About Sacred Heart Catholic Church · Rock Creek, Ohio
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a historic worship site in Rock Creek, Ohio (Ashtabula County), which since January 1, 2025 has been one of two campuses of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish in the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown. The parish also worships at St. Mary Church in Orwell, and the two communities have shared a pastor since 2013. The Rock Creek church sits on State Route 45 north of Orwell and continues a long Catholic tradition in eastern Ashtabula County that traces its roots to the devotion of Hungarian immigrants who, in 1953, donated ten acres of land so that a new parish could one day be built.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Very Rev. Kevin McCaffrey, V.F.
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Youngstown
Why belong here
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish is a warm, hospitable Catholic community rooted in the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and committed to serving and evangelizing in Ashtabula County. The parish welcomes families and individuals at two campuses — Sacred Heart in Rock Creek and St. Mary in Orwell — offering daily and weekend Mass, First Friday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Confession on Saturday mornings, and outreach through the Knights of Columbus (Orwell/Rock Creek), the Altar and Rosary Society, the Daughters of Mary, and the St. Vincent de Paul charity. With a small, faithful congregation and a pastor who calls himself a 'spiritual father,' it is a place where Catholics of every background can find reverent liturgy and genuine fellowship.
Mass times at Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (May–Oct., at Sacred Heart Church, Rock Creek); Nov.–Apr. confessions are heard at St. Mary Church, Orwell
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament following Holy Mass (Noon) until 11:00 PM
Parish Identity & History
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is the Rock Creek worship site of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish, a 2025 merger of Sacred Heart (Rock Creek) and St. Mary (Orwell) in the Diocese of Youngstown. The parish's charism — 'guided by the Holy Spirit, to grow in identity as disciples of Jesus Christ, deepen unity in the love of the Blessed Trinity, and continue to embrace our mission to serve and evangelize' — reflects a community that describes itself as 'very hospitable, loving and caring.' The new name honors St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the French Visitandine nun (1647–1690) who received visions of Christ beginning at age 13 and whose life's devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus shaped the spirituality of the Rock Creek founders.
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Rock Creek — established 1956 as a mission, parish status July 24, 1960
- St. Mary Catholic Church, Orwell — established 1922 as a parish
- Merged January 1, 2025 as Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish (Diocese of Youngstown, Parish Code 210, Ashtabula Deanery)
- Patron of merged parish: Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
Worship at the Sacred Heart Campus
The Sacred Heart Campus in Rock Creek offers the Saturday Vigil Mass in summer months, one Sunday Mass, weekday noon Masses on Wednesdays and Fridays, and a noon Mass on Holy Days. During the winter season (Nov. 1 – Apr. 30), the Vigil and most Sunday worship shifts to St. Mary Church in Orwell, allowing the merged parish to share one priest between two campuses while keeping weekly Mass accessible to both communities.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM (May 1 – Oct. 31)
- Sunday: 11:00 AM
- Holy Days: 12:00 PM (Noon)
- Weekday: Wednesday & Friday, 12:00 PM (Noon)
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Leadership
The merged parish is led by Very Rev. Kevin McCaffrey, V.F., a diocesan priest ordained May 25, 2002 by Bishop Thomas Tobin. Father McCaffrey grew up in Cuyahoga Falls in the Cleveland Diocese, worked in banking before his 1993 conversion, and has served parishes in Ravenna, Massillon, Andover, Kinsman, Canal Fulton, and since July 2023 Orwell and Rock Creek. He is assisted by a permanent deacon, a pastoral associate, an organist, and a parish secretary on the Rock Creek campus.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Kevin McCaffrey, V.F.
- Permanent Deacon: Mr. James Kovats
- Pastoral Associate: Deborah Scopatsa, D.Min.
- Organist (Sacred Heart Campus): Pat Hunter
- Secretary (Sacred Heart Campus): Anita Sitler
Meet the Pastor — Fr. Kevin McCaffrey
Fr. McCaffrey considers his priesthood 'an amazing gift from our loving God.' In his own words on the parish website, the joys of priesthood for him include offering Mass, being 'the instrument of God's mercy, forgiveness and healing in Confession,' teaching, baptizing, helping people work through crisis, and being a spiritual father. 'In every parish where he has served, he has met good and faithful Catholics — the backbone of our Diocese.'
- Ordained: May 25, 2002, Diocese of Youngstown
- Pastor at St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish since July 2023
- Prior assignments: Immaculate Conception (Ravenna); St. Mary (Massillon); Our Lady of Victory (Andover) & St. Patrick (Kinsman); SS. Philip & James (Canal Fulton)
Ministries & Outreach
The parish supports a range of spiritual and charitable organizations across both campuses. Fraternal, devotional, and service groups meet the spiritual and material needs of parishioners as well as neighbors in Orwell, Rock Creek, and the surrounding Ashtabula County area.
- Knights of Columbus – Orwell/Rock Creek Council
- Altar and Rosary Society (Rock Creek)
- Daughters of Mary (Orwell)
- St. Vincent de Paul Charity (Orwell/Rock Creek)
Festivities & Fundraisers
The community celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus each year with Holy Mass at Sacred Heart Church followed by a potluck dinner — a highlight that links the parish directly to its founding patron. The Knights of Columbus also host a monthly Community Dinner, open to everyone, alternating between the Orwell and Rock Creek campuses.
- Annual Feast of the Sacred Heart Mass & potluck (Sacred Heart Church)
- Monthly Community Dinner sponsored by Knights of Columbus – Orwell/Rock Creek, alternating campuses
Visiting & Directions
Sacred Heart Church sits along State Route 45 in rural eastern Ashtabula County, between the villages of Rock Creek and Orwell. Travelers coming from Cleveland or the Lake Erie shore via I-90 are directed south on Route 45 for roughly eleven miles; those coming from Orwell head north on Route 45 past Route 6 and the CEI power station. Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at weekend and weekday Masses.
- 3049 State Route 45 N, Rock Creek, OH 44084
- From I-90: south on Route 45 ~11 miles, church on west side, 0.3 mi south of Glenbeigh
- From Route 6 & Route 45 intersection: ~7 miles north, just north of the CEI power station
- Parish phone: (440) 563-3010
- Email: [email protected]
Contact & Administration
The mailing address for the merged Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish (which administers both campuses) is 103 N. Maple St., Orwell, OH 44076-9507. The Sacramental Heart Campus can be reached directly at the phone and email addresses below. Mass schedules, staff listings, and current events are published on the parish website.
- Parish mailing address: 103 N. Maple St., Orwell, OH 44076-9507
- Sacred Heart Campus phone: (440) 563-3010
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Website: stmargaretmaryalacoque.org
- Deanery: Ashtabula (Diocese of Youngstown)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Very Rev. Kevin McCaffrey, V.F.2023–present
Ordained May 25, 2002 for the Diocese of Youngstown; first assigned as pastor of the merged St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish (Orwell & Rock Creek) in July 2023. Prior assignments: Immaculate Conception (Ravenna); St. Mary (Massillon); Our Lady of Victory (Andover) and St. Patrick (Kinsman); SS. Philip & James (Canal Fulton).