About St. Augustine · Cleveland, Ohio
St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church is a historic parish in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood, founded in 1860 to serve Irish Catholic families who had moved from St. Patrick's (Bridge Avenue). Over more than 165 years it has welcomed successive immigrant communities — German, Hispanic, and others — and has become a diocesan center for ministry with the Deaf (since 1964), the Blind, persons with mental illness, and persons with disabilities. From the same 2486 West 14th Street campus, the parish operates the St. Augustine Hunger Center and a broad outreach program that has long made St. Augustine known throughout the Diocese of Cleveland as 'a Samaritan Church with a Missionary Heart.'
- Established
- 1860
- Patron
- St. Augustine of Hippo
- Rector
- Rev. James M. Roach (Presbyteral Moderator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Augustine is one of Cleveland's most welcoming parishes — its mission statement, on the front page of the parish website, invites 'no matter what your present status is in the Catholic Church, no matter your personal history, age, income, background, gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, spirituality, or marital situation.' Worshippers can pray alongside one of the largest Catholic Deaf communities in the country at the fully signed 11:00 AM Sunday Mass, and the parish maintains dedicated ministries for the Blind, persons with mental illness (LINKS Cleveland), and persons with disabilities, alongside the daily-meal St. Augustine Hunger Center and parish St. Vincent de Paul conference serving Tremont and greater Cleveland. Masses are celebrated in the historic 1896 Victorian Gothic church building, and Sunday bulletins and livestream are published online so even those who cannot attend can stay connected.
Mass times at St. Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM
- By appointment
About St. Augustine Parish
St. Augustine is a Roman Catholic parish in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1860 and part of the Diocese of Cleveland. Its mission statement, repeated on the home page of staugustinecleveland.org, reads: 'We are a community that glorifies God through our living out the Gospel challenge,' and welcomes everyone 'no matter what your present status is in the Catholic Church, no matter your personal history, age, income, background, gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, spirituality, or marital situation.' The parish describes itself as 'a Samaritan Church with a Missionary Heart.' Its vision is 'to be a community where all of God's children feel loved, respected, and accepted,' and its daily work is to 'live out the Gospel challenge to share the love and message of God to all in word and deed.'
- Founded 1860 in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood
- Diocese of Cleveland
- Address: 2486 West 14th Street, Cleveland, OH 44113
- Phone: (216) 781-5530 | Fax: (216) 781-1124
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Welcoming statement explicitly extends to all people regardless of background, ability, or station in life
Our History
St. Augustine Parish traces its beginning to 1860, when Bishop Amadeus Rappe purchased a lot at Tremont and Jefferson Streets and built a small frame church as a mission of St. Patrick's Parish (Bridge Avenue) for the Irish families settling Cleveland's South Side. The mission became a parish in February 1867 with Rev. Charles A. Grandmougin as its first resident pastor. As the neighborhood outgrew the frame church, the parish purchased the 1865–1870 Pilgrim Congregational Church at West 14th and Howard in December 1895 and rededicated it for Catholic worship on April 26, 1896; a rectory, brick school and Sisters' convent followed on the new site in 1904, 1907 and 1911. The Great Depression and postwar suburban flight brought decades of decline, but in February 1964 the parish welcomed the Catholic Deaf Community, in the early 1970s the Catholic Blind Community, and in 1991 persons with mental illness through LINKS Cleveland.
- 1860 — Mission begun; Bishop Rappe buys lot and frames a small church at Tremont & Jefferson
- 1867 — Mission becomes a parish; Rev. Charles A. Grandmougin first resident pastor (d. 1871 of smallpox)
- 1895 — Parish purchases Pilgrim Congregational Church (built 1865–1870, designed by J. M. Blackburn) for $20,000
- 1896 (April 26) — Remodeled church rededicated for Catholic worship
- 1904 — Rectory built on Jennings Avenue (W. 14th)
- 1907–08 — Fireproof brick school built at rear
- 1911 — House purchased for the Sisters
- 1964 (February 27) — Father John Wilson appointed Administrator; Catholic Deaf Community welcomed
- Early 1970s — Catholic Blind Community joins under Father John Krasen
- 1973 — St. Vincent de Paul conference reorganized
- 1975 — Holiday meal program begins (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter)
- 1976 — Weekly soup program begins (later grows into daily meals)
- 1977 — Father Joseph McNulty becomes pastor and chaplain to the Blind
- 1991 — LINKS Cleveland founded at the parish for persons with mental illness
- 1996 (October) — Parish celebrates 100th anniversary at the West 14th Street building
Ministers and Staff
Pastoral leadership is currently shared between a Presbyteral Moderator, a Parochial Vicar who is also Chaplain to the Deaf, Blind and Persons with Mental Illness, a Permanent Deacon in the role of Pastoral Associate/Outreach Coordinator, and a lay Parish Life Coordinator. The Parochial Vicar is Rev. Benjamin Jimenez, SJ (ordained June 8, 2001). The Presbyteral Moderator is Rev. James M. Roach. Deacon Christopher DePenti was ordained May 4, 2019 and serves the parish and the outreach ministry. Bob Duda was appointed Parish Life Coordinator by Bishop Malesic on September 15, 2025 to oversee the parish's daily operations, administrative responsibilities and non-sacramental ministries.
- Rev. James M. Roach — Presbyteral Moderator
- Rev. Benjamin Jimenez, SJ — Parochial Vicar; Chaplain to the Deaf, Blind and Persons with Mental Illness
- Deacon Christopher DePenti — Pastoral Associate; Outreach Coordinator
- Bob Duda — Parish Life Coordinator
- Maria Boyer — Outreach Coordinator
- Robin McMarlin — Deaf Access Coordinator
- Jessica Neuhart — Religious Education and Programs for Children
- Trinity Goff — Director of Music
- Dale Bralley — Parish Finance Manager
- Mandy Harris — Receptionist
Pastoral History
Diocesan and parish histories record the succession of leaders who shaped St. Augustine from its first resident pastor through more than 160 years of ministry, including several figures whose work defined the parish's identity: Father Grandmougin, who built the parish plant and died on a sick call in 1871; Father O'Connor, who purchased the present church building in 1895; Father Wilson, who welcomed the Deaf Community in 1964; and Father Joseph McNulty, who served the parish for 49 years — 43 as pastor — and helped integrate ministries to the Deaf, Blind, mentally ill and developmentally disabled into parish life.
- Rev. Charles A. Grandmougin, 1867–1871 — first resident pastor; died of smallpox
- Rev. John O'Connor, 1890s — purchased present church in Dec. 1895
- Rev. Francis Collins — Depression-era collections for the poor
- Rev. William Walsh — kept parish afloat with a famous bingo game
- Rev. John Wilson, appointed 1964 — welcomed Catholic Deaf Community
- Rev. Thomas Sebian — early Hispanic ministry; later El Salvador mission
- Rev. John Krasen, early 1970s — chaplain to Catholic Blind Community
- Rev. Joseph McNulty, 1977–2021 — 43 years as pastor; led deaf/blind/disabled ministry
Ministry to the Deaf (since 1964)
The Catholic Deaf Community has called St. Augustine home since 1964, making it one of the oldest such Catholic centers in the country. A sign-language interpreter provides service at the Saturday 4:15 PM Vigil Mass and at the Sunday 8:30 AM Mass; the Sunday 11:00 AM Mass is fully signed, with the celebrant signing, deaf lectors, deaf responders, deaf extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and the St. Augustine Signing Choir. The Catholic Deaf Center and Community also gathers weekly after Sunday Mass for fellowship, with retreats and additional spiritual events throughout the year. The parish also offers free sign-language classes year-round, interpreter services for religious and community events, and groups including St. Augustine Buckeye Deaf Seniors (twice a month) and Mary's Rosary Guild of the Deaf (monthly).
- Interpreting at Saturday Vigil (4:15 PM) and Sunday 8:30 AM Masses
- Fully signed Sunday 11:00 AM Mass — celebrant, lectors, responders, EMHCs and signing choir all signing
- Catholic Deaf Center fellowship weekly after Sunday Mass
- St. Augustine Buckeye Deaf Seniors — twice a month
- Mary's Rosary Guild of the Deaf — monthly
- St. Augustine Signing Choir — open to deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing members; no prior ASL required
- Free sign language classes year-round
- Sign language interpreter services for religious and community events
Ministry to the Blind and Mental Health Ministry
Two of the parish's signature inclusion ministries. The Catholic Blind Community came to St. Augustine in the early 1970s under Father John Krasen and was formally folded into parish life after Father Joseph McNulty became their chaplain and pastor of St. Augustine in 1977. In 1991, St. Augustine also became the spiritual home and social gathering place for persons with mental illness: LINKS Cleveland, a ministry of the parish, provides a social gathering place two times a week with the vision of giving consumers opportunities for social, recreational, educational and personal-growth experiences. (The current parochial vicar, Rev. Benjamin Jimenez, SJ, is also Chaplain to the Deaf, Blind and Persons with Mental Illness.)
- Catholic Blind Community — joined St. Augustine in the early 1970s
- Chaplain to the Blind — Rev. Benjamin Jimenez, SJ
- LINKS Cleveland — twice-weekly social gathering for persons with mental illness (since 1991)
- Chaplain to Persons with Mental Illness — Rev. Benjamin Jimenez, SJ
Outreach to the Poor — The St. Augustine Hunger Center & SVdP
St. Augustine's outreach to the poor began with the reorganization of its St. Vincent de Paul conference in 1973, and grew with the parish's holiday meal program (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners, since 1975) and the weekly soup program that started in 1976 — the latter has since expanded into a daily meal program that gives extra attention to the last two weeks of each month, when need is greatest. These ministries today operate through the St. Augustine Center, which also provides clothing, utility and rental assistance, crisis ministry and advocacy. Outreach to the poor is coordinated by Outreach Coordinator Maria Boyer, with Deacon Christopher DePenti serving in the same capacity and Bob Duda leading parish operations.
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference (reorganized 1973)
- Holiday meal program — Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter (since 1975)
- Daily meal program (since 1976, expanded from a weekly soup kitchen)
- Clothing, utility and rental assistance
- Crisis ministry and advocacy
- Outreach Coordinator: Maria Boyer
Parish Life, Faith Formation & Music
Beyond its signature inclusion ministries, the parish supports a Religious Education and Programs for Children program (led by Jessica Neuhart), a Music Ministry directed by Trinity Goff, an active Seniors group ('St. Augustine Seniors'), and a community group known as the 'St. Augustine Powerdawgs.' Religious Education contact: (216) 781-5530 ext. 23 / (216) 539-5957 Direct / [email protected]. Music contact: (216) 781-5530 / [email protected].
- Religious Education and Programs for Children — Jessica Neuhart
- Music Ministry / Director of Music — Trinity Goff
- St. Augustine Seniors
- St. Augustine Powerdawgs
Visit, Contact & Stay Connected
The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Visitors are encouraged to call (216) 781-5530, fax (216) 781-1124, email individual staff members (using the @staugustinecleveland.org addresses listed above), or stop by 2486 West 14th Street, Cleveland, OH 44113. The parish publishes a weekly bulletin and livestreams Mass on its website so that parishioners who cannot attend in person can stay connected (see the /bulletin and /livestream pages at staugustinecleveland.org). Holy Day and Civic Holiday Mass schedules are announced in the bulletin.
- Phone: (216) 781-5530
- Fax: (216) 781-1124
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Address: 2486 West 14th Street, Cleveland, OH 44113
- Bulletin: staugustinecleveland.org/bulletin
- Livestream: staugustinecleveland.org/livestream
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles A. Grandmougin1867–1871
First resident pastor; built the rectory, opened a school in the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph, enlarged the frame church. Died of smallpox contracted on a sick call on November 20, 1871.
- Rev. John O'Connor1890s
Purchased the former Pilgrim Congregational Church on W. 14th for $20,000 in December 1895; the renovated church was dedicated April 26, 1896.
- Rev. Francis CollinsDepression era
Organized special collections for the needy during the Great Depression.
- Rev. William Walsh
Succeeded Father Collins; kept the parish financially afloat through fund-raisers including a city-famous bingo game.
- Rev. John Wilsonappointed 1964
Appointed Administrator (rather than pastor) on February 27, 1964, the month St. Augustine lost territory to St. Emeric and closed its school. Welcomed the Catholic Deaf Community that same year.
- Rev. Thomas Sebian
Left St. Augustine for the new Diocesan Mission Team in El Salvador; had begun the Hispanic ministry at the parish.
- Rev. John Krasenearly 1970s
Chaplain to the Catholic Blind Community when it came to St. Augustine.
- Rev. Joseph McNulty1977–2021
Chaplain to the Catholic Blind Community and Pastor of St. Augustine for 43 years (49 years total at the parish), also longtime director of the diocesan deaf apostolate through Catholic Charities. Took American Sign Language classes to embrace the deaf ministry; retired in 2021.