About St. Adalbert · Cleveland, Ohio
St. Adalbert — Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish is a historic Roman Catholic parish at 2347 East 83rd Street in Cleveland, Ohio, served by Father Gary Chmura. Originally founded in 1883 by Bishop Richard Gilmour for Bohemian (Czech) Catholic families east of Willson Avenue, the parish today lives as the merged community of St. Adalbert and Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament (OLBS), the first Catholic parish in Ohio established for African American Catholics (1922). The Diocese of Cleveland closed the parish in June 2010 as part of a sweeping reconfiguration; parishioners appealed to the Vatican and St. Adalbert/OLBS reopened in August 2012 with Father Chmura as pastor, marking its 100th anniversary with Bishop Edward Malesic in April 2022.
- Established
- 1883
- Patron
- St. Adalbert of Prague (patron of Bohemia, Poland, and the Czech Republic)
- Rector
- Rev. Gary D. Chmura
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Adalbert/OLBS is one of Cleveland's most historically significant Catholic parishes — the merged home of the city's Bohemian Catholic heritage and the first parish in Ohio founded by and for African American Catholics (1922). Today it offers Sunday Mass at 11 AM, a thriving pre-K through grade 8 Catholic school with a brand-new Early Childhood Learning Center, and a community shaped by the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary, the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, and decades of lay leadership. Worshipers are welcomed personally by a parish member who stays with them through Mass — a tradition that says a lot about how this small, resilient community sees itself.
Mass times at St. Adalbert
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Adalbert / Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish
St. Adalbert – Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament is a Roman Catholic parish in Cleveland's Central East area, at 2347 East 83rd Street, in the Diocese of Cleveland. Its mission statement reads: 'The Community of St. Adalbert/OLBS is empowered by the Holy Spirit, and bound to one another by a commitment of faith in Jesus Christ. We are a community that seeks to share the Catholic Faith with our brothers and sisters. Our hope is the life-giving message of Jesus Christ. That message calls us to truth, justice, peace, and a joyful heart.'
- Pastor: Father Gary D. Chmura
- Parochial Vicar/Associate: Father Nicholaus Mtey
- Deacon: Hardin Martin
- Diocese: Cleveland
- Region: Cleveland – Central East
- Phone: (216) 881-7647
- Email: [email protected]
- Established 1883
Parish History
Founded on January 1, 1883 by Bishop Richard Gilmour to serve Cleveland's growing Bohemian (Czech) Catholic population east of Willson Avenue, the parish was originally led by laymen of the St. Adalbert Society and did not have its own resident pastor until Father John W. Malecha was appointed in 1888. A larger Romanesque-style church replaced the original frame church in 1912 at a cost of $50,000. As Bohemian families moved away after World War I, the neighborhood became predominantly African American; in 1961 Bishop Edward Hoban merged the parish with nearby Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament (OLBS), the first Catholic parish in Ohio founded by and for African American Catholics (1922), and added 'Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament' as a secondary title.
- 1883 — Parish established by Bishop Richard Gilmour
- 1888 — Father John W. Malecha becomes first resident pastor
- 1890 — Sisters of Notre Dame take over teaching at the school
- 1911 — Bishop John P. Farrelly lays the cornerstone of the present church
- 1912 — Twin-towered Romanesque-style church completed at $50,000
- 1922 — Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament founded April 11 as Ohio's first parish for African American Catholics; Father Thomas E. McKenney, first pastor
- 1923 — OLBS church dedicated June 24 at 2354 E. 79th St. (seating 280)
- 1924 — OLBS School opens
- 1937 — Society of the Precious Blood (Cincinnati) assumes OLBS pastoral care
- 1958 — Bishop Hoban celebrates St. Adalbert's 75th anniversary Mass
- 1961 — St. Adalbert and OLBS merge February 1; Father Leonard Sudhoff becomes first pastor of the combined parish
- 1962 — New St. Adalbert School opens September 4 at 2345 East 83rd
- 1970 — Father Gene R. Wilson becomes first Black pastor in the Diocese of Cleveland
- 2010 — Parish closed June 6 in diocesan reconfiguration (52 parishes)
- 2012 — Reopens August after Vatican appeal; Father Gary Chmura named pastor July 2012
- 2022 — Centennial Mass celebrated by Bishop Edward Malesic on April 24
St. Adalbert Catholic School
St. Adalbert Catholic School has been a continuous presence on the parish campus since the parish was founded in 1883 — it remained open even when the church itself was closed in 2010. Today the school serves pre-K through grade 8, drawing on the legacy of the Sisters of Notre Dame (who taught from 1890), the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (who arrived in 1922 at Mother Katharine Drexel's personal direction and ran the school until 1985), and an all-lay teaching staff since then. In 2018 a donor underwrote a 13,000-square-foot Early Childhood Learning Center with nine classrooms, a cafeteria for younger students, and an outdoor play area serving pre-K through grade 2.
- Grades served: pre-K through 8
- Sisters of Notre Dame, 1890–
- Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, 1922–1985
- First African American principal: Sister Mary Norbert Moline (1962)
- Early Childhood Learning Center opened 2018 (13,000 sq ft, 9 classrooms)
- School remained open through the 2010 parish closure and reopened with the parish in 2012
Religious Orders & Community Life
St. Adalbert/OLBS has been shaped by an unusual succession of religious communities. The Sisters of Notre Dame staffed the original school (from 1890); the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament — sent at the personal request of their foundress, St. Katharine Drexel — served OLBS from 1922 until 1985. The Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.) from Carthagena, Ohio staffed the parish from 1937 through the 2010 closure, returned for the centennial Mass in 2022, and remain connected to the community. In 2014 the parish converted its old rectory into a convent for the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary, who currently serve the parish and other ministries.
- Sisters of Notre Dame — taught at the school from 1890
- Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (founded by St. Katharine Drexel) — 1922–1985
- Society of the Precious Blood / Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S., Carthagena, OH) — from 1937
- Evangelizing Sisters of Mary — resident in the converted rectory since 2014
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Father Gary D. Chmura, appointed pastor in July 2012 when St. Adalbert/OLBS reopened after the Vatican appeal. He is assisted by Father Nicholaus Mtey. Deacon Hardin Martin assisted at the April 24, 2022 centennial Mass celebrated by Bishop Edward Malesic.
- Pastor — Rev. Gary D. Chmura
- Rev. Nicholaus Mtey
- Deacon Hardin Martin
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors are warmly invited to come and see what St. Adalbert is all about — Sunday Mass is at 11:00 AM, with a parish member assigned to greet and accompany any first-time visitor. The parish office can be reached by phone or email for more information about the parish or Catholicism in general.
- Address: 2347 East 83rd Street, Cleveland, OH 44104-2198
- Phone: (216) 881-7647
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese of Cleveland parish page: dioceseofcleveland.org/parishes/directory/st-adalbert-parish-cleveland
- Parish page: stadalbertschool.net/about-us/parish/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John W. Malecha1888–1904
First resident pastor of St. Adalbert; died in office July 25, 1904. Sisters of Notre Dame took over the school in 1890 under his tenure.
- Rev. Ladislas Kloucek1904–1907
Succeeded Father Malecha; oversaw the early growth of the Bohemian congregation.
- Rev. John W. Becka1907–1943
Led the building campaign for the current Romanesque-style church at 2347 E. 83rd, completed 1912 at $50,000.
- Rev. Joseph M. Andel1943–
Previously assistant pastor at St. Procop Parish; arrived as Bohemian families began leaving the neighborhood.
- Rev. Francis M. Maruna1953–
Previously assistant pastor at St. John Nepomucene Parish; the parish school closed in 1946 during his era.
- Rev. Clarence A. Liederbach1955–1960
Previously assistant pastor at Holy Family Parish; Bishop Hoban celebrated the 75th anniversary Mass on April 20, 1958.
- Rev. Paul J. Hritz1960–1961
Administrator; professor at St. John College.
- Rev. Leonard Sudhoff1961–1965
First pastor of the merged St. Adalbert/Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish after the February 1961 consolidation.
- Rev. Frederick O'Brien1965–1970
Shared pastoral duties from June 1969 with Father Gene Wilson.
- Rev. Gene (Eugene) R. Wilson1970–1977
First African American ordained Catholic priest in Cleveland; first Black pastor in the Diocese of Cleveland; also eighth pastor of OLBS, 1969–1977. Developed lay leadership.
- Rev. Jerome Steinbrunner1978–1999
Long-serving pastor; Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament departed in 1985 during his tenure.
- Rev. Kenneth Pleiman1999–2010
Assigned July 1, 1999; led the parish until the diocesan closure of June 6, 2010.
- Rev. Gary D. Chmura2012–present
Named pastor July 2012 when St. Adalbert/OLBS reopened after Vatican appeal; celebrated the parish centennial with Bishop Malesic on April 24, 2022.