About Saint Mary · Columbus, Ohio
Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church (commonly known as St. Mary Church, Grand Old St. Mary's, or St. Mary, Mother of God) is a Roman Catholic parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus, located at 684 South Third Street in the historic German Village neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1865 by German-speaking immigrants who had outgrown nearby Holy Cross Church, it is the third-oldest Catholic church building in Columbus. Since April 5, 2023 it has served as the mother church of a merged Catholic Community of South Columbus that also includes the former parishes of St. Ladislas and Corpus Christi. The parish runs St. Mary School (preschool through grade 8) and celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish.
- Established
- 1865
- Patron
- Saint Mary (Mary, Mother of God / the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of her Assumption)
- Rector
- Rev. Vince Nguyen
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
Why belong here
St. Mary's is a historic German Village parish with deep Catholic roots — a Gothic Revival landmark whose spire still defines the south Columbus skyline — but its current life is anything but museum-like. As the mother church of the merged Catholic Community of South Columbus, it offers a full schedule of weekend Masses in English and Spanish, daily Mass with rosary a half-hour before, monthly First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, Lent and Advent Adoration, RCIA, a robust K-8 parish school, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd youth formation program, sacramental preparation, marriage prep, Knights of St. John (founded at the parish in 1878), Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul outreach, and a bilingual staff welcoming both longtime German Village families and new Latino parishioners. Belonging here means joining a worshiping community whose physical fabric has been lovingly restored and whose mission stretches back to 1865.
Mass times at Saint Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
- Sunday: 8:15 AM – 9:00 AM
- Sunday: 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
- Sunday (Spanish): 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM
- Lent: Tuesdays 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM
- By appointment through the parish office
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month: following the 8:30 AM Mass until 12:00 noon
- Advent and Lent: Tuesdays 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM
History of Saint Mary of the Assumption
In 1865, as the German Catholic population of south Columbus outgrew Holy Cross Church, Father Francis X. Specht organized St. Mary's parish and built a small schoolhouse-chapel on South Third Street. The Gothic Revival church designed by Blackburn and Koehler was begun in 1866 and dedicated by Bishop Sylvester Rosecrans on November 29, 1868. Under Monsignor Specht's nearly fifty-year pastorate the parish became the largest in the diocese, the school expanded under the Sisters of St. Francis, the spire was added in 1893, and the parish added a high school in 1914 (the first four-year parish high school in Columbus). The interior was restored in 1987 under Bishop James Griffin, and a second, much larger restoration followed the lightning strike of August 28, 2016 — a $7.5 million capital campaign reopened the church on Palm Sunday 2019. On April 5, 2023 Bishop Earl Fernandes merged the territory of the suppressed parishes of St. Ladislas and Corpus Christi into St. Mary's, creating the present Catholic Community of South Columbus.
The Building and Its Architecture
The church is a German Gothic Revival brick building, 140 feet long, 62.5 feet wide and 75 feet high, with an unsupported ceiling vault and a single 197-foot brick spire. The interior features elaborate painted ceiling and wall artwork (restored in 1987 and again with digitally printed canvases in 2017-2019 by EverGreene Architectural Arts), a pipe organ installed in 1875, three bells hung in the tower in 1870, Stations of the Cross erected in 1869, a baptistery, confessionals (originally in the north- and south-wall alcoves), a Pietà shrine, and stained glass that was re-leaded during the recent restoration. The 197-foot steeple was restored in 1994 with new copper flashing and slate.
- Architect: Blackburn and Koehler
- Style: Gothic Revival (German Gothic)
- Materials: Brick
- Dimensions: 140 ft long × 62.5 ft wide × 75 ft high
- Spire height: 197 ft (added 1893)
- Three bells (1870); clock (1894); organ (1875)
- Stations of the Cross erected 1869
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, December 30, 1974
Sacraments
St. Mary's celebrates all seven sacraments. Parents must be active, registered parishioners for at least three months before a baptism can be scheduled; baptisms at St. Mary are held on the first Saturday before the first Sunday of the month after the 4:00 PM Mass, with the Latino community baptisms on the Saturday before the third Sunday. Couples contact Mary Kelly, Marriage Preparation Coordinator, at least six months before their desired wedding date. The parish RCIA/RICA process is offered each fall in English and Spanish.
- Baptism — first Saturday before the first Sunday of the month after 4:00 PM Mass
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist — through the school or Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- Confirmation — diocesan preparation
- Marriage — six months' notice, Mary Kelly, [email protected]
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
- RCIA / RICA — English and Spanish (Dr. Jeffrey Tiel)
St. Mary School and Faith Formation
St. Mary School, at 700 South Third Street, serves preschool through eighth grade under Principal Gina Stull, and offers after-school care. It is the direct continuation of the parish school begun by Father Specht in 1865, which was first taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame (1874) and then the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate from 1875. The parish also runs the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd youth formation program and supports a Young Adult Group.
- St. Mary School: 700 S. Third Street, 614-444-8994, www.stmaryschoolgv.org
- Principal: Gina Stull
- Preschool and after-school care available
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (youth faith formation)
- Young Adult Group
Ministries and Outreach
Parishioners serve the parish and the wider south Columbus community through a network of ministries. The Knights of St. John, Commandery 98 — founded at St. Mary's in 1878 and known for their distinctive post-Civil War-era uniforms — focus their charity work on the Appalachian Project and St. Vincent de Paul. Other ministries include the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Marriage Preparation, the Young Adult Group, and bilingual outreach to the growing Latino community.
- Knights of St. John, Commandery 98 (founded 1878)
- Knights of Columbus
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Marriage Preparation
- Latino / Bilingual Ministry
- Young Adult Group
The Catholic Community of South Columbus (2023 Merger)
On April 5, 2023 Bishop Earl Fernandes suppressed the neighboring parishes of St. Ladislas and Corpus Christi and merged their territory into St. Mary's parish, citing demographic changes, declining Mass attendance and offertory revenue, and a shortage of priests. The unified parish is now known as the Catholic Community of South Columbus and operates under a single central office at 672 South Third Street, with St. Mary as the mother church.
- St. Mary (mother church) — 684 S. Third Street
- Corpus Christi — 1111 Stewart Ave (former parish)
- St. Ladislas — 277 Reeb Ave (former parish)
- Central Office — 672 S. Third Street, 614-445-9668
Renovations and Restoration
Major restorations have marked every generation of the parish's life. In 1987 the parish restored the ceiling and wall artwork, enlarged the sanctuary, refinished the pews, added kneelers, and built a north-side handicapped ramp; Bishop James Griffin rededicated the church on December 6, 1987. The 1994 slate-roof restoration of the spire preserved pieces of the original 1893 slate as keepsakes. After the 2016 lightning strike and condemnation, a $7.5 million capital campaign funded roof, foundation, and structural repairs; a new HVAC system; rewiring; a prayer garden; and the restoration of the confessionals, baptistery, Pietà shrine, stained glass, and painted ceiling — with David B. Meleca Architects, EverGreene Architectural Arts, and Martin Painting and Coating as restoration partners and Matthew Indrutz of Muralworks painting additional interior decoration. The church reopened for worship on April 19, 2019.
- 1987 interior restoration — rededicated December 6, 1987
- 1994 spire slate restoration ($147,000)
- 1998 air conditioning (gift of Dr. & Mrs. W. W. O'Donnell)
- 2002 Burkley Center renovation (offices, restrooms, elevator)
- 2017-2019 $7.5 million restoration after lightning strike
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis X. Specht (Msgr. Franz Xaver Specht)1865–1913
Founding pastor; born November 4, 1840, in Osnabrück, Germany; ordained March 12, 1864; organized the parish in 1865 and built the schoolhouse-chapel that year; oversaw construction of the Gothic Revival church (1866-1868), the 1893 spire and 1894 clock, the 1870 bells, the 1875 organ, and the 1888 school; named Vicar General in 1885; twice Administrator of the Diocese (1899-1900 and 1903); named Domestic Prelate (Monsignor) in 1902; died 1913 after nearly 50 years as pastor. The original schoolhouse behind the church is named the Specht Center in his honor.
- Rev. Joseph Wehrle1913–1924
Succeeded Specht and founded St. Mary's High School in 1914 — the first four-year parish high school in Columbus (accredited 1918); died April 24, 1924 while pastor of St. Mary's.
- (Rev. Thomas J. Badger)mid-20th century
Pastor during whose tenure the present elementary school building was constructed in 1956 and the high school was relocated from Third Street to the old elementary building on Mohawk Street; recommended closure of the high school in April 1965.
- Rev. Kevin Lutzpre-2016 to retirement 2019
Pastored St. Mary's during the lightning strike of August 28, 2016, the condemnation of October 7, 2016, and led the $7.5 million capital campaign and 2017-2019 restoration that reopened the church on April 19, 2019. Founder of the Jubilee Museum (now Museum of Catholic Art and History) and the first American appointed consultant to the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church by Pope John Paul II. Retired from active ministry in 2019; the Diocese subsequently announced credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor and removed him from ministry.
- Rev. Vince Nguyencurrent (as of 2023 bulletin)
Listed as Pastor in the parish bulletin and on southcolscatholic.org.
