About St. Joseph · Fort Recovery, Ohio
St. Joseph Parish is a small, historic Roman Catholic church in the hamlet of St. Joe / Victoria, just outside Fort Recovery in rural Mercer County, Ohio. Established in 1839 by German Catholic pioneers from the Archduchy of Baden, it is the mother church of what is now the Holy Cross Family of Parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The present brick church dates to 1861 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches. Today St. Joseph shares pastoral ministry with six other parishes in the Holy Cross Family under the Archdiocese's Beacons of Light initiative.
- Established
- 1839
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Alexander T. Witt
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. Joseph is the historic mother church of the Fort Recovery Catholic community and welcomes visitors to a beautifully restored 1861 country church surrounded by farmland. As part of the Holy Cross Family of Parishes, parishioners benefit from shared faith formation, youth ministry, OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), bereavement ministry, and family councils that knit seven parishes together across Mercer County. It is a place where families that have worshipped for six generations still gather for the same Sunday Mass their great-great-grandparents attended.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 5:45 pm – 6:30 pm (30 minutes before Mass)
- Saturday: after the 9:00 am Mass
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 8:30 am – 6:30 pm
History of St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Parish was established in late 1839 by German Catholic settlers from the Archduchy of Baden on an 80-acre tract donated by Joseph Doll. A blockhouse church blessed by Father Louis Navarron in 1845 preceded the present brick church of 1861. From 1851 to 2006 the parish was served by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.). A tower and entrance were added in 1902, stained-glass windows installed in 1920, and the rectory built in 1906. The church and rectory were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. A major 1999–2000 restoration brought the interior back to its pre-Vatican II appearance and uncovered a long-hidden mural of St. Joseph and Jesus. The 175th anniversary was celebrated on October 5, 2014 with Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr.
- Founded 1839
- Brick church built 1861
- Precious Blood fathers served 1851–2006
- Tower & entrance added 1902
- Stained-glass windows installed 1920
- Rectory built 1906
- Restored 1999–2000
- 175th anniversary celebrated 2014
Holy Cross Family of Parishes
Since the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light reorganization took effect July 1, 2022, St. Joseph has been part of the Holy Cross Family of Parishes in the Northwest Deanery. The family brings together seven parishes — St. Joseph, St. Peter, St. Paul, Mary Help of Christians, and St. Anthony (Fort Recovery), plus St. Mary (Philothea) and Holy Trinity (Coldwater) — under a single pastoral team led by Father Alexander T. Witt.
- Implemented July 1, 2022
- Pastor: Rev. Alexander T. Witt
- Parochial Vicars: Fr. Ethan Moore, Fr. Joseph Kumar Pasala, Fr. Barry Stechschulte
- Deacons: Daniel Kahlig, Roger Kaiser
- Family Council reps for St. Joseph: Holly Grube and Dillan Schulze
Parish Staff for St. Joseph
St. Joseph shares its administrative and ministry staff across the Holy Cross Family of Parishes. The Fort Recovery side of the family office (shared with Mary Help of Christians, St. Paul-Sharpsburg, and St. Peter) is led by Business Manager Amy Lennartz, Administrative Assistant Karen Timmerman, and CCD Coordinator Harlie Metzger, who also handles hall rentals.
- Karen Timmerman — Administrative Assistant (St. Joseph / St. Peter)
- Amy Lennartz — Business Manager (MHC / St. Joseph / St. Paul-Sharpsburg / St. Peter)
- Harlie Metzger — CCD Coordinator & Hall Rentals (St. Joseph)
- Natalie Ashbaugh — Youth Ministry
- Ginny Fortkamp — OCIA & Bereavement Ministry
- Maria Bergman — Music Ministry (St. Joseph)
- Lisa Cowan — Director of Communications / Family Bulletin
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education for parish children is coordinated across the family of parishes by Harlie Metzger for the Fort Recovery cluster. Youth ministry is led by Natalie Ashbaugh, and adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church are walked through the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) by Ginny Fortkamp.
- CCD / Religious Education (Harlie Metzger)
- Youth Ministry (Natalie Ashbaugh)
- OCIA / RCIA (Ginny Fortkamp)
- Adult Evangelization (Cindy Muhlenkamp, Family-wide)
Music & Liturgy
Music at St. Joseph is led by Maria Bergman. Like the other Holy Cross parishes, the liturgical schedule follows the Roman Rite (Latin Rite) of the Roman Catholic Church, in English.
- Music Director: Maria Bergman
- Rite: Roman (Latin) Rite
- Language: English
Sanderell Hall
Sanderell Hall is a small parish hall built on the foundation of the former St. Joseph priest house, which was demolished in 2009. The hall was funded largely by a donation from the Sanderall family and is used for small parish gatherings. Rental inquiries are directed to Harlie Metzger.
- Built 2009 on the former priest-house foundation
- Named for the Sanderall family donors
- Hall rental contact: Harlie Metzger, 567-279-8664
Outreach & Mission
Parishioners of St. Joseph participate in family-wide outreach, including the annual Hope of the Poor Mission Trip (with Father Witt serving as chaplain) and ongoing Call for Prayer, bereavement, and Safe Environment ministries. A memorial community prayer garden built collaboratively by Fort Recovery and Coldwater parishioners was dedicated near the family of parishes' churches as a place for prayer and reflection.
- Hope of the Poor Mission Trip
- Call for Prayer ministry
- Bereavement Ministry
- Safe Environment Program
- Community prayer garden (Fort Recovery / Coldwater)
National Register & Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
St. Joseph Church and Rectory were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as part of the thematic nomination that gave the region its popular name: the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches. St. Joseph is recognized as one of three 'mother churches' of the corridor, founded by German Catholic immigrants from Baden who settled along the Miami & Erie Canal in the 1830s and 1840s.
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places — 1979
- Recognized as one of three 'mother churches' of the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
- Set in the southwestern Mercer County farming region of Ohio
Visiting & Contact
St. Joseph welcomes visitors at 1689 St. Joe Road, Fort Recovery, OH 45846. The Fort Recovery parish office can be reached at (419) 375-4153, with the family-wide Coldwater office available at (419) 678-4802. Because the church and grounds are rural, parishioners and guests are asked to call ahead about accessibility during any ongoing work.
- Address: 1689 St. Joe Road, Fort Recovery, OH 45846
- Fort Recovery Office: (419) 375-4153
- Coldwater Office: (419) 678-4802
- Website: https://www.holycrossfop.org/st-joseph
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Thomas Dornapprox. 2006–before 2022
Diocesan pastor who followed the Missionaries of the Precious Blood out of St. Joseph in 2006; served the parish nine years and led restoration efforts.