About Immaculate Conception · Dennison, Ohio
Immaculate Conception Parish in Dennison, Ohio is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Columbus, established in 1871 to serve Irish Catholic railroad workers and their families in this Tuscarawas County community. The parish remains anchored by its original red-brick church at 206 N. First Street, which has been expanded twice (in 1880 and 1916) and still serves as the worship home of about 650 families. Today the parish operates an elementary school (Preschool–Grade 6), supports the Altar Society and a historic Knights of Columbus Council (#576), and gathers for weekend Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, with weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday and a full day of Adoration each Tuesday.
- Established
- 1871
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Father Jeff Coning
- Diocese
- Diocese of Columbus
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a small, multigenerational parish where many members still trace their roots to the Irish railroad families who founded it 150 years ago — and the warmth of that heritage is easy to see. The parish offers a complete sacramental life (daily and weekend Mass, Saturday confessions, weekly Adoration with Rosary, and a full line of devotions for the sick and homebound), a parish school (Preschool–Grade 6) that is one of three Tuscarawas County Catholic schools, and active lay organizations (the Altar Society for women and a historic Knights of Columbus Council #576 for men) that meet monthly and run community service and fundraisers year-round. It is a place where the faith is lived out beyond the church walls, through nursing-home visits, food drives for the Twin City Food Pantry, the annual Share-A-Christmas program, and a summer festival that draws neighbors from across the area.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 8:30 am
- Tuesday 6:00–7:00 pm
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm (with Rosary; Divine Mercy Chaplet and Confessions also offered)
About Immaculate Conception Parish
Immaculate Conception is a Catholic parish of the Diocese of Columbus, located at 206 N. 1st Street in Dennison, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. The parish traces its origins to 1870–1871, when a small red-brick church was built to serve Irish Catholic families who had come to Dennison to work for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Now in its 150th-plus year, the parish serves about 650 families and continues to operate a parish elementary school, an active Altar Society, and one of the oldest Knights of Columbus councils in the diocese. Its weekend Mass schedule, Tuesday Adoration, and Saturday confessions reflect a traditional devotional life that parishioners describe as close-knit and deeply rooted in faith.
- Est. 1871
- Diocese of Columbus
- About 650 families
- 206 N. First Street, Dennison, OH 44621
History: A Railroad Town Parish
The parish was born from the Pennsylvania Railroad's 1864 founding of Dennison. Many Irish and eastern-European Catholic workers settled there, and a priest from Dover's St. Joseph parish began riding in to celebrate Sunday Mass. The mission was formally established in 1870 with the purchase of land, and the first red-brick church was completed in 1871 under Bishop Sylvester Rosecrans, with Father William Hawe as the first resident pastor. The building was enlarged in 1880 and the sanctuary expanded in 1916, and it has been carefully maintained ever since. On December 8, 2021 — the Feast of the Immaculate Conception — the parish marked its 150th anniversary with Father Jeff Coning presiding and former priests and women religious in attendance.
- 1864 — Pennsylvania Railroad founds Dennison as repair and watering stop
- c. 1869 — Fr. J. Bernard Wismann of St. Joseph, Dover, begins celebrating Mass for local Catholics
- 1870 — Parish mission formally established; land acquired
- 1871 — Red-brick church completed; Fr. William Hawe named first resident pastor by Bishop Rosecrans
- 1880 — Church enlarged
- 1916 — Sanctuary expanded
- December 8, 2021 — 150th anniversary Mass celebrated
Parish Staff & Clergy
Immaculate Conception is currently served by a pastor who also oversees two other Tuscarawas County parishes, a deacon, and a small lay staff responsible for faith formation, music, and parish business operations. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and can be reached at 330-343-6976.
- Fr. Jeff Coning — Pastor
- Deacon Mark Allison
- Linda Allison — Choir Director
- Matt Fantin — Business Manager
- Kathy Hamilton — Director of Faith Formation
- Bernadette Blackstone — Altar Society contact
- Ryan Barnabi — Knights of Columbus Membership Director
- Frank Iannaggi — Knights of Columbus Membership Chair
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sacraments
Information about all seven sacraments is published on the parish website, including preparation for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders. The parish also runs the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for adults wishing to become Catholic.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Marriage
- Holy Orders
- Becoming Catholic / RCIA
Becoming Catholic (RCIA)
Immaculate Conception's 'Becoming Catholic' page welcomes inquirers and explains that the parish uses the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), running from fall to spring each year. The program gives adults the opportunity to learn the Church's teachings, history, and ways of worship with the goal of encountering Jesus Christ in His Church and becoming full members at the Easter Vigil.
- RCIA program — Fall to Spring
- Contact: Kathy Hamilton, Director of Faith Formation
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 330-343-6976 ext. 6
Parish School — Immaculate Conception School
Immaculate Conception School has been part of parish life since the 1890s and continues today as a Preschool–Grade 6 Catholic elementary school on Sherman Street in Dennison. It is one of three Tuscarawas County Catholic Schools operating under the unified Tuscarawas County Catholic Schools system, with older students feeding into Tuscarawas Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School in New Philadelphia. The school's stated mission is to 'build disciples of Christ grounded in our lived Catholic faith while challenging students with an exceptional academic program.'
- Grades: Preschool through Grade 6
- Approximately 90–149 students enrolled
- Member of National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
- Affordable tuition; open to all
- Principal (2024): Jake Love
- Tuscarawas Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School in New Philadelphia for grades 7–12
- 100 Sherman St., Dennison, OH 44621
Youth & Family Faith Formation
The parish runs a Youth/Family Faith Formation program for parish children and works in close coordination with Immaculate Conception School. Students have participated in service projects such as canned food drives for the Twin City Food Pantry and the ecumenical Share-A-Christmas program of the Tuscarawas County Council for Church and Community.
- Youth/Family Faith Formation
- Service: Twin City Food Pantry canned food drive
- Service: Share-A-Christmas (Tuscarawas County Council for Church and Community)
- Director of Faith Formation: Kathy Hamilton
Altar Society
The Immaculate Conception Altar Society is a dedicated women's group that gathers monthly for fellowship, presentations, and event planning. They serve the parish in many practical ways — providing candles and flowers for the altar, vestments for priests, repairing chalices, sending cards to the sick, serving at bereavement dinners, and cooperating with the Knights of Columbus on parish projects.
- Meets September through May
- First Tuesday of each month, 7:00 pm
- Location: Church Conference Room
- Contact: Bernadette Blackstone — [email protected]
Knights of Columbus Council #576
Knights of Columbus Council #576 is the third-oldest council in the Diocese of Columbus, dating back to the late 1800s, and one of the few councils in the diocese that still operates its own hall. The council gives Catholic men the opportunity to serve the community, build faith in family life, and promote a culture of life, with special emphasis on the state K of C's annual Measure Up campaign for the developmentally disabled (supporting St. John's Villa). The hall hosts weekly bingo and steak-dinner fundraisers that benefit Tuscarawas Catholic schools and Birthright pregnancy assistance.
- Founded late 1800s — third-oldest council in the Diocese of Columbus
- Council meetings: 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7:00 pm
- Location: Knights of Columbus Hall, 122 Grant St., Dennison, OH 44621
- Hall phone: 740-922-9025
- Membership Director: Ryan Barnabi
- Membership Chair: Frank Iannaggi
- Charity focus: Measure Up campaign, St. John's Villa, Birthright, Tuscarawas Catholic schools
Outreach & Community Service
Small but active, the parish has built a strong culture of outreach. Parishioners and the school community regularly visit nursing homes, run food drives for the Twin City Food Pantry in Uhrichsville, take part in the Share-A-Christmas program, and deliver gift bags to the military and the homebound. During COVID-19, students and parishioners packed 'COVID bags' of note pads, candy and toiletry items for those in nursing homes and made cards for the homebound.
- Nursing-home visits
- Twin City Food Pantry canned food drive (Uhrichsville)
- Share-A-Christmas — Tuscarawas County Council for Church and Community
- Care packages for the homebound and military
Annual Events & Fundraisers
Two signature fundraisers anchor the parish calendar and support the parish school and youth ministry: an annual summer festival that draws visitors from across Tuscarawas County, and a Lenten Fish Dinner whose proceeds go to support Youth Ministry. The Knights of Columbus also host weekly bingo and steak dinners at their Grant Street hall.
- Summer Festival — benefits the parish school
- Lenten Fish Dinner — benefits Youth Ministry
- Knights of Columbus weekly bingo and steak dinners
Contact & Visit
Immaculate Conception welcomes visitors at its original red-brick church on N. First Street in Dennison. The parish office uses a separate mailing address in New Philadelphia, and the Knights of Columbus operate from their own hall on Grant Street.
- Church: 206 N. 1st Street, Dennison, OH 44621
- Mailing / Office: 139 3rd St NE, New Philadelphia, OH 44663
- Phone: 330-343-6976
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Knights of Columbus Hall: 122 Grant St., Dennison, OH 44621 — 740-922-9025
- Website: https://www.icdennison.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/icdennison/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father William Hawe1871–
First resident pastor, appointed by Bishop Sylvester Rosecrans