About Holy Redeemer · New Bremen, Ohio
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church is a Roman Rite parish in the small Auglaize County village of New Bremen, Ohio, part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The parish traces its roots to an 1872 Catholic mission church named Most Precious Blood on South Walnut Street, and was formally established as a permanent parish — Church of the Holy Redeemer — in 1948 under the leadership of its first resident pastor, Rev. Leo Boeke. Today the parish serves around 720 registered families (roughly 2,200 parishioners) from its present 1969 church at 120 South Eastmoor Drive, and belongs to the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes (formerly the NW8 family) under the Archdiocese's Beacons of Light restructuring. Holy Redeemer is known for its 24/7 open church doors, daily and weekend Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, an active K-12 CCD program, and a wide range of lay ministries — including Stephen Ministry, RCIA, youth ministry, and a strong music program.
- Established
- 1948 (parish); 1872 (Catholic mission/precursor)
- Patron
- The Holy Redeemer (Jesus Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati (part of the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes, formerly NW8)
Why belong here
Holy Redeemer is a vibrant, multi-generational Catholic community in a small Auglaize County town — large enough to offer daily Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, K-12 religious education, RCIA, a full music ministry, and Stephen Ministry, yet small enough that the pastor and deacons know parishioners by name. The parish is rooted in deep local history (descended from the 1872 Most Precious Blood mission) and intentionally keeps its doors open 24/7, welcoming anyone to stop in and pray. As part of the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes it shares resources with seven nearby Catholic parishes, giving parishioners an unusually broad network of priests, programs, and ministries while keeping a tight-knit local identity.
Mass times at Holy Redeemer
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 6:00 p.m.
- Wednesday 11:00 a.m.
- Saturday 3:00 p.m.
- (Older bulletin additionally lists Mon/Thu 6:00–6:50 p.m., Tue/Fri 7:30–8:20 a.m., Wed 11:00–11:55 a.m., Sat 3:30–4:20 p.m.)
Adoration times
- Tuesday — Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after the 7:30 a.m. Mass until 9:00 p.m.
Welcome from the Pastor
On the parish's Welcome page, Fr. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S. introduces Holy Redeemer as part of the Christ Our Light (formerly NW8) Family of Parishes, which also includes St. Augustine (Minster), St. Joseph (Egypt), St. John the Baptist (Maria Stein), Precious Blood (Chickasaw), St. Sebastian, St. Rose, and Nativity (Cassella). He describes Holy Redeemer as 'a vibrant Catholic Community that worships, learns, prays and plays together,' with many ministries and organizations and a commitment to helping parishioners 'grow in our faith and deepen our relationship with God.' Fr. Ken invites visitors to consider joining the parish on Sunday and notes a distinctive feature of the church: 'the doors are never locked! … access to our Church is 24/7.'
About Our Parish
Holy Redeemer serves the village of New Bremen in Auglaize County, Ohio. As of 2015, the parish had 720 registered families and approximately 2,200 parishioners. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and is part of the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes under the Beacons of Light restructuring.
- Registered families (2015): 720
- Approximate parishioners: 2,200
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Cincinnati
- Family of Parishes: Christ Our Light (formerly NW8)
History
Holy Redeemer's history reaches back to a small Catholic mission named Most Precious Blood founded in 1872 on South Walnut Street. After the mission ceased services around 1894–1895, the parish was re-established as a permanent entity — Church of the Holy Redeemer — in 1948 under Rev. Leo Boeke. The present church was built in 1969–1970 under Rev. Carl Will.
- 1872: Most Precious Blood mission founded on South Walnut Street ($3,000; over two-thirds funded by non-Catholics)
- 1894–1895: Mission ceases regular services; building sold 1907 (now Faith Alliance Church)
- June 27, 1948: Holy Redeemer Parish dedicated by Rev. Leo Boeke (100 families, ~1,050 parishioners, 200 seats)
- April 23, 1969: Groundbreaking for the present church
- May 15, 1970: Consecration of the main altar
- 1976: Parish center built
- June 28, 1998: 50th anniversary celebration with catered dinner under a tent
Our Staff
Parish leadership and staff are listed on the Our Staff page. In addition to the pastor and four C.PP.S. parochial vicars serving the Christ Our Light Family, Holy Redeemer has two assigned deacons and a lay staff overseeing faith formation, liturgy and music, youth ministry, and business operations.
- Pastor: Rev. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S.
- Parochial Vicars: Rev. Ken Alt, C.PP.S.; Rev. Mark Hoying, C.PP.S.; Rev. Matt Jozefiak, C.PP.S.; Rev. Vara Kumar Chowtapalli, C.PP.S.
- Deacon: Greg Bornhorst (since 1998)
- Deacon & Pastoral Associate: Deacon Brad Feltz
- Coordinator of Elementary Religious Education: Sarah Mescher ([email protected])
- Coordinator of Junior High & Senior High Religious Education & Youth Ministry: Jenny Sailer
- Coordinator of Liturgy and Music: Nick Wilker
- Business Manager: Bob Parker
- Sacramental Minister (on staff)
- Pastoral Council Chair: Jim Kaiser; Co-Chair: Scott Frey
Christ Our Light Family of Parishes
Under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light initiative, Holy Redeemer is clustered with seven surrounding parishes into the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes (originally called NW8). Priests of the Society of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.) serve as pastor and parochial vicars across the family, and faith-formation registrations are handled through a shared online portal (christourlight-oh.finalforms.com).
- St. Augustine, Minster
- St. Joseph, Egypt
- St. John the Baptist, Maria Stein
- Precious Blood, Chickasaw
- St. Sebastian
- St. Rose
- Nativity, Cassella
Faith Formation & Religious Education (CCD)
Holy Redeemer runs a parish-based religious education program (CCD) for Kindergarten through 12th grade. The JH/HS CCD page describes its mission as 'leading souls closer to God by helping them discover their true purpose' and helping students 'fall in love with the person of Jesus.' Registration for the 2026–2027 academic year is open at $60 per child ($180 family maximum) through the family's online Final Forms portal.
- Elementary CCD (K-5) — Children's Liturgy of the Word during 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass
- Junior High CCD (grades 6-8): Wednesday evenings, 6:45-7:45 p.m.
- High School CCD (grades 9-12): Wednesday evenings, 8:00-9:00 p.m.
- Youth Ministry for grades 7/8 (Wednesday evenings) and grades 9-12 (Sunday evenings)
- Annual events: Finding Faith Retreat, March for Life, Spiritual Survivor, JH Retreat
- Contact: [email protected] (Sarah Mescher, Elementary Coordinator); [email protected] (Jenny Sailer, JH/HS & Youth Ministry)
Ministries & Organizations
Beyond CCD and youth ministry, Holy Redeemer supports a wide range of lay-led ministries across worship, formation, outreach, and pastoral care. The parish website groups them into Liturgical, Education, and Pastoral Care tracks, and notes the parish commissions and councils that coordinate them.
- Liturgy: Liturgy & Music (Nick Wilker), Youth Servers (grades 5-12), Adult Servers, Sacristans, Eucharistic Ministers, Readers, Ushers, Music/Choir
- Faith Formation: CCD Catechists, Adult Faith Formation, Young Adult Ministry (20s & 30s), RCIA, Baptism Preparation
- Pastoral Care: Stephen Ministry (419.302.2223 / 419.733.4440), Prayer Line (419.629.2981 / 419.629.2406), Homebound Communion
- Parish Life: Pastoral Council, Community Outreach, Parish Center hall rentals, Welcome Weekend, SafeParish/VIRTUS
- Commission: Evangelization / Education Commission
Sacraments
The parish office coordinates preparation and celebration of all seven sacraments, with Baptism Preparation Classes required for first-time parents (held on the second Monday of March, July, and November). RCIA sessions meet on selected Thursday evenings from 7:45-8:45 p.m. for adults seeking full Communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil.
- Baptism — preparation class required for first-time parents
- Eucharist — at daily and Sunday Masses; Communion brought to the homebound
- Reconciliation — Mon 6:00 p.m., Wed 11:00 a.m., Sat 3:00 p.m.
- Confirmation — through CCD program
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — through the parish Sacramental Minister
- RCIA — Thursday evenings for inquirers
Music & Liturgy
Nick Wilker serves as the Coordinator of Liturgy and Music and oversees music for Holy Redeemer's weekend Masses. The Music ministry provides accompaniment and choirs that support the parish's full schedule of daily and weekend Masses, weddings, funerals, holy days, and liturgical seasons.
- Coordinator of Liturgy and Music: Nick Wilker ([email protected])
- Live-stream coverage of the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass via the parish YouTube channel
Facilities: Church & Parish Center
The present church (1969-1970) sits on a 9.114-acre site at 120 South Eastmoor Drive and seats 600. The 1976 parish center was connected to the church by a 1991 addition that also redirected the main entrance and added a handicap-accessible entry and restroom. The parish center is available for hall rentals; arrangements are coordinated through the parish office.
- Address: 120 South Eastmoor Drive, New Bremen, OH 45869
- Seating capacity: 600
- Site size: 9.114 acres
- Architects (1969): Schreiber and Little Associates, Springfield
- General contractor (1969): Thomas and Marker, Bellefontaine
- Parish center built 1976
- Connector between church and parish center added 1991
- Hall rentals available — contact the parish office
Communications & Bulletins
Holy Redeemer publishes a weekly bulletin through Liturgical Publications Inc. (LPi), which parishioners can have emailed or texted weekly. The parish also live-streams Mass and publishes announcements through its website, YouTube channel, and a Share-the-News submission form (submissions email: [email protected]).
- Bulletin email/text signup via LPi
- Live-stream on YouTube — normally the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass
- Share-the-News submission form for parish announcements
- FORMED free subscription (sign up under 'Christ Our Light Family of Parishes')
Getting Involved
The parish encourages new parishioners to register (forms are available at the church entrance or by contacting the parish office) and offers many ways to volunteer — teaching CCD, serving at Mass, joining the choir, joining Stephen Ministry or the Prayer Line, or serving on the Pastoral Council or one of the parish commissions.
- New parishioner registration forms at the church entrance or by request from the parish office
- Volunteer with CCD, youth ministry, or adult faith formation
- Liturgical ministries (servers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, music, ushers)
- Pastoral Council or Evangelization / Education Commission
- Stephen Ministry training available
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Leo Boeke1948-1957
First resident pastor; appointed to organize the new Church of the Holy Redeemer; dedicated the second church on June 27, 1948.
- Rev. Bernard Felix1957-1958
- Rev. William Bushheit1958-1964
- Rev. Carl Will1964-1981
Built the present 1969-1970 church and oversaw purchase of the rectory and South Eastmoor Drive property; donated the St. Charles Borromeo / St. Ignatius painting in memory of Archbishop Karl J. Alter.
- Rev. William Schwartz1981-1984
- Rev. James Trick1984-1996
Added the connector between church and parish center in 1991, redirecting the main entrance and adding a handicap-accessible entry.
- Rev. Daniel Conlon1996-2002
After leaving the parish, was ordained a bishop in 2002.
- Rev. Thomas Mannebach2002-2015
- Rev. Robert Hadden2015-2016
- Rev. Thomas Dorn2017-2022
- Rev. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S.2022-Present
Current pastor; a member of the Society of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.), the same congregation that served the original 1872 mission church.
- Deacon Greg Bornhorst1998-Present
Long-serving deacon of the parish.