About Immaculate Conception · Cleveland, Ohio
Immaculate Conception Church is a historic Catholic church at 4129 Superior Avenue on Cleveland's near east side, established as a mission by Bishop Amadeus Rappe in 1855 to serve the Irish Catholic community along the Superior Avenue corridor and formally constituted as a parish in 1865. After more than 150 years as a territorial parish, it was reunited with the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist through an extinctive union decreed by Bishop Edward Malesic effective May 24, 2026. The church building itself was preserved as the new home of the Immaculate Conception Oratory, entrusted to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, which moved its Cleveland priory there from the Shrine of St. Elizabeth beginning June 1, 2026. Today it serves as the central home in the Diocese of Cleveland for the faithful attached to the Traditional Latin Mass (Usus Antiquior), offering daily Mass in both Latin and English.
- Established
- 1865
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Rev. Canon James Hoogerwerf, Rector (Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception Oratory is the Diocese of Cleveland's principal home for the Traditional Latin Mass (Usus Antiquior), offering both a Low Mass and a Sung High Mass every Sunday, a daily Latin Mass Monday through Saturday, and an English Vigil Mass on Saturday evening. Canon Hoogerwerf and the Institute of Christ the King are committed to the reverent celebration of the sacraments in their classical forms, with confessions heard a half hour before every Mass and a Holy Hour on Thursdays at 5:30 pm. For Catholics attached to the older liturgical forms — whether longtime parishioners, young families newly discovering the TLM, or visitors from across Northeast Ohio — the oratory offers a stable and welcoming spiritual home in the heart of Cleveland.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Heard 30 minutes prior to every Holy Mass
Adoration times
- Thursday Holy Hour at 5:30 pm
History of Immaculate Conception Parish
Immaculate Conception was chartered as a mission by Bishop Amadeus Rappe in 1855 at Superior Avenue and Lyman (East 41st) Streets to serve Irish Catholic families who had moved east of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. The mission grew through two temporary structures before the present sandstone church was begun in 1873 under Fr. Thomas Thorpe and dedicated in 1878. For generations it was the religious and social heart of Cleveland's Irish community — hosting temperance societies, a parish band, and the city's St. Patrick's Day festivities. Postwar suburbanization reduced numbers, but the parish continued as a multiethnic community and a center for the Tridentine Latin Mass into the 21st century.
- Mission established by Bishop Rappe in 1855
- Parish formally constituted in 1865
- Cornerstone of present church laid August 17, 1873
- Church dedicated in 1878
- Reunited with the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist via extinctive union, May 24, 2026
The Church Building
The church is an early English Gothic design of Berea sandstone measuring 169 by 91 feet. Two well-proportioned spires grace the front, the taller reaching 275 feet, with a smaller spire at the rear. Bishop Gilmour praised the building at its 1878 dedication as a mark of progress 'both in intelligence and in virtue.' The building was preserved when the parish was extinctively united with the Cathedral and now houses the new Immaculate Conception Oratory.
- Style: Early English Gothic
- Material: Berea sandstone
- Dimensions: 169 × 91 feet
- Tallest spire: 275 feet
Immaculate Conception Oratory and the Institute of Christ the King
On June 1, 2026 the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest transferred its Cleveland priory from the Shrine of St. Elizabeth to the newly established Immaculate Conception Oratory at 4129 Superior Avenue. The Institute's rector, Rev. Canon James Hoogerwerf, expressed thanks to Bishop Edward Malesic for providing 'a suitable and stable home for the faithful of the Diocese of Cleveland attached to the Usus Antiquior at the heart of the Diocese and within the very territory of the Cathedral Parish.' Canon Hoogerwerf voiced confidence that 'those who were members of the former Immaculate Conception Parish and many others from throughout the area will find the Oratory to be a vibrant spiritual home.'
- Rector: Rev. Canon James Hoogerwerf
- Religious institute: Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
- Established June 1, 2026
- Successor to the ICKSP apostolate previously based at the Shrine of St. Elizabeth
Parish Life and Ministries
Ministry life at the oratory centers on the Institute of Christ the King's classic liturgical apostolate: a stable daily and Sunday schedule of Masses in the Usus Antiquior, regular confession, Eucharistic adoration, and traditional sodalities. The Sacred Heart Society gathers on First Saturdays for Mass, a potluck breakfast, a spiritual conference, and devotions — all are welcome. The community is composed both of former members of Immaculate Conception Parish and faithful from across the Diocese of Cleveland who travel to worship at this central home for the Traditional Latin Mass.
- Sacred Heart Society (First Saturdays)
- Daily Traditional Latin Mass apostolate
- Welcoming community for Usus Antiquior faithful across Northeast Ohio
Visiting Immaculate Conception Oratory
The oratory is located at 4129 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44103, on the city's near east side within the territory of the Cathedral Parish. The parish phone line is (216) 431-5900 and the email listed for correspondence is [email protected]. Visitors are encouraged to check the latest bulletin for any schedule adjustments around feast days.
- Address: 4129 Superior Ave, Cleveland, OH 44103
- Phone: (216) 431-5900
- Email: [email protected]
- Official site: institute-christ-king.org/cleveland-home
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Thomas Thorpe1870s
Energetic pastor who built the present English Gothic sandstone church; cornerstone laid Aug 17, 1873, dedicated 1878.