About Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center · Norwood, Ohio
Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center (OLHSC) is a Catholic retreat and pilgrimage center in Norwood, Ohio, just outside Cincinnati. Housed in the 1923 Italian Renaissance former major seminary of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (Mt. St. Mary's of the West), it offers daily Mass, perpetual Eucharistic adoration, individual and group retreats, a relic collection, gardens, and seasonal Holy Land exhibits. Since its re-dedication in 1993, OLHSC has served as a Marian and Eucharistic house of prayer for Catholics across the Greater Cincinnati region, hosting school groups, religious orders, and international pilgrims.
- Established
- 1993
- Patron
- Holy Spirit / Immaculate Heart of Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Michael Cordier (Board President)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
OLHSC is a working Catholic retreat center, not a typical parish—people come to deepen prayer through daily Mass, perpetual adoration, group retreats, and walking tours of its chapels, gardens, and relic collection. It is a place to slow down, sit with the Eucharist in the Sorrowful Mother Chapel, and encounter the saints through more than 1,000 relics on display. Groups of all kinds—Catholic high schools, religious orders, international pilgrims, and families—use it year-round for formation and renewal, and the seasonal Bethlehem/Jerusalem exhibits bring the Holy Land to Cincinnati during Advent and Lent.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM (15-minute slots, by online appointment only)
- Tuesday: 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM (15-minute slots, by online appointment only)
- Friday: 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM (15-minute slots, by online appointment only)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the Sorrowful Mother Chapel
- Open to the public 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM; after-hours adoration reserved for approved Eucharistic Guardians
Mission and Identity
OLHSC's stated mission is 'to help you grow in faith, hope and love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, through Mary, our Blessed Mother, in union with the Roman Catholic Church.' The Center presents itself as a Marian and Eucharistic house of prayer, rooted in the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary established at the 1993 re-dedication and in the Eucharistic conviction inherited from the 1911 National Eucharistic Congress held on the same grounds.
- Founded May 1, 1993, by Fr. Richard Wilhelm and Fr. Leroy Smith
- Re-blessed and dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
- Named with the help of volunteer George Schulhoff, founder of the Apostles of the Holy Spirit
- Governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Fr. Michael Cordier
History of the Grounds
The 14-acre site was gifted to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and developed after the 1911 National Eucharistic Congress. A mansion built that year served as the archbishop's residence, and the Italian Renaissance seminary building was completed October 23, 1923. The seminary moved out in 1981; the property was rescued from potential demolition in 1992 by Fr. Wilhelm and reborn as a Catholic retreat center.
- 1911: Archbishop Moeller hosts closing ceremonies of the 5th National Eucharistic Congress on the grounds
- 1911: Archbishop's residence built
- 1923: Mt. St. Mary's Seminary of the West opens in the Italian Renaissance main building
- 1981: Seminary relocated to St. Gregory site in Mt. Washington
- 1992: Fr. Richard Wilhelm purchases the vacant complex for $100,000
- 1993: Re-blessed and renamed Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center
- 1994: Western wing collapses; $2 million capital campaign follows
- c. 2000: Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration begins; Sacred Heart Radio AM 740 moves onto campus
- 2017: Children of Mary establish motherhouse in the north wing
Healing Services and Special Devotions
OLHSC maintains a regular healing ministry alongside its daily Mass schedule. Healing Services begin immediately after the 6:15 PM daily Mass. A monthly St. Raphael's Healing Mass is celebrated on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:15 PM, and a community Rosary is prayed on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 5:45 PM. First Friday Mass is offered with the Sacred Heart devotion, and First Saturday features the Fatima devotion with Rosary and Mass.
- Healing Service after 6:15 PM daily Mass
- St. Raphael's Healing Mass: 2nd Tuesday, 6:15 PM
- Community Rosary: 4th Wednesday, 5:45 PM
- First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- First Saturday Fatima Devotion
Group Retreats and Facilities
OLHSC welcomes Catholic school groups, parishes, religious orders, and international pilgrims for both private and sponsored retreats. The building contains 100 dorm-style overnight rooms on two floors with shared private showers and restrooms, plus six air-conditioned en-suite rooms (two ADA-compliant) with queen and king beds. Retreatants may attend daily Mass and adore in the Sorrowful Mother Chapel at any hour. The Center provides meeting and break-out rooms of various sizes, a classic gymnasium with basketball court, and flexible dining: groups self-cater or hire their own caterers, since OLHSC does not run an in-house kitchen.
- 100 dorm-style overnight rooms
- 6 air-conditioned en-suite rooms (2 ADA-compliant)
- Conference and break-out rooms
- Gymnasium with basketball court
- Self-catered or catered meals (no in-house food service)
- [email protected] / 513-351-9800 to book
Chapels, Gardens, and Devotional Spaces
The Center's principal worship space is the Holy Rosary Chapel, whose stained-glass windows depict the fifteen original mysteries of the Rosary and whose sanctuary features five Doctors of the Church above the high altar relocated from Holy Cross Monastery in Mount Adams. The Sorrowful Mother Chapel is the home of perpetual adoration. Two outdoor courtyards invite prayer: the Garden of Joy and Happiness on the main level includes stones and bricks arranged for praying the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit; the lower Holy Family Garden contains a statue of Our Lady of Fatima, a Cross Memorial to those who have died too young, and a Children's Garden area with artwork. Visitors can also follow a printed 'Devotional Spaces Prayer Walk' brochure through the halls.
- Holy Rosary Chapel (main Mass chapel)
- Sorrowful Mother Chapel (perpetual adoration)
- Garden of Joy and Happiness
- Holy Family Garden with Our Lady of Fatima
- Cross Memorial and Children's Garden
- Devotional Spaces Prayer Walk
Relics and the Reliquary
OLHSC maintains a permanent reliquary of more than 1,000 relics, accessible by appointment through the office. Staff open the reliquary for visitors who stop at the front desk; a printed list of the relics is available on the Center's website. The collection is presented as a way to grow in the 'communion of saints' — the belief that the bonds of love between people are not broken by death.
- Reliquary visits by appointment (call 513-351-9800)
- Printed relic list available
- Framed as teaching on the communion of saints
Bethlehem and Jerusalem Exhibits
Since 2022, OLHSC has staged immersive Holy Land exhibits that grew out of a long-standing tradition of marking Advent with a 16-foot Star of Bethlehem atop the 90-foot bell tower. During Advent, 'The Joyful Mysteries and Walk through Bethlehem' fills a hallway on the main floor; during Lent, 'The Sorrowful Mysteries and Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem' transforms the building's former basement bowling alley into a walkable marketplace punctuated by Stations of the Cross and paintings by Cincinnati artist Holly Schapker. The exhibits are free, with donations encouraged, and can be scheduled by calling the office.
- 'Walk through Bethlehem' (Advent, Joyful Mysteries)
- 'Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem' (Lent through October, Sorrowful Mysteries)
- Paintings by Cincinnati artist Holly Schapker
- Originated by volunteers Andrea Pferdmenges, Christy Rieder, and Scott Froendhoff
History: The Our Lady of Light Visions
Beginning in 1992, an anonymous person allegedly began experiencing visions of the Virgin Mary at St. Joseph Church in Cold Spring, Kentucky, where Fr. Leroy Smith was pastor. After Smith's retirement and move to OLHSC, the visions continued at St. Joseph through 1994 and the ministry relocated to the Holy Spirit Center that year as Our Lady of Light Ministries. In 1995, the visionary reportedly said the visions would move to OLHSC, and the Center hosted thousands of pilgrims each August 31. Reports of the visions ceased in the early 2000s; some observers have theorized that the visible images were reflections of camera flashes.
- 1992: Visions first reported at St. Joseph, Cold Spring, KY
- 1994: Our Lady of Light Ministries established at OLHSC
- 1995: Annual August 31 pilgrimages draw thousands
- Early 2000s: Reports of visions cease
Staff and Governance
OLHSC is led day-to-day by Managing Director Daniel Green (with Dawn Shook also listed as Managing Director on the public contact page) and supported by a small professional team handling development, retreats, the gift shop, business, and facilities. Ecclesiastical oversight and strategic direction are provided by a Board of Trustees composed of priests and deacons of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, along with lay trustees; the Board President is Fr. Michael Cordier. The Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 65-0176544) and has been tax-exempt since August 1990.
- Managing Director: Daniel Green
- Development Manager: Charles Marks
- Retreat Coordinator: Allison Fredette
- Gift Shop Manager: Cari Davis
- Business Manager: Bev Nussman
- Facility Manager: Joe Grote
- Board President: Fr. Michael Cordier
- Board Vice President: Deacon Nathan Biersdorfer
- Board Secretary: Deacon Henry Jacquez
- Board Treasurer: Deacon Mike Muse
Holy Spirit Catholic Shop and Visiting Information
A Catholic gift shop called the Holy Spirit Catholic Shop operates on campus Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM (513-880-0494). Visitors can combine shopping with a chapel visit, a walk through the gardens, time in adoration, and (by appointment) a tour of the reliquary.
- Holy Spirit Catholic Shop: Mon–Sat 10 AM – 2 PM
- Gift shop phone: 513-880-0494
- Office phone: 513-351-9800
- Public visiting hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM – 7 PM; Sat 8 AM – 2 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Richard Wilhelm1992–1993 (founder/purchaser)
1943 graduate of the seminary; archdiocese priest who bought the building for $100,000 and led its rescue from demolition; sold a signed Wright Brothers propeller to fund repairs.
- Fr. Leroy Smith1993– (first President)
Co-founder and first President of OLHSC; previously pastor of St. Joseph Church in Cold Spring, KY; deep Marian devotee.
- Fr. Michael Cordiercurrent
Listed as President of the Board of Trustees in IRS Form 990 filings (most recent: FY 2024).