About Nativity B.V.M. · Maria Stein, Ohio
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Nativity B.V.M.) is a small Catholic parish located in the unincorporated village of Cassella, in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, near Maria Stein. Founded in 1847 by German Catholic settlers who had outgrown neighboring St. Rose Parish, the parish is part of the Marion Catholic Community and the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes, served by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.). The parish is best known for its 1858 Gothic Revival brick church — listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as part of the "Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio" — and for a devoted lay community that, with about 105 parish families, has repeatedly rallied to keep the parish alive.
- Established
- 1847
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary); the early Cassella/Maria-Kapelle mission also honored St. Sebastian as patron of the sick.
- Rector
- Rev. Kenneth Schnipke, C.PP.S.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
Nativity B.V.M. is a small, tight-knit rural parish of about 105 families with deep roots in the German-Catholic heritage of western Ohio. Worshippers are drawn by a historic 1858 Gothic Revival church on the National Register of Historic Places, a packed calendar of lay-led ministries (Men's and Ladies' Sodalities, CYO, Bereavement and Welcoming Committees, a Liturgical Committee, CCD Board), a strong religious-education program for ages 4 through high school that includes Vacation Bible School, Damascus, Steubenville, CYO, and a dramatic 'Holy Week in an Hour' staged around the parish grounds — and the welcoming spirit described by a parishioner as 'a pioneer feeling' of fighting to keep something your family founded.
Mass times at Nativity B.V.M.
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish History
Nativity B.V.M. traces its roots to 1847, when German Catholic settlers two miles west of St. Rose built a log chapel called Maria-Kapelle. For the first ten years, itinerant Missionaries of the Precious Blood traveled in from the Gruenenwald Convent to celebrate Mass and care for the community. When cholera swept the area in 1849, the parishioners prayed to St. Sebastian in the little log church and, by their tradition, not a single member of the parish died.
- 1847 — Cassella parish formed; log chapel 'Maria-Kapelle' built on what is now Cassella-Montezuma Road.
- 1849 — Cholera plague; parishioners pray to St. Sebastian; no deaths recorded.
- 1858 — New $6,000 brick church built across the road on the southeastern corner of the intersection; consecrated August 1862.
- 1888 — Fire nearly destroys the church; only four brick walls survive.
- 1889 — Archbishop Elder blesses the reconstructed church (March 17).
- 1902 — Parsonage erected (later converted into the parish center).
- 1914 — Basement and sacristy added; back wall collapses during excavation and is rebuilt.
- 1915 — Travelling German craftsmen cover the fire-scarred exterior in cut stone, giving the church its present look.
- 1928 — Italian Stations of the Cross installed between the stained-glass windows.
- 1970 — Interior cleaned and repainted to reflect Vatican II liturgical changes.
- 1979 (July 26) — Church and rectory listed on the National Register of Historic Places as 'Cassella Catholic Church and Rectory' (#79002822).
- 1990 — Combined with St. Rose parish; priest resides at St. Rose; Nativity's parsonage becomes the parish center.
- 1996 — 104 parish families pledge generously for major church improvements.
- 1997 (August 15–17) — 150th anniversary celebration with barn dance at the original Gruenenwald Convent site, historical display, Mass of Thanksgiving, and a parish history book.
- 2001 — Parish 'Paint Committee' formed; interior painting plan accepted and funded by parishioners.
- 2003 — Joins the Marion Cluster with St. Rose, St. Sebastian, Precious Blood (Chickasaw), and St. John's to share clergy while preserving parish identity.
Sacraments
As a parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Nativity B.V.M. celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments. Preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage is handled through the parish office and the religious-education program; the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is offered to the homebound and hospitalized on request. Faith formation for school-age children is closely tied to reception of First Communion and Confirmation.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Penance (Reconciliation)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
- Matrimony
Religious Education & Youth Ministry
Faith formation is at the heart of parish life at Nativity, where the converted former parsonage and the CCD Building south of the church house classes for ages 4 through senior year of high school. Sixteen dedicated parishioners serve as catechists, and parish leadership highlights the 'tremendous support of the families and students' that yields near-perfect weekly attendance.
- Sunday Pre-School Program — 8 sessions/year from October to May for ages 4 through pre-K.
- Wednesday evening religious education — school-age children meet in the Parish Center / CCD Building.
- Vacation Bible School — held in July for kindergarten through 6th grade.
- 'Holy Week in an Hour' — dramatic presentation by high-school students for grades 1–4, staged across the parsonage, grounds, and church.
- CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) — partnered with St. Rose youth.
- MCC Junior High Youth Ministry
- MCC High School Youth Ministry
- Damascus
- Steubenville
- Service Opportunities
- Adult Faith Formation (Carolyn Stucke, coordinator)
Parish Life & Ministries
With about 105 parish families, Nativity relies on a strong network of lay-led groups to sustain its worship, outreach, and community life. The Men's and Ladies' Sodalities anchor the spiritual and social life of the parish, while committees ensure that visitors are welcomed, grieving families are accompanied, and the liturgy runs smoothly.
- Men's Sodality
- Ladies Sodality (St. Anne's Ladies Sodality sponsors events like 'Cookies with Santa')
- Bereavement Committee
- Welcoming Committee
- Liturgical Committee
- CCD Board
- Parish Pastoral Council (President: John Reichert)
- Music Director: Katie Hartings
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Julia Tuente
- Business Manager: Susan Fortkamp
- Maintenance: Ron Stucke & Ryan Schmackers
- CFL Hall Rental: Carol Hemmelgarn — (419) 925-4667
Architecture & the 'Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches'
The 1858 brick church in Cassella is a textbook example of the High Gothic Revival style brought to far western Ohio by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Its tall square front tower with cupola, arched tracery window, and ornamental columns was a later addition inspired by St. Aloysius in Carthagena (1877), and it is one of the spires that gave the region its nickname — the 'Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches.' The cut-stone veneer added in 1915 hides the scars of the 1888 fire; the interior was redecorated in 1970 in line with Vatican II.
- Architectural style: Gothic Revival
- NRHP listing: Cassella Catholic Church and Rectory, #79002822, added July 26, 1979
- Multiple Property Submission: Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio TR
- Architect: Unknown
- Areas of significance: Architecture; Religion
- Periods of significance: 1850–1874, 1875–1899, 1900–1924
- Significant years: 1858 (built), 1888 (fire), 1904 (rectory)
- Construction: brick on stone foundation with basement, cut-stone veneer, gabled asphalt roof
- Stations of the Cross from Italy installed 1928
The Marion Catholic Community & Christ Our Light Family of Parishes
Nativity B.V.M. is one of five parishes that together form the Marion Catholic Community, a rural cluster in western Ohio served by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.). In 2003 Nativity joined with St. Rose, St. Sebastian, Precious Blood (Chickasaw), and St. John the Baptist to share clergy under the Marion Cluster, while explicitly committing to preserve the unique identity and heritage of each parish. The cluster today is part of the broader Christ Our Light Family of Parishes in the St. Marys Deanery of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
- Cluster parishes: St. Rose (Maria Stein), St. Sebastian (Celina), Precious Blood (Chickasaw), St. John the Baptist (Maria Stein), Nativity of BVM (Cassella)
- Served by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.)
- Part of the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes
- St. Marys Deanery, Archdiocese of Cincinnati
- Cluster offices: 7428 State Route 119, Maria Stein, OH 45860 — (419) 925-4775
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM; Friday closed