About Our Lady of Mercy · Carrollton, Ohio
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church is a small but active Catholic parish in Carrollton, Ohio, in the rural Carroll County hills of east-central Ohio. It is pastored together with St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in nearby Waynesburg as a two-parish cluster in the Diocese of Steubenville. The current church building, dedicated in September 2017, replaced an older church at Routes 39 and 43 that had been in use since the parish was first organized. With about 375 registered families and a growing campus that includes a parish hall, offices, a library, conference room, community room, choir loft and bell tower, Our Lady of Mercy serves Catholics across Carroll County and surrounding communities with weekday and weekend Masses, daily Eucharistic Adoration, regular confession, a Parish School of Religion, youth ministry, and adult faith formation.
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mercy
- Rector
- Father Jonas Shell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Steubenville (deanery: Mother of Hope)
Why belong here
Our Lady of Mercy is a small, welcoming country parish where members really do know one another, and the pastor and staff actively reach out to newcomers and returning Catholics alike. Daily Mass is offered several days a week, and the parish pairs that liturgical life with ongoing Eucharistic Adoration from Thursday morning through Friday morning — an unusual grace for a parish of its size — plus frequent confession opportunities. A Parish School of Religion, a youth ministry, adult Bible study, a Going With Faith discussion group, a Philosophy Book Club, and a planned Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium give families real, year-round ways to grow in faith together.
Mass times at Our Lady of Mercy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 7:45 pm – 9:00 pm (Our Lady of Mercy)
- Thursday 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm (Our Lady of Mercy)
- Friday 7:00 am – 7:45 am (Our Lady of Mercy)
- Saturday 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm (Our Lady of Mercy)
- Sunday before Mass at St. Mary's by request or by appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:00 am through Friday 8:00 am (continuous Eucharistic Adoration at Our Lady of Mercy)
About Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church
Our Lady of Mercy is a Catholic parish in Carrollton, Ohio, in the rolling farmland of Carroll County, and is twinned with St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in nearby Waynesburg. Both parishes belong to the Diocese of Steubenville and share one pastor, currently Father Jonas Shell. The parish's own welcome message reads: 'Welcome to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Carrollton, Ohio and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Waynesburg, Ohio in the Diocese of Steubenville. We hope you will find us to be very welcoming parishes.'
History of the Parish
Parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy had been saving for a new church since 1960. A capital campaign eventually raised about $1.5 million of the $2.2 million price tag, and Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton of the Diocese of Steubenville broke ground on May 18, 2013, on a site along State Route 39 near the existing church. Construction began in July 2016, and on September 24, 2017, Bishop Monforton dedicated the new 8,500-square-foot church — the first new church built in the Diocese of Steubenville in the 21st century. Father Anthony Batt, who had been pastor for seven years, officiated the dedication, which was hosted by the Carroll County Knights of Columbus. The new church replaced the old building at Routes 39 and 43, which seated about 165 and had no restrooms and no accessibility.
Our Lady of Mercy: The Patron Title
The parish's name comes from a 1218 apparition asking for the ransom (mercede) of Christians held prisoner by Arabs in Southern Spain and Northern Africa. The title was promoted by the Mercedarian religious order; a feast in Our Lady of Mercy's honor was proclaimed in 1615 and was kept on the universal Roman calendar on September 24 until 1961. The feast is no longer part of the universal liturgical calendar, but Our Lady of Mercy still celebrates it locally every year. Over time the idea of ransom broadened to mean mercy in the general sense of grace.
Architecture and the New Church
The 2017 church is a single-story, 8,500-square-foot building that seats about 300 — nearly double the old church's capacity of 165 — and sits on one of the highest points in Carroll County, so its lighted bell tower can be seen for miles at night. The floor plan includes two offices, a library, conference room, community room, a choir loft with an elevator, and men's, women's and family restrooms.
- Spire and cross symbolizing the Trinity
- Lighted bell tower visible for miles at night
- Window in the bell tower shedding natural light on the Eucharist
- Programmable carillon bells
- Crucifix above the altar from the original Our Lady of Mercy Church
- Wooden pulpit salvaged from St. Mary's of Morges near Waynesburg
Parish Staff
The parish is led by a small staff of lay and clerical ministers who keep both OLM and St. Mary's running week to week.
- Father Jonas Shell — Pastor (330-627-4664)
- Rachelle Martin — Secretary (330-627-4664)
- Chrissy Breedlove — Director of Religious Education (330-312-8577, [email protected])
- Erika Shockey — Youth Minister (330-312-6074)
- Music Minister (330-324-7635)
- Maintenance and Library staff
Parish School of Religion (PSR)
The Parish School of Religion serves children from Preschool through High School, meeting most Sunday mornings from 10:00 am to 11:00 am throughout the school year (September–May) in the Our Lady of Mercy Parish Hall. The PSR office and classrooms are in the basement. The parish describes the program with Jesus' words from Luke 19:14: 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'
- Sunday morning classes 10:00–11:00 am
- Classrooms in the parish hall basement
- Contact: Chrissy Breedlove, 330-312-8577, [email protected]
Youth Ministry
Erika Shockey coordinates the parish's youth ministry, which serves both grade-school and high-school youth. Programs mentioned on the parish site include DTS (Dead Theologians Society), an approach that introduces young people to the lives and teachings of great saints and theologians.
- Youth Minister: Erika Shockey (330-312-6074)
- Dead Theologians Society program
Adult Education and Faith Formation
Citing the Second Vatican Council's Dei Verbum paragraph 9 — that both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition are to be accepted and venerated with the same loyalty — the parish offers several year-round adult formation options.
- Adult Bible Study: Thursday evenings 7:00–8:30 pm in the OLM Conference Room, working through Scripture with discussion and ending in Lectio Divina
- Going With Faith Group: meets most Sundays after the 8:30 am Mass in the OLM Conference Room; reviews the bulletin and homily, prays for those in need, and is currently studying Saint Augustine alongside the teachings of Pope Leo
- Philosophy Book Club: currently on hiatus
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Book Study: preparing parishioners for a CGS atrium launching Fall 2026, using 'The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey' by Sofia Cavalletti et al., Sundays 10:00–11:00 am in the OLM Hall
Music Ministry and Library
The parish supports a Music Ministry (staff contact 330-324-7635) that leads congregational singing from the church's choir loft, which is reachable by elevator. The parish also maintains a library as part of its campus facilities, supporting parishioner reading and study.
Hall Rental and Parish Facilities
Our Lady of Mercy rents out its parish hall for community events; details and reservations are handled through the parish office at 330-627-4664. The hall is also the home base for PSR classes on Sunday mornings.
Getting Involved and Contact
Office hours are Monday through Thursday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (closed Friday). The parish can be reached by phone at 330-627-4664 or by email at [email protected]. Father Jonas Shell's homilies are posted on SoundCloud under the username 'FoJo.' The mailing address is P.O. Box 155, Carrollton, OH 44615.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Anthony Battpastor for seven years prior to 2017 dedication
Pastored both Our Lady of Mercy and St. Mary's at the time the new church was dedicated on Sept. 24, 2017; noted for his love of traditional furnishings.
- Father Jonas Shellcurrent pastor
Current pastor listed on parish website; also pastors St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Waynesburg; homilies posted under 'FoJo' on SoundCloud.