About Sacred Heart · New Carlisle, Ohio
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Catholic parish in New Carlisle, Ohio, belonging to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Founded as a mission chapel in 1950 by 45 Catholic families under the direction of Brother Bertrand Bailey, it has grown into a parish of roughly 700 families — about a quarter of Hispanic origin — and currently operates as part of the St. Michael the Archangel Family of Parishes formed under the Archdiocese's 2022 Beacons of Light initiative. The parish worships in a 2005-dedicated church designed for unified worship, offers a weekly Spanish Mass (added in 2014), runs PSR religious education, youth ministry, music and Hispanic pastoral programs, and is served by a pastor and team of parochial vicars from across the six-parish Greene County family.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- The Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Jason Bedel
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a warm, bilingual parish that takes seriously its identity as both an English- and Spanish-speaking community — with a Spanish Mass every Sunday at noon and an active Hispanic pastoral team — and offers the full sacramental life of a Catholic parish: daily and Sunday Mass, weekly Tuesday evening Adoration with Confessions, a weekly Patriotic Rosary on Thursdays, RCIA/PSR faith formation for children and adults, a robust music ministry with adult, teen, children's, funeral, and Spanish choirs plus a guitar ensemble, and active youth ministry that joins the larger St. Michael the Archangel Family of Parishes youth group on Sunday evenings. It is also a parish that lives out charity and fellowship — St. Vincent de Paul, Knights of Columbus, Ladies Club, bereavement and prayer-chain ministries, the Snowflake Craft Bazaar, blood drives, and Respect Life work — making it an unusually easy place to plug in, whether you are a lifelong Catholic, a newcomer to the area near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, or a Spanish-speaking family looking for a parish home.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Every Tuesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (English and Spanish, in conjunction with Adoration)
- Or by appointment — call the Fathers as needed
Adoration times
- Every Tuesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
About Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Sacred Heart is a bilingual Catholic parish in New Carlisle, Ohio, in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Its mission is 'to glorify God through Christ our savior by providing appropriate opportunities for worship, expanding education in the Catholic faith, serving others in a spirit of Christian sacrifice and charity, offering fellowship to all, and sharing our beliefs throughout our community.' The parish is home to roughly 700 families — about 200 of them Hispanic — and serves both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Catholics through weekly Sunday Masses, daily Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, the sacraments, religious education for children and adults, youth ministry, and a full calendar of charitable and fellowship activities. Since 2022 it has been part of the six-parish St. Michael the Archangel (NE-3) Family of Parishes under the archdiocese's Beacons of Light initiative.
- Founded: 1950 (mission chapel); first resident pastor: 1954
- Current church dedicated: 2005
- Bilingual parish: English + Spanish Mass every Sunday
- Family of Parishes: St. Michael the Archangel (NE-3)
Parish History
Sacred Heart grew out of the rural sacramental ministry of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, where traveling priests brought Communion to outlying settlements about once a month. Monsignor Martin Varley, Dean of Springfield, pressed the archdiocese to purchase property on West Lake Avenue in 1944, and by 1950 the 45 Catholic families of the area had built the first mission chapel under Brother Bertrand Bailey. Father Paul Golembiewski became the first resident pastor in 1954, the rectory was added in 1955, and the parish grew rapidly with returning WWII and Korean War veterans, doubling in family count every few years through the 1960s and 70s. In 1966 the Sisters of the Precious Blood built a convent in town, the catechetical center was expanded, and the parish reached more than 400 families. In 2005, under Father Michael Bidwell, the present church was dedicated, ending the old arrangement in which half the parish worshipped in the main body and the other half in an annex. Most recently the parish became part of the St. Michael the Archangel Family of Parishes in 2022, with Father Jason Bedel installed as pastor.
- 1944 — Property on W. Lake Ave. purchased by Msgr. Varley
- 1950 — First mission chapel built ('Brother Bertrand's Chapel')
- 1954 — Father Paul Golembiewski becomes first resident pastor
- 1955 — Rectory built
- 1961 — Catechetical/social center dedicated
- 1964, 1967, 1970 — First Masses of parish-raised priests Dettenwanger brothers and Fr. Frank Pedrotti, SJ
- 2005 — Present church dedicated under Fr. Michael Bidwell
- 2014 — Spanish Mass added every Sunday
- 2022 — Joined St. Michael the Archangel Family of Parishes (Beacons of Light)
St. Michael the Archangel Family of Parishes
Effective July 1, 2022, Sacred Heart was grouped with five other parishes in Greene County into the Northeast-3 Family of Parishes under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light initiative. The family is led by Father Jason Bedel as pastor and is supported by Parochial Vicars Fr. Michael Holloran, Fr. John Madanu, and Fr. Ambrose Dobrozsi. Family-wide ministries include shared youth ministry (Sunday evenings 6–8 PM at St. Luke's Bishop Ford Hall), Young Adult Ministry (Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM), and an Evangelization and Christian Formation team led by Dr. Josh Englefield.
- Mary, Help of Christians — 954 N Maple Ave., Fairborn, OH
- St. Augustine — Jamestown, OH
- St. Brigid — Xenia, OH
- St. Luke — Beavercreek, OH
- St. Paul — Yellow Springs, OH
- Sacred Heart — 209 W. Lake Ave., New Carlisle, OH
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's Office of Catechesis (937-570-1665) coordinates the Parish School of Religion (PSR), which meets Sundays 9:00–10:15 AM, as well as First Communion and Confirmation preparation in both English and Spanish. Catechumenate (RCIA) is offered for adults seeking to enter the Catholic Church. The parish has historically run a very large PSR — peaking at 683 students in 1975 and 515 in 1966 — reflecting its long-standing role as a catechetical center for Catholics in the rural New Carlisle area.
- PSR / Catechism — Sundays 9:00–10:15 AM
- First Communion preparation (English and Spanish)
- Confirmation preparation
- RCIA for adults
Youth & Young Adult Ministry
Since joining the Family of Parishes in 2022, Sacred Heart's youth and young adults participate in family-wide programming. Youth Ministry serves 6th through 12th graders on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at St. Luke's Bishop Ford Hall, with about 30–60 students attending each week. Young Adult Ministry meets Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM and welcomes college students, singles, married couples, and young parents. The family also hosts an annual Lenten Mission, retreats, mission trips, summer camps, and Vacation Bible School.
- Youth Group (6–12 grade) — Sundays 6–8 PM at St. Luke's
- Young Adult Ministry — Wednesdays 7:30 PM
- Annual Lenten Mission (Family of Parishes)
- Vacation Bible School, retreats, mission trips
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Sacred Heart has a notably full music ministry under Director of Music Kristen Kosey, including English and Spanish choirs, a teen choir, children's choir, funeral choir, handchimes, guitar ensemble, and opportunities for brass, woodwind, and string players. The parish also maintains a robust complement of liturgical lay ministers — lectors, servers, acolytes, sacristans, ushers, greeters, cantors, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — who serve both the English and Spanish Masses.
- Adult Choir (English) — Thursdays 7–8:30 PM rehearsal
- Adult & Teen Choir (Spanish) — Wednesdays (contact Pedro Martinez, 937-543-1555)
- Children's Choir, Teen Choir, Funeral Choir
- Cantors, Handchimes, Guitar Ensemble, Instrumentalists
- Lectors, Servers, Acolytes, Sacristans, Ushers, Greeters, EMHCs
Hispanic Ministry / Ministerio Hispano
The parish's Hispanic community — roughly 200 families with deep roots in the Mexican states of Michoacán and Guanajuato — is supported by an active pastoral team (Equipo Pastoral) of lay leaders and by Luz Maria Perez, Asociada Pastoral (se habla español), who coordinates baptisms, weddings, quinceañeras, funerals/rosarios, and presentations in Spanish. The Sunday 12:00 PM Spanish Mass has been celebrated weekly since 2014, and the parish has long hosted the annual migrant fiestas begun in the 1960s.
- Misa en Español — Sundays 12:00 PM (since 2014)
- Bilingual All Saints / All Souls / Holy Day Masses
- Hispanic Pastoral Team (Fondon, Perez, Trinidad, Mireles, Botello, Martinez, Fleischman, Sanchez and others)
- Luz Maria Perez — Pastoral Associate / Catechism Coordinator (bilingual)
Outreach, Charity & Fellowship
Sacred Heart runs a broad outreach and fellowship program through St. Vincent de Paul (937-845-3121), the Knights of Columbus (937-846-1229), the Sacred Heart Ladies Club (monthly meetings), a Bereavement Ministry, a Prayer Chain, and an annual Snowflake Craft Bazaar (first weekend of November). The parish also participates in the Family of Parishes' Respect Life / 40 Days for Life campaign, hosts blood drives in collaboration with the community, and supports evangelization efforts led at the family level by Dr. Josh Englefield.
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference
- Knights of Columbus — chaplain Fr. Jason Bedel
- Sacred Heart Ladies Club
- Bereavement Ministry & Prayer Chain
- Snowflake Craft Bazaar (annual)
- Respect Life / 40 Days for Life
- Blood Drives
Parish Staff & Contacts
Parish operations are supported by a pastor (Fr. Jason Bedel), three parochial vicars serving the Family of Parishes (Fr. Michael Holloran, Fr. John Madanu, Fr. Ambrose Dobrozsi), a bilingual pastoral associate (Luz Maria Perez), a Director of Music (Kristen Kosey), a Business Manager (Richard Kraus), an Office Manager / Bilingual Office Manager (Deadline Noon Monday), a Bulletin Editor (Judy Hoeferlin), a Buildings & Grounds lead (Mike Engle), and lay leadership including Parish Council President Darryl Bauer and Finance Council President Gary Van Oss.
- Pastor: Fr. Jason Bedel
- Parochial Vicars: Fr. Michael Holloran, Fr. John Madanu, Fr. Ambrose Dobrozsi
- Pastoral Associate (Spanish): Luz Maria Perez — 937-521-9600
- Director of Music: Kristen Kosey
- Business Manager: Richard Kraus
- Office: 937-845-3121 | Office of Catechesis: 937-570-1665
Visit & Contact Information
Visitors are warmly welcomed at Sacred Heart. The parish office is reachable at 937-845-3121 (office cell for texts: 937-521-9600) and by email at [email protected]. The mailing address is 209 W. Lake Avenue, New Carlisle, OH 45344. The church is conveniently located near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and serves Catholics in New Carlisle, Bethel Township, and the surrounding rural communities of Clark, Miami, and Greene counties.
- Address: 209 W. Lake Avenue, New Carlisle, OH 45344
- Office phone: 937-845-3121
- Office cell (text): 937-521-9600
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://sacredheartnc.net
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Martin Varley1944
Dean of Springfield; insisted the archdiocese purchase the West Lake Avenue property.
- Brother Bertrand Bailey1950
Directed construction of the first mission chapel ('Brother Bertrand's Chapel').
- Rev. Paul Golembiewski1954–
First resident pastor; also served Sacred Heart Mission in St. Paris.
- Rev. Robert Schutte
Pastor (listed in parish's historical succession).
- Rev. Charles Blum
Pastor (listed in parish's historical succession).
- Rev. Clarence Diegelman
Pastor (listed in parish's historical succession).
- Rev. William Wood
Pastor (listed in parish's historical succession).
- Rev. John Burns
Pastor (listed in parish's historical succession).
- Rev. John MacQuarrie
Pastor; son of the parish (homegrown vocation).
- Rev. Robert Marine
Pastor (listed in parish's historical succession).
- Rev. Michael Bidwell
Pastor; built and dedicated the present church in 2005.
- Rev. Kenneth Hummel2012–
Pastor in 2012; oversaw 700 families, ~200 of Hispanic origin.
- Rev. Thomas (Tom) Nevels2015–
Welcomed as pastor in 2015.
- Rev. Samuel Gonzalez
Hispanic Ministry Chaplain for ~15 years; native of Colombia.
- Rev. Ariel Fernando Pico Rincon2015–
Hispanic Ministry Chaplain; native of Colombia; arrived 2015.
- Rev. Paul Vieson, SM≈1989–2014
Marianist priest assistant for 25 years; died 2014.
- Rev. James Schimelpfening, SM2016–2019
Priest-in-Residence; bilingual ministry; returned to St. Meinrad's Abbey.
- Rev. Jason Bedel2022–present
Installed July 2022 under Beacons of Light; leads St. Michael the Archangel Family of Parishes; 2024 K of C Cincinnati Archdiocese Chaplain of the Year.
- Rev. Michael Holloran2022–present
Parochial Vicar for the Family of Parishes.
- Rev. John Madanu2022–present
Parochial Vicar for the Family of Parishes.
- Rev. Ambrose Dobrozsi2022–present
Parochial Vicar for the Family of Parishes.
