About Sacred Heart Church · Columbus, Ohio
Sacred Heart Church is a territorial Catholic parish in Columbus, Ohio, located at 893 Hamlet Street in the Italian Village neighborhood just north of downtown. Founded in 1875 by Father John B. Eis under Bishop Sylvester Rosecrans, it is the third-oldest Catholic parish in the city. The present Tudor Gothic church was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, November 29, 1923, and is renowned for its Chartres-inspired stained-glass windows. Today the parish is part of the Diocese of Columbus, served jointly with nearby St. John the Baptist Italian national parish, and also hosts a thriving Syro-Malabar Catholic community and St. Joseph Montessori School.
- Established
- 1875
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Vincent T. Nguyen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Columbus
Why belong here
Sacred Heart offers a rare combination in central Ohio: an authentically old, intentionally small, walkable parish with deep history and an active sacramental life. Just a block off North High Street in the revived Italian Village/Short North, it is easy to reach on foot for residents of Italian Village, Victorian Village, Weinland Park, and the OSU South Campus. With only two weekend Masses (Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM and Sunday 11:30 AM) plus two evening weekday Masses, the parish cultivates a close-knit, intimate community where parishioners genuinely know one another; a thriving young-adult group of about 100 meets after Masses. Sacred Heart is also a hub of unique Catholic life — it celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi with an outdoor procession to nearby St. John the Baptist, observes Divine Mercy Sunday with a special program (the devotion the parish introduced to the Columbus diocese in the 1980s), is home to the local Syro-Malabar Catholic community of Columbus, and houses the parish's extraordinary Chartres-inspired stained-glass windows.
Mass times at Sacred Heart Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15–4:00 PM (also by appointment)
- Sunday 10:45–11:30 AM
- Thursday 6:00–7:00 PM
- Friday 6:00–7:00 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday 6:00–7:00 PM (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Friday 6:00–7:00 PM (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
History of the Parish
Sacred Heart is the third-oldest Catholic parish in Columbus. The block on which it sits was willed in the early 1850s by William Phelan of Lancaster for 'religious and educational purposes,' and in 1875 Bishop Sylvester Rosecrans commissioned Father John B. Eis to build a new parish for Catholics north of Union Station. The cornerstone was laid September 5, 1875, and the combined school-church-convent-rectory opened Easter Sunday 1876. By 1917 the parish had about 420 families and recorded thousands of baptisms, burials, and marriages. The present Tudor Gothic church was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, November 29, 1923, after Bishop Hartley commissioned Msgr. James M. Ryan to build it on plans by Akron architect Robert Kraus.
- 1852/53 — William Phelan wills four acres to the Diocese of Cincinnati
- 1875 — Bishop Rosecrans commissions Fr. John B. Eis to found Sacred Heart
- 1875 Sept. 5 — Cornerstone laid
- 1876 Apr. 16 (Easter) — First Mass in the new building
- 1922 May — Construction begins on the new church
- 1923 Nov. 29 (Thanksgiving) — Bishop Hartley dedicates the new church
- 1957 — New school building opens; old complex demolished
- 1966 — Sacred Heart Commercial High School closes
- 1972 — Sacred Heart Elementary School closes
- 1987 — St. Joseph Montessori School takes over the former school building at 933 Hamlet
- 1980s — Fr. William DeVille introduces Divine Mercy devotion to the diocese here
- 2003 — Parish celebrates centenary of the parish's parish-school complex
- 2023 Nov. 19 — Centennial of the church building celebrated with Bishop Earl Fernandes
The 1923 Church Building
The present Sacred Heart Church is a pure Tudor Gothic church of 155 × 80 feet, rising 52 feet to the nave with a 105-foot main tower; including the side chapel, which is a complete church in its own right, seating capacity is almost 800. Akron architect Robert Kraus's design has been called 'one of the most correct and beautiful churches in the state of Ohio.' The building retains its original Chartres-modeled stained-glass windows, made in Chicago by a German stained-glass manufacturer; they were last serviced in 1962 and are valued at well over $1 million. A 2023 $40,000 Catholic Foundation grant is funding a first phase of their restoration, alongside cosmetic work such as repainting the doors and redoing the chapel.
- Architect: Robert Kraus of Akron, Ohio
- Style: Tudor Gothic
- Dimensions: 155 ft long × 80 ft wide × 52 ft high; main tower 105 ft
- Capacity: ~800 (incl. side chapel)
- Stained glass: hand-crafted, modeled on Chartres, restored 2023–
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Because Sacred Heart has only two weekend Masses, it does not run the large parish-organization model of bigger parishes; instead it centers on a close-knit core with a few signature ministries. The Music Ministry is led by Director Gina Bishop with organist John C. Huffman. The young-adult group, started by Fr. Adam Streitenberger when he was administrator, now draws about 100 participants to its every-other-Thursday meetings after the evening Mass. Lectors, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, and altar servers are scheduled by long-time volunteer Jim Merckling. The parish also supports the St. Vincent de Paul Society and has hosted the Syro-Malabar Community of Columbus for roughly two decades.
- Music Ministry — Gina Bishop, Director; John C. Huffman, Organist
- Young Adult Group (bi-weekly, ~100 members)
- Lectors, EMHCs, altar servers (coordinated by Jim Merckling)
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Syro-Malabar Catholic Community of Columbus (host)
- Faith formation (used by host Syro-Malabar community)
Sacred Heart School & Sacred Heart Commercial School
Schools have been central to Sacred Heart since 1876. The Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity opened Sacred Heart School that April with 83 pupils and grew it to over 600 in subsequent years. Father Eis added a two-year high school for boys and girls in 1892; the boys' section was transferred to St. Patrick's College (now Aquinas) in 1905, and in 1908 the school became the Sacred Heart Commercial School for girls under Mother Claver. A new school building replaced the original 1876 complex in 1957, and the Commercial School closed in 1966. The elementary school closed in 1972, and in 1987 St. Joseph Montessori School leased and renovated the former building at 933 Hamlet Street for $150,000, where it continues to educate children today.
- 1876 — Sacred Heart School opens under Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity
- 1892 — Two-year high school for boys and girls opens
- 1905 — Boys transferred to St. Patrick's College (now Aquinas)
- 1908 — Sacred Heart Commercial School for girls founded by Mother Claver
- 1957 — New school building; old complex demolished
- 1966 — Commercial School closes
- 1972 — Elementary school closes
- 1987 — St. Joseph Montessori School leases 933 Hamlet
Symbology: The Sacred Heart Devotion
The parish is named for the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Catholic devotion popularized in the 17th century and central to the parish's identity. Each June the parish marks the Feast of the Sacred Heart with an indoor procession; the parish's patron and feast-day observance remain core to its liturgical calendar.
- Patron: Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Feast: movable Friday 19 days after Pentecost (June)
- Annual indoor procession on the Feast of the Sacred Heart
Special Liturgies & Devotions
Several signature liturgies distinguish Sacred Heart from the typical parish. Each year the parish marks the Feast of Corpus Christi with an outdoor procession between its own church and St. John the Baptist Italian national parish one block away, and on the Feast of the Sacred Heart in June it hosts an indoor procession. The parish continues the Divine Mercy Sunday program introduced in the diocese here in the 1980s by Father William DeVille. Sacred Heart also hosts the local Syro-Malabar community for its Sunday Liturgy of Addai and Mari.
- Corpus Christi outdoor procession to St. John the Baptist (annual, June)
- Feast of the Sacred Heart indoor procession (annual, June)
- Divine Mercy Sunday program (first Sunday after Easter)
- Syro-Malabar community Sunday Liturgy of Addai and Mari
Parish Boundaries & Local Mission
Sacred Heart is a territorial Catholic parish serving Italian Village and the surrounding neighborhoods in the Short North area of central Columbus.
- Italian Village (parish home)
- Victorian Village
- Short North
- Weinland Park
- South Campus (OSU area)
Getting Involved & Contact
Parish visitors are welcomed. Those interested in joining are invited to introduce themselves to the priest after Mass. The parish office can be reached at (614) 294-5319, and the mailing address for correspondence is 168 E. Lincoln Street, Columbus, OH 43215. The parish publishes a weekly bulletin and news on its official site.
- Phone: (614) 294-5319
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: sacredheartchurchcolumbus.org
- Facebook: /Sacred-Heart-Catholic-Church-Columbus-Ohio
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John B. Eis1875–1919 (pastor); died December 9, 1922
Founder; commissioned by Bishop Sylvester Rosecrans. Laid cornerstone September 5, 1875; first Mass Easter Sunday, April 16, 1876. Multilingual pastor who served over 40 years; sick with influenza in 1918 and never recovered. Buried in St. Joseph Cemetery.
- Father Hackettc. 1918–1919
Assisted during Father Eis's first illness.
- Father Fischerc. 1918–1919
Assisted during Father Eis's first illness.
- Father Kilgallenc. 1918–1919
Assisted during Father Eis's first illness.
- Rev. James M. Ryan1919–1944 (Administrator 1919, then Pastor)
Chaplain of the 133rd Machine Gun Battalion in WWI. Commissioned to build the current Tudor Gothic church and rectory. Named Monsignor; Pope Pius XI named him a Domestic Prelate in 1934. Died October 20, 1944 at Mt. Carmel Hospital. Buried in St. Joseph Cemetery.
- Father Kerrigan1944–March 15, 1945
Served as Administrator after Msgr. Ryan's death.
- Father Bernard Jones1945–August 31, 1947
Assistant pastor; transferred to St. Luke's, Danville.
- Father Edgar Hoffmanfrom August 31, 1947
Succeeded Fr. Jones as assistant pastor.
- Most Rev. Edward G. HettingerMarch 15, 1945 – 1977
Auxiliary Bishop of Columbus (titular bishop of Teos) since 1942; simultaneously pastor of Sacred Heart for 32 years. Resignation as Auxiliary accepted by Pope Paul VI October 14, 1977. Died December 28, 1996, then the longest-serving U.S. bishop. Buried in St. Mary Cemetery, Lancaster.
- Father William DeVille1980s
Pastor who introduced the Divine Mercy devotion to the Diocese of Columbus from Sacred Heart in the 1980s; attended the 2023 centennial Mass.
- Father Adam Streitenbergerrecent
Past administrator; encouraged young adults to gather, founding the parish's current young adult group.
- Father William A. Metzgerrecent
Recent pastor/administrator.
- Father Andrew Kozminski, S.A.C.recent
Recent pastor/administrator; later pastor of Columbus St. Christopher Church.
- Deacon Frank Iannarinorecent
First permanent deacon in the diocese to serve as a parish administrator.
- Father Gerald Lupa2007–2010
Guest priest from the Diocese of Syracuse, New York.
- Father [Name redacted in source]removed from post in 1999
Removed from Sacred Heart in 1999 for substantiated sexual abuse of a minor more than [decades earlier].
- Msgr. Frank P. LaneAdministrator from July 2024 to July 8, 2025
Concelebrated the November 19, 2023 centennial Mass with Bishop Fernandes. Oversaw recent stained-glass restoration, door repainting, chapel redo, and youth/young-adult ministry. Reassigned as Spiritual Guardian of Priests effective July 8, 2025.
- Rev. Vincent T. Nguyeneffective July 8, 2025 to present
Previously pastor of St. Mary Parish, German Village. Now pastor of Sacred Heart and St. John the Baptist parishes jointly.
- Deacon Stephen Peteffective July 8, 2025 to present
Assigned to Sacred Heart and St. John the Baptist with the 2025 clergy assignments.