About Holy Rosary · Saint Marys, Ohio
Holy Rosary Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish on the east side of St. Marys, Ohio, established in 1852 and currently serving 906 registered families in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Its 19th-century brick church — one of the so-called Cross-Tipped Churches of western Ohio — was added to the National Register of Historic Places shortly after demolition in 1978, when it was replaced by a modernist building that was further renovated in 2015 with a new altar, ambo, baptismal font, an Adoration Chapel, and a connecting link to the parish school. Since July 1, 2022, Holy Rosary has been part of St. Isidore the Farmer, Family of Parishes, a five-parish collaborative that includes St. Patrick (Glynwood), Immaculate Conception (Celina), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Montezuma), and St. Teresa (Rockford), led by Pastor Father Robert Muhlenkamp.
- Established
- 1852
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Rosary (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Robert Muhlenkamp (Pastor of St. Isidore the Farmer, Family of Parishes)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati (St. Marys Deanery)
Why belong here
Holy Rosary is the largest parish of St. Isidore the Farmer, Family of Parishes, with 906 registered families and a daily rhythm that includes weekday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration in its 2015 chapel, and active religious education. The parish runs its own elementary school (Holy Rosary School), supports youth programs like Totus Tuus and Vacation Bible School, and reaches out beyond the area through Faith in Action mission trips to Henderson Settlement in Appalachian Kentucky. A bilingual Hispanic ministry coordinated across the Family of Parishes also offers a Spanish Mass, making Holy Rosary a true hub of Catholic life on the east side of St. Marys.
Mass times at Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
- By appointment — call the parish office
Adoration times
- Adoration Chapel available (added in 2015 renovation); specific hours posted in parish bulletin
History of Holy Rosary Parish
Catholic life in St. Marys began with the first Catholic settlers in 1831 and grew rapidly in the 1840s as German Catholic workers built the Miami and Erie Canal and Grand Lake St. Marys. For two decades these families traveled ten miles south to Minster, where Precious Blood priests offered Mass, until Holy Rosary parish was formally erected in 1852. The early parish was administered jointly with St. Thomas in nearby Six Mile.
- 1852 — Parish formally established
- 1854 — First church, a log structure, completed
- 1861 — Land acquired for cemetery and small rectory
- 1867 — Brick church designed by Anton Goehr completed at a cost of $12,000
- 1880s — Bell added to steeple; rectory built for ~$3,000, half funded by non-Catholics
- 1902 — Parish school founded amid rising anti-Catholic sentiment
- 1940s — Major remodeling of aging church
- 1957 — New school building opened
- 1978 — 1867 church demolished; modernist replacement finished 1979
- July 26, 1979 — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (#79003456)
- 2015 — New altar, ambo, baptismal font, seating, Adoration Chapel, and school connector
- July 1, 2022 — Joined St. Isidore the Farmer, Family of Parishes
St. Isidore the Farmer, Family of Parishes
Since July 1, 2022, Holy Rosary has been clustered with four neighboring parishes — St. Patrick (Glynwood), Immaculate Conception (Celina), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Montezuma), and St. Teresa (Rockford) — under St. Isidore the Farmer, Family of Parishes. This Archdiocese of Cincinnati collaborative shares pastoral leadership and ministries, while each parish keeps its own identity, Mass schedule, and school where applicable.
- Pastor: Fr. Robert Muhlenkamp
- Parochial Vicars: Fr. Prashanth Bandanadham and Fr. Adam Berning
- Deacon Charlie Salway — Director of Evangelization ([email protected])
- Deacon Marty Brown ([email protected])
- Melissa Fent — Pastoral Associate ([email protected])
- Erik Bonilla — Director of Communications ([email protected])
- Kelly Schmitmeyer — Director of Worship ([email protected])
- Patti Folk — Holy Rosary Secretary ([email protected])
- Hispanic Ministry Coordinator — [email protected]
- Emergency after-hours line: 419.953.6231
Holy Rosary School
Holy Rosary School, the parish's elementary school, has been in continuous operation since the parish school was founded in 1902 to provide Catholic education for the children of St. Marys. The current school building shares the 511 E. Spring Street campus with the church, and the two were physically connected during the 2015 renovation. The school serves Pre-K through eighth grade.
- Principal: Lora Krugh — [email protected]
- Phone: (419) 394-5291
- Office hours: Monday–Friday 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM
- Ongoing registration; limited Pre-K spots
- Catholic Education Foundation and Educational Choice scholarships available
- Friday School Mass at 8:15 AM (or 8:00 AM) during the school year
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Holy Rosary maintains an active parish school plus a separate religious education program for parish children who do not attend Holy Rosary School. The parish also partners with the Family of Parishes to host Totus Tuus, Vacation Bible School, and adult faith formation opportunities during Advent and Lent.
- Holy Rosary CRE (Coordinator of Religious Education): Nan Mielke — [email protected]
- Totus Tuus summer program for grades 1–6 and 7–12
- Vacation Bible School — 'Holy Rosary Café' and 'Launch Into the Deep'
- Holy Rosary Youth Group (HRYG)
- Adult Faith Formation during Lent and Advent
- RCIA coordinated at the Family of Parishes level
- Religious Education phone: (419) 300-1045
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at Holy Rosary is supported by parish cantors and choirs, and the Family of Parishes has launched a contemporary ensemble open to high school students and adults that plays at Immaculate Conception once a month and welcomes instrumentalists and vocalists. Holy Rosary's 1979 worship space, refreshed in 2015 with a new altar, ambo, and baptismal font, hosts the parish's weekend and weekday Mass schedule.
- Director of Worship (Family of Parishes): Kelly Schmitmeyer — [email protected]
- Contemporary Ensemble — keyboards, guitars, other instruments, vocalists
- School choir sings at Friday School Mass
- Holy Rosary Choir at Sunday Masses
- New altar, ambo, and baptismal font installed 2015
Sacraments at Holy Rosary
Holy Rosary celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments through both its parish school and the Family of Parishes. Parents presenting children for Baptism are expected to be practicing, active Catholics and to have attended a baptism preparation session within the last five years. Reconciliation is offered weekly with weekday and Saturday options, and the parish can be reached any time by phone for emergencies.
- Baptism — register through parish office; preparation session required
- Reconciliation — Wednesday 11:30–11:50 AM and Saturday 3:30–4:15 PM, or by appointment
- First Eucharist — via school or religious education
- Confirmation — coordinated through Family of Parishes
- Marriage — call the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — available; emergency line 419.953.6231
Outreach & Mission
Holy Rosary's outreach extends across the region through Faith in Action mission trips and Mercy-based local drives. Under the guidance of Deacon Marty Brown, parishioners have made repeated service trips to Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Kentucky, which has served five Appalachian counties since 1925. The parish also runs seasonal drives supporting Agape Ministries and Rustic Hope in Mercer and Auglaize counties.
- Henderson Settlement, Frakes, Kentucky — annual mission trip and supply trailer
- Lenten Diaper Drive — donations of sizes 1–6 and baby wipes
- Birthday Bag Donations for Agape — cake mix, icing, pans, gift bags
- Holy Rosary garage sale proceeds supply the Henderson Settlement thrift and furniture stores
- Ladies of Holy Rosary Parish — women's fellowship and service
- Contact for Henderson Settlement: Dan Tebbe — [email protected]
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at Holy Rosary Church on the east side of St. Marys. The parish office handles inquiries Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and the Family of Parishes provides an after-hours emergency line for Anointing of the Sick and last rites.
- Address: 511 E. Spring St., St. Marys, OH 45885
- Parish phone: (419) 394-5050
- Religious Education: (419) 300-1045
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: holyrosarychurch.us (also reachable via stisidorefamily.org)
- Office hours: Monday–Friday 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM
- After-hours emergency: 419.953.6231
- Fellowship Sundays — donuts and coffee after Mass