About St. Eugene Church · Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
St. Eugene Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, part of the Diocese of Cleveland. Established in 1963 and led by Father Pete Colletti, D. Min., the parish describes itself as "a community of joyful praise and gentle kindness." Under Father Pete's pastoral leadership the parish has emphasized inclusive ministry, faith formation for children and youth, and outreach through social action. The parish welcomes all who wish to encounter Christ through worship, the sacraments and service to one another.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- St. Eugene (Pope Eugene I)
- Rector
- Father Pete Colletti, D. Min.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Eugene offers a welcoming home for Catholics in the Cuyahoga Falls area who want a parish that is open to everyone, regardless of background, history or spiritual needs. The community gathers for daily and Sunday Mass, ongoing faith formation through its Parish School of Religion (Pre-K through 8th grade), sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation and Marriage, and a Social Action Ministry reaching beyond parish boundaries. Father Pete's vision, summed up on the website, is of "a Catholic parish that reaches out to every person in every circumstance"—an invitation any visitor or new resident in Cuyahoga Falls can take up simply by joining them at Mass.
Mass times at St. Eugene Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday – Thursday: 11:00 AM
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 to 4:45 PM
- Sunday: 9:00 AM
- By appointment
About St. Eugene Parish
St. Eugene Catholic Church describes itself as "a community of joyful praise and gentle kindness." The parish's mission is rooted in welcoming every person—no matter their background, history, or current spiritual need—into the life of the Catholic Church. Father Pete Colletti, D. Min., has served as pastor and articulates a vision of ministry that he calls all-inclusive, grounded in the Catholic vision of Jesus as "at once demanding and liberating." The parish is registered in the Diocese of Cleveland's directory of parishes and is located in Cuyahoga Falls in Summit County's North region.
- Parish motto: "A community of joyful praise and gentle kindness."
- Father Pete's invitation: "Maybe Jesus can touch you through our expression of the Catholic Church."
- Part of the Diocese of Cleveland; established 1963
History and 2021 Restoration
Founded in 1963, St. Eugene has been a fixture of Catholic life in Cuyahoga Falls for more than sixty years. In 2021 the parish undertook a major restoration project that began with liturgical improvements—relocating the tabernacle to a central position behind the altar, installing new carpeting, and polishing the marble—but expanded dramatically when it was discovered that the building's supporting pillars were rotting and damaged by termites. Working with a parishioner who is an architect, the church was jacked up, damaged pillar sections were replaced and anchored in cement, and the work was concealed by table-like bases, which now house the parish's hand sanitizer stations. The repair and restoration was marked by a Mass of Thanksgiving on September 18, 2021, presided over by Bishop Edward Malesic of Cleveland.
- Founded: 1963
- Mass of Thanksgiving for restoration: September 18, 2021
- Presider: Bishop Edward Malesic
- Architect volunteer from the parish led the structural assessment
Pastoral Team
Father Pete Colletti, D. Min., serves as pastor and is the chief public face of the parish. The parish's team includes a Business Manager, a Pastoral Assistant, a Pastoral Minister, and a Social Action Minister, along with liturgy and formation staff who coordinate PSR, sacramental preparation and outreach ministries. Members of the Parish Council provide lay governance and pastoral counsel to the pastor.
- Father Pete Colletti, D. Min. — Pastor
- Dave Rothfuss — Business Manager
- Linda Teare — Pastoral Assistant
- Diana Hudock — Pastoral Minister (PSR & sacramental preparation)
- Parish Council — lay leadership and counsel
Sacramental Life
The parish welcomes those preparing for the sacraments of Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation, and Marriage. Sacramental preparation is coordinated through the Parish Office with Diana Hudock as the Parish Catechetical Leader. For marriage, Father Pete walks engaged couples through a friendly, three-step process: an initial meeting, pre-marriage counseling, and a final planning meeting—regardless of whether either party is a parishioner or non-Catholic. Adults interested in becoming Catholic are invited into the parish's inquiry and formation process (RCIA).
- Baptism preparation — by appointment
- First Reconciliation & First Communion — through PSR
- Confirmation preparation — Ascension Press 'Chosen' program
- Marriage preparation — initial meeting, pre-marriage counseling, liturgy planning
- Becoming Catholic (RCIA) — inquiry welcomed year-round
Faith Formation: Parish School of Religion (PSR)
St. Eugene's Parish School of Religion serves children from Pre-K (age 4) through 8th grade and runs concurrently with the Sunday 11:00 AM Mass. Families begin with shared participation in Mass and the Gospel teaching, then break into classrooms for an additional hour of instruction using Pflaum Gospel Weeklies, the Ascension Press "Chosen" Confirmation program, and other supplements. Parents are welcomed and encouraged to stay. The PSR program specifically embraces children with special needs, offering both inclusive and adaptive catechesis and affirming that "while your child may be dealing with a disability, s/he is not spiritually disabled."
- PSR: Pre-K (age 4) – 8th grade
- Meets Sundays 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- 2025–2026 program: October 12, 2025 – April 26, 2026
- Adaptive curriculum for children with special needs
- Director of Religious Education: Diana Hudock ([email protected], 330-923-5244)
Devotions, Devotional Life & Outreach
Beyond the daily and Sunday Mass schedule, St. Eugene hosts a First Saturday Mass at 10:00 AM (followed by Faith & Fellowship) and a pre-Mass Bible Study (9:30–10:45 AM) when in-person programs resume in the Fall. The pandemic-era ministry also produced a virtual Children's Liturgy of the Word available through the parish website and Facebook. The Social Action Ministry continues the parish's long-running commitment to reaching beyond its own boundaries, coordinating parish outreach and charitable service.
- First Saturday Mass — 10:00 AM, with Faith & Fellowship
- Bible Study — 9:30–10:45 AM (Fall program)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word (virtual) via website and Facebook
- Social Action Ministry — outreach beyond parish boundaries
Pastoral Communications
The parish maintains an active website (sainteugene.org) with weekly bulletins, schedule updates, and pastoral messages from Father Pete and the staff (such as the Ascension Sunday message that laid out the return-to-Mass plan and the move of weekday Mass to 11:00 AM). Weekend Masses are livestreamed for those unable to attend in person, and the parish's Facebook page is the primary social channel for announcements, livestreams, and parish news.
- Weekly bulletins published online
- Pastor messages and pastoral letters archived online
- Weekend Mass livestream via website and Facebook
- Facebook: St. Eugene Cuyahoga Falls