About Saint Ann · Dresden, Ohio
Saint Ann Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Columbus located at 405 Chestnut Street in Dresden, Ohio, in Muskingum County. It shares its pastor and operations with St. Mary Catholic Church in nearby Mattingly Settlement (Nashport, Ohio), forming the joint St. Ann–St. Mary Parish under the pastoral care of Fr. Martin Ralko, with Deacon Dr. David Lozowski assisting. The parish offers Mass on Sundays, Tuesdays, and (at the mission church) Saturdays and Thursdays, livestreams its services on YouTube and Facebook, and serves a small but active Catholic community along the Muskingum River with traditional ministries including RCIA, PSR, Knights of Columbus, a women's association, Divine Mercy devotions, and a parish cemetery.
- Established
- 1843
- Patron
- Saint Ann (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Martin Ralko
- Diocese
- Diocese of Columbus
Why belong here
Saint Ann in Dresden is a small, close-knit rural Catholic parish where Mass is celebrated Sunday morning and Tuesday morning, with weekday Mass and Saturday vigil offered at the partner church of St. Mary in Mattingly Settlement. It is a good fit for Catholics in the Muskingum River valley who want traditional liturgy, weekly adoration and Divine Mercy devotion on first Fridays at St. Mary, a Knights of Columbus council, an active women's association, and a parish school of religion for children. The parish also livestreams Mass and homilies online, making it accessible to the homebound, and offers RCIA classes running from September through Easter for adults seeking initiation.
Mass times at Saint Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment — call the parish office at (740) 754-2221 to schedule
Adoration times
- Holy Hour: 6:00 PM (public invited; associated with Knights of Columbus meetings)
Parish Identity & Leadership
Saint Ann Catholic Church is one of two worship sites that make up a single combined parish of the Diocese of Columbus. Its partner site is St. Mary Catholic Church in the rural Mattingly Settlement near Nashport, Ohio. The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Fr. Martin Ralko, with the assistance of Deacon Rev. Dr. David Lozowski. Day-to-day operations are managed by Parish Secretary/Bookkeeper Christa Hutton, who can be reached through the parish office during posted hours.
- Pastor: Rev. Fr. Martin Ralko
- Deacon: Rev. Dr. David Lozowski
- Parish Secretary/Bookkeeper: Christa Hutton
- Combined parish website: https://stannstmary.org
History of the Parish
Roman Catholic worship in Dresden began on a small scale in 1843, when Father Gallinger began celebrating monthly Mass in the home of G. A. Peffer. By 1847 the local Catholic community had grown enough to erect its first frame church, and in 1890 that structure was replaced by the present brick Saint Ann church on Chestnut Street. Saint Ann's roots are intertwined with the older Mattingly Settlement mission to its south — organized in 1834 by William Mattingly and other Catholic families who had emigrated from Maryland — which eventually built its own brick Church of the Nativity of the BVM (later St. Mary), blessed by Archbishop Purcell on November 14, 1861. Today the two historic communities share a single pastor, staff, and faith-formation program.
- 1843 — Father Gallinger begins monthly Mass at the home of G. A. Peffer
- 1847 — First frame Catholic church built in Dresden
- 1861 — Mattingly Settlement brick church blessed by Archbishop Purcell
- 1890 — Present brick Saint Ann church built in Dresden
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for both children and adults takes place at Kempf Parish Hall on the St. Ann campus. The Parish School of Religion (PSR) meets on Sundays during the academic year, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) meets on Wednesday evenings from September through Easter for adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church.
- PSR — Sundays, 10:00–11:15 AM, September–April, Kempf Hall (St. Ann campus)
- RCIA — Wednesdays, 7:00 PM, September–Easter, Kempf Parish Hall (St. Ann campus)
Music & Liturgy
Music ministry is organized separately for each worship site, with a coordinator at St. Ann and a coordinator at St. Mary working with the pastor to support sung liturgy at weekend and weekday Masses.
- Music Ministry, St. Ann — Christine Wagner, 740-704-0807
- Music Ministry, St. Mary — Sarah Hughes, 740-319-5411
Parish Organizations & Devotions
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish sustains several lay organizations and devotional practices that bring members together. The St. Ann–St. Mary Women's Association supports parish life; the Knights of Columbus meet monthly and sponsor a public Holy Hour; and a Divine Mercy Society gathers on the first Friday of each month at St. Mary for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
- St. Ann–St. Mary Women's Association — Terri Kanavel, President (740-624-4853)
- Knights of Columbus — Bill Bateson, Grand Knight (740-221-9998); Holy Hour 6:00 PM; meeting second Monday, 7:00 PM (May–Oct. at St. Mary; Nov.–Apr. at St. Ann)
- Divine Mercy Society / Devotions — First Friday, 6:00 PM at St. Mary (Joyce Hardbarger, 740-452-4336)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the usual sacraments in coordination with the Diocese of Columbus. Parents are required to attend a Pre-Jordan class before a child's baptism; engaged couples must contact the parish at least six months before their desired wedding date and complete the diocesan pre-Cana program; and the sick or homebound can call the parish office at any time to arrange Anointing of the Sick and pastoral visits.
- Baptism — Pre-Jordan class required for parents
- Marriage — Six months' notice required; diocesan pre-Cana required
- Anointing of the Sick — Available on request
- Family Life Office (Diocese of Columbus) for pre-Cana: 614-241-2560
Cemetery & Facilities
The parish oversees the Mattingly Cemetery located adjacent to St. Mary Catholic Church, where plots can be purchased through the cemetery contact. The parish office is open weekday mornings, and the combined parish campus includes Kempf Parish Hall on the St. Ann grounds.
- Mattingly Cemetery — Patrick Smeltzer, 740-297-1107; [email protected]
- Kempf Parish Hall — St. Ann campus, site of PSR and RCIA
Online Evangelization
The parish livestreams its Saturday vigil Mass and posts homilies from both churches on its YouTube channel and Facebook page. Each livestreamed Mass is preceded by a 5-minute introduction. The parish actively solicits donations designated for the 'video project' to keep this online ministry running.
- Live Mass: Saturdays at 4:30 PM
- YouTube channel linked from stannstmary.org
- Facebook page: facebook.com/stmarymattinglysettlement
- Donations may be designated 'video project' on the memo line
Visiting & Contact
Saint Ann is located on Chestnut Street in the village of Dresden, Ohio, with St. Mary in the rural Mattingly Settlement nearby on St. Mary's Road, Nashport. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and the mailing address for both churches is PO Box 107, Dresden, OH 43821-0107.
- St. Ann Catholic Church — 405 Chestnut Street, Dresden, OH 43821
- St. Mary Catholic Church — 6280 St. Mary's Road, Nashport, OH 43830
- Mailing address — PO Box 107, Dresden, OH 43821-0107
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
- Phone: (740) 754-2221
- Email: [email protected]