About St. Catherine · Lake Milton, Ohio
St. Catherine Church is a Catholic worship site located at 1254 Grandview Road in Lake Milton, Ohio, and is one of two church communities that together form Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in the Diocese of Youngstown. The church began in 1927 as a summer mission for Lake Milton cottage-goers, was raised to parish status by Bishop Emmet Walsh in 1956, and has been the Sunday-morning home of the parish ever since. In 2010 Bishop George Murry, SJ, merged St. Catherine with nearby St. James in North Jackson into today's Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, and the church now also collaborates with St. Mary/St. Joseph in Newton Falls under the umbrella Mahoning River Catholic Pastorate.
- Established
- 1927
- Patron
- St. Catherine
- Rector
- Rev. Zachary Coulter
- Diocese
- Diocese of Youngstown (Mahoning Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Catherine offers a small, family-sized Catholic community rooted in the lake country of northeast Ohio, with a weekly Sunday Mass, a Wednesday evening Mass and confessions before that midweek Mass. Parishioners share their time and musical talents, host a Fall Festival open to the wider community, run a monthly food pantry at the Yost Community Center, support the Giving Tree Christmas gift program, prepare bereavement dinners through the Women's Guild, and regularly volunteer at a St. Vincent de Paul meal site — concrete ways that belonging here reaches beyond the church walls.
Mass times at St. Catherine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:00 PM at St. Catherine Church
Parish Identity & Our Lady of the Lakes
St. Catherine Church in Lake Milton is one half of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, a Catholic community in the Diocese of Youngstown formed in 2010 by the merger of St. Catherine (Lake Milton) and St. James (North Jackson). The parish takes its name from the Blessed Mother and from the four lakes that frame the area — Lake Milton, Berlin Lake, the Michael J. Kirwan Reservoir at West Branch State Park, and Meander Creek Reservoir. St. Catherine is the Sunday-morning worship site, with its longtime tradition of a 9:00 AM Mass.
- Parish founded 2010 (merged); St. Catherine Church established 1956
- Diocese of Youngstown, Mahoning Deanery, Parish Code 134
- Worship site at 1254 Grandview Rd., Lake Milton, OH 44429
History of St. Catherine Church
St. Catherine was established in 1927 as a mission for summer cottage residents on Lake Milton and was open only from June through September. Year-round Catholics of the area had to travel to St. James Mission in North Jackson for Mass. In 1956 Bishop Emmet Walsh raised the mission to parish status, installed its first resident pastor, and began year-round Masses. A family center for CCD and parish socials followed in 1959, and the present red-brick church was dedicated by Bishop Walsh in 1963, replacing the older frame structure.
- 1927 — mission established at Lake Milton for summer residents
- 1956 — Bishop Walsh raises St. Catherine to parish status; first resident pastor
- 1959 — family center built for CCD classes and social events
- 1963 — new red-brick church dedicated by Bishop Walsh
The 2010 Merger & Walking Together
St. Catherine and St. James began collaborating formally in the 1990s through the Diocese of Youngstown's 'Walking Together' process, sharing offices, religious education and parish organizations. On the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, October 7, 2010, Bishop George Murry, SJ, officially merged the two communities into today's Our Lady of the Lakes Parish. Today they are joined in the wider Mahoning River Catholic Pastorate alongside St. Mary/St. Joseph Parish in Newton Falls.
- 1990s — joint offices, religious education, Men's Clubs, Ladies' Guilds and parish councils
- October 7, 2010 — Bishop Murry, SJ, merges the two parishes
- Forms part of the Mahoning River Catholic Pastorate with St. Mary/St. Joseph, Newton Falls
Mahoning River Catholic Pastorate
Our Lady of the Lakes Parish is part of the Mahoning River Catholic Pastorate, a collaboration of Catholic communities serving the greater regions of Newton Falls, North Jackson and Lake Milton. The pastorate operates three churches — St. Catherine (Lake Milton), St. James (North Jackson) and St. Joseph (Newton Falls) — across two parishes and coordinates religious formation, education and the sacramental life of the community as one.
- Three churches: St. Catherine (Lake Milton), St. James (North Jackson), St. Joseph (Newton Falls)
- Two parishes: Our Lady of the Lakes and St. Mary/St. Joseph (Newton Falls)
- Joint religious formation and sacramental coordination
Staff & Leadership
Our Lady of the Lakes Parish is led by Pastor Rev. Zachary Coulter. Music ministry at the parish is directed by Jaden Karr, and parish office operations are handled by Secretary Patty Pauscher. The combined parish office is located at St. James Church in North Jackson.
- Pastor: Rev. Zachary Coulter
- Music Director: Jaden Karr
- Secretary: Patty Pauscher
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Our Lady of the Lakes Parish offers a range of ministries that combine faith formation with hands-on service to neighbors. Parishioners share their time, talent and friendship in groups ranging from the Men's Club and Women's Guild (which prepares bereavement dinners) to a robust set of charitable outreach programs: the Yost Community Center Food Pantry distributes food on the third Saturday morning of each month, the Giving Tree provides Christmas gifts to children in need, and parishioners regularly volunteer at a St. Vincent de Paul meal site. The parish also hosts an annual Fall Festival open to the wider community.
- Yost Community Center Food Pantry — 3rd Saturday morning each month
- Giving Tree — Christmas gifts for needy children
- St. Vincent de Paul meal site — regular parishioner volunteers
- Women's Guild — bereavement dinners
- Men's Club
- Fall Festival — community event
- Music ministry
- Combined CCD / religious education with St. James
Visit & Contact
St. Catherine Church is located at 1254 Grandview Road, Lake Milton, Ohio 44429. The combined parish office, with Secretary Patty Pauscher, is at St. James Church, 50 Rosemont Rd., North Jackson, OH 44451, and is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The parish can be reached by phone at 330-538-2602 (office) or 330-654-4001 (St. Catherine residence) and by email at [email protected]. Current bulletins are posted on the parish website at ourladyotl.org.
- St. Catherine Church — 1254 Grandview Rd., Lake Milton, OH 44429
- Parish office — 50 Rosemont Rd., North Jackson, OH 44451
- Phone: 330-538-2602 (office) / 330-654-4001 (St. Catherine)
- Fax: 330-538-9580
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM