About St. Edward · Ashland, Ohio
St. Edward Roman Catholic Church is a faith-filled parish in Ashland, Ohio, part of the Diocese of Cleveland and one of the oldest Catholic communities in the eight-county diocese. Established in 1853—just six years after the diocese itself—the parish serves the Ashland area with weekend and weekday Masses, a Parish School of Religion, and a thriving parish elementary school. It is currently led by Fr. Rodney A. Kreidler, its 13th resident pastor, together with Parochial Vicar Fr. James T. Winings. The parish describes itself as a people 'united in the Holy Spirit and nourished by the Eucharist,' pledged to use their talents and resources to live the Faith and serve others, meeting the spiritual, corporal, social, and educational needs of those around them. In 2025 St. Edward was named one of eight Jubilee Year of Hope sacred sites across the Diocese of Cleveland and was visited by Bishop Edward Malesic in February of that year.
- Established
- 1853
- Patron
- St. Edward
- Rector
- Rodney A. Kreidler (Fr. Rod Kreidler)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Edward is a long-established Ashland parish with deep roots—founded in 1853 by Irish Catholic railroad families—that still feels like a tight-knit community. It offers daily and weekend Masses, Saturday Reconciliation, weekly Eucharistic Adoration from Thursday through Sunday, a Parish School of Religion and an elementary school, plus a robust network of lay ministries. Parishioners can feed the hungry at the local Hunger Center, support emergency shelter through ACCESS, pray for the sick in the Prayer Network, or join the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Stephen Ministry, choir, or Little Rock Scripture Study—all under the pastoral care of Fr. Rod Kreidler and Fr. Jim Winings.
Mass times at St. Edward
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00–4:00 PM or by appointment (extra times added during Lent and Advent)
Adoration times
- Weekly Eucharistic Adoration: Thursday 8:30 AM through Sunday 8:00 AM
About St. Edward Parish
St. Edward Roman Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Cleveland located at 501 Cottage Street in Ashland, Ohio. Founded in 1853 by Irish Catholic families who came to Ashland for the Erie Railroad, it is among the oldest parishes in the eight-county diocese. The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Rodney A. Kreidler and Parochial Vicar Fr. James T. Winings, supported by a parish staff, school principal, PSR director, youth minister, choir, and an array of lay ministries.
Parish History
The parish's full story is told on its History page, from the 1843–1853 era of house Masses said by priests from Wooster, through the 1853 founding, the 1864 purchase of the 'Old Hopewell' Presbyterian church, the 1869 fire and 1870 rebuild, the 1881 closure and 1899 reopening, and into the modern expansion years.
- 1843–1853: House Masses by Frs. Brennan, O'Neill, Maloney, Gallagher (from Wooster)
- 1853: Parish organized
- 1864: Bishop Rappe purchases present property (former 'Old Hopewell' church)
- 1869: Church burns to the ground
- 1870: New brick church built on Cottage Street
- 1881: Church closes—only six Catholic families remain
- 1899: Church reopens as a mission from Shelby St. Mary
- 1922: Fr. G.I. Gilhooly becomes first resident pastor; rectory built
Re-awakenings: First Half of the 20th Century
From 1922 onward a succession of resident pastors built St. Edward into a stable parish: paying rectory debts, founding the Holy Name Society, modernizing the sanctuary, and weathering World War II under Fr. Leonard V. Wheatley.
- 1925: Fr. Leo Warth; Stations of the Cross, windows, vestments; Holy Name Society founded
- 1931: Fr. Joseph Mahan; basement dug and parish hall built
- 1937: Fr. William E. Rooney; sanctuary modernized
- 1941: Fr. Leonard V. Wheatley; led through WWII years
- 1945: Fr. Vincent Jones begins major building program
Expansion Years: Second Half of the 20th Century
Post-war growth led to a 1949 church addition (doubling seating and adding sacristies, baptistery, choir room, enlarged sanctuary, and a basement hall/kitchen), the 1952 groundbreaking for St. Edward Elementary School, and continued pastoral leadership through the 1960s and 70s—including Fr. Jerome O. Turins, who paid off the parish debt.
- 1949: Church addition doubles seating capacity
- 1952: Ground broken for St. Edward Elementary School
- 1956: Fr. George A. Schneider
- 1962: Fr. Walter A. Lechtenberg
- 1965: Fr. Edward J. Rumplink
- 1966–1978: Fr. Jerome O. Turins (retired the debt; visited the sick at Samaritan Hospital)
- 1978–1980: Fr. Philip Pritt
- 1980: Fr. James M. Cassidy; Donley Seed building renovated into new parish hall
Into the 21st Century
A building committee formed in 1996 led to a new school addition in 1997 and the dedication of a new church in 2000. The old church was razed and a prayer garden erected in its place. Fr. Rodney A. Kreidler became the parish's 13th resident pastor in 2010 and within his first month the parish hall had to be closed for structural reasons; a successful capital campaign resulted in the new Parish Activity Center, opened in 2014.
- 1996: Building committee forms
- 1997: New school addition opens
- 2000: New church dedicated; old church razed; prayer garden erected
- 2010: Fr. Rodney A. Kreidler named 13th resident pastor
- 2014: New Parish Activity Center opens
Devotions
The parish maintains several traditional devotions throughout the year, including a daily Rosary before weekday Masses, Stations of the Cross on the Fridays of Lent, and a Parish Lenten Retreat at the start of Lent.
- Rosary: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri and First Saturday at 7:35 AM before daily Mass
- Stations of the Cross: Every Friday of Lent at 7:00 PM
- Parish Lenten Retreat at the beginning of Lent
St. Edward Elementary School
Founded alongside the parish expansion in the 1950s and expanded in 1997, St. Edward Elementary School serves Preschool through Grade 8 and is led by Principal Suellen Valentine with Fr. Rod Kreidler serving as pastor. The school shares the parish campus at 501 Cottage Street and offers Art, Music, Spanish, Physical Education, library services, and a cafeteria program.
- Principal: Suellen Valentine
- Pastoral oversight: Fr. Rod Kreidler
- Grades served: Preschool through Grade 8
- Subjects include Art, Music, Spanish, PE, Library
- School addition opened in 1997
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education at St. Edward is built on the conviction that 'parents are the primary educators of their children.' Children's faith formation happens through St. Edward School and the Parish School of Religion (PSR); adult education is offered through Scripture study and other programs.
- PSR Director: Linda Cuzzolini
- PSR meets most Sunday mornings 9:30–10:45 AM, September–May
- Curriculum: 'Be My Disciple' from RCL Benziger
- Little Rock Scripture Study (contact: Mike Hupfer)
- Religious Education for Adults
Parish Staff & Contacts
St. Edward lists its parish and ministry contacts on its website so newcomers can plug into a specific group easily.
- Fr. Rod Kreidler — Pastor
- Fr. Jim Winings — Parochial Vicar
- Cheri Kramer — Parish Secretary
- Linda Cuzzolini — PSR Director
- Lisa Manges — Youth Ministry
- Helen Marie Hecker — Parish Choirs and Cantors
- Judy Klobutcher — Hunger Center Team Coordinator
- Elaine Aukerman & Cheri Kramer — Funeral Luncheons
- Len Leber — Stephen Ministry
- Mike Hupfer — Little Rock Scripture Study
- Tom Stupi — Knights of Columbus
- Deb Kemp — Catholic Daughters of the Americas
Parish Ministries & Outreach
St. Edward supports a wide range of spiritual and corporal works of mercy—feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, praying for the sick, and serving through fraternal and women's organizations.
- Hunger Center: Wednesday evening meal 5:30–6:00 PM (Coordinator: Judy Klobutcher)
- ACCESS: Ashland Church Community Emergency Shelter Services (coordinator: AnnaMary McDonough)
- Prayer Network: Email-based prayer requests for the sick, dying, and those with special needs
- Knights of Columbus (Council 3541): Charity, Unity, Fraternity, Patriotism; supports parish and broader community (Tom Stupi)
- Catholic Daughters of the Americas: Unity and Charity; scholarships and parish service (Deb Kemp)
- Stephen Ministry: One-on-one caring ministry (Len Leber)
- Funeral Luncheons: Parish hospitality at funeral times (Elaine Aukerman & Cheri Kramer)
- Tri-Parish Golf Outing: St. Edward, St. Peter and a third parish golf outing fundraiser
Jubilee Year 2025 & Diocesan Recognition
In 2025, the Diocese of Cleveland designated St. Edward Parish as one of eight 'sacred sites' for the Jubilee Year of Hope—one site in each of the eight counties of the diocese. Bishop Edward Malesic visited the parish on February 9, 2025, celebrating Mass and greeting parishioners, with members of the Ashland University Newman Catholic Campus Ministry also in attendance.
- Selected as Ashland County's Jubilee Year of Hope sacred site
- Bishop Edward Malesic visited February 9, 2025
- Ashland University Newman Catholic Campus Ministry attended the liturgy
Visit & Contact
The parish office is open by phone at (419) 289-7224 and the website hosts a contact form for specific inquiries (Choir Ministry, Catholic Daughters, Eucharistic Adoration, Funeral Luncheons, Hunger Center, Knights of Columbus, Little Rock Scripture Study, Parish Office, Pastor, PSR Director, Stephen Ministry, Youth Minister). The church entrance is on Pleasant Street, at the corner of Cottage and Pleasant.
- Address: 501 Cottage St., Ashland, OH 44805-2167
- Phone: (419) 289-7224
- Parish Office contact areas include Pastor, PSR, Youth Minister, Hunger Center, and more
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. G.I. Gilhooly1922–1925
First resident pastor; built the present rectory.
- Fr. Leo Warth1925–1931
Paid off rectory debt, installed new Stations of the Cross, windows, vestments; founded Holy Name Society.
- Fr. Joseph Mahan1931–1937
Dug the church basement and constructed a parish hall.
- Fr. William E. Rooney1937–1941
Modernized the sanctuary; repaired the rectory.
- Fr. Leonard V. Wheatley1941–1945
Served through WWII; redecorated the church interior and repaired the rectory.
- Fr. Vincent Jones1945–1956
Led extensive building program; 1949 addition doubled seating and added sacristies, baptistery, choir room, and enlarged sanctuary.
- Fr. George A. Schneider1956–1962
- Fr. Walter A. Lechtenberg1962–1965
- Fr. Edward J. Rumplink1965–1966
- Fr. Jerome O. Turins1966–1978
Paid off the parish debt before leaving; frequently walked to Samaritan Hospital to visit the sick.
- Fr. Philip Pritt1978–1980
- Fr. James M. Cassidy1980–(later)
Completed major church repairs; acquired and renovated the Donley Seed building as a new parish hall/social hall and sports facility.
- Fr. Rodney A. Kreidler2010–present
13th resident pastor; oversaw construction of the new Parish Activity Center opened in 2014.