About Holy Trinity · Coldwater, Ohio
Holy Trinity Catholic Church is a vibrant parish in the Village of Coldwater, Mercer County, Ohio, founded in 1867 by three Catholic families — Kallmeyer, Boese, and Pohl — who asked Father Jacob Rengele to come celebrate Mass in their farming community. The parish takes its name from those three founding families and has grown from a small 30-by-60 foot wood-frame church into one of the largest parishes in the region, now numbering roughly 1,600–1,700 households. Holy Trinity is part of the Holy Cross Family of Parishes (formed July 1, 2022 under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light initiative), which includes seven parishes in the Coldwater–Fort Recovery area. The current sanctuary, a 54-by-145 foot Gothic-design church with twin spires, was dedicated October 9, 1899, and the parish continues to be a center of faith, family, and rural Catholic life in northwest Ohio — what the region is affectionately called 'God's Country.'
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- Holy Trinity
- Rector
- Rev. Alexander T. Witt
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati); Holy Cross Family of Parishes
Why belong here
Holy Trinity is a large, multi-generational rural parish where families who grew up in the Coldwater farming community keep coming back, and where Mass attendance, faith formation, and priestly vocations are noticeably strong. With daily and weekend Masses in English, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays, a robust religious-education program for grades 1–12, youth ministry, OCIA for adults, Vacation Bible School, a bereavement ministry, and an active one-on-one evangelization outreach, there are many ways to belong and serve. The parish is also part of the seven-parish Holy Cross Family of Parishes, so families have access to an even wider network of Catholic life across Coldwater and Fort Recovery.
Mass times at Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:45 pm – 4:15 pm
- Sunday: 7:25 am – end of 8:00 am Mass
- Sunday: 9:25 am – end of 10:00 am Mass
- Sunday: 5:15 pm – 5:45 pm (before 6:00 pm Mass)
- Monday & Friday: after the 7:15 am Mass
- Wednesday: 11:30 am – end (before noon Mass)
Adoration times
- Wednesdays: 8:00 am – 11:45 am (Holy Trinity)
History of Holy Trinity Parish
Holy Trinity was born in 1867 from the faith of three families — Kallmeyer, Boese, and Pohl — and the willingness of Father Jacob Rengele to ride in from St. Mary, Philothea, to celebrate Mass in Coldwater. Cincinnati Archbishop John Baptist Purcell approved the parish, the first wood-frame church was built in 1868, and by the 1890s the booming timber and railroad economy had grown the parish beyond what the original structure could hold. The present Gothic church was dedicated October 9, 1899.
- 1867 — Three founding families request a parish; Archbishop Purcell approves.
- 1868 — First 30 × 60 ft wood-frame church completed in the fall.
- 1886 — Parish grows to 80+ families; addition built on north side.
- 1897–1899 — Original church moved 100 ft east; current Gothic church (54 × 145 ft, twin spires) dedicated October 9, 1899.
- 1902 — St. Elizabeth Cemetery purchased east of Coldwater.
- 1903 — Steam heat; 1905 — Stations of the Cross & rectory; 1907 — stained-glass windows.
- 1913 — Two-story, eight-room parochial school and convent built.
- 1915–1957 — Father Louis Yauss pastors; guides parish through WWI, the Depression, and WWII.
- 1917 — Electric lights; 1918 — pipe organ; 1939 — loudspeaker system.
- 1964 — Liturgy celebrated in English following Vatican II.
- 1968–69 — East and west additions built on the church.
- 1992 — Former school rededicated as the Fr. Yauss Center.
- 1995 — Restoration and redecorating; 1997 — air conditioning installed.
- 2017–2018 — 150th anniversary: Pope Francis letter, Archbishop Schnurr anniversary Mass (June 18, 2018), free community meal serving 2,000+.
Parish Staff & Clergy
Holy Trinity is pastored as part of the seven-parish Holy Cross Family of Parishes. The pastor, three parochial vicars, and two deacons serve the family, while parish staff at Holy Trinity handle religious education, youth ministry, music, communications, business, maintenance, and bereavement ministry.
- Pastor: Rev. Alexander T. Witt
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Ethan Moore
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Joseph Kumar Pasala
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Barry Stechschulte
- Deacon Daniel Kahlig
- Deacon Roger Kaiser
- Religious Education Coordinator (HT, SA, SM): Stephanie Rutschilling
- Youth Ministry (HT, SM, SA): Maria Gruss
- Music (Coldwater): Ron Johnson
- Director of Adult Evangelization / OCIA / Bereavement: Cindy Muhlenkamp
- Director of Communications: Lisa Cowan
- Business Manager (HT/SM/SA): Charmaine Bettinger
- Administrative Assistant (HT/SA/SM): Julie Schmitz
- Maintenance (Holy Trinity): Rob Schmidt
- Family Council Reps: Zach Kaup & Mark Gruss
- Safe Environment Coordinator (HT/SM/SA): Charmaine Bettinger
Religious Education & Youth Faith Formation
Holy Trinity's parish religious-education program (CCD) serves children from Grades 1 through 12 and prepares them for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. Classes are held Wednesday evenings with both in-class and in-home lesson options, and the parish also offers special programs for younger children and high-school students.
- Religion classes Grades 1–12 — Wednesday evenings; in-class or in-home lessons.
- Children's Liturgy of the Word for Pre-K & K during 8:00 am & 10:00 am Sunday Masses at Holy Trinity.
- Little Flowers (Girls Gr. 1–4), Blue Knights (Boys Gr. 1–4), Immaculate Hearts (Girls Gr. 5–6).
- High School Men's & Ladies' Lunch — faith formation during the school lunch period.
- Sacramental prep: First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation.
- Confirmation Retreat 'Empower' (typically in the fall).
- Vacation Bible School held at Holy Trinity.
- CYO athletics information available through the program.
- The Fr. Yauss Center (former parochial school) is the hub for CCD instruction, council/commission meetings, and a parish reference library.
OCIA, Adult Faith & Evangelization
Adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church or complete their initiation sacraments journey through the parish's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. Beyond OCIA, the parish supports ongoing adult formation through Catholic Adulting 101 nights, Adult Faith Enrichment offerings, and a one-on-one evangelization program that has grown to about 100 participants.
- OCIA coordinator for HT/SM/SA: Cindy Muhlenkamp.
- Catholic Adulting 101 evening sessions for adults.
- Adult Faith Enrichment programming across the Family of Parishes.
- One-on-one evangelization outreach (~100 active participants).
- Bereavement Ministry coordinated parish-wide by Cindy Muhlenkamp.
- Call for Prayer ministry (Cindy Hemmelgarn).
Music & Liturgy
Music at Holy Trinity is led by Ron Johnson, who coordinates the parish choir and musicians for weekend and holy-day liturgies. Masses from Holy Trinity and Mary Help of Christians are also livestreamed and archived online so that homebound parishioners and those at a distance can participate in the parish's liturgical life.
- Music Director (Coldwater): Ron Johnson
- Choir loft is a noted feature of the sanctuary interior.
- Masses livestreamed on YouTube under 'Coldwater Cluster' and archived at holycrossfop.org.
Facilities: Fr. Yauss Center & Parish Hall
Beyond the historic 1899 church, Holy Trinity's campus includes the Fr. Yauss Center — the former 1913 parochial school building rededicated in 1992 in memory of long-time pastor Father Louis Yauss — which today houses parish religious-education classrooms, the parish offices, council and commission meeting space, and a reference library. The parish hall is also available for private rental.
- Fr. Yauss Center: parish religious education, offices, meetings, reference library.
- Parish hall available for rental (contact the Coldwater Parish Office at 419-678-4802).
- St. Elizabeth Cemetery: parish cemetery east of Coldwater, established 1902.
Sacraments
Holy Trinity prepares parishioners for the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church. Schedules and registration information for First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, OCIA, and Marriage are available through the parish office and religious-education office.
- Reconciliation (Confession) — see confession schedule.
- Eucharist — daily, Saturday Vigil, and Sunday Masses.
- First Communion — preparation through parish religious-ed program.
- First Reconciliation — preparation through parish religious-ed program.
- Confirmation — preparation includes the 'Empower' retreat.
- Marriage — contact the parish office to begin preparation.
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for those entering or completing initiation into the Church.
Holy Cross Family of Parishes
On July 1, 2022, Holy Trinity joined six neighboring parishes to form the Holy Cross Family of Parishes as part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light pastoral initiative. The family is led by Pastor Father Alexander T. Witt and three parochial vicars, who together shepherd the parishes of Coldwater and Fort Recovery while preserving each parish's own identity, staff, and liturgical life.
- Holy Trinity (Coldwater) — Est. 1867, 120 E. Main St., Coldwater.
- St. Mary (Coldwater–Philothea) — Est. 1851.
- St. Peter (Fort Recovery–St. Peter) — Est. 1860.
- St. Anthony (Fort Recovery–St. Anthony) — Est. 1852.
- St. Paul (Fort Recovery–Sharpsburg) — Est. 1868.
- Mary Help of Christians (Fort Recovery) — Est. 1881.
- St. Joseph (Fort Recovery–St. Joseph) — Est. 1839.
- Pastoral team: Fr. Alexander Witt (Pastor); Fr. Ethan Moore, Fr. Joseph Pasala, Fr. Barry Stechschulte (Parochial Vicars); Dcn. Daniel Kahlig, Dcn. Roger Kaiser.
Visiting & Contact
The Coldwater Parish Office is located at 120 East Main Street, Coldwater, OH 45828 (PO Box 107). Office hours are Monday through Thursday 8:30 am–12:30 pm and 1:00–5:00 pm, and Friday 8:30 am–1:00 pm. The parish phone number is 419-678-4802. Weekend and holy-day Masses are also livestreamed online, and recorded Masses are archived on the parish website.
- Address: 120 East Main Street, PO Box 107, Coldwater, OH 45828
- Phone: 419-678-4802
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 am–12:30 pm & 1:00–5:00 pm; Fri 8:30 am–1:00 pm
- Website: www.holycrossfop.org (legacy: www.coldwatercluster.org)
- Online Masses: search 'Coldwater Cluster' on YouTube
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jacob Rengele1867–
First pastor of Holy Trinity; also pastor of St. Mary, Philothea, who agreed to also shepherd Coldwater.
- Father Louis Yauss1915–1957
Long-serving pastor who guided the parish through both World Wars and the Great Depression; honored with the Fr. Yauss Center (former parochial school) rededicated in 1992.
- Father Richard Wallingapproximately 2008–2018+
Pastored during the 150th anniversary year (2017–2018); shepherded the Coldwater Parish Cluster of Holy Trinity, St. Mary Philothea, and St. Henry.
- Rev. Alexander T. Wittcurrent (as of Beacons of Light launch, 2022)
Current Pastor of the Holy Cross Family of Parishes, which now unites seven parishes including Holy Trinity.