About Our Lady of Peace Parish - Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church · Ashtabula, Ohio
Our Lady of Peace Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Ashtabula, Ohio, formed in 2011 through the merger of three historic parishes: St. Joseph, Mother of Sorrows, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown (Ashtabula Deanery, Parish Code 202) and worships primarily at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church at 1200 E. 21st Street. The parish describes itself as a community of deeply committed Catholics who worship regularly, pray often, and serve others, welcoming ethnic families with a melting-pot charism of food and fellowship. It offers Mass in English and Spanish, a weekly Eucharurgical Adoration, Saturday confessions, a robust Faith Formation program, the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food Pantry, a St. Vincent de Paul conference, and an annual summer festival that grew out of the historic Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
- Established
- 2011
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (parish name honors Mary as 'Our Lady of Peace'); worship-site patroness is Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Rector
- Rev. Connor Hetzel
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Youngstown (Ashtabula Deanery, Parish Code 202)
Why belong here
Our Lady of Peace Parish is a welcoming, family-oriented community of ethnic and multicultural families who share their gifts through food, fellowship, and service. Worshippers can attend Mass in English or Spanish, spend time in weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays, and find a home in ministries ranging from Faith Formation for grades 1–8 and youth ministry, to adult formation with Deacon Nick, to outreach through the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food Pantry and St. Vincent de Paul conference. The parish is also deeply rooted in the broader Lake Erie 'North Shore Parishes' family, sharing devotions, novenas, and educational and worship opportunities with neighboring Catholic communities in Conneaut, Kingsville, and Geneva.
Mass times at Our Lady of Peace Parish - Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:00 AM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:30 AM (Eucharistic Adoration)
- Tuesday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM in the Chapel
Parish Identity & Mission
Our Lady of Peace Parish is a community of deeply committed Catholics, living the Gospel by worshiping regularly, praying often, and serving others. The parish assists its diverse community in their spiritual, sacramental, and faith formation needs, seeking to live the ecclesial ideals of stewardship and giving of all that they have to God, others, and the needy. Its charism, by its own description, is a welcoming and servant spirit shared through food and fellowship among its many ethnic families.
History of the Three Founding Communities
Our Lady of Peace Parish was formally created in 2011 from three historic Ashtabula parishes, each with deep 19th-century roots. Their stories come together to form the present-day community.
St. Joseph Parish
Catholic families in Ashtabula were tended by a visiting priest from Painesville beginning around 1856, growing the congregation into a mission. In 1860 the mission purchased a two-acre tract for a church, rectory, and parish school. The congregation was officially established as a parish in 1890, and Bishop Ignatius Horstmann of the Diocese of Cleveland dedicated the new St. Joseph Church on November 11, 1906.
Mother of Sorrows Parish
Located near Ashtabula Harbor, Mother of Sorrows became a parish in 1890 and grew so quickly that a new church was dedicated on September 16, 1900. Since 1949 the parish's pastor has gone down to the harbor each year to bless the boats during the parish festival — a tradition that, although the boats are now mostly recreational, still marks the parish's identity as a beacon for immigrants who came to Lake Erie looking for work.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish
The youngest of the three communities, Our Lady of Mount Carmel was formed to serve the Italian immigrants who had been worshipping at Mother of Sorrows. They purchased land at the request of Bishop Horstmann on December 16, 1897; Mass was held at the Slovenian Hall until the community celebrated its first Mass on Pentecost Sunday in 1903. The current church structure was opened on July 14, 1974 and remains the primary worship site of the merged parish.
The 2011 Merger
The three parishes first began collaborating in 1989 by merging their schools to create the Ashtabula Catholic Elementary School. Throughout the 1990s the relationship between the churches deepened, and in 2011 they formally merged under the new name Our Lady of Peace Parish — chosen to honor the Blessed Mother's role as intercessor for the cause of bringing peace to the world.
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is served by a pastor, parochial vicar, permanent deacon, diocesan pastoral associate, and a lay staff responsible for faith formation, music, business, the parish office, the bulletin, and the cemetery.
- Rev. Connor Hetzel — Pastor
- Rev. Francis Muriithi — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Raymond Thomas — Pastor Emeritus
- Deacon Nicholas Iarocci — Permanent Deacon
- Nicholas Perkoski — Diocesan Pastoral Associate
- Nangerie Cedeño — Coordinator of Faith Formation / Hispanic Ministry
- Michael Bartone — Business Manager
- Gina Candela — Bookkeeper
- Cyndi Notter — Secretary
- Marilou McClimans — Bulletin
- Kym Foglio — Music Director
- Pete Tulino — Cemetery Director
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish offers Faith Formation for students in grades 1 through 8, combining at-home and in-person instruction. Classes are held at the Our Lady of Peace Parish Community Center at 6:00 PM on scheduled Thursdays. A separate adult faith formation series is led by Deacon Nick on occasional Monday evenings from 6:00–8:00 PM at the Community Center. Youth ministry, lay ministry training, and ongoing studies such as 'No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ's Passion' round out the parish's formation offerings.
- Faith Formation — grades 1–8, Thursdays at 6:00 PM at the Community Center
- Adult Faith Formation with Deacon Nick
- Youth Ministry
- Lay Ministry Training
- Bible studies (e.g., 'No Greater Love')
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at Our Lady of Peace is coordinated by Music Director Kym Foglio. The parish choir supports the Sunday and weekday liturgies, and the parish participates in shared devotions and novenas with neighboring North Shore Parishes.
- Music Director: Kym Foglio
- Parish Choir
- Shared devotions and novenas with the North Shore Parishes
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is a central expression of parish life. The Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food Pantry and the parish's St. Vincent de Paul Conference (meeting Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the Our Lady of Peace Community Center) serve those in need in the wider Ashtabula community. The parish also reaches out through communion visits to the homebound, weekly Masses at local nursing home facilities, Lenten fish fries, grief support, and an ecumenical Seder Meal.
- Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food Pantry
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — Tuesdays & Fridays 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the Community Center
- Communion visitation to the homebound
- Weekly Masses at local nursing homes
- Lenten Fish Fries
- Grief Support
- Ecumenical Seder Meal
- Greeting Card Ministry
Young Adults — Theology on Tap
Our Lady of Peace hosts a monthly Theology on Tap gathering for young adults ages 18–39, providing an informal setting to explore faith alongside other members of the Church. It typically meets at Darkroom Brewery, 32 N. Broadway St., Geneva, OH 44041, with a $5 entrance fee that helps cover food. The format includes optional dinner and drinks followed by a speaker on a theological topic.
- Theology on Tap — monthly for young adults (18–39)
- Location: Darkroom Brewery, 32 N. Broadway St., Geneva, OH 44041
- Format: 6:00 PM dinner and social; 6:30 PM speaker
Hispanic Ministry
A Spanish-language Mass is celebrated every Sunday at 11:00 AM, and the parish supports Hispanic Ministry under Coordinator of Faith Formation Nangerie Cedeño, who also oversees Hispanic outreach alongside the Faith Formation program.
- Sunday 11:00 AM Mass in Spanish (en español)
- Hispanic Ministry under Nangerie Cedeño
Parish Festival
Each year around the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the parish hosts a community festival that grew out of the historic Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Festival / Bazar. The festival has been moved to the second weekend in June to accommodate the return of portable amusement rides and features traditional food, fellowship, and rides.
- Our Lady of Peace Parish Summer Festival — June (second weekend)
- Formerly the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Festival / Bazar
- Features food, fellowship, and portable amusement rides
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments. Reconciliation is offered Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM. Baptisms, marriages, First Communion and Confirmation (through the Faith Formation program), and Anointing of the Sick are arranged by contacting the parish office.
- Reconciliation — Saturday 9:00 AM
- Baptism — by arrangement through the parish office
- Marriage — by arrangement through the parish office
- First Communion and Confirmation — through Faith Formation
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
Cemetery
The parish maintains St. Joseph Cemetery, located at 2000 West 19th Street, Ashtabula, OH, as part of its ministry of care for the deceased and their families.
- St. Joseph Cemetery — 2000 West 19th Street, Ashtabula, OH
- Cemetery Director: Pete Tulino
Contact & Visiting
The parish office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and is closed on Wednesdays. The mailing address, church address, and phone number are listed below; the parish website and weekly bulletin are the best resources for the most current announcements and cancellations.
- Address: 1200 East 21st Street, Ashtabula, OH 44004
- Phone: (440) 992-0330
- Fax: (440) 997-5667
- Office Hours: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM; closed Wednesday
- Website: https://www.olopash.org
St. John School
Our Lady of Peace Parish is a partner parish of St. John School in Ashtabula, a regional Pre-K through 12 Catholic school serving parishes across Ashtabula, Lake, and Geauga counties. St. John was formed in 1997 from the merger of the parishes' schools — St. Joseph Elementary (1865), Mother of Sorrows School (1890), Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School (1954), and St. John High School (1953).
- St. John School — Pre-K through 12
- 7911 Depot Road, Ashtabula, OH 44004; 440-997-5531
- Formed 1997 from the merger of parish schools
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Raymond Thomas
Pastor Emeritus of Our Lady of Peace Parish