About Mother of Christ Catholic Church · Cincinnati, Ohio
Mother of Christ Catholic Church was a Roman Catholic mission parish located at 5301 Winneste Avenue in the Winton Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1945 as a mission of St. Bernard Parish to serve the residents of the Winton Terrace housing project, the parish held its final Mass in late December 2024 after 79 years of ministry. Mother of Christ was one of the few parishes in the Greater Cincinnati area whose worship and ministry were specifically shaped around the Black Catholic community, featuring a gospel choir and cultural observances such as Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The parish operated under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati and was closely partnered with its sister parish, St. Bernard in Winton Place.
- Established
- 1945
- Patron
- Mother of Christ (the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title Mother of Christ)
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
Mother of Christ was a small but deeply rooted mission parish in Winton Hills whose worship was intentionally shaped by and for the Black Catholic community of Cincinnati, with a gospel choir and observance of Juneteenth and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday woven into parish life. It was known less for a large building than for a robust program of neighborhood outreach — a Saturday food pantry, clothing drives, school-supply giveaways, a fall health fair, and seasonal Thanksgiving and Christmas assistance — that met neighbors where they were. Note: the parish celebrated its final Mass in late December 2024; former parishioners have been directed to nearby St. Bernard parish in Winton Place.
Mass times at Mother of Christ Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
History of Mother of Christ Parish
Mother of Christ Catholic Church traces its origins to 1945, when the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, through its parish St. Bernard in Winton Place, established a Catholic mission to serve the residents of the Winton Terrace housing project on Cincinnati's north side. For its first two decades the congregation worshipped as a mission church; the present building on Winneste Avenue was constructed and dedicated in 1965. Over the following decades the parish became the spiritual heart of Winton Hills and a leading center of Black Catholic worship in the Greater Cincinnati area.
- Founded in 1945 as a mission of St. Bernard Parish, Winton Place
- Church building on Winneste Avenue dedicated in 1965
- Long partnered as a sister parish with St. Bernard, about 1.5 miles to the south
- Operated under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Worship and Liturgical Life
Mother of Christ offered Roman-Latin rite Mass in English, with a single Sunday celebration at 11:15 AM. Its worship was shaped by the African-American Catholic tradition, featuring a gospel choir and incorporating cultural and historical observances — notably Juneteenth and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday — into the parish calendar. Pastoral Council President Glen Glenn noted that 'in terms of images, not only music — recognizing historical [African-American] markers throughout the year — those are the things that are indigenous to this population because we're African-American driven.'
- Sunday Mass at 11:15 AM
- Gospel choir as a core element of liturgical life
- Observance of Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- English-language liturgy, Roman (Latin) Rite
Community Outreach and Ministries
The parish was widely recognized for a range of outreach ministries that served the Winton Hills neighborhood well beyond its walls. A Saturday-morning food pantry (10:00–11:30 AM, except the third Saturday of the month) was the most visible program; in addition, the parish organized clothing drives, school-supply giveaways, a fall health fair with First Ladies for Health (held on the second Sunday of October each year), STNA (State Tested Nursing Aide) training classes, CPR classes, and seasonal Thanksgiving and Christmas assistance. Members viewed these ministries as essential to a neighborhood where many families had few other walkable resources.
- Saturday food pantry (10:00–11:30 AM, except 3rd Saturday)
- Clothing drives
- School supply giveaways
- Health fair with First Ladies for Health (second Sunday of October)
- STNA training classes
- CPR classes
- Thanksgiving assistance
- Christmas assistance
Closure in 2024
After 79 years of ministry, Mother of Christ Catholic Church celebrated its final Mass in late December 2024. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, together with the leadership of Mother of Christ and its sister parish St. Bernard, agreed that the mission should close because of sharply declining Mass attendance, dwindling collections, and the rising cost of maintaining an aging building. Parish leaders — including Pastoral Council President Glen Glenn (a member for more than 50 years) and business manager/pastoral assistant Vanessa Rozier (a member since 1965) — described the closure as 'like a death' and 'losing a part of my history, losing a part of my identity.' A reception was held at the Chappelle Center at St. Bernard's, and former parishioners were welcomed to continue worship at nearby St. Bernard parish in Winton Place.
- Final Mass celebrated late December 2024 (reported as December 29)
- Closing reception at the Chappelle Center at St. Bernard's
- Former parishioners directed to St. Bernard parish, Winton Place
- Closure attributed to declining attendance, reduced collections, and aging building
Location and Contact
The parish was located at 5301 Winneste Avenue in the Winton Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio 45232, in the north-central part of the city near the Winton Terrace housing project. The parish phone number was (513) 242-0164 and the official website was motherofchristcincy.com.
- Address: 5301 Winneste Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45232
- Phone: (513) 242-0164
- Website: motherofchristcincy.com
- Neighborhood: Winton Hills, Cincinnati