About St. Aloysius on-the-Ohio · Cincinnati, Ohio
St. Aloysius on the Ohio (locally known as "St. Al's") is a Roman Catholic parish in the Sayler Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, perched near the banks of the Ohio River. Founded in 1868 by German-American Catholics from Our Lady of Victory Parish in Delhi Township, the parish is named after St. Aloysius Gonzaga and is part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Today it is one of five parishes in the Mary, Queen of All Saints Family of Parishes (SW-3) and remains a close-knit, faith-driven community on Cincinnati's west side.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- St. Aloysius Gonzaga
- Rector
- Father Benedict D. O'Cinnsealaigh
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. Aloysius on the Ohio is a small, faith-driven parish that prides itself on being "one of the most pleasant parishes on the westside." Parishioners describe it as a quaint, nostalgic community where people of diverse interests are united in faith. The parish offers a complete sacramental life — daily and weekend Masses, Saturday confession, Eucharistic Adoration, a Rosary before weekday Masses, and ministries ranging from lectoring and altar serving to a Bereavement Committee, St. Al's Angels (emergency response), and weekly Communion to the shut-ins. As part of the Mary, Queen of All Saints Family of Parishes, St. Al's also shares Catholic-grade-school faith formation (PSR) and RCIA opportunities with neighboring St. Simon the Apostle.
Mass times at St. Aloysius on-the-Ohio
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM
About St. Aloysius on the Ohio
St. Aloysius on the Ohio (locally 'St. Al's') is a Roman Catholic parish in the Sayler Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, named after St. Aloysius Gonzaga and located near the banks of the Ohio River. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and, since July 2022, belongs to the Mary, Queen of All Saints Family of Parishes (SW-3). The parish's own mission statement reads: 'a Roman Catholic parish seeking to proclaim and live the Gospel message of Jesus. We are people of diverse interests united in our faith. We seek to serve local, national and world needs. In our worship we seek to experience God personally and as a faith community. We challenge ourselves and others to follow Christ more completely and to build up His community.'
- Patron: St. Aloysius Gonzaga (feast day June 21)
- Founded 1868 by German-American Catholics from Our Lady of Victory, Delhi Township
- Located at 6218 Portage St., Sayler Park, Cincinnati, OH 45233
- Part of the Mary, Queen of All Saints Family of Parishes (SW-3), Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Parish History
The parish traces its roots to 1868, when German-American Catholic families in Lower Delhi built a one-room schoolhouse, soon followed by an adjoining church dedicated June 29, 1873. A larger church was dedicated in 1888, the school moved into the old church building, and the Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg arrived in 1890 to teach. A new school building opened in 1906, the original church was torn down in 1916, and the 150-foot steeple came down in 1923. The parish's four remaining historic buildings — church, school, rectory, and convent — were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014, but the parish school itself closed in 2018 due to declining enrollment.
- 1868 – one-room schoolhouse built in Lower Delhi
- 1873 – first church dedicated (June 29)
- 1888 – new church dedicated (October 28)
- 1890 – Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg begin teaching
- 1898 – rectory added
- 1906 – current school building opens (June 3)
- 1923 – 150-foot steeple removed
- 2014 – church, school, rectory added to National Register of Historic Places
- 2018 – parish school closes (May 24)
- 2022 – joins Mary, Queen of All Saints Family of Parishes
Parish Staff & Clergy
Since July 2022 St. Aloysius on the Ohio has been served by the pastoral team of the Mary, Queen of All Saints Family of Parishes. Father Benedict D. O'Cinnsealaigh, a Dublin-born priest formerly president/rector of the Athenaeum of Ohio and Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West, serves as pastor, with Father Michael L. Cordier and Father Christopher Lack as parochial vicars and Father Alex Dugas appointed parochial vicar with part-time studies in Canon Law. On the parish side, Charlie DeZarn serves as Business Manager and a long roster of lay leaders coordinates ministries from music to bereavement.
- Pastor: Father Benedict D. O'Cinnsealaigh
- Parochial Vicar: Father Michael L. Cordier
- Parochial Vicar: Father Christopher Lack
- Parochial Vicar: Father Alex Dugas
- Business Manager: Charlie DeZarn
- Music Director: Elaina McCormick
- Sacristan / Votive Candles: Connie Nanney
- Office contact: Cindy Delaney, 513-941-3445 ext. 3
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for the full range of Catholic sacraments. Children preparing for First Communion, Reconciliation, or Confirmation are required by the Mary, Queen of All Saints policy to attend religious-education classes the year before and the year of their reception. Adults seeking initiation enter through the parish RCIA process, with inquiry sessions held each fall.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation & First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage (contact parish office)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Communion to the Shut-Ins (weekly; contact Ben Schmidt 513-941-2107 or Mike Klapper 513-484-8049)
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) — inquiry sessions each fall
Parish Ministries & Getting Involved
The parish's 'Getting Involved' page lists more than twenty active lay ministries — from liturgical roles like lectors, altar servers, and Eucharistic ministers to pastoral-care ministries such as Communion to the Shut-Ins, Hospital Visitations, St. Al's Angels, and the Bereavement Committee. Practical volunteer crews handle the church grounds (Landscape Crew), building repairs (Parish Carpenter and Electrician), counting the collection, and supporting the SAOTO Alumni Association. The Music Director, Elaina McCormick, coordinates music for weekend liturgies.
- Lectors (Lin Jung, [email protected] / 513-607-8709)
- Communion Distributors (Diane Schuster, 513-941-4488)
- Altar Servers – grades 5–8 and HS/adult families (Ben Schmidt, 513-941-2107)
- Music Director: Elaina McCormick
- Ushers
- St. Al's Angels (emergency response)
- Communion to Shut-Ins
- Hospital Visitations
- Prayer Chain (Cathy Meyer, 513-941-4435)
- Bereavement Committee
- Caring & Sharing (Ben Schmidt, 513-941-2107)
- Landscape Crew, Parish Carpenter, Parish Electrician
- Collection Counters, Christmas Tree/Donations
- SAOTO Alumni Association
Faith Formation: PSR & RCIA
Parish School of Religion (PSR) classes — part of the Mary, Queen of All Saints program — meet two Sundays a month at St. Simon's Plagge Hall from 9:00 to 10:45 AM, September through mid-May, with families encouraged to attend the 11:00 AM Mass right after class. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) provides a structured path for adults seeking to become Catholic, with inquiry sessions held in the fall.
- Mary, Queen of All Saints Parish School of Religion (PSR) – grades 1–8
- Classes: 9:00–10:45 AM, two Sundays a month at St. Simon Plagge Hall
- Tuition: $75/student MQAS parishioners ($200 family max); $100 out-of-parish
- Registration deadline: September 1
- RCIA inquiry sessions held each fall — call 513-941-3445
Parish School (closed)
St. Aloysius on-the-Ohio School served the parish from the late 19th century and, before closing in 2018, offered Pre-K and Kindergarten through Grade 8 on the same Portage Street campus. At its peak in recent years the school enrolled roughly 94 students with a tuition around $3,179, known for a low student-to-teacher ratio, faith-based academics, Accelerated Reader, athletics, art, music, and a computer learning center. The school building was soundproofed and air-conditioned in 2006 at the expense of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Although the school closed May 24, 2018, the historic school building remains part of the National Register-listed St. Aloysius campus.
- Grades served before closure: Pre-K, K, and 1–8
- Enrollment at recent peak: ~94 students
- Located at 6207 Portage Street, Cincinnati, OH 45233
- Phone (historic): 513-941-7831
- Closed May 24, 2018 due to declining enrollment
Architecture & Historic Designation
The St. Aloysius campus combines Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival architecture, designed by architects Adolphus Druiding and Fred Drucker, Jr. The complex — encompassing the church, school, rectory, and convent — was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 23, 2014 (NRHP reference No. 14001075), recognized for its locally significant architecture.
- Architects: Adolphus Druiding and Fred Drucker, Jr.
- Styles: Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival
- National Register listing: December 23, 2014
- NRHP reference No. 14001075
- Buildings: church, school, rectory, convent
Parish Family: Mary, Queen of All Saints (SW-3)
Since July 1, 2022, St. Aloysius on the Ohio has been part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's 'Mary, Queen of All Saints' Family of Parishes in the Southwest Deanery (SW-3). The family brings together five parishes — St. Aloysius on the Ohio, St. Simon the Apostle, Our Lady of Victory (Delhi Township), St. Dominic (Delhi), and St. Vincent de Paul (Cincinnati) — under a single pastoral team led by Father Benedict D. O'Cinnsealaigh.
- Family name: Mary, Queen of All Saints
- Designation: Southwest Deanery, Family 3 (SW-3)
- Sister parishes: St. Simon the Apostle, Our Lady of Victory, St. Dominic, St. Vincent de Paul
- Family pastor: Father Benedict D. O'Cinnsealaigh
- Parochial vicars: Father Michael L. Cordier, Father Christopher Lack, Father Alex Dugas
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
The church itself stands at 6218 Portage St., Cincinnati, OH 45233, in the Sayler Park neighborhood along the Ohio River. Day-to-day parish operations — including phone, mail, and the parish office — are run out of the St. Simon office at 825 Pontius Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45233, which is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Online giving is available through WeShare, including scheduled weekly donations and special collections for Catholic Relief Services, Respect Life, the Campaign for Human Development, Peter's Pence, CISE, CMA, and Mission Sunday.
- Church address: 6218 Portage St., Cincinnati, OH 45233
- Mailing / office address: 825 Pontius Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45233
- Phone: 513-941-3656
- Office hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri — 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
- Online giving: WeShare (weekly, recurring, and special collections)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Bryan T. Reif
Immediate past pastor of St. Simon the Apostle & St. Aloysius on the Ohio; assignment ended summer 2022.
- Father Raymond G. Wiemeyer
Former pastor of St. Aloysius on-the-Ohio (also served St. Matthias, Cincinnati); ordained 1952, retired 1993, died 2010.
- Father Benedict D. O'Cinnsealaigh2022–present
Current pastor of the Mary, Queen of All Saints Family of Parishes (SW-3); previously president/rector of the Athenaeum of Ohio and Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West (2011–2018); originally from Dublin, Ireland; ordained 1993.