About St. Barbara · Cleveland, Ohio
St. Barbara Catholic Church (Polish: Parafia św. Barbary w Cleveland) is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Cleveland, Ohio, within the Diocese of Cleveland. Founded in 1905 in the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood — once known in Polish as 'Barbarowa' — the parish was built by Polish immigrants working in the tanneries, steel mills and factories along the Cuyahoga River. The red-brick church at 1505 Denison Avenue is a Cleveland Designated Landmark and remains a beacon of faith for the city's Polish-American community 120 years after its founding.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- St. Barbara
- Rector
- Rev. Jozef A. Bozek (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Barbara is one of Cleveland's living Polish-Catholic landmarks — a red-brick, stained-glass church that has welcomed three generations of immigrants and their descendants since 1905. Sunday Mass is offered in both English and Polish, and the parish still gathers for homecooked Polish meals and traditions like those celebrated at the December 2025 anniversary Mass with Bishop Malesic. Members describe it as 'a beacon of hope' for the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood, where the faith, customs and community life of Cleveland's Polish heritage are preserved and passed on.
Mass times at St. Barbara
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday (before Vigil Mass)
- Sunday (before Masses)
- Friday
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration offered — check parish schedule for current hours
History of St. Barbara Parish
Founded in 1905 by Polish immigrants working along the Cuyahoga River, St. Barbara grew to anchor a neighborhood known in Polish as 'Barbarowa.' After an 1915 fire destroyed the first church, a series of buildings followed on Denison Avenue, culminating in the present red-brick church dedicated in 1952.
- Parish established: 1905
- First church cornerstone laid: 1906
- First church destroyed by fire: 1915
- Second church built: 1916
- Rectory built: 1919
- Elementary school built: 1924
- Third church (school extension) added: 1925
- Current (fourth) church dedicated: July 13, 1952
- School demolished: 1979
The 2009–2012 Closure and Reopening
On March 14, 2009 Bishop Richard Lennon announced St. Barbara would be among 50 parishes closed in a diocesan reconfiguration. The last Mass was celebrated by Bishop Lennon on May 9, 2010. Parishioners appealed to Rome, and on March 7, 2012 the Congregation for the Clergy reversed the suppression. Bishop Lennon appointed Father Joseph Hilinski as pastor on June 27, 2012, and the first reopened Mass was celebrated on July 22, 2012.
- Closure announced: March 14, 2009
- Final Mass under suppression: May 9, 2010
- Vatican reversal of suppression: March 7, 2012
- Pastor appointed: June 27, 2012
- First reopened Mass: July 22, 2012
The Building and Architecture
The present church — the fourth on the Denison Avenue site — was designed by Cleveland architect Henry C. Gabele (1887–1958) and built in the Lombard round-arch style. Father Joseph S. Jarosz broke ground in July 1950 and Archbishop Hoban dedicated it on July 13, 1952. It seats about 650 people and features a 65-foot tower, stained-glass windows depicting the Seven Sacraments, and marble interior columns sculpted by Armando Battelli of Italy.
- Architect: Henry C. Gabele
- Style: Lombard round-arch
- Capacity: ~650
- Distinctive feature: 65-foot tower
- Distinctive feature: stained-glass windows of the Seven Sacraments
- Distinctive feature: marble columns by Armando Battelli
- Landmark status: Cleveland Designated Landmark (church, rectory and convent together)
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
The parish is currently administered by Father Jozef A. Bozek, with Father Joseph T. Hilinski serving as Pastor Emeritus after leading the parish through its 2012 reopening. At the December 6, 2025 anniversary Mass the clergy team was joined by Father Don Oleksiak, diocesan vicar general and moderator of the curia, as concelebrant alongside Bishop Edward Malesic.
- Parish Administrator: Rev. Jozef A. Bozek
- Pastor Emeritus: Rev. Joseph T. Hilinski
- Diocese: Cleveland (Diocese of Cleveland, Province of Cincinnati)
Polish Heritage and Community Life
St. Barbara has served Cleveland's Polish community for 120 years. Sunday Mass is offered in English at 9:00 AM and in Polish at 11:00 AM. Parish gatherings continue the community's cultural traditions — the 120th anniversary Mass in December 2025 was followed by a homecooked Polish meal and entertainment in the church hall. Lay organizations historically connected to the parish include the Brooklyn American Polish Civic Club (later the St. Joseph Lodge and the Merrymen's Club).
- Sunday Mass in English and Polish
- 120th anniversary celebrated December 6, 2025 with Bishop Edward Malesic
- Annual Polish community meal traditions
- Historic parish organizations: Brooklyn American Polish Civic Club, St. Joseph Lodge, Merrymen's Club
Location and Visiting
St. Barbara sits in Cleveland's Brooklyn Centre neighborhood at 1505 Denison Avenue, near the Denison-Harvard exit of the Jennings Freeway (SR 176). The complex of church, rectory and convent is a Cleveland Designated Landmark and a GNIS-named feature.
- Address: 1505 Denison Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44109-2890
- Phone: (216) 661-1191
- Fax: (216) 661-1148
- Vicinity: Denison-Harvard exit of the Jennings Freeway (SR 176)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Julius Paczus1908–1909
- Fr. Joseph P. Kocinski1909–1909
- Fr. Camillus Sierputowski1909–1910
- Fr. Thomas Krakowiak1910
- Fr. Paul Koszyk1910–1911
- Fr. Paul Szulerecki1911–1918
- Fr. John Zeglen1918–1922
- Fr. John Solinski1922–1927
- Fr. Leo A. Sztupek1927–1929
- Fr. Joseph Jarosz1929–1970
Broke ground for the present church in July 1950; Archbishop Hoban dedicated it on July 13, 1952.
- Chester C. Cudnik1970–1997
Then Pastor Emeritus.
- Fr. Michael S. Dyrcz1997–2007
Administrator.
- Fr. Lucjan Stokowski2007–2010
Administrator at the time of the 2010 closure.
- Fr. Joseph T. Hilinski2012–
Appointed pastor by Bishop Lennon on June 27, 2012; led the parish's reopening. Now Pastor Emeritus.
- Fr. Jozef A. Bozekcurrent
Parish Administrator; led the parish into its 120th anniversary in 2025.