About Saint Elizabeth · Columbus, Ohio
St. Elizabeth Parish was a Roman Catholic parish located in the Northland area of Columbus, Ohio, at 6077 Sharon Woods Boulevard. Founded in 1967 under Bishop John Carberry and dedicated in 1971, the parish grew through the closing decades of the 20th century, eventually becoming home to multiple ethnic Catholic communities including Filipino, Haitian, Congolese, Kenyan, Tanzanian, and Nigerian congregations. On June 15, 2024, Bishop Earl Fernandes merged St. Elizabeth with St. Anthony and St. Matthias parishes to form the new St. Josephine Bakhita Parish as part of the Diocese of Columbus's Real Presence Real Future initiative, with the former St. Elizabeth church building retained as the parish church and the former St. Matthias school building serving as the parish school.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- St. Elizabeth (parish merged in 2024 into St. Josephine Bakhita Parish)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
Why belong here
St. Elizabeth was for decades a welcoming Northland parish with a strong tradition of multicultural Catholic life — hosting not only English-language weekend and daily Masses but also vibrant Filipino, Haitian, Congolese, Kenyan, Tanzanian, and Nigerian communities. It offered Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays, Saturday confessions, a religious-education program with a dedicated classroom wing, a parish school partnership, music ministry, youth ministry, and outreach through the Catholic school network. Today the parish continues under St. Josephine Bakhita Parish, retaining the St. Elizabeth church building at 6077 Sharon Woods Blvd. as its worship home — a place to encounter Christ across cultures.
Mass times at Saint Elizabeth
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:45 PM (1 hour before the 5:30 PM Vigil Mass)
- Tuesday 5:00 PM (1 hour before the 6:00 PM Mass)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (per Diocese of Columbus adoration directory)
History of St. Elizabeth Parish
St. Elizabeth Parish was founded in 1967 under Bishop John Carberry, who had been installed as Bishop of Columbus at St. Joseph Cathedral on March 25, 1965. Carberry attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council and made early implementation of the Council's reforms a hallmark of his administration; among the new parishes he created for the growing Columbus suburbs were St. Elizabeth and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. The church building at 6077 Sharon Woods Boulevard was dedicated in 1971, and the parish grew steadily with its Northland neighborhood over the following decades. The church was renovated in 1992 and expanded in 2007 with a classroom wing to support faith formation for children and adults. As part of the Diocese of Columbus's Real Presence Real Future pastoral-planning initiative, St. Elizabeth was merged with St. Anthony (which had already closed in October 2023) and St. Matthias parishes on June 15, 2024, when Bishop Earl Fernandes celebrated the inaugural Vigil Mass of the new St. Josephine Bakhita Parish at the former St. Elizabeth church.
- Founded: 1967 (Bishop John Carberry)
- Church dedicated: 1971
- Church renovated: 1992
- Classroom wing added: 2007
- Merged into St. Josephine Bakhita Parish: June 15, 2024 (Bishop Earl Fernandes)
Ethnic Catholic Communities Hosted
St. Elizabeth became the Northland hub for several immigrant and ethnic Catholic communities. The Filipino community gathered on the First Saturday evening and First Wednesday evening (with Rosary and Daily Mass in Tagalog context). The Haitian community celebrated a French/Creole Mass every Sunday except the first Sunday. The Congolese, Kenyan, and Tanzanian communities combined for a Swahili Mass on the First Sunday of the month, and the Nigerian community celebrated an English/Igbo Mass on the First and Third Sundays. After the 2024 merger, all of these communities continued to worship at the former St. Elizabeth church under St. Josephine Bakhita Parish.
- Filipino — First Saturday 7:00 PM; First Wednesday Rosary + Mass
- Haitian (French/Creole) — Sundays except First, 1:00 PM
- Congolese / Kenyan / Tanzanian (Swahili combined) — First Sunday, 1:00 PM
- Nigerian (English/Igbo) — First and Third Sundays, 4:00 PM
Parish Staff and Clergy
At the time of the 2024 merger, parish staff included Father Ramon Owera, CFIC (Parish Administrator), Deacon Dean W. Racine, Rich Krehnovi (Director of Music), Dave Gruber (Director of Religious Education), Fran Cautela (Parish Secretary & Bookkeeper), Elaine McCloskey (Secretary), Bob Brandenstein (Maintenance), and Lisa Broberg (Domestic Maintenance). Father Charles Cotton had earlier served as Pastor. Under the merged St. Josephine Bakhita Parish, Father Anthony J. (Tony) Davis became Pastor, with Father Hilary Ike as Associate Pastor and Father Pius Ajuluchuckwu also assigned to the parish.
- Pastor (post-merger): Rev. Fr. Anthony J. Davis
- Associate Pastor: Rev. Fr. Hilary Ike
- Former Pastor: Rev. Fr. Charles Cotton
- Former Administrator: Rev. Fr. Ramon Owera, CFIC
- Deacon: Rev. Mr. Dean W. Racine (also Deacon Jason Nguyen)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education and sacramental preparation were central to parish life, with programming for both children and adults. The 2007 expansion of the church building added a dedicated classroom wing that housed the parish faith-formation offices and classrooms. Family Life Ministries coordinated Family Sacramental Formation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation) and Family Religious Education. Dave Gruber served as Director of Religious Education in the parish's final years.
- Director of Religious Education: Dave Gruber
- Family Sacramental Formation
- Family Religious Education
- Children's ministry
- Youth / teen ministry
Music and Liturgy
Music at St. Elizabeth was led by Rich Krehnovi, Director of Music, supporting a parish choir that served the English-language weekend and daily Masses as well as seasonal celebrations and Holy Day liturgics. The varied ethnic communities brought additional musical traditions from the Philippines, Haiti, Central Africa, East Africa, and Nigeria.
- Director of Music: Rich Krehnovi
- Parish choir
- Multicultural liturgical music at ethnic-community Masses
Pastoral Care and Outreach
In addition to sacramental and faith-formation ministries, St. Elizabeth maintained a parish-nurse ministry (Parish Nurse Valerie Thompson was listed in earlier parish directories), supported Family Life Ministries for parish families, and hosted a parish school partnership. The 2024 merger into St. Josephine Bakhita Parish preserved the St. Elizabeth church as the worship home and the former St. Matthias school (renamed St. Josephine Bakhita School) as the parish school, ensuring continuity of educational and outreach ministry on the north side.
- Parish nurse program
- Family Life Ministries
- St. Josephine Bakhita School (formerly St. Matthias School) at 1566 Ferris Rd.
- Multi-ethnic outreach through community Masses
2024 Merger into St. Josephine Bakhita Parish
On June 15, 2024, Bishop Earl Fernandes established St. Josephine Bakhita Parish through the merger of St. Anthony (closed October 2023), St. Matthias, and St. Elizabeth parishes as part of the Diocese of Columbus's Real Presence Real Future initiative. The parish church is located at the former St. Elizabeth building (6077 Sharon Woods Blvd.) and the parish school at the former St. Matthias building (1566 Ferris Rd., now St. Matthias Chapel and St. Josephine Bakhita School). St. Josephine Bakhita — patron saint of victims of human trafficking — was chosen as patroness both for her representation of the merged community's ethnic diversity and for her witness against human trafficking. Her feast day, February 8, was also the date the new parish name was announced.
- Effective date: June 15, 2024 (Vigil Mass celebrated by Bishop Earl Fernandes)
- St. Anthony closed October 2023 (predecessor step)
- Successor parish: St. Josephine Bakhita Parish
- Parish Church: former St. Elizabeth building, 6077 Sharon Woods Blvd.
- Parish School: former St. Matthias building, 1566 Ferris Rd. (now St. Josephine Bakhita School)
- New patroness: St. Josephine Bakhita
Visiting St. Elizabeth Church Today
Although the parish itself was merged in 2024, the St. Elizabeth church building at 6077 Sharon Woods Blvd. continues to serve as the parish church of St. Josephine Bakhita Parish. Visitors are welcome to attend the English weekend Masses (Saturday Vigil 5:30 PM; Sunday 9:00 & 11:00 AM), weekday Masses, Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration, and the various ethnic-community Masses listed above. The parish offices, Pastors' Hall, and adult/child faith-formation classrooms remain at the same Sharon Woods address.
- Address: 6077 Sharon Woods Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229
- Phone: (614) 891-0150
- Website: stelizabethchurch.org / bakhitacolumbus.org
- Worship site for the merged St. Josephine Bakhita Parish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Unknown — founding pastor(s) under Bishop John Carberry (1967–1971)1967–?
Parish established in 1967 during Bishop Carberry's tenure; church dedicated in 1971.
- Rev. Fr. Charles Cotton
Former Pastor of St. Elizabeth Parish. Named in the inaugural Mass of the merged St. Josephine Bakhita Parish (June 15, 2024) as 'former pastor at St. Elizabeth.' Now retired (listed at 515 Milford Avenue, Columbus).
- Rev. Fr. Ramon Owera, CFIC
Parish Administrator of St. Elizabeth Parish prior to the 2024 merger. Listed in the Diocese of Columbus priest directory; listed in 2024 diocese records at St. Joseph, Circleville, then at St. Josephine Bakhita Parish at St. Elizabeth Church.
- Rev. Fr. Anthony J. (Tony) Davis2024–present
Became Pastor of the merged St. Josephine Bakhita Parish at St. Elizabeth Church on June 15, 2024, succeeding the separate St. Elizabeth pastorate.