About St. John of the Cross · Euclid, Ohio
St. John of the Cross Parish is a Roman Catholic community of the Diocese of Cleveland located on Richmond Road in Euclid, Ohio. Formed on November 29, 2009 through the merger of the former St. Felicitas and St. Paul parishes (a step in the diocesan reconfiguration overseen by Bishop Richard Lennon), the parish now operates from the historic St. Felicitas campus. The parish takes its name from the 16th-century Spanish mystic, Carmelite reformer and Doctor of the Church, St. John of the Cross. Today the community gathers for daily and Sunday Mass, offers faith formation for children and adults, livestreams its liturgies, and serves the people of Euclid and neighboring Richmond Heights from a wooded nine-acre campus that includes a church, rectory, community center, residential building, an outdoor shrine and bocce courts.
- Established
- 2009
- Patron
- St. John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz), 16th-century Spanish Discalced Carmelite, mystic, poet, and Doctor of the Church; co-reformer with St. Teresa of Ávila of the Carmelite order
- Rector
- Rev. Michael J. Stalla
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland (Catholic Diocese of Cleveland) — Cuyahoga County Suburban – East
Why belong here
St. John of the Cross offers a stable, sacramental home in Euclid with multiple weekend Masses, daily Masses six days a week, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and Saturday confession — the rhythm of a parish that takes prayer seriously. Its ministries span the lifecycle: Parish School of Religion (K–8) for children, a Microsoft Teams–based Adult Faith Formation series led directly by the pastor, lectors, altar servers, ushers, Art & Environment, music ministry, and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist who bring Communion to the sick and homebound. The wooded nine-acre campus with its outdoor shrine, bocce courts, and the new Good Shepherd Family Life Center gives the community plenty of room to gather, and the parish keeps parishioners connected through livestreamed Masses, Flocknote email/text updates, and online giving through Faith Direct.
Mass times at St. John of the Cross
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Friday Morning Prayer 9:00 AM followed by Eucharistic Adoration until 2:00 PM
- First Friday Adoration 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Parish Identity & Mission
The parish describes itself as 'the Catholic Community of St. John of the Cross, established in 2009,' committed to uniting the people of God as one family, being rooted in and empowered by the sacramental life and Eucharistic celebrations, and extending the reign of God in Euclid and the wider community through social outreach, service and education. The parish explicitly embraces its members' diversity and calls each parishioner to recognize their God-given potential and share their gifts.
- Mission statement centered on sacramental life, discipleship, diversity, and social outreach
- Named for St. John of the Cross, 16th-century Discalced Carmelite mystic and Doctor of the Church (feast Dec. 14)
- Member of the Diocese of Cleveland's Cuyahoga County Suburban – East grouping
History: From St. Felicitas and St. Paul to St. John of the Cross
Catholic worship at the Richmond Road site began in 1952 with the founding of St. Felicitas Parish. In 2009, as part of a sweeping diocesan reconfiguration led by Bishop Richard Lennon, nearby St. Paul Parish (Chardon Road, then 149 years old) was merged into St. Felicitas to create the new St. John of the Cross Parish on November 29, 2009. The parish name was selected by Bishop Lennon from a short list drawn up by parishioners of both communities, and the merged entity was legally styled the Parish of St. John of the Cross at the Church of St. Felicitas.
- St. Felicitas established 1952 on Richmond Road
- St. Paul Parish on Chardon Road traced its roots to the 1860s — closed Nov. 2009
- First Mass of the merged parish celebrated Nov. 29, 2009
- First pastor: Father Salvatore "Sal" Ruggeri, installed by Bishop Lennon on Nov. 29, 2009
- 10th anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Nelson Perez on Nov. 16, 2019, with Father John Betters as pastor
- Current pastor: Father Michael J. Stalla
Campus & Facilities
The parish occupies the former St. Felicitas campus, a roughly nine-acre wooded site on the southern edge of Euclid adjoining Richmond Heights. The grounds include the church with a gathering area and dividable meeting rooms, a rectory with business offices, a Parish Community Center, a residential building, and a recently dedicated Good Shepherd Family Life Center. In warmer months an outdoor shrine in the woods hosts the early Sunday Mass.
- Church notable for its beautiful stained glass windows
- Parish Community Center with offices and meeting space
- Good Shepherd Family Life Center (dedicated Sept. 2024)
- Outdoor shrine and bocce courts
- Set on approximately nine wooded acres bordering Richmond Heights
Faith Formation
Faith formation is offered for every age. Children in Kindergarten through Grade 8 are served through the Parish School of Religion (PSR), and adults can join a free, pastor-led Adult Faith Formation series — currently broadcast on Microsoft Teams — that walks through Scripture and the foundations of Catholic belief.
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) – Grades K–8; contact Anney Roach at 216-731-1515 ext. 248 or [email protected]
- Adult Faith Formation Series led by Fr. Michael Stalla on Microsoft Teams (free of charge)
- Recent adult-formation topics: Moses and Pharaoh, Prayer Styles, Moses in the Desert, Heaven/Hell/Purgatory, Mount Sinai, Personal Relationship with Christ, Book of Judges, Faith and Science
Parish Ministries & Groups
Liturgical, musical and outreach ministries form the core of parish life at St. John of the Cross. Trained parishioners serve as lectors, altar servers, ushers and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist (including bringing Communion to the sick and homebound); the Art & Environment committee tends the sacred spaces; and the music ministry, directed by Alex Ulle, supports the parish's liturgies under CCLI licenses.
- Lectors – proclaim the readings at Mass
- Altar Servers – adults and children at least in 3rd grade; trained before serving
- Ushers – hospitality, seating, taking up the collection
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist – including visits to the sick and homebound
- Art & Environment – designs and cares for the church's seasonal décor
- Music Ministry – directed by Alex Ulle (CCLI #11281383; CSPL #CSPL186985)
- PSR catechists and helpers (K–8)
Sacraments & Records
St. John of the Cross Parish retains the sacramental records of both predecessor parishes (St. Felicitas and St. Paul), so anyone needing certificates of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation or Marriage from those communities can request them through the parish office. Sponsor letters (eligibility letters) for Baptism or Confirmation require the requester to be a fully initiated, practicing, active registered parishioner at least 16 years old.
- Sacramental records: contact Anita at [email protected] or call 216-289-0770
- Sponsor-letter requirements: fully initiated, age 16+, practicing, active parishioner
- Confession: Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM or by appointment
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick and Communion to the homebound by arrangement through the parish office
Stay Connected
The parish keeps members in touch through a livestreamed Mass on its website, a Flocknote email/text system, and online giving via Faith Direct. Worship aids and bulletins, along with the online giving link, are accessible from the homepage.
- Livestream Masses at sjceuclid.com/livestream-masses
- Flocknote: text SJOCEUCLID to 84576 or sign up at flocknote.com/StJohnoftheCrossEuclid
- Online giving: faithdirect.net, parish code OH960
- One-time donations accepted at the parish website or mailed to 140 Richmond Rd., Euclid, OH 44143
About Our Patron: St. John of the Cross
Saint John of the Cross (1542–1591) was a Spanish priest, mystic, and poet who, together with Saint Teresa of Ávila, reformed the Carmelite order by founding the Discalced (barefoot) Carmelites. Despite persecution, imprisonment and hardship at the hands of unreformed Carmelites, he produced some of the greatest mystical writings in the Christian tradition. He was beatified in 1675, canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726, and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1926. He is the patron saint of contemplatives, mystics and Spanish poets; his feast day is December 14.
- Born June 24, 1542 in Fontiveros, Spain; died December 14, 1591 in Úbeda
- Co-founder of the Discalced Carmelites with St. Teresa of Ávila
- Declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1926
- Patron of contemplatives, mystics and Spanish poets
- Feast day: December 14
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Salvatore "Sal" Ruggeri2009 – founding pastor
Former pastor of St. Felicitas; installed as first pastor of St. John of the Cross on Nov. 29, 2009 by Bishop Richard Lennon.
- Rev. John Bettersserving by Nov. 2019
Pastor at the parish's 10-year anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Nelson Perez; concurrently pastored the sister parish of SS. Robert and William in Euclid.
- Rev. Michael J. Stallacurrent
Current pastor per the Diocese of Cleveland directory; leads the parish's Adult Faith Formation series.