About Our Lady of Peace Parish- St. Joseph Church · Ashtabula, Ohio
Our Lady of Peace Parish is a merged Roman Catholic community in Ashtabula, Ohio, formed in 2011 from three historic congregations: St. Joseph Church (est. 1856 as a mission, 1890 as a parish), Mother of Sorrows (1890) and Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1902). It belongs to the Diocese of Youngstown and today worships primarily at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 1200 E. 21st Street, while ministering to a diverse community along the Lake Erie shore. The parish celebrates Mass in English and Spanish, hosts a weekly Spanish Mass, and runs ministries ranging from RCIA-style faith formation and youth ministry to a Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food Pantry and a St. Vincent de Paul conference. As of November 30, 2025, the historic St. Joseph and Mother of Sorrows worship sites were formally closed, but the parish itself — and its cemetery, school partnerships and outreach — continues. Its mission statement reads: 'Our Lady of Peace Parish is a community of deeply committed Catholics, living the Gospel by worshiping regularly, praying often, and serving others.'
- Established
- 2011 (parish merger); St. Joseph mission 1856, parish 1890
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title 'Our Lady of Peace'
- Rector
- Rev. Connor Hetzel
- Diocese
- Diocese of Youngstown
Why belong here
Our Lady of Peace is a welcoming, ethnically diverse Catholic community along the Lake Erie shore that takes stewardship of time, talent and treasure seriously. Parishioners can worship in English or Spanish (a weekly Spanish Mass is celebrated on Sundays at 11:00 a.m.), gather for adult faith formation with Deacon Nick, bring children in grades 1–8 to Faith Formation classes, and serve neighbors in need through the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food Pantry and the local St. Vincent de Paul Conference. Young adults have their own Theology on Tap gatherings, and families find rhythms of prayer through weekly adoration, the ecumenical Seder Meal, Lenten fish fries and ongoing devotions shared with the other North Shore Parishes.
Mass times at Our Lady of Peace Parish- St. Joseph Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:00 a.m.
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:30 a.m.
- Tuesday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (Chapel)
Our Lady of Peace Parish — Overview
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 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. As part of the Diocese of Youngstown and the Ashtabula Deanery, the parish is one of the 'North Shore Parishes' clustered along Lake Erie (Conneaut, Kingsville, Ashtabula, Geneva) and shares devotions, novenas, outreach and educational opportunities with them.
- Parish Code: 202
- Deanery: Ashtabula
- County: Ashtabula
- Parish Founded: 2011
- Diocese: Youngstown
History of the Merged Parish
Our Lady of Peace Parish was formed in 2011 by the merger of St. Joseph, Mother of Sorrows and Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishes. The three congregations first began collaborating in 1989 by merging their schools into the Ashtabula Catholic Elementary School; collaboration deepened throughout the 1990s as the pastors shared ministries and bolstered the Catholic community of Ashtabula together. The new name 'Our Lady of Peace' was chosen to honor the Blessed Mother and her role as an intercessor for the cause of bringing peace to the world.
- St. Joseph — mission 1856; parish 1890; church dedicated November 11, 1906
- Mother of Sorrows — parish 1890; church dedicated September 16, 1900
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel — land purchased December 16, 1897; first Mass Pentecost 1903; present church opened July 14, 1974
- Schools merged in 1989 → 1997 became St. John School (Pre-K-12)
Worship Sites
From 2011 until late 2025 the merged parish operated across three historic worship sites along the Ashtabula harbor and town. As of November 30, 2025, both St. Joseph Church (3312 Lake Ave.) and Mother of Sorrows Church (1500 W. 6th St.) have been formally closed as worship sites by decree of the Diocese of Youngstown. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church at 1200 E. 21st Street remains the parish's primary and active worship site.
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church — 1200 E. 21st St., Ashtabula, OH 44004 (primary worship site, parish office)
- St. Joseph Church — 3312 Lake Ave., Ashtabula, OH 44004 (closing Mass June 18, 2025; closed Nov. 30, 2025)
- Mother of Sorrows Church — 1500 W. 6th St., Ashtabula, OH 44004 (closed Nov. 30, 2025; on the National Register of Historic Places)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation for children in grades 1 through 8 follows a hybrid model of at-home and in-person classes, held on scheduled Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. in the Our Lady of Peace Parish Community Center. Adult Faith Formation is offered periodically with Deacon Nicholas Iarocci. The parish also runs youth ministry, lay ministry training and seasonal catechetical programs such as 'No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ's Passion.'
- Faith Formation (Grades 1–8) — Thursdays at 6:00 p.m., Our Lady of Peace Community Center
- Adult Faith Formation with Deacon Nick
- Youth Ministry
- Lay Ministry Training
- 'No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ's Passion'
- Religious Education Volunteer opportunities
Youth & Young Adults
Young adults ages 18–39 are invited to Theology on Tap, an informal evening of dinner, drinks and a speaker on a theological topic. The gatherings rotate among North Shore venues.
- Theology on Tap — monthly gatherings for young adults 18–39
- Meets at Darkroom Brewery, 32 N. Broadway St., Geneva, OH 44041
- $5.00 entrance fee covers food
Outreach & Charity
Our Lady of Peace runs two principal outreach efforts for Ashtabula County residents: the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food Pantry and the St. Vincent de Paul Conference. The St. Vincent de Paul Conference, part of the SVdP Northeast Ohio District, serves neighbors struggling with food costs, rent, utilities and other urgent needs.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — Tuesdays & Fridays, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Our Lady of Peace Community Center, 1200 E. 21st St.
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (440) 992-0330
- Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food Pantry
- Lenten Fish Fries (annual fundraiser)
- Greeting Card Ministry
- Communion Visitation to the Homebound
Parish Festival & Fundraisers
The parish's signature community event is the annual Our Lady of Peace Parish Summer Festival, formerly known as the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Festival/Bazar. It has been moved to the second weekend in June to accommodate the return of portable amusement rides, and features rides, games, food, live music and Sunday-night fireworks.
- Our Lady of Peace Parish Summer Festival — June 11, 12, 13, 14 (with fireworks Sunday night at 10 p.m.)
Cemetery
The parish maintains St. Joseph Cemetery in Ashtabula. Cemetery inquiries are handled by the parish office.
- St. Joseph Cemetery — 2000 West 19th Street, Ashtabula, OH
- Cemetery Director: Pete Tulino
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is served by a pastor and parochial vicar, a permanent deacon, a diocesan pastoral associate and a full office staff. The pastor emeritus continues in a supporting role.
- Pastor: Rev. Connor Hetzel
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Francis Muriithi
- Pastor Emeritus: Rev. Raymond Thomas
- Permanent Deacon: Nicholas Iarocci ([email protected])
- Diocesan Pastoral Associate: Nicholas Perkoski
- Coordinator of Faith Formation / Hispanic Ministry: Nangerie Cedeño
- Business Manager: Michael Bartone
- Bookkeeper: Cyndi Notter (Interim)
- Secretary: Marilou McClimans
- Bulletin: Gina Candela
- Cemetery Director: Pete Tulino
Contact & Office Information
Parish office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. The office is closed on Wednesdays. The mailing address and primary worship address are the same.
- Phone: (440) 992-0330
- Fax: (440) 993-3579
- Parish Office Hours: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. (CLOSED Wed.)
- Address: 1200 E. 21st Street, Ashtabula, OH 44004
Parish Charism
According to the Diocese of Youngstown parish profile, the charism of Our Lady of Peace is its welcoming and servant spirit. The community is described as a melting pot of ethnic families who often share their gifts through food and fellowship.
- Charism: welcoming and servant spirit
- Charism: ethnic families sharing gifts through food and fellowship
- Dedication: The Blessed Mother, Mary
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Raymond Thomas
Pastor Emeritus — served as pastor prior to the current pastorate of Fr. Connor Hetzel