About Our Lady of Lourdes · Otway, Ohio
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church sits on West Main Street in the tiny village of Otway, Ohio (population roughly 87), in the rolling hills of Scioto County. The parish was founded in the late 1910s to serve the rural Catholics of eastern Scioto County and was built in 1917; Archbishop Moeller formally dedicated the red-brick church on May 18, 1919. The Glenmary Home Missioners cared for the parish from 1942 until returning it to diocesan clergy in 1956. Today the church is part of St. John Paul II Scioto Catholic Parish in the Diocese of Columbus, and its historic worship site in Otway, along with a small thrift store ministry known locally as 'Born Again,' continues to be a point of Catholic presence in one of the smallest communities in the diocese.
- Established
- 1916
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen Smith, KHS
- Diocese
- Diocese of Columbus
Why belong here
Our Lady of Lourdes has long been the heart of Catholic life for the small village of Otway and the surrounding hills of eastern Scioto County. Visitors and parishioners find a well-kept red-brick church with a Marian shrine and a friendly, mission-minded community — the parish helped pioneer Catholic outreach in Appalachian Ohio through the Glenmary Home Missioners and continues that spirit today with its 'Born Again' thrift store, which serves more than 3,000 people a year with clothing and household goods. Worshipping here means joining a tight-knit, multi-campus parish family (St. John Paul II Scioto Catholic Parish) that takes seriously both the Eucharist and care for the poor.
Mass times at Our Lady of Lourdes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confession is offered at the other St. John Paul II Scioto Catholic Parish campuses (St. Peter, St. Mary, Holy Trinity, Holy Redeemer); Otway itself does not publish a regular confession schedule.
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is offered across the unified parish family; consult the parish office for the specific Otway schedule.
History of Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Otway was established in the late 1910s to serve the rural Catholics of eastern Scioto County. Its roots lie in a brief predecessor mission, Our Lady of Lourdes, Henley, organized in 1915; the Henley property was sold in 1918 once the Otway church was built. The red-brick church on West Main Street, dated 1917 above its doorway, was dedicated by Archbishop Henry Moeller on May 18, 1919. The Glenmary Home Missioners took over the parish in 1942 and returned it to diocesan care in 1956.
- 1915 — Our Lady of Lourdes, Henley established as a chapel in the pastor's rectory.
- 1916 — Property acquired in Otway for a new parish.
- 1917 — Date stone placed; church built.
- 1918 — Parish first listed in the Catholic Directory.
- 1919 (May 18) — Church dedicated by Archbishop Moeller.
- 1942 — Glenmary Home Missioners acquire the parish.
- 1944 — Glenmary establishes a Catholic Information Center in West Portsmouth.
- 1948 — Glenmary builds the current Our Lady of Sorrows Church in West Portsmouth.
- 1956 — Glenmary returns the three Scioto County churches to the Diocese of Columbus.
- Recently — Parish merged into St. John Paul II Scioto Catholic Parish.
Worship at the Otway Church
At the Otway church, Mass is celebrated on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and on Wednesday evenings, typically following the 6:30 p.m. Rosary. The schedule is part of the broader St. John Paul II Scioto Catholic Parish, whose weekend Masses are also offered at Holy Redeemer, St. Mary, St. Peter in Chains, and Holy Trinity campuses in the Portsmouth area. Confession, Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, and a Spanish-language Mass at Holy Redeemer are available across the parish family.
- Sunday 10:30 AM — Our Lady of Lourdes, Otway
- Wednesday 6:45 PM (after Rosary at 6:30 PM) — Our Lady of Lourdes, Otway
- Saturday 4:00 PM — Holy Trinity Campus (Vigil)
- Saturday 6:00 PM — St. Peter in Chains Campus (Vigil)
- Sunday 8:00 AM — Holy Redeemer Campus
- Sunday 11:30 AM — St. Mary Campus
- Sunday 5:00 PM — Holy Redeemer Campus (in español)
Glenmary Mission Legacy
Our Lady of Lourdes was part of the early Glenmary Home Missioners cluster in Scioto County. Glenmary managed three small parishes — Our Lady of Lourdes in Otway (acquired 1942), Holy Trinity in Pond Creek, and Our Lady of Sorrows in West Portsmouth (established 1948) — at a time when Scioto County was overwhelmingly Protestant and only about 4 percent Catholic. The missioners also ran a thrift-style outreach and a food pantry; that charitable impulse continues today through the parish's Born Again and New to You thrift stores and the St. Francis Catholic Outreach Center.
- 1942 — Glenmary acquires Our Lady of Lourdes, Otway
- 1944 — Catholic Information Center storefront opened in West Portsmouth
- 1948 — Our Lady of Sorrows Church built in West Portsmouth
- 1956 — Three Scioto County churches returned to the Diocese of Columbus
Outreach & Charitable Works
The Otway church anchors a remarkably mission-minded community. The Born Again thrift store at the Otway campus and New to You at West Portsmouth together provide clothing, bedding, small appliances, and household goods to more than 3,000 people each year. At the parish level, the St. Francis Catholic Outreach Center in Portsmouth operates as a one-stop community center offering food, emergency assistance, clothing, counseling, and hope to families across Scioto County; a monthly collection is taken up at Mass to support its work.
- Born Again thrift store (Otway)
- New to You thrift store (West Portsmouth)
- St. Francis Catholic Outreach Center — food, emergency assistance, clothing, counseling, hope
- Monthly parish collection for St. Francis Outreach
- Food pantry and ecumenical cooperation with neighboring communities
- Ministry to the Sick & Homebound
Staff & Clergy of St. John Paul II Scioto Catholic Parish
The parishes of Scioto County are served by a small but dedicated clergy and lay staff. Fr. Stephen Smith, KHS, serves as pastor, with Fr. Michael Fulton, KHS, as parochial vicar. Three permanent deacons — Jim Sturgeon, Terry Acox (retired), and Chris Varacalli — assist with liturgy, outreach, and evangelization. Fr. David Glockner, G.H.M., a Glenmary priest, is retired but remains in holy service. The Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts (LIHM) provide religious-education leadership, and a lay staff directs finance, music, religious education, facilities, IT, and community life.
- Rev. Stephen Smith, KHS — Pastor
- Rev. Michael Fulton, KHS — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. David Glockner, G.H.M. — Retired, In Holy Service
- Rev. Mr. Jim Sturgeon — Permanent Deacon
- Rev. Mr. Terry Acox — Permanent Deacon
- Rev. Mr. Chris Varacalli — Permanent Deacon / Coordinator of Parish Outreach
- Sr. Chiara Francisco, LIHM — Director of Religious Education
- Sr. Laura Austria Estrano, LIHM — Religion Teacher, NDES
- Mother Assumpta Tangan, LIHM — Local LIHM Superior
- Marissa McCormick — Assistant Director of Religious Education
- Patrick Torsell — Director of Sacred Music
- Carolyn Paul — Finance Manager
- Kathy Bartolomucci — Administrative Assistant, Finance
- Tim Paul — Director of IT
- Chris Ponzio — Facilities & Maintenance Supervisor
- Mary Anne Hughes — Community Life Director
- Rose Turner — Secretary
Becoming Part of the Parish
Joining the St. John Paul II Scioto Catholic Parish family is straightforward: the parish office at 514 Market Street, Portsmouth, OH 45662 is the central point of contact for registrations, sacramental preparation, and inquiries. Catholics wishing to explore a vocation to the priesthood or diaconate are encouraged to contact Fr. Stephen Smith at (740) 354-4551 or visit vocationscolumbus.org. Sacramental emergencies (imminent danger of death) are handled through a dedicated Sacramental Emergency Line at 740-981-9555.
- Parish Business Office — 514 Market Street, Portsmouth, OH 45662
- Parish phone — (740) 354-4551
- Email — [email protected]
- Sacramental Emergency Line — 740-981-9555
- Diocese of Columbus Vocations — vocationscolumbus.org
- Diocese — www.columbuscatholic.org
Visiting Our Lady of Lourdes in Otway
Otway is one of the smallest villages in Scioto County, with a population of about 87 residents. It has a gas station/restaurant, a Family Dollar, an old school building, and a handful of churches including Our Lady of Lourdes. Visitors can park in the gravel lot behind the former volunteer house next door, or across the street at the Family Dollar. Marian shrines and benches for socializing sit behind the church, which is well maintained despite the village's size. The parish office in Portsmouth can answer questions about weddings, baptisms, and other parish services at the Otway worship site.
- Address — 16 W Main St., Otway, OH 45657
- Phone — (740) 372-2202
- Parking — gravel lot behind the adjacent 'volunteer house' or across the street at Family Dollar
- Setting — small Appalachian village, Scioto County
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph H. Dickcirca 1929–1933
Listed in Catholic Directories 1930–1933 as pastor of nearby Mother of Sorrows Mission in West Portsmouth, attended from Otway.
- Glenmary Home Missioners (Fr. Ray Orlett and confreres)1942–1956
Glenmary acquired the parish in 1942 and returned it to diocesan care in 1956.
- Fr. David E. Youngcirca 1997–2017+
Columbus diocesan priest who served the Scioto County cluster (including Otway) for at least 20 years, as reported in 2017.