About St. Ambrose · Little Hocking, Ohio
St. Ambrose Catholic Church is a small parish in Little Hocking, Ohio, located in Washington County along the Ohio River near Belpre and Parkersburg. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Steubenville and currently serves its community under the pastoral care of Father David Huffman. It offers a traditional English-language schedule of weekend and daily Masses, Saturday Confessions, and active lay organizations including the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Women's Club, along with use of the nearby Sacred Heart Retreat House.
- Established
- 1992
- Patron
- St. Ambrose of Milan
- Rector
- Father David Huffman
- Diocese
- Diocese of Steubenville
Why belong here
St. Ambrose offers a close-knit Catholic community in the Mid-Ohio Valley where parishioners can join in a full weekly schedule of Masses, weekly Confession, and active lay fellowship. Its three weekend Masses and weekday devotions make daily prayer accessible, and its lay organizations — the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Women's Club, and the Sacred Heart Retreat House — give men, women, and families concrete ways to live their faith together. The parish's welcome page invites visitors, new residents, and returning Catholics alike, describing the church as a place 'where God gathers with us to nourish us, strengthen us and console us with His Word and His Sacraments.'
Mass times at St. Ambrose
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:10 PM – 4:40 PM
- First Sunday of the month 9:10 AM – 9:40 AM
- Other times by appointment with Fr. Huffman
Adoration times
- Not listed on the parish website
Welcome to St. Ambrose Parish
The home page of stambroseohio.org extends 'a cordial welcome' to Saint Ambrose Parish and notes that the parish building is a place 'set aside for prayer, education, and social functions and is a gift to the honor and glory of God.' Visitors are invited into Mass and into the life of the community. The parish's prayer over those who enter is that 'God gathers with us to nourish us, strengthen us and console us with His Word and His Sacraments.'
History: A 1992 Consolidation of Two Older Parishes
According to the Diocese of Steubenville's official list of closed parishes and missions, St. Ambrose in Little Hocking was created in 1992 by merging St. Ambrose, Belpre (Washington County; founded and completed 1939) with St. Ambrose, Vincent (Washington County; founded 1894, dedicated 1895). Records of both predecessor parishes are held at the Diocesan Archives. GCatholic likewise dates the parish's history to 1939 — the founding year of the Belpre predecessor that is now part of the consolidated Little Hocking community.
- St. Ambrose, Vincent — founded 1894, dedicated 1895; consolidated 1992
- St. Ambrose, Belpre — founded and built 1939; consolidated 1992
- St. Ambrose, Little Hocking — consolidated parish formed in 1992
Our Patron Saint: St. Ambrose of Milan
St. Ambrose (c. 340 – 397), Bishop of Milan, is the parish's patron. The parish's patron-saint page recounts his remarkable life: a successful lawyer and Roman governor of Milan who was suddenly acclaimed bishop by the people, though he was not yet baptized. After his forced ordination he gave his estate to the poor and placed himself under the instruction of St. Simplician to learn Scripture and theology. The page also records his famous stand against the Arian Empress Justina, when imperial troops besieged his basilica and he taught the frightened crowd to sing his own composed hymns — 'our first record of communal singing in church,' as the site notes — and the soldiers outside eventually joined in. The site highlights his care for captives and the poor, his diplomatic mission to the usurper Maximus, and his death in 397. His memorial is celebrated on December 7, the date of his episcopal ordination.
- Feast day: December 7
- Credited with introducing alternating congregational singing in the liturgy
- Known for ransoming captives and giving church gold to the poor
- Praised by parishioners as warm, approachable shepherd after St. Ambrose's namesake
Pastoral Leadership
The parish is currently served by Father David Huffman. Father Huffman's name appears directly on the parish's Confession instructions ('Call Fr. Huffman to make an appoint[ment] for other times'), and local reporting from WTAP (May 2025) and the Marietta Times / Parkersburg News and Sentinel (February 2026) confirm him as the priest of St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Little Hocking, presiding at Mass and conferring ashes on Ash Wednesday, and offering commentary on the papal conclave.
- Father David Huffman — Pastor
Parish Ministries and Organizations
The home page of the parish highlights a small but active set of lay organizations. These are the men and women's groups that show up as featured cards on stambroseohio.org and represent the parish's outward communal life beyond the sanctuary.
- Knights of Columbus — Catholic men's fraternal organization
- Catholic Women's Club — fellowship and service for the women of the parish
- Sacred Heart Retreat House — retreat ministry
- Upcoming Events — parish calendar of seasonal gatherings
Sacraments and Faith Life
Beyond Mass and Confession, St. Ambrose prepares parishioners for and celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments. The parish website invites anyone seeking Baptisms, weddings, First Communion, Confirmation preparation, Anointing of the Sick, or other pastoral rites to contact the parish office by phone or email.
- Sunday and weekday Eucharist
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturday and First Sunday, plus by appointment
- Baptism, Marriage, First Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick — contact the office
Visit, Contact, and Find the Church
The church sits at 5080 School House Road in Little Hocking, with the parish secretary reachable at the published phone and email. Mass times and directions are linked from the home page and the Mass Schedule page.
- Address: 5080 School House Road, Little Hocking, OH 45742
- Phone: (740) 423-7422
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stambroseohio.org/
- Located off Route 339 on Route 50 (per Discover Mass)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father David Huffman
Current pastor, regularly referenced in 2025–2026 local reporting and on the parish site.