About Holy Trinity · Avon, Ohio
Holy Trinity Parish is a Catholic community rooted in Avon, Ohio, in Lorain County, one of the oldest parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland. It was established in 1833 by three Bavarian families who settled in what would become Avon, and today it shares ministry with neighboring St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception as part of the Avon Catholic Community (avoncc.org). The parish runs a PreK-8 day school, an active PSR religious education program, a youth mission initiative, and roughly thirty ministries spanning liturgy, formation, fellowship, and outreach. Its current sandstone church, completed in 1902, houses a century-old pipe organ and original stained glass windows still being preserved by the parish today.
- Established
- 1833
- Patron
- Holy Trinity (the Most Holy Trinity)
- Rector
- Rev. Vincent J. Hawk
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
Holy Trinity offers the rhythms of a historic parish — Sunday Mass in a 1902 sandstone church with a century-old pipe organ — paired with the active programming of a growing community. Parishioners of all ages can plug into more than thirty ministries, including a PreK-8 day school, a Parish School of Religion (PSR) serving about 500 children, youth mission trips through the Bosco Drexel Summer Youth Mission, OCIA for adults, and outreach arms like the Gabriel Project and St. Vincent de Paul. United with St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception as the Avon Catholic Community, the parish describes itself as 'rooted in the Eucharist, guided by the Holy Spirit, and sent on mission.'
Mass times at Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- By appointment: call the parish office at (440) 937-5363
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
- Thursday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Parish History
Founded in 1833 by three Bavarian families, Holy Trinity is one of the oldest parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland. The community first worshipped in the Schwartz family cabin in 1841, built a church and school on Jaycox Road in the 1840s, and laid the cornerstone of its present sandstone church at Detroit and Nagel Road in 1900. A 1924 tornado damaged the church up to the altar rail but spared the sanctuary; the parish rebuilt and expanded, moving its school to Nagel Road in 1925 and adding classrooms, a library, offices, and a gym-parish hall in waves through 2005. Today the parish continues that nearly two-century story alongside St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception as the Avon Catholic Community.
- 1833 — three Bavarian families settle in Avon
- March 21, 1841 — first Mass celebrated in the Schwartz family cabin
- 1844 — first church built on Jaycox Road, with cemetery
- 1845 — parish school opens in a log cabin near Schwartz and Nagel Roads
- 1860 — new wooden schoolhouse near the Jaycox Road church
- 1873 — brick schoolhouse replaces the wooden one
- 1900–1902 — current sandstone church built under Rev. Anthony B. Stuber
- 1924 — Lorain tornado damages church up to altar rail; sanctuary untouched
- 1925 — school rebuilt at Nagel Road location
- 1956 — additional classrooms added
- 2001 & 2005 — library, offices, classroom wing, gym/parish hall added
About the Avon Catholic Community
Holy Trinity now shares ministry with St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception under the banner of the Avon Catholic Community — 'Two Parishes, One Community.' According to the community's About page, the two parishes are 'rooted in the Eucharist, guided by the Holy Spirit, and sent on mission,' with a shared mission to help every person encounter Jesus and live as His disciple. Day-to-day parish life, including the schedule and ministries listed below, is published through the avoncc.org hub site.
- Two parishes: Holy Trinity and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception
- Shared mission statement rooted in the Eucharist
- Combined website hub: avoncc.org
Clergy & Staff
Father Vincent J. Hawk was installed as pastor of Holy Trinity on October 13, 2021 by Bishop Edward Malesic, succeeding Father John Misenko, who retired in June 2021. Father John Manning served as parish administrator during the summer of 2021 between the two assignments. The parish is also served by two parochial vicars — Father Deogratias Meela Ruwaainenyi and Father Anthony A. Donatelli — and Michael Puhalla is listed among the currently assigned clergy on the diocesan directory.
- Pastor: Rev. Vincent J. Hawk (installed Oct. 13, 2021)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Deogratias Meela Ruwaainenyi
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Anthony A. Donatelli
- Michael Puhalla
- Music Minister: Helen Herbst
- Director of Evangelization: Desiree (Desi) Gould — [email protected], ext. 249
- Parish Catechetical Co-Leader: Anna Shaw — [email protected], ext. 244
Holy Trinity School
Holy Trinity School is the parish's own PreK–8 Catholic day school, located on the parish campus at Detroit and Nagel Road. It has been part of the parish's educational mission since the first log-cabin schoolhouse in 1845, and today operates out of a 1925-built facility that was expanded in 1956 and again in 2001 and 2005 with a new wing of classrooms, a library, offices, and a gym that doubles as the parish hall. The school is supported by the parish's Angel Scholarship Fund, which lets Ohio donors redirect up to $750 of state income tax toward Catholic school tuition assistance.
- PreK–8 day school on the parish campus
- Original 1925 building with 1956, 2001, and 2005 expansions
- Gym doubles as the parish hall
- Angel Scholarship Fund (Ohio tax-credit tuition assistance)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at Holy Trinity is offered through several tracks: the Parish School of Religion (PSR) for children in grades 1–8, the parish day school, and a Family Based Catechesis (FBC) option. Together these programs serve nearly 500 children each year. The 'Together in Jesus' program prepares 2nd graders for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion with a strong parent-and-parish partnership, while the Confirmation Ministry prepares 8th graders.
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) — grades 1–8
- Family Based Catechesis (FBC)
- Together in Jesus — 2nd grade First Reconciliation / First Communion prep
- Confirmation Ministry — 8th grade
- Adult Formation — Bible studies, small groups, men's and women's ministries, retreats
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- FORMED digital platform offered free to parish families
Youth & Young Adult Ministry
Youth Ministry at Holy Trinity offers middle-school and high-school programs designed to build community and lead teens deeper into friendship with Christ. During the summer the parish runs the Bosco Drexel Summer Youth Mission, an in-house mission experience patterned after St. John Bosco and St. Katharine Drexel that places junior-high and high-schoolers in hands-on service at sites like Vacation Bible School, Feed the Kids, Nursing Home Ministry, and Friendship APL. Parish communications run through Flocknote, and the parish also directs families to FORMED for ongoing faith content.
- Middle school and high school Youth Ministry
- Bosco Drexel Summer Youth Mission
- Vacation Bible School, Feed the Kids, Nursing Home Ministry, Friendship APL
- Flocknote parish notifications
Liturgy & Music
Liturgical life at Holy Trinity is supported by a wide circle of lay ministers — altar servers, lectors, Extraordinary Eucharistic ministers, ushers, choir members, and sacristans. The parish's music ministry is led by Helen Herbst, who is also a public voice for the parish's 2024 #weGiveCatholic campaign to restore the church's original pipe organ and stained glass windows. The organ, built and serviced by Cleveland's Votteler-Holtcamp-Sparling (now Holtcamp) Organ company — the same firm that built organs for St. John's Cathedral in Cleveland and Borromeo Seminary — turned 100 years old in 2024 and is currently in need of major leather and tuning repairs.
- Music Minister: Helen Herbst
- Lay liturgical roles: altar servers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers, choir, sacristans
- 100-year-old pipe organ by Votteler-Holtcamp-Sparling (Cleveland)
- Original stained glass windows — restoration campaign underway
- #weGiveCatholic 2024 organ and stained-glass restoration effort ($340,000 goal)
Outreach & Social Ministry
The parish describes itself as 'sent on mission,' and its outreach arm — 'Compassion in Action' — coordinates service to neighbors near and far. St. Vincent de Paul, the Gabriel Project (pregnancy support), the St. Elizabeth Shelter, mission trips, and a monthly volunteer partnership with St. Augustine's Community Cupboard and Closet in Cleveland are all active through the Avon Catholic Community. The Gabriel Project, in particular, is a parish-based 'Angel' volunteer network that pairs expecting mothers with practical, emotional, and spiritual support.
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Gabriel Project (pregnancy support)
- Compassion in Action
- St. Elizabeth Shelter
- Mission Trips (local and beyond)
- St. Augustine's Community Cupboard and Closet — volunteer partner
- Bereavement, Care & Consolation
Parish Life & Fellowship
Parish life at Holy Trinity is built around the conviction that 'we celebrate together, we work together, we grow together.' Alongside the worship schedule, the community offers a deep bench of social and fellowship groups — hospitality teams, event planners, the PTU (parent-teacher unit), Ladies Guild, Knights of Columbus, and Isabella's Guild — along with prayer apostolates such as Seven Sisters and a Vocations Ministry that lifts up prayers for religious vocations.
- Hospitality and event planning
- PTU (Parent-Teacher Unit)
- Ladies Guild
- Knights of Columbus
- Isabella's Guild
- Vocations Ministry
- Seven Sisters prayer apostolate
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach Holy Trinity at 33601 Detroit Road, Avon, OH 44011, by phone at (440) 937-5363, or by email at [email protected]. The parish is part of the Avon Catholic Community, whose hub website at avoncc.org carries the current worship schedule, ministry sign-ups, and community news for both Holy Trinity and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.
- Address: 33601 Detroit Rd, Avon, OH 44011-1999
- Phone: (440) 937-5363
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish website: holytrinityavon.com
- Community hub: avoncc.org
- Lorain County, Diocese of Cleveland
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Anthony B. Stubercirca 1900–1902
Led the building of the present sandstone church at Detroit and Nagel Road.
- Rev. John Misenkoretired June 2021
Predecessor to Father Hawk; retired in June 2021.
- Rev. John ManningSummer 2021
Served as parish administrator during the summer of 2021 between Father Misenko's retirement and Father Hawk's appointment.
- Rev. Vincent J. Hawkinstalled October 13, 2021 – present
Installed as pastor by Bishop Edward Malesic on October 13, 2021.