About St. John Nepomucene · Cleveland, Ohio
St. John Nepomucene is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Cleveland, located in the Slavic Village neighborhood on Cleveland's southeast side. Founded in 1902 by Czech (Bohemian) immigrants in what was then known as the Karlin settlement near Fleet Avenue and East 50th Street, it remains one of only a few parishes in Cleveland that still carries on its founding Czech heritage. The parish is served by Rev. Robert J. Jasany and continues to be a gathering place for a multigenerational community, offering weekend and weekday Masses, RCIA and PSR religious education, the Rosary Makers ministry, St. Vincent de Paul outreach, and traditional Lenten devotions including the Living Stations of the Cross.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- St. John of Nepomuk (Jan Nepomuk)
- Rector
- Rev. Robert J. Jasany
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. John Nepomucene is a welcoming, neighborhood-rooted parish that still carries the character of its founding Czech-immigrant community in Slavic Village. Parishioners can worship at four weekly Masses (Saturday Vigil at 4 PM, Sunday at 10 AM, Tuesday and Thursday at 9 AM), bring children to the Parish School of Religion (PSR), grow in faith through RCIA, join the Rosary Makers who craft rosaries for hospitals and nursing homes, and take part in beloved Slavic Village traditions like the annual Basket Raffle and Picnic. With active outreach through St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP), participation in the diocesan Catholic Charities appeal, Operation Rice Bowl, and Living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, it is a parish where faith and neighborhood life meet in tangible ways.
Mass times at St. John Nepomucene
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 1st Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (second Sunday of the month)
- Regional Lenten Communal Penance Service: Monday, March 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM (at the parish)
Parish History & Czech Heritage
St. John Nepomucene was established in 1902 in the Karlin neighborhood near Fleet Avenue and East 50th Street to serve the growing Czech (Bohemian) population that had spilled over from the older Broadway-area Our Lady of Lourdes parish. The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History notes that Czechs who came to Cleveland in the second great migration of the 1870s–1880s originally attended Our Lady of Lourdes, but by 1902 had grown numerous enough to warrant a parish of their own. The new parish took the name of St. John of Nepomuk, one of the patron saints of the Czech people, martyred c. 1393 in Prague for refusing to break the seal of confession. By the 1980s the surrounding Karlin area had merged with the Polish Warszawa neighborhood to form what is now called Slavic Village.
- Founded 1902 in the Karlin settlement of Cleveland
- Named for St. John of Nepomuk (Jan Nepomuk), Czech patron of the seal of confession
- Part of the historic Slavic Village neighborhood
- One of two Cleveland parishes (with Our Lady of Lourdes) still rooted in Czech heritage
Clergy & Staff
The parish is served by Rev. Robert J. Jasany, who has been pastor of St. John Nepomucene and a collaborator with neighboring Holy Name parish. According to the Diocese of Cleveland clergy directory, Fr. Jasany was ordained June 24, 1979 and previously served as Associate Pastor of St. Clement Parish in Lakewood from 1993 to 1998. He is the 'Currently Assigned Clergy' listed for the parish on the diocesan parish directory.
- Pastor: Rev. Robert J. Jasany
- Ordained: June 24, 1979
- Past assignment: Associate Pastor, St. Clement Parish, Lakewood (1993–1998)
- Collaborates with neighboring Holy Name parish
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's 'Serving' page highlights teaching ministries through RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) for adults seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church, and PSR (Parish School of Religion) for the catechesis of parish children. The parish also distributes the Lenten 'Black Books' each year to help parishioners plan prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during the season, and participates in the Operation Rice Bowl program of Catholic Relief Services to alleviate world hunger.
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- PSR (Parish School of Religion)
- Lenten Black Books distribution
- Operation Rice Bowl (CRS Lenten almsgiving)
Parish Ministries & Groups
The website points to a 'Parish Ministries' menu and a 'Serving' page inviting parishioners to get involved. Featured groups include the Rosary Makers, the Sanctuary Guild, the Pastoral Council, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVDP), which appears as a regular line item in the parish collection reports. The parish also organizes an annual Basket Raffle and Picnic supported by Slavic Village–area businesses such as USS COD, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Harry's Steakhouse, Fortuna Funeral Home, Golubski Funeral Home, Krushinski's Meats (home of Janka Pierogi), Discount Drug Mart, Cleveland College Prep, Fairchild Printing, and Gourmet Gift Baskets.
- Rosary Makers (Wednesdays in the Rectory)
- Sanctuary Guild
- Pastoral Council
- St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) Society
- Basket Raffle and Picnic committee
- Supporters include USS COD, Cuyahoga Valley Railroad, Harry's Steakhouse, Fortuna & Golubski Funeral Homes, Krushinski's Meats, Discount Drug Mart, Cleveland College Prep, Fairchild Printing
Lenten & Holy Week Devotions
Lent at St. John Nepomucene is shaped by traditional diocesan and parish practices. Ash Wednesday is marked by a 9:00 AM Mass, a 12:00 PM Liturgy of the Word, and a 7:00 PM Mass. On Fridays of Lent, the parish joins Holy Name for Stations of the Cross at 7:00 PM, preceded by the Lenten Fish Fry at Holy Name parish hall from 4:00 to 7:00 PM (coordinated with Sarah Dodeci, 216-315-2500). On Good Friday the parish stages the Living Stations of the Cross — in 2026 scheduled for April 3 at 12:00 PM at 5000 Fleet Ave. (Marge Lanzola, 216-544-9623, is the contact). The parish also hosts the Regional Communal Penance Service (March 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM).
- Ash Wednesday: 9 AM Mass, 12 PM Liturgy of the Word, 7 PM Mass
- Lenten Fish Fry at Holy Name parish hall (Fridays, 4–7 PM)
- Stations of the Cross at 7 PM on Fridays of Lent
- Living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday
- Regional Lenten Communal Penance Service (Monday, March 2, 2026)
Outreach & Charity
St. John Nepomucene participates in the annual Catholic Charities In-Pew Appeal, a diocesan-wide effort sustaining social services across the eight counties of the Diocese of Cleveland. The parish supports the St. Vincent de Paul Society as a standing collection category (SVDP appears each week in the published collection totals) and distributes the Lenten Black Books and Operation Rice Bowl packets to engage parishioners in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
- Catholic Charities In-Pew Appeal
- St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) Society
- Operation Rice Bowl (CRS)
- Lenten Black Books
Rosary Makers Ministry
A signature ministry of the parish is the Rosary Makers, who meet every Wednesday in the Rectory to hand-make rosaries that are donated to hospitals, nursing homes, and made available for purchase in church. Free-will donations help cover supplies. The group describes its mission as spreading devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and fulfilling Our Lady of Fatima's requests to pray the Rosary daily by providing rosaries to those in spiritual need.
- Meets Wednesdays in the Rectory
- Rosaries donated to hospitals and nursing homes
- Rosaries available for purchase in church
- Inspired by Our Lady of Fatima's requests
Online Resources & Giving
The parish offers online giving through its website, with options for direct withdrawals from checking, savings, or credit card, and remote flexibility. The parish also subscribes to FORMED (the Augustine Institute's Catholic media platform) for parishioner faith-formation content, and maintains an active Facebook page for announcements and parish news. A weekly pastor's column on the homepage from Fr. Jasany updates parishioners on diocesan and parish events.
- Online Giving (checking, savings, or credit card)
- FORMED subscription (Catholic media)
- Facebook page
- Weekly Pastor's Column from Fr. Jasany
Visiting & Contact
The parish office can be reached at (216) 641-8444, with a fax line at (216) 641-8824. Email is [email protected]. The diocesan directory lists the parish address as 3785 Independence Rd., Cleveland, OH 44105-3357, while a recent diocesan events listing references 5000 Fleet Ave., Cleveland, OH 44105 (Fleet Avenue at East 50th Street) as the parish's Fleet-Ave-facing location. The parish is in the Cleveland – Southeast deanery.
- Mailing address: 3785 Independence Rd., Cleveland, OH 44105-3357
- Fleet Avenue location: 5000 Fleet Ave. (at E. 50th St.)
- Phone: (216) 641-8444
- Fax: (216) 641-8824
- Email: [email protected]
- Deanery: Cleveland – Southeast
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Robert J. Jasany
Current pastor; ordained June 24, 1979; previously Associate Pastor at St. Clement Parish in Lakewood (1993–1998); now pastor of St. John Nepomucene, where he also collaborates with neighboring Holy Name parish.