About St. Cyprian · Perry, Ohio
St. Cyprian Roman Catholic Parish is a small, family-oriented Catholic community located at 4223 Middle Ridge Road in Perry, Ohio, in the Lake and Geauga County region of the Diocese of Cleveland. Established in 1968, the parish is served today by Fr. George Kusy and reaches out to embrace all within the community in imitation of the Holy Family. Worship includes a Saturday Vigil Mass, two Sunday Masses, and weekday Masses, and the parish also livestreams its Sunday celebration online for those who cannot attend in person.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- St. Cyprian of Carthage (Bishop and Martyr, c. 200–258)
- Rector
- Fr. George Kusy
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland (Lake and Geauga Counties deanery)
Why belong here
St. Cyprian is a welcoming, family-centered parish where members know one another by name, and the parish mission explicitly emphasizes embracing all within the community in imitation of the Holy Family. Children grow in faith through the Parish School of Religion (PSR) and OCIA programs, adults deepen their prayer life through devotions like the Fatima Prayer and a Rosary for our Country, and men can join the parish's own Knights of Columbus Council #15736. Regular parish traditions — the International Food Festival, Family Breakfasts, Vacation Bible School, Pro-Life Bake Sales, and a parish blood drive — build the kind of community where new families can quickly feel at home.
Mass times at St. Cyprian
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
About St. Cyprian Parish
St. Cyprian Roman Catholic Parish is a community of believers inspired by the Holy Spirit, located at 4223 Middle Ridge Road in Perry, Ohio. Founded in 1968, the parish serves the Catholic faithful of Perry and surrounding areas in the Lake and Geauga County region of the Diocese of Cleveland. The parish mission statement calls members to serve each other's spiritual and temporal needs, to reach out in Christ's love to embrace and accept all within the community, and to encourage family unity after the pattern of the Holy Family. Visitors and new parishioners are warmly welcomed, and the parish office is open several mornings during the week.
- Motto / Mission: A Christian community inspired by the Holy Spirit, embracing all and imitating the Holy Family.
- Part of the Diocese of Cleveland (Lake and Geauga Counties).
- Year established: 1968.
History of the Parish
St. Cyprian was founded in 1968 to serve the growing Catholic population in and around Perry, Ohio. The story of those early years — the procurement of land, the building of the church, and the people who made it happen — was captured in 1992 in the commemorative book A Nursery of Faith in the Perry Community, co-authored by Father Alexander and long-time parishioner and parish historian Mary Louise Platko. Mary, who was present at the parish's founding, went on to serve as Eucharistic Minister of Communion, Parish Council member (1994–2018), and historian. Copies of her related book, A Little Bit of Perry History, are kept in the parish sacristy for interested readers. The parish continues today as a tight-knit faith community that has hosted a pastoral visit by the Bishop of Cleveland and maintains active religious education and service organizations.
- 1968 — Parish founded.
- 1992 — Publication of A Nursery of Faith in the Perry Community by Father Alexander and Mary Platko.
- 1992–present — Mary Platko serves as parish historian.
- 1994–2018 — Mary Platko serves on Parish Council.
- June 24, 2021 — Bishop Malesic makes a pastoral visit to the parish.
Parish Office
The parish office is staffed by Parish Secretary Kelly Krause and is open mornings on weekdays with a slightly extended window on Monday. The office can be reached at (440) 259-2344. The parish email address is [email protected].
- Monday: 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM
- Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 10:00 AM
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Friday: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Parish Secretary: Kelly Krause — [email protected]
Clergy and Staff
St. Cyprian is served by a small, dedicated team of clergy and lay staff. Fr. George Kusy is the pastor, and two deacons assist with liturgical and pastoral ministry, including a retired deacon who continues to be listed among the parish's ministry team. The Parish School of Religion (PSR) is led by a coordinator, and the parish office is staffed by a parish secretary.
- Pastor: Fr. George Kusy
- Deacon: James F. Daley Jr.
- Deacon (Retired): Andrew J. Novak
- Coordinator of PSR: Yih-ting Merk ([email protected])
- Parish Secretary: Kelly Krause ([email protected])
Parish School of Religion (PSR) and OCIA
Faith formation for children and adults is centered on the Parish School of Religion (PSR), which meets on Monday evenings during the school year and is staffed by volunteer catechists alongside the Coordinator of PSR. Parents are recognized as the primary educators of their children, with the parish family supporting them through sound catechetical programming, First Reconciliation/First Eucharist preparation, and Confirmation preparation. Adults preparing for full initiation into the Catholic Church meet through the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program, also held on Monday evenings.
- PSR — All grades meet Mondays, 6:15–7:30 PM
- First Reconciliation / First Eucharist preparation and important dates
- Confirmation preparation and important dates
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Monday evenings, 6:15–7:30 PM
- Contact: Yih-ting Merk, Coordinator of PSR — [email protected]; PSR office: (440) 259-2344, press 6
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church and provides clear guidance for parishioners seeking each. Baptisms are normally celebrated at noon on Sundays following preparation and a required pre-Baptismal class. Couples preparing for Marriage are asked to contact the Rectory at least six months before the proposed wedding date. The parish also ministers to the sick, the homebound, and the bereaved, bringing Holy Communion to those unable to attend Mass and coordinating funeral arrangements through the Rectory.
- Baptism — Sundays at noon; pre-Baptismal class required; arrangements at the Rectory.
- Marriage — Register at the Rectory by phone or appointment; minimum six months' notice.
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist — Through PSR.
- Confirmation — Through PSR.
- Anointing of the Sick / Sick Calls — Call the Rectory.
- Funerals — Arrange at the Rectory before any newspaper publication.
- Communion for the homebound — Available upon request; call the Rectory.
Ministries and Organizations
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, St. Cyprian supports a variety of parish ministries and organizations that build community and put faith into action. The parish council is the governing body guided by a published constitution, while the Knights of Columbus Council #15736 carries out the Catholic men's fraternal mission of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. Devotional and family-friendly ministries — including the Fatima Prayer, a Rosary for our Country, Children's Liturgy of the Word, and Eucharistic Ministers of Communion — round out the parish's spiritual life.
- Parish Council (with published Constitution)
- Knights of Columbus Council #15736
- Eucharistic Ministers of Communion
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Fatima Prayer gatherings
- Rosary for our Country
Parish Events and Community Life
St. Cyprian maintains a busy calendar of parish events that brings parishioners together across generations, from a Vacation Bible School for children and a Family Breakfast after Sunday Mass, to community-wide celebrations like the International Food Festival, a parish Blood Drive, and a Pro-Life Bake Sale after all Masses. Recurring devotional gatherings such as the Fatima Prayer and Rosary for our Country, along with seasonal liturgical celebrations like First Communion and a Children's Liturgy of the Word, anchor the parish year.
- Vacation Bible School (e.g., June 22–26)
- International Food Festival (e.g., June 14, noon–3 PM)
- Parish Blood Drive (e.g., June 11, 1–6 PM)
- Family Breakfast after 9:00 AM Mass (e.g., April 26)
- Jesus Day (e.g., May 2, 9 AM–1 PM)
- Pro-Life Bake Sale after all Masses (e.g., May 16–17)
- Fatima Prayer (e.g., May 13, 6 PM)
- Rosary for our Country (e.g., May 2, 4:30 PM)
- First Communion (e.g., May 3, 1 PM)
- Knights of Columbus Meeting (e.g., May 6, 7 PM)
Pastoral Care and Counseling
In addition to bringing Holy Communion to the homebound and visiting the sick and hospitalized upon request, the parish connects parishioners to professional counseling for personal and family problems through Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Cleveland.
- Hospital and homebound visitation upon request — call the Rectory.
- Communion for the homebound — call the Rectory.
- Catholic Social Services counseling: 440-352-6191.
Diocese and Wider Church
St. Cyprian Parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland and is grouped within the Lake and Geauga Counties deanery. The diocese maintains a public directory entry for the parish that confirms its 1968 founding, its address on Middle Ridge Road in Perry, its Mass schedule, and its currently assigned clergy. The parish has also participated in diocesan life by welcoming Bishop Edward Malesic for a pastoral visit in June 2021.
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.
- Deanery: Lake and Geauga Counties.
- Pastoral visit by Bishop Malesic: June 24, 2021.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. George Kusypresent
Current pastor.
- Fr. Alexander
Co-authored the 1992 parish history 'A Nursery of Faith in the Perry Community' with parish historian Mary Platko.