About St. John the Baptist · Tipp City, Ohio
St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic parish in Tipp City, Ohio (Miami County), part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and, since July 1, 2022, a member of the St. Gabriel the Archangel Family of Parishes. Founded in 1856 and dedicated in October 1858 by Archbishop John Baptist Purcell, it is one of the oldest Catholic congregations in the region and sits in its third church building, dedicated in 1998 at 753 South Hyatt Street. Today the parish offers daily and weekend Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Reconciliation, an early-childhood preschool, parish-school-style faith formation (K–5), outreach ministries (Prayer Shawl, Needy Basket, St. Vincent de Paul, Mary's Village, Knights of Columbus) and a Little Free Library used as an evangelization tool. It is pastored by Fr. Kyle E. Schnippel as part of the broader family of five parishes.
- Established
- 1856
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Kyle E. Schnippel (Pastor of the St. Gabriel the Archangel Family of Parishes)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati)
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist is a small-town parish with deep local roots — the third church on its 753 South Hyatt Street campus was dedicated in 1998, but the congregation traces back to 1856 — offering a stable, welcoming Catholic home in the northern Miami Valley. Worshippers get weekday and Sunday Masses, weekly Eucharistic Adoration and three weekly opportunities for Reconciliation, plus a strong children's faith-formation program (grades K–5 on Sunday mornings), an on-site preschool, and a pastor (Fr. Kyle Schnippel) who leads the broader five-parish St. Gabriel the Archangel Family. Outreach is a defining mark: a Prayer Shawl Ministry that has blessed more than 2,000 recipients since 2006, active St. Vincent de Paul, Needy Basket, Mary's Village (postpartum support), Knights of Columbus Council #5129, Respect Life, and even a Little Free Library on the church lawn designed as a gentle evangelization outreach.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:30–3:30 PM (in the church)
- Tuesday 5:30–6:15 PM (with Adoration)
- Thursday 7:45–8:15 AM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 5:30–6:15 PM (Adoration with Confessions, before 6:30 PM Mass)
Identity & Parish Overview
St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, founded in 1856 and faithfully serving Tipp City, Ohio for more than 165 years. Today it forms one of five parishes in the St. Gabriel the Archangel Family of Parishes, sharing clergy and program staff across the northern Miami Valley. The parish is anchored at 753 South Hyatt Street and serves a growing community just north of Dayton International Airport. Its current pastor is Rev. Kyle E. Schnippel.
- Founded 1856; first church dedicated October 1858
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
- Member parish of the St. Gabriel the Archangel Family of Parishes (since July 1, 2022)
- Pastor: Rev. Kyle E. Schnippel
- Address: 753 South Hyatt Street, Tipp City, OH 45371
Parish History
The congregation's roots go back to between 1840 and 1850, when the first Catholic families settled in then-Tippecanoe City and depended on a traveling missionary priest for the sacraments. A parish was organized in 1856 and the first church, built at the corner of Third and German streets for $937, was dedicated by Archbishop John Baptist Purcell in October 1858. Father Hemsteger of Piqua served the community as a monthly mission priest. The second, Italian-Villa-style church — designed by Thies & Thies of Dayton — was built 1911–1912 and dedicated June 23, 1912.
- 1856 — parish organized
- 1857 — first church built (Third & German streets); $937 build cost
- Oct 1858 — Archbishop John Baptist Purcell dedicates first church
- 1907 — Rev. Albert J. Van Den Bosch arrives from St. Boniface, Piqua
- June 16, 1911 — cornerstone laid for second church
- June 23, 1912 — second church formally dedicated
- Dec 8, 1912 — first baptism in the new church (baby Francis Pilliod; later Fr. Pilliod)
- 1995 — committees begin planning third church
- March 22, 1998 — third (current) church dedicated at 753 S. Hyatt St.
- Dec 31, 2008 — bell tower dedicated with the 1866 bell for the parish's 150th anniversary
Architecture of the 1912 Church (now Grace Communion Church)
The 1912 church was designed by Dayton architects Thies & Thies in an Italian Villa style, with every element — furniture, decoration, windows — coordinated to that single idea. The altar was reportedly an exact copy of the high altar of St. Mark's Cathedral, Venice, Italy, built from lumber of the old 1857 church. Painted-glass windows came from the Munich Art Glass Studio of Chicago. The building seated about 200 and cost about $10,000.
- Architects: Thies & Thies, Dayton
- Style: Italian Villa throughout
- Altar: exact copy of St. Mark's (Venice), built from old church lumber
- Windows: Munich Art Glass Studio, Chicago
- Seating: 200
- Cost: $10,000
- 1866 bell housed in tower
Current Church & Campus
The present church on South Hyatt Street was dedicated March 22, 1998, at a cost of $1.95 million. The campus also houses the St. John the Baptist Early Childhood Program (preschool), parish offices, a parking lot, and a Little Free Library used as an evangelization outreach.
- Dedicated March 22, 1998
- Cost: $1.95 million
- Includes the Early Childhood Program and parish offices
- Grounds feature a Little Free Library visible from the parking lot
Faith Formation & Sacraments
Children's Faith Formation at the St. John the Baptist campus meets Sunday mornings 9:00–10:10 AM, September through May, for grades K–5 (typically the 1st and 3rd Sundays). Curriculum is 'Discover! Finding Faith in Life' from St. Mary's Press. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is integrated into 2nd-grade faith formation; Confirmation is offered for older students. A Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered for children ages 5 through 4th grade during the 10:30 Sunday Mass from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
- K–5 religious education Sundays 9:00–10:10 AM
- Sacramental prep for First Reconciliation / First Eucharist (2nd grade)
- Confirmation prep for older students
- Children's Liturgy of the Word (Memorial Day–Labor Day)
- Director of Children's Faith Formation: Elise Sas ([email protected])
- Homeschool option with materials and check-ins
- Family Catechesis resources for use at home
St. John the Baptist Early Childhood Program (Preschool)
An on-site preschool serving children ages 3–5 (Pre-Kindergarten), with developmental programming for spiritual, social-emotional, physical and intellectual growth. Director Susan Sexton. Three-, four- and five-day options are offered.
- Ages 3–5 (Pre-K)
- Three/Four Year Olds: M/W or T/F, 8:30–11:10 AM
- Four and Five Year Olds: M/W/F, 8:45–11:15 AM
- Pre-Kindergarten: M/T/W/F, 8:15–11:05 AM
- Director: Susan Sexton
Outreach & Justice Ministries
Outreach is a defining mark of the parish, ranging from parish-based prayer and card ministries to community food, family, and life ministries run together with the broader St. Gabriel Family of Parishes. The Prayer Shawl Ministry, in particular, has blessed more than 2,000 recipients since 2006.
- Prayer Shawl Ministry (since 2006; 2,000+ shawls)
- Card Ministry (welcome, baptism, illness, bereavement)
- Mary's Village (postpartum support for new mothers)
- Needy Basket of Tipp City — emergency food/assistance for Tipp City, Monroe, Bethel
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference
- Help the Homebound / Nursing Home Ministry
- Prayer Chain
- Knights of Columbus Council #5129
- St. Gabriel Respect Life Ministry
- Giving Tree (Christmas) and Freedom Tree (summer)
- Community Dinners
- Hispanic Evangelization
- Little Free Library evangelization on the church lawn
Liturgy, Music & Worship
Family-level staff support weekly and Sunday liturgy with a Director of Music (Katy McCormick) and a Director of Worship (Paula Kern). Children's Liturgy of the Word takes place during the 10:30 AM Mass in the summer months.
- Director of Music: Katy McCormick
- Director of Worship: Paula Kern
- Children's Liturgy of the Word — summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
Parish Staff & Clergy
Since joining the St. Gabriel the Archangel Family of Parishes in 2022, the parish shares a leadership team with four neighboring parishes. The pastor of the family is Rev. Kyle E. Schnippel, supported by parochial vicars and deacons across the family. Day-to-day parish operations, faith formation, communications and youth ministry are handled by a single Family staff.
- Pastor — Rev. Kyle E. Schnippel
- Parochial Vicars — Rev. Andrew J. Smith; Rev. W. Robert Hale; Rev. Chibueze Asiegbulem
- Hispanic Evangelization — Rev. Carlos Moreno
- Deacons — Mark Bade, Leo Cordonnier, Robert Gutendorf, David McCray, James Menart, Norbert Nagy, Jack Rivetti, Daniel Wade
- Deacon Chuck Wright — Director of Evangelization and Catechesis (Tipp City)
- Chief Operating Officer — Cameron Haller
- Director of Stewardship — Samuel Ritze
- Business Manager — Kelly Collier
- Communications — Laura Joliat ([email protected])
- Office Manager — Victoria Hammermeister
- Pastoral Associates — Joy Blaul; Andrea Parker
- Youth Ministers — Jeanne Fairbanks; Elena Pope
- Director of Evangelization — Elise Sas
- Director of Children's Faith Formation — Elise Sas ([email protected])
St. Gabriel the Archangel Family of Parishes
On July 1, 2022, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's 'Beacons of Light' initiative brought five parishes together into a single family: St. John the Baptist (Tipp City), St. Christopher (Vandalia), St. Peter (Huber Heights), Holy Cross (Dayton), and Our Lady of Rosary (Dayton). The family shares clergy and many ministries while keeping each local parish's distinct identity, school/preschool, and parish campus.
- Implemented July 1, 2022 as part of Beacons of Light
- Pastor of the family: Rev. Kyle E. Schnippel
- Five parishes in the Northeast Deanery
- Shared PSR/Religious Education, outreach ministries, and staff
Contact, Office & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (closed at noon on Tuesdays). The parish shares a communications email with the broader Family of Parishes; the parish office manager is Victoria Hammermeister.
- Phone: (937) 667-3419
- Email: [email protected] (Communications)
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–3:00 PM (closed Tuesday noon hour)
- Address: 753 South Hyatt Street, Tipp City, OH 45371
- Fax: (937) 667-9267
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Hemsteger (of Piqua)Mission priest, served the Tipp City congregation monthly after the 1858 dedication
Traveling priest from St. Boniface / Piqua who held services at the first church once a month
- Rev. Albert J. Van Den BoschFrom 1907
Previously served at St. Boniface Church, Piqua. Resided in Tipp City, raised funds and oversaw construction of the second (1912) Italian-Villa-style church and cornerstone of June 16, 1911
- Father Francis PilliodOrdained a priest after growing up in the parish
First person baptized in the new 1912 church on Dec 8, 1912; later ordained and returned to serve the Archdiocese
- Rev. R. Marc SherlockListed as pastor on pre-Family-of-Parishes directories (joinedmychurch.com last update more than 10 years prior to 2026)
Listed at 753 S. Hyatt St., Tipp City, before the 2022 Beacons of Light reorganization
- Rev. Kyle E. SchnippelFrom July 1, 2022 (Beacons of Light / Family of Parishes implementation)
Pastors the St. Gabriel the Archangel Family of Parishes, of which St. John the Baptist is one of five parishes