone: (937) 938-6098
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Mark Wojdelski, F.S.S.P.2010–2016
First FSSP pastor; previously chaplain of the Dayton Latin Mass community (appointed 2008); originally commuted from Indiana beginning 2006 to celebrate Sunday Mass for the group.
- Fr. George Gabet, F.S.S.P.2016–present
Appointed pastor July 1, 2016; previously FSSP North American District Superior (2004–2008) and pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Fort Wayne, IN; assisted by Fr. Joseph Orlowski, FSSP, as Parochial Vicar.