About St. Frances Cabrini · Conneaut, Ohio
Corpus Christi Parish in Conneaut, Ohio is a merged Catholic parish in the Diocese of Youngstown that today worships primarily at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church, 744 Mill Street. It is the product of a 2008 merger of the historic St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception parish (founded 1884) and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini parish (dedicated 1954), and was renamed Corpus Christi in 2011–2013 to reflect the parish's Eucharistic devotion. With roughly 747 registered households and an estimated 1,504 Catholics, it serves the harbor town of Conneaut — once a magnet for Italian immigrants from Santa Maria del Molise — under pastor Rev. Connor Hetzel, with a strong outreach identity built around Matthew 25 ministries, Mother Mary's Closet, and a soup kitchen that delivers over 100 meals twice a month.
- Established
- 1884 (St. Mary); 1955 (St. Frances Cabrini as a parish); 2008 (merged as St. Mary / St. Frances Cabrini); renamed Corpus Christi 2011/2013
- Patron
- Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (Mother Cabrini)
- Rector
- Rev. Connor Hetzel
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown
Why belong here
Corpus Christi Parish is a welcoming, working-class harbor community with deep Italian-immigrant roots and a strong reputation for outreach. Its Matthew 25 ministry operates a soup kitchen that delivers more than 100 meals twice a month, Mother Mary's Closet gives clothes, diapers and furniture to families with infants and toddlers, and the parish partners with the Salvation Army and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for emergency assistance. With weekday and Sunday Masses, weekly Confession, OCIA, faith formation for grades 1–8, an active youth group, men's and women's fellowship groups, a Prayer Shawl Ministry, and Eucharistic Adoration and Bible studies, parishioners find a small enough parish to know one another and large enough to be served well.
Mass times at St. Frances Cabrini
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 1st Saturday of the month, 9:00 – 9:30 AM
Adoration times
- Adoration is offered as part of the parish's Lenten and retreat schedule (see bulletin/website for current hours).
Parish Overview
Corpus Christi Parish is a merged Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Youngstown (Ashtabula Deanery, Parish Code 206), serving the harbor city of Conneaut, Ohio. Its stated mission is to celebrate the Risen Christ in the lives of its families and community by living the Gospel message. The parish currently lists 747 registered households with an estimated 1,504 individual Catholics.
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Youngstown
- Deanery: Ashtabula
- Parish Code: 206
- Year Parish Established: 2008 (merger)
- Primary Worship Site: St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church (since 2020)
History of the Parish
Catholic life in Conneaut began in 1847 and grew through two parishes — St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception (1884) and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1954/1955) — that formally merged in 2008 and were renamed Corpus Christi in 2011 under Father Philip Miller. The merger was driven by decades of declining enrollment, the closure of the merged parish school in 2001, and the desire to combine pastoral and financial councils.
- 1847 — First visiting priest from Painesville, OH serves Catholics in Conneaut
- 1864 — Building purchased and converted to a chapel
- 1884 — Mission officially designated as St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception parish under Father Jennings
- 1888 — New St. Mary Church completed and dedicated
- 1901 — St. Mary's School opens with 153 students; Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary staff it
- 1901 — Five acres purchased on West Main Road for St. Joseph Cemetery
- 1927 — St. Mary's enlarged with a new sanctuary
- 1938 — Interior renovation under Father Gribbon (new sanctuary and tabernacle)
- 1952 — St. Mary begins harbor-area mission
- December 22, 1954 — Mission church dedicated to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini on land donated by the James Armeni family
- January 10, 1955 — Mission formally declared a parish; Father Orlando Rich named first resident pastor
- 1959 — St. Frances Cabrini School opens, staffed by Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan
- 1970 — Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart take over the school
- 1972 — St. Mary's School merges with St. Frances Cabrini School
- September 1998 — Father Thomas named pastor of both parishes; collaboration begins
- 2001–2002 — Merged school closes
- 2008 — St. Mary and St. Frances Cabrini merge into one parish
- August 2011 — Parish renamed Corpus Christi by community vote
- 2020 — St. Frances Cabrini Church becomes primary worship site
- February 5, 2023 — Bishop David J. Bonnar formally closes St. Mary Church
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini — Patroness and Heritage
The parish's patron is St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850–1917), the first American citizen to be canonized a saint and the universal patron saint of immigrants. She was herself an Italian immigrant who became a U.S. citizen and founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The parish dedicated in her name in 1954 served Conneaut's Italian immigrant community — many of whom came from the village of Santa Maria del Molise in the Molise/Campobasso region of Italy. Parishioners affectionately call her 'Mother Cabrini.'
- Patron of immigrants
- First canonized American citizen
- Founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Feast Day: November 13
Clergy and Parish Staff
The parish is led by pastor Rev. Connor Hetzel, who simultaneously pastors four Ashtabula County parishes as part of the diocesan regionalization plan. He is assisted by a parochial vicar, a sacramental minister, a permanent deacon, a diocesan pastoral associate, a director of faith formation, and two youth ministers.
- Rev. Connor Hetzel — Pastor
- Rev. Francis Muriithi — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Philip Miller — Sacramental Minister
- Deacon Nicholas Iarocci — Permanent Deacon
- Mr. Nicholas J. Perkoski — Diocesan Pastoral Associate
- Carla Robison — Director of Faith Formation
- Nangerie Cedeño — Youth Minister
- Annie Emery — Youth Minister
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Since the closure of the parish school in 2001–2002, Corpus Christi has invested in a robust faith formation program to serve families. The program includes catechists for grades 1–8 following the Diocese of Youngstown curriculum, OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for adults and an adapted process for children of catechetical age (around age seven), and a Youth Group that develops teens' relationship with Christ through faith discussion, service, and social activities.
- Catechists — grades 1–8
- OCIA for adults and children of catechetical age
- Youth Group for teens
- Director of Faith Formation: Carla Robison
- Youth Ministers: Nangerie Cedeño and Annie Emery
Parish Ministries and Outreach
Outreach is the heart of Corpus Christi Parish's identity. The Matthew 25 Outreach Ministry operates a soup kitchen that delivers over 100 meals twice a month to the homebound, partners with the Salvation Army for emergency food, utility, and clothing assistance, and runs Mother Mary's Closet — a free resource for families with infants and toddlers. The parish also hosts a Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference, fellowship groups for men and women, and a Prayer Shawl Ministry that blesses and delivers shawls to those in need of prayer.
- Matthew 25 Outreach Ministry — soup kitchen and emergency assistance
- Mother Mary's Closet — Thursday 5–7 PM and Saturday 9 AM–12 PM (Parish Center, 2nd floor)
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- Women of Faith Group — third Thursday, 6 PM
- Catholic Men's Fellowship Group — first and third Tuesdays
- Prayer Shawl Ministry — third Thursday, 1:30 PM (Feb–Oct), Parish Office
- Funeral Luncheon Ministry
Liturgical Ministries and Music
The parish relies on lay liturgical ministers to support the celebration of Mass, including Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, an Environment committee that tends to the church's décor and seasonal decorations, and an e-Ministry team that videos Mass for the local cable channel and live-streams it on Facebook Live and YouTube.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers (weekend, daily, and funeral Masses)
- Environment Committee
- e-Ministry (cable, Facebook Live, YouTube)
Parish Councils and Committees
Three councils provide consultation and governance for the parish: the Pastoral Planning Council, which discerns God's will and develops the parish vision with the pastor; the Finance Council, which sets financial direction and meets quarterly; and the Cemetery Board, which sets policy for St. Joseph Cemetery and meets about four times a year.
- Pastoral Planning Council
- Finance Council
- Cemetery Board (St. Joseph Cemetery)
St. Joseph Cemetery
St. Joseph Cemetery was established in 1901 when five acres on West Main Road were purchased and dedicated to the patronage of St. Joseph. Today the cemetery is located at 369 Keefus Road, Conneaut, OH 44030, and is governed by the parish's Cemetery Board. Inquiries about cemetery plots and policies can be directed to the parish office.
- Address: 369 Keefus Road, Conneaut, OH 44030
- Established: 1901
- Patron: St. Joseph
- Governed by the parish Cemetery Board
Sacraments
Corpus Christi Parish prepares parishioners for and celebrates the seven sacraments. Baptisms, weddings, First Communion, Confirmation, OCIA, Anointing of the Sick, and Funeral Liturgies (with support from the Funeral Luncheon Ministry) are coordinated through the parish office at 744 Mill Street.
- Baptism
- First Communion and Confirmation (Faith Formation / Youth Ministry)
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) and adapted children's process
- Funeral Liturgies with Funeral Luncheon Ministry
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach Corpus Christi Parish at the parish office, 744 Mill Street, Conneaut, OH 44030, by phone at (440) 599-8570, by fax at (440) 593-6772, or by email at [email protected]. The Religious Education office shares the same phone number. Weekend Mass is live-streamed on Facebook Live and YouTube for those unable to attend in person.
- Address: 744 Mill Street, Conneaut, OH 44030-1632
- Phone: (440) 599-8570
- Fax: (440) 593-6772
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: corpuschristiparishconneaut.org
- Live-streamed Mass via Facebook Live and YouTube
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jennings1884
Guided the formation of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception parish in Conneaut.
- Father Gribbon1938
Oversaw a major interior renovation of St. Mary's, including a new sanctuary and tabernacle.
- Father Orlando Rich1955
Organized the harbor-area mission and was named the first resident pastor of St. Frances Cabrini when it was formally declared a parish on January 10, 1955.
- Father Thomas1998
Named pastor of both St. Mary and St. Frances Cabrini parishes in September 1998; led the parishes into cooperation and eventual merger; later signed the 2023 petition to formally close St. Mary Church.
- Father Philip Miller2013
Served as Sacramental Minister; led the parish during the 2013 period after the community voted to rename it Corpus Christi.
- Rev. Connor Hetzelpresent
Current pastor; also serves as pastor of Our Lady of Peace (Ashtabula), Assumption BVM (Geneva), and St. Andrew Bobola (Sheffield/ Kingsville), and chaplain of St. John School in Ashtabula.