About St. George · Georgetown, Ohio
St. George Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Georgetown, Ohio, part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and a member of the Brown County 'Sacred Heart Family of Parishes.' Founded in 1902 as a mission of St. Mary in Arnheim under the title of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the parish was renamed and rededicated to St. George in 1952 when a new church was built on East State Street. It now serves roughly 190 households in rural Brown County, sharing its pastor with St. Mary in Arnheim and St. Michael in Ripley, and offers weekend and weekday Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration, Bible study, and a Knights of Columbus council.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- St. George
- Rector
- Rev. Frank Amberger
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. George is a close-knit rural Catholic community in the heart of Brown County where, for more than a century, families have supported one another in faith. The parish offers weekend and weekday Mass, Thursday confession, weekly Eucharistic adoration on Wednesday evenings, a monthly senior lunch, a men's S3 group, Bible study, a Knights of Columbus council, and a Potluck Rosary — all shared with sister parishes St. Mary in Arnheim and St. Michael in Ripley under one pastor. The 2016 renovation of the sanctuary, social hall, and accessibility features has made the 1952 church a welcoming home for about 190 households and visitors alike.
Mass times at St. George
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 12:30 PM (following Noon Mass)
- Saturday 3:00 PM at St. Mary, Arnheim
- Tuesday 7:30 PM at St. Michael, Ripley
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (at St. George)
- Thursday 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM (at St. Mary's)
Parish History
St. George Parish traces its roots to 1831, when John Rooney deeded a lot at Apple and Plum Streets to Fr. Martin Kundig, founder of the first Catholic parish in Brown County. A Catholic mission was formally created in Georgetown in 1902, and the original frame church — dedicated as the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on October 1, 1902 — still stands, now as the Apple Street Christian Church. The parish grew, and in 1952 a new church on East State Street was dedicated by Archbishop Karl J. Alter and renamed in honor of St. George.
- 1831 – John Rooney donates Apple & Plum Streets lot to Fr. Martin Kundig
- 1902 – Mission established, served from St. Mary, Arnheim
- October 1, 1902 – Church dedicated as the Assumption of the BVM
- 1935 – Land on State Street (S.R. 125) purchased for new church
- May 18, 1952 – Cornerstone laid; ~300 in attendance
- October 15, 1952 – First Mass in new church (Fr. Clarence J. Meyer, O.S.B.)
- November 2, 1952 – Dedication Mass by Archbishop Karl J. Alter; parish renamed St. George
Benedictine Era (1902–1954)
For more than fifty years St. George was served by Benedictine priests from St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama. Fr. Clarence J. Meyer, O.S.B., celebrated the first Mass in the 1952 church, and the Benedictines shaped parish life until January 1954, when pastoral care passed to diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Building & Renovations
The 1952 church has been expanded and updated several times. In 1983 a $224,000 addition added classrooms, a social hall, and a bell tower (dismantled in 2007 for safety). In 2010 liturgical furnishings from the closed St. Elizabeth Parish in Sardinia were relocated to St. George. A major 2016 renovation, funded largely by a 2013 bequest of $250,757 from the estate of Evelyn Schafro Reynolds, remodeled the sanctuary, installed new pews and lighting, added a new confessional, replaced the front doors, remodeled the basement restrooms and the social-hall kitchen, installed a lift for the handicapped, replaced the bell tower with an electronic carillon, and added a digital parish sign.
- 1983 – Classrooms, social hall, bell tower, and St. George stained-glass window added
- 2007 – Bell tower dismantled for safety
- 2010 – Liturgical furnishings from St. Elizabeth, Sardinia relocated here
- 2013 – $250,757 bequest from Evelyn Schafro Reynolds estate
- 2016 – Major sanctuary and accessibility renovation
Clergy & Staff
St. George is currently pastored by Rev. Frank Amberger (ordained 1996), who also serves as pastor of the Brown County Sacred Heart Family of Parishes. He is assisted by a parochial vicar, Fr. Cordonnier, and Deacon Ronald Dvoracek. Rev. Dorhman (Dohrman) W. Byers was previously appointed pastor of the region on July 1, 2009, by Archbishop Pilarczyk.
- Rev. Frank Amberger – Pastor
- Fr. Cordonnier – Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Ronald Dvoracek
- Rev. Dorhman W. Byers – Pastor appointed July 1, 2009
Parish Ministries & Community Life
Parish life at St. George extends well beyond Sunday Mass. The parish hosts a Knights of Columbus council, men's and women's fellowship, a monthly senior lunch, Bible study, a Potluck Rosary, and is active in the St. Martin Deanery Catholic Rural Life chapter. Many of these events are shared with sister parishes St. Mary, Arnheim and St. Michael, Ripley as part of the Brown County Sacred Heart Family of Parishes.
- Knights of Columbus – Fridays 7 PM at St. Mary's
- Men's S3 – every Saturday 7:30 AM at St. George
- Bible Study – 2nd Monday 6:30 PM at St. George
- Potluck Rosary – 1st Wednesday (location varies)
- Senior Lunch – 3rd Thursday after Noon Mass at St. George
- Lunch Bunch – 2nd Friday 10 AM (location varies)
- Hospitality Sunday
Catholic Rural Life
St. George participates in the St. Martin Deanery Catholic Rural Life chapter, which sponsors events such as the Walk of Mercy for the Land and its People, held in collaboration with the archdiocesan Catholic Social Action Office and the Ursulines of Brown County. Pastor Fr. Dohrman Byers has presided over these gatherings, preaching on the bond between land and people and the call of Laudato Si' to care for creation.
Sacred Heart Family of Parishes
As part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacon of Light pastoral planning process, all the churches of Brown County have been recognized under one canonical parish called the Sacred Heart Family of Parishes. This structure, with Fr. Amberger as pastor and Fr. Cordonnier as parochial vicar, is intended to form a stronger parish centered on the Eucharist that radiates the love of Christ and the joy of the Gospel across Brown County.
- St. George, Georgetown
- St. Mary, Arnheim
- St. Michael, Ripley
- St. Michael, Mt. Orab
- St. Angela Merici, Fayetteville
Facilities & Accessibility
The church sits at 509 E. State Street (State Route 125) at the corner of East State and Elm Streets in Georgetown. Facilities include a renovated sanctuary with new pews, lighting and a new confessional, a basement social hall with remodeled kitchen and restrooms, classrooms, a memorial garden with fountain, a sheltered walkway connecting the hall to the church, an electronic carillon (replacing the 1983 bell tower), a digital parish sign, and a lift installed in 2016 to improve access for the handicapped.
Visiting & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. George by phone at (937) 392-1116. The parish mailing address is 509 E. State St., Georgetown, OH 45121-1393. The historic homestead website remains listed as www.saintgeorge.homestead.com. The Brown County Catholic family website, browncountycatholics.com, provides the most up-to-date information on Mass times, events, and clergy.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Clarence J. Meyer, O.S.B.1952 (first Mass in new church)
Benedictine priest from St. Bernard Abbey, Cullman, Alabama; celebrated the first Mass in the new St. George church on October 15, 1952.
- Benedictine pastors from St. Bernard Abbey1902–1954
Served the parish community for 52 years from the Order of St. Benedict, St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama.
- Rev. Dorhman (Dohrman) W. ByersAppointed July 1, 2009
Appointed pastor of the new St. Mary (Arnheim)–St. George (Georgetown)–St. Michael (Ripley) pastoral region by Archbishop Pilarczyk; led a Walk of Mercy for the Land in Brown County during the Year of Mercy.
- Rev. Frank AmbergerCurrent
Ordained in 1996; now serves as pastor of the Brown County Sacred Heart Family of Parishes (St. George, St. Mary Arnheim, St. Michael Ripley, and others).