About Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception · Dayton, Ohio
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic parish in the Belmont neighborhood of Dayton, Ohio, founded in 1938 by the Marianist (Society of Mary, S.M.) Fathers at the request of Archbishop John T. McNicholas. The parish serves roughly 1,000 families from a campus on South Smithville Road that includes a school (opened in 1940, expanded in 1949) and the present church built in 1966. It is part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and is currently one of five parishes in the NE7 / Bread of Life Family of Parishes, sharing a pastor and ministry teams across Dayton's east side, with weekly Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish, Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, and a mission centered on forming disciples who 'Think like Jesus, Talk like Jesus and Act like Jesus®'.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of her Immaculate Conception)
- Rector
- Fr. Satish A. Joseph
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a mid-sized, family-friendly parish with about 1,000 households and a long Marianist heritage, offering everything a typical Dayton Catholic might want under one roof: a daily 9:00 AM weekday Mass, a Saturday Vigil, three Sunday Masses (including a 9:00 AM Mass in Spanish and an 11:00 AM Mass that is livestreamed), Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation every Thursday evening from 6–7 PM, a parish school (PreK–8), and active Faith Formation, Music Ministry, Hispanic Ministry and Bread of Life outreach across the Dayton east side. Its bilingual life and connection to a five-parish Family of Parishes make it a natural home both for long-time Dayton Catholics and for newcomers or Spanish-speaking families looking for a worshiping community on Dayton's east side.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursdays, 6:00–7:00 PM (bilingual, with Adoration and Anointing of the Sick)
- By appointment with Fr. Satish Joseph, Fr. Patrick Combs, or Fr. Jose Benitez
Adoration times
- Thursdays, 6:00–7:00 PM in the Church (use the North doors); accompanied by Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick
Parish History & Founding
Immaculate Conception began on May 10, 1938, when Archbishop John T. McNicholas asked the Marianist Order (Society of Mary, S.M.) to start a new parish on Dayton's east side. Fr. John Rauscher, S.M. was appointed as its first pastor. Within months the new community had purchased a former bowling alley at Smithville and Watervliet Roads for early worship, and by 1940 the first story of what would become Immaculate Conception School was completed. The Golden Anniversary booklet 'Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church: Golden Anniversary, 1938-1988' is preserved in the University of Dayton's U.S. Catholic Parish Histories Collection and remains a primary source on the parish's first half-century.
The 1966 Church Building
Fr. James Sherman, S.M., who served as pastor from 1956 to 1976, led the design, fundraising, and construction of the present Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It was dedicated on October 2, 1966, at a total cost (furnishings and landscaping included) of approximately $1,300,000. Fr. Sherman himself wrote the dedication booklet, 'This Is the House of the Lord,' explaining the theology and history of the new building.
Clergy, Staff & Parish Council
Immaculate Conception is currently led by Pastor Fr. Satish A. Joseph, who also serves as pastor of the NE7 / Bread of Life Family of Parishes and Moderator of Hispanic Ministry for the Dayton area. He is assisted by Parochial Vicars Fr. R. Patrick Combs and Fr. Jose Benitez, Deacons Carlos Soto and Michael Montgomery, a Parish Manager (Deb Bauer), a Faith Formation Director (Rachael Griggs), Music Director Madeleine Demetriades, Coordinator of Communications Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI, the Hispanic Ministry team (Heidi Acuña, Mary Alice Ordonez, Sonia Trejo), and Liturgy & Family Evangelization coordinator Will Marsh.
- Pastor: Fr. Satish A. Joseph (ext. 206)
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. R. Patrick Combs
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Jose Benitez
- Deacon: Dcn. Carlos Soto
- Deacon: Dcn. Michael Montgomery
- Parish Manager: Deb Bauer (ext. 204)
- Faith Formation: Rachael Griggs (ext. 209)
- Music Ministry: Madeleine Demetriades (ext. 210)
- Hispanic Ministry: Heidi Acuña (ext. 205), Mary Alice Ordonez (ext. 219), Sonia Trejo (ext. 205)
- Liturgy & Family Evangelization: Will Marsh (ext. 208)
- Communications: Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI (ext. 207)
- Administrative Assistant: Martha Lombard (ext. 202)
- Parish Council Chair: Jim Boian
Faith Formation & School
Immaculate Conception School, founded in 1940 with the first story of the school building and expanded with a second floor in 1949, continues to serve students in PreK–8 under a 'Workshop Way' curriculum that emphasizes learning to learn, learning to think, and learning to manage one's own life. Faith Formation for parish children and families is coordinated by Rachael Griggs (ext. 209), and RCIA / Becoming Catholic inquiries are directed to Will Marsh (ext. 208).
- Immaculate Conception School (PreK–8), founded 1940; second floor added 1949.
- School Office: 937-253-8831
- Faith Formation Office: ext. 209
- RCIA / Becoming Catholic: Will Marsh, ext. 208
Music Ministry
Music at Immaculate Conception is led by Music Director Madeleine Demetriades (ext. 210) and is offered in two complementary styles. The Traditional Choir supports the Saturday 4:30 PM Vigil Mass and the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass (which is also the parish's livestreamed Mass), while the Rock 'n Soul Band leads the 5:00 PM Sunday Mass in a contemporary idiom.
- Traditional Choir – Saturday 4:30 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM
- Rock 'n Soul Band – Sunday 5:00 PM
Hispanic Ministry & Bilingual Life
Hispanic Ministry is staffed by Heidi Acuña, Mary Alice Ordonez, and Sonia Trejo, and the parish offers a Sunday 9:00 AM Mass in Spanish along with bilingual Reconciliation on Thursday evenings. Fr. Satish Joseph, pastor, also serves as the Moderator of Hispanic Ministry for the broader Dayton area under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, helping to coordinate Hispanic pastoral ministry across several parishes.
- Sunday Mass in Spanish: 9:00 AM
- Thursday Reconciliation: 6:00–7:00 PM (bilingual)
- Hispanic Ministry staff: Heidi Acuña (ext. 205), Mary Alice Ordonez (ext. 219), Sonia Trejo (ext. 205)
Bread of Life Family of Parishes (NE7)
Immaculate Conception is one of five Dayton parishes that share a single pastoral team in what the Archdiocese of Cincinnati calls the NE7 — or 'Bread of Life' — Family of Parishes. Under Pastor Fr. Satish Joseph, the priests, deacons and staff of the family serve St. Anthony of Padua, St. Helen, Holy Angels, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, and St. Mary, allowing coordinated sacramental, youth, communications and Hispanic ministry across Dayton's east side.
- St. Anthony of Padua Parish
- St. Helen Parish
- Holy Angels Parish
- Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish
- St. Mary Parish
- Shared Pastor: Fr. Satish A. Joseph
Outreach & Communications
Parish outreach is coordinated in part through 'Bread of Life / Pan de Vida,' a cross-parish initiative that serves youth and families across the NE7 Family of Parishes. Day-to-day communications — bulletins, parish news, and the YouTube livestream of the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass — are handled by Coordinator of Communications Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI, and the Music and Liturgy teams.
- Bread of Life / Pan de Vida (cross-parish youth & family outreach)
- Coordinator of Communications: Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI
- YouTube livestream: youtube.com/user/imedayton
Visiting, Hours & Contact
The parish office is open Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM–4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM–12:00 PM, with reduced summer hours (June and July) of 8:00 AM–12:00 PM Monday through Friday. Sacramental emergencies outside of office hours can be directed to 937-272-4898. The parish is located at 2300 S. Smithville Rd., Dayton, OH 45420; the school office can be reached at 937-253-8831.
- Parish Office: 937-252-9919
- Emergency After-Hours Line: 937-272-4898
- School Office: 937-253-8831
- Address: 2300 S. Smithville Rd., Dayton, OH 45420
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Rauscher, S.M.1938–
First pastor; appointed by Archbishop John T. McNicholas on May 10, 1938 to begin the parish under Marianist (S.M.) leadership. Acquired the former bowling alley at Smithville & Watervliet and oversaw construction of the school's first story (completed 1940).
- Fr. James Sherman, S.M.1956–1976
Long-serving Marianist pastor who led the design, fundraising and construction of the present church (dedicated October 2, 1966; total cost ~$1,300,000) and authored the dedication booklet 'This Is the House of the Lord.' He also oversaw the addition of the school's second floor in 1949.
- Fr. Satish A. Joseph2015–present
Current pastor; also Pastor of the NE7 / Bread of Life Family of Parishes (Immaculate Conception, St. Anthony, St. Helen, Holy Angels, St. Mary) and Moderator of Hispanic Ministry for the Dayton area.