Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Parish Overview & Identity

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish (Nativity BVM) is a Catholic parish in South Amherst, Ohio, in Lorain County, within the Diocese of Cleveland. It was established in 1933 and today operates alongside St. Joseph Parish in Amherst as a single pastoral community sharing clergy, staff, faith formation, and school programs. Visitors and members are welcomed into a parish whose mission, in the words of the parish's own statement, is 'to preach the Gospel and minister to the needs of the persons within the territory of our parish boundaries.'

Clergy & Staff

The pastor is Rev. Timothy J. O'Connor, who serves both Nativity BVM and St. Joseph Parish. Parochial deacons Daniel Hancock and Paul Heise assist with the pastoral care of the community. Ed Klimczak leads the parish office and Music Ministry. Directory aggregators also list Fr. Larry Martello as Administrator of St. Joseph, Fr. Michael Denk as Associate Pastor, and retired priest Fr. John Tezie in supporting roles.

• Rev. Timothy J. O'Connor — Pastor
• Deacon Daniel Hancock
• Deacon Paul Heise
• Ed Klimczak — Parish Office / Music Ministry

Diocese & Pastoral Region

Nativity BVM belongs to the Diocese of Cleveland, the Latin-Rite Catholic diocese that covers eight counties in northeast Ohio including Lorain County. The diocesan directory at dioceseofcleveland.org lists Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary Parish – South Amherst under 'est. 1933' with Rev. Timothy J. O'Connor as pastor and the phone numbers 440-986-7011 and 440-986-7012 for the parish office.

Sacraments

As a Catholic parish in the Diocese of Cleveland, Nativity BVM celebrates the seven sacraments. The Mass and Confession schedule above handles the Eucharist and Reconciliation on site. Baptisms, marriages, First Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and other rites are coordinated through the parish office in coordination with St. Joseph Parish.

• Eucharist (Mass schedule above)
• Penance / Reconciliation (Saturday 11 a.m.–noon at St. Joseph; Thursday 7:30–8:30 p.m. at St. Joseph)
• Baptism, Marriage, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick — through the parish office

Ministries & Parish Life

Parish life centers on worship together, faith formation for children and adults, and supporting the South Amherst community with time and talent. Music Ministry is led by Ed Klimczak, who also coordinates the parish office. The combined parish with St. Joseph runs the parish school and religious education program; links to the Parish School Website and a 'Register Now' form appear on the official stjosephamherst.com homepage. The parish encourages new members to register and become active participants rather than names on a roster.

• Music Ministry
• Faith Formation / Religious Education (joint with St. Joseph)
• Parish School (linked from official site)
• Parish Registration / New Members

Contact & Visit

The Nativity BVM church sits at 333 South Lake Street in the village of South Amherst, Ohio 44001, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 767, Amherst, OH 44001. The parish can be reached by phone at (440) 986-7011, by fax at (440) 986-7012, or by email at [email protected]. The shared website at stjosephamherst.com/contact/contact-nativity-bvm/ is the online front door for visitors and new parishioners.

• Address: 333 South Lake St., South Amherst, OH 44001
• Mailing: P.O. Box 767, Amherst, OH 44001
• Phone: (440) 986-7011
• Fax: (440) 986-7012
• Email: [email protected]
• Web: https://stjosephamherst.com/