About St. John the Evangelist · Deer Park, Ohio
St. John the Evangelist is a Roman Catholic parish in Deer Park, Ohio, founded in 1891 as the very first church of any denomination in the then-small communities of Deer Park and Silverton on Cincinnati's outskirts. Today the parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and is a member of the Crescent Family of Parishes (S-6), which unites St. John with Holy Trinity (Norwood), Nativity of Our Lord (Pleasant Ridge), Church of the Resurrection (Bond Hill), and St. Saviour (Blue Ash/Sycamore Twp.). The current church building on Plainfield Road was dedicated on December 27, 1967 — the Feast of St. John the Evangelist — and remains the home of the parish's weekly liturgies.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Patrick L. Sloneker (Father Pat), pastor of the Crescent Family of Parishes
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist welcomes parishioners and visitors to a historic parish that has been the Catholic heart of Deer Park since 1891 — the very first church of any denomination in the community. As part of the Crescent Family of Parishes, St. John's offers a single Sunday morning Mass (10:30 a.m., English) in its mid-century church on Plainfield Road, alongside weekday Masses shared with the four sister parishes. The parish is shaped by an active Pastoral Council and Finance Council, a children's choir and adult choir under music director Shere Davidson, Vacation Bible School co-sponsored with St. Saviour, an annual rummage sale, and a clear path into the wider family of shared faith-formation, evangelization, and outreach ministries.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM at St. Saviour
- Sunday 8:30 AM at St. Saviour
- Sunday 10:30 AM at St. John the Evangelist (per older parish schedule: confessions available at 10:30 AM before the 11 AM Mass)
Adoration times
- Church open for prayer and adoration approximately 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM (per parish bulletin)
History of St. John the Evangelist Parish
St. John the Evangelist was founded in 1891 when the cornerstone was laid on Sunday, September 27 of that year, and the original church was dedicated on October 23, 1892. Deer Park and Silverton were then small but growing communities on the outskirts of Cincinnati, and St. John was the first Catholic parish — and indeed the first church of any kind — in the area. The parish was organized out of St. Elizabeth, Norwood, originally serving German Catholic settlers, and its rapid growth eventually gave rise to several other Catholic parishes in the surrounding neighborhoods. Two published histories preserve the story in detail: the 1941 golden-jubilee booklet '1891–1941: History of Fifty Years' and Stephen T. Hutzel's 1991 'St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Deer Park, Ohio: A Centennial History, 1891–1991.'
- Founded 1891; cornerstone laid September 27, 1891
- Original church dedicated October 23, 1892
- Parent parish: St. Elizabeth, Norwood
- Ethnic character at founding: German Catholic
- 1941 jubilee history: '1891–1941: History of Fifty Years'
- 1991 centennial history by Stephen T. Hutzel
St. John School (1905–Present Campus)
St. John School opened in 1905 with fifty students and grew to more than 800 pupils at its peak, becoming a center of parish and neighborhood life. The school building was expanded twice over the decades, and at one point part of it actually served as the parish church — that original worship space is today's gymnasium and cafeteria. After the parish school eventually closed, the building was repurposed and today houses Leaves of Learning, a homeschool cooperative that keeps the Plainfield Road campus active through the week.
- School established 1905 with 50 students
- Peak enrollment: 800+ students
- Building expanded twice
- One wing once housed the church — now gym/cafeteria
- Currently houses Leaves of Learning homeschool cooperative
The 1967 Church Building
The present church at 7121 Plainfield Road was dedicated on December 27, 1967 — the Feast of St. John the Evangelist — and remains the setting for the parish's regular weekly liturgies. It stands on the same Plainfield Road campus that has anchored Catholic life in Deer Park since 1891, alongside the original school building.
- Dedicated December 27, 1967, Feast of St. John the Evangelist
- Located at 7121 Plainfield Rd., Deer Park, OH 45236
Crescent Family of Parishes (Beacons of Light)
Since 2022, St. John the Evangelist has been part of the Crescent Family of Parishes (South Deanery Family 6) created under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light initiative. The family unites five parishes — Church of the Resurrection (Bond Hill), Holy Trinity (Norwood), Nativity of Our Lord (Pleasant Ridge), St. John the Evangelist (Deer Park), and St. Saviour (Blue Ash/Sycamore Twp.) — under a single pastor, Father Patrick L. Sloneker, with parochial vicars Father Jerome J. Gardner and Father David A. Lemkuhl. The parishes share ministries, staff, and a common vision statement while continuing to celebrate Mass in their own church buildings.
- Implemented July 1, 2022
- Pastor: Father Patrick L. Sloneker
- Parochial Vicars: Father Jerome J. Gardner, Father David A. Lemkuhl
- Member parishes: Church of the Resurrection, Holy Trinity, Nativity of Our Lord, St. John the Evangelist, St. Saviour
Crescent Family Vision Statement
The five Crescent Parishes share a common vision statement that frames the work of all their ministries: 'We seek to grow as disciples of Jesus and to follow His example of love and compassion. We welcome all to our diverse and unified Catholic community. We share vibrant celebrations of the Eucharist, engage in life-long faith formation, and offer ourselves in service to others.'
Upcoming Merger (2026 and Beyond)
In May 2025 the parishes announced that, effective July 1, 2026, the Church of the Resurrection will become a free-standing parish pastorally supported by the Jesuit Community of Cincinnati, with Father Paul Lickteig named as its new pastor. The remaining four parishes — Holy Trinity, Nativity, St. John, and St. Saviour — are continuing the merger process into one new parish, with combined finances already being prepared. Many ministries have grown together across the five parishes over recent years and will continue to be shared as the merger moves forward.
- Church of the Resurrection becomes free-standing July 1, 2026
- New COR pastor: Father Paul Lickteig (Jesuit Community of Cincinnati)
- Deacon Royce Winters assigned to COR as Parish Life Director
- Holy Trinity, Nativity, St. John, St. Saviour continue merger
Parish Staff and Councils
Day-to-day parish life at St. John is supported by an active Pastoral Council and Finance Council made up of parishioners. The Pastoral Council is chaired by Kathy Bunker, with members Mary Kay Bosse, Peggy Bosse, Diane Daily, Andrea Kemmeter, John Piening, Catherine Reutter, Lisa Stiens, and Pam Young; the Finance Council is chaired by Bill Davis, with Cathy Honsaker, Doug Bosse, and Mark Bauke serving. Across the Crescent Family, the leadership team includes Father Patrick L. Sloneker (pastor), Father Jerome J. Gardner and Father David A. Lemkuhl (parochial vicars), Cari Craver (Director of Evangelization), and Matt Jackson (Director of Administration, per 2025 Archdiocese job postings).
- Pastoral Council Chair: Kathy Bunker
- Finance Council Chair: Bill Davis
- Family Director of Evangelization: Cari Craver
- Family Director of Administration: Matt Jackson
- Parish contact: [email protected]
Music and Liturgy
Music at St. John the Evangelist is led by music director Shere Davidson, who directs the parish's adult choir; Debbie Hogan assists with the St. John's Children's Choir, which warms up before Mass under her leadership. The choirs are a visible point of parish pride, with the adult choir described in parish posts as singing with joy and skill, including pieces such as 'Alleluia, Love is Alive!' A shared Director of Music & Worship is also being recruited across the Crescent Family to coordinate combined liturgies and seasonal planning.
- Music Director: Shere Davidson
- Children's Choir: led by Shere Davidson and Debbie Hogan
- Family-level Director of Music & Worship (recruiting, 2025)
Parish Ministries and Community Life
St. John the Evangelist has a tradition of lay-led parish life. Liturgical ministries include altar servers, lectors, ushers, and Eucharistic ministers, all of whom are scheduled on a rotation that was reshaped when the parish transitioned to one weekly Sunday Mass. Parish-wide activities include an annual Rummage Sale each June, Vacation Bible School co-sponsored with sister parish St. Saviour (held in the St. John Courtyard for children entering Grades 1–6), and a network of faith-formation and evangelization ministries shared across the Crescent Family under Director of Evangelization Cari Craver.
- Altar Servers, Lectors, Ushers, Eucharistic Ministers
- Annual Parish Rummage Sale (late June)
- Vacation Bible Camp with St. Saviour (St. John Courtyard)
- Family-wide Faith Formation and Evangelization
Worship and Devotions
In addition to the regular Mass schedule, the parish bulletin notes that the church is generally open for prayer and adoration from approximately 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM; if the doors are locked, the rectory can assist. The parish's annual life is also marked by the feast-day celebration of its patron, St. John the Evangelist, on December 27.
- Church open for prayer and adoration ~7:00 AM – 3:30 PM
- Patron feast: December 27 — St. John the Evangelist
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. John the Evangelist at 7121 Plainfield Rd., Deer Park, OH 45236-3431. The parish office line is (513) 791-3238, with the Crescent Parishes North Office at (513) 791-9004 and Central Office at (513) 531-3164. Email is [email protected]. The parish's Facebook page is 'St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Deer Park Ohio,' and the parish is featured on the Crescent Parishes website at crescentparishes.org/st-john-the-evangelist (legacy URL stjohndp.org).
- Address: 7121 Plainfield Rd., Deer Park, OH 45236-3431
- Parish phone: (513) 791-3238
- Crescent North Office: (513) 791-9004
- Crescent Central Office: (513) 531-3164
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastoral Council email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas R. Espelage
Listed as pastor of St. John the Evangelist on older parish directories (stjohndp.org / Catholic Church Directory entries).