About St. Joseph · North Bend, Ohio
St. Joseph Church is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati serving over 1,000 families in the southwestern corner of the archdiocese. Founded in 1860 in the village of North Bend, Ohio after Catholic families from North Bend and Cleves raced to raise funds for a new church (North Bend won), it now draws parishioners from Addyston, Cleves, Miami Township, and North Bend in Ohio, as well as Bright, Lawrenceburg, Greendale, and Rising Sun across the river in Indiana. The parish is most famous for being literally 'stamps built' — Father Robert Leugers and 200+ volunteers mailed thousands of letters across Ohio collecting redeemable sales-tax stamps to fund the 1962 church and school. A 2015 sanctuary addition and on-going Mass-and-Confession schedule keep this bicentennial-era community an active anchor of Catholic life on the Great Miami and Ohio rivers.
- Established
- 1860
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Andrew J. Umberg
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a 1,000-family Anchor Church for Catholics in the southwestern corner of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati — with a story unlike almost any other parish in the country (a church literally built with redeemed sales-tax stamps) and a deep bench of ministries for every age and stage of life. Active parishioners run RCIA-style faith formation, CYO athletics, Conquest for boys, a Whiz Kids literacy tutoring program at Three Rivers Elementary School, a Music Ministry open to high-schoolers and adults, an Outreach ministry supporting Our Daily Bread, Operation Christmas Child, the Giving Tree, and the St. Leo Toy Drive, plus a Knitting Ministry that meets weekly to make newborn hats, shawls for cancer patients, and baptismal blankets. Add daily and weekend Mass, Saturday confession, First Friday adoration, and a partnership with Three Rivers Area Ministries (TRAM) food pantry — and there is a place for almost anyone to belong here.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 2:00 – 2:30 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- First Friday Adoration: 8:30 – 9:30 AM
About St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Church is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and is home for over 1,000 families. Parishioners live in Addyston, Cleves, Miami Township, and North Bend in Ohio, as well as the Indiana towns of Bright, Lawrenceburg, Greendale, and Rising Sun. Photographs on the About page are credited to Fr. Andrew Umberg. The parish has served as the anchor Catholic church for the southwestern corner of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati since 1860.
History
The parish was formed in 1860 when Catholic families approached Bishop John Purcell asking for a church. A fundraising race between North Bend and Cleves decided the location, with North Bend winning. The first St. Joseph Church on Taylor Avenue (built 1886, dedicated July 31, 1887) sat on the Holliday family estate; the rectory followed in 1911 on Harrison Avenue. By 1961 the original building had decayed beyond renovation, and Father Robert Leugers' famous tax-stamp crusade funded the current church and school dedicated in 1962. A 2015 sanctuary addition gave the parish a new worship space built with metal stud-bearing walls, light gauge metal roof rafters, and two long-span steel trusses for a large open clearstory.
- Parish founded 1860 after North Bend 'won' the fundraising race against Cleves
- First church built 1886 on Taylor Avenue, dedicated July 31, 1887
- Rectory built 1911 on Harrison Avenue ('Tippecanoe Park')
- 1962 church and school funded by redeemed Ohio sales-tax stamps
- 2015 sanctuary addition with long-span steel trusses and clearstory
- Parish grew from a small congregation serving Addyston, Cleves, Columbia Park, Elizabethtown, Hooven, Miami Township, and North Bend
The Tax-Stamp Church — A Built-by-Volunteers Story
Perhaps the most distinctive chapter in St. Joseph's history is Father Robert Leugers' tax-stamp crusade that funded the 1962 church and school. He organized more than 200 volunteers who, between roughly the mid-1950s and 1961, mailed 3,000 to 5,000 letters a day (up to 9,000 at peak) across Ohio asking people to donate their sales-tax stamps, which could be redeemed by religious and charitable groups for 2–3% of face value. The state reimbursed the parish $260,000 over six years; all the labor was donated, but postage cost about $20,000 a year and paper, ink, and envelopes consumed about half of what was earned. The post office printed a special pre-cancelled postage stamp for the parish that is now considered a collector's item. Stamps arrived from people of all faiths and stations of life, often with notes of encouragement. The new church and school cost $200,000 and were dedicated in 1962. To this day, parishioners still boast having 'a church that stamps built.'
Clergy & Parish Leadership
Rev. Andrew J. Umberg was appointed Pastor of St. Joseph Parish on July 1, 2015. A Cincinnati native, he attended LaSalle High School, the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, and Mt. St. Mary's Seminary in Cincinnati, and was ordained in 1991. He also holds a license in Sacred Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome and serves as Director of the Priestly Formation Office of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He was formerly the pastor of St. William Parish in Price Hill and previously a member of the faculty of Mt. St. Mary's Seminary. Fr. Marty Bachman serves on the staff as Parochial Vicar, and parish operations are supported within the broader Divine Mercy Family of Parishes.
- Rev. Andrew J. Umberg — Pastor (since July 1, 2015)
- Fr. Marty Bachman — Parochial Vicar
- Mia Williams — St. Joseph Music Director
- Jason Huther — St. Joseph Maintenance
- Leah Cook — Principal (Our Lady of the Visitation school within the family of parishes)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Joseph covers children, teens, and adults through the Parish School of Religion (PSR), OCIC for unbaptized children, First Communion and First Reconciliation preparation, Confirmation of Teens, and Adult Confirmation. Adaptive Faith Formation and Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) serve children with special needs and younger worshippers. VIRTUS 'Empowering God's Children' and VIRTUS training for employees and volunteers round out the safe-environment and catechetical programming.
- Parish School of Religion (PSR)
- First Communion / First Reconciliation
- Confirmation of Teens
- Order of Christian Initiation of Children (OCIC)
- Baptismal Preparation / Adult Confirmation
- Adaptive Faith Formation
- Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW)
- VIRTUS 'Empowering God's Children' and VIRTUS Training
Youth & Young Adult Ministries
Beyond faith formation, the parish invests deeply in young people through Youth Ministry: By Teens For Teens, the CYO / Athletic Boosters, and a Young Adult Ministry. Conquest is a virtue-and-character program for boys in grades K–8 split into Junior Program (K–4) and Young Leaders (5–8), with the goal of instilling virtue, developing leadership, and helping boys face the world's challenges in a fun, adventurous atmosphere.
- Youth Ministry: By Teens For Teens
- Young Adult Ministry
- CYO / Athletic Boosters
- Conquest (boys grades K–8 — Junior Program and Young Leaders)
Music & Liturgy
St. Joseph's Music Ministry choirs are open to anyone in high school or older who enjoys singing and would like to learn to sing in four-part harmony, with weekend and Holy Day Masses sung throughout the year. The Art & Environment committee supports the liturgical environment, and adult and youth altar servers assist at Mass. The parish credits Lillian Sullivan (1907) as the first organist and choir director and Nell Hanlon as one of the early church organists.
- Music Ministry — open to high-schoolers and adults
- Adult and Youth Altar Servers
- Art & Environment (liturgical environment committee)
Spiritual Life & Prayer
Beyond weekly Mass and confession, St. Joseph sustains a wide prayer and devotional life. The Seven Sisters Apostolate, the Cenacle Prayer Group, the Avilas Group, the Fasting Brothers, and Healing Prayer Teams all meet at the parish. The Couples Ministry and Marriage Preparation support engaged and married couples. The Adult Faith Formation commission coordinates ongoing study and spiritual growth for adults.
- Seven Sisters Apostolate
- Cenacle Prayer Group
- Avilas Group and Fasting Brothers
- Healing Prayer Teams
- Couples Ministry / Marriage Preparation
- Adult Faith Formation
Outreach, Charity & Community Service
St. Joseph has a deep tradition of helping needy families in the area, in continuity with the volunteer spirit that built the parish. The Outreach Ministry sponsors programs that broaden awareness of social-justice issues, especially the Church's social teachings, including Our Daily Bread, Operation Christmas Child (Shoe Box), the Christmas Giving Tree, and the St. Leo Toy Drive. The parish also participates in Three Rivers Area Ministries (TRAM), a coalition of seven local ministers that operates a food pantry and holds year-round food drives. Other outreach arms include Whiz Kids (a literacy-tutoring program partnering with City Gospel Mission and Three Rivers Elementary School), the Respect Life Ministry, and Feeding Our Family.
- Three Rivers Area Ministries (TRAM) food pantry
- Our Daily Bread, Operation Christmas Child, Christmas Giving Tree, St. Leo Toy Drive
- Whiz Kids (Thursdays 4:00–5:00 PM at St. Joseph)
- Respect Life Ministry
- Feeding Our Family
- Knitting Ministry (Wednesdays 1:00–3:00 PM, St. Joseph Hospitality Room)
Knitting Ministry & Scouts
Parishioners meet weekly on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 PM in the St. Joseph Hospitality Room to knit and crochet newborn hats, shawls for cancer patients, and blankets for the newly baptized. The Scouts program at St. Joseph also provides character and community formation for youth.
- Knitting Ministry — Wednesdays 1:00–3:00 PM (Hospitality Room)
- Contact: Mary Beth Walter, 513-941-5885
- Scouts
Divine Mercy Family of Parishes
St. Joseph belongs to the Divine Mercy Family of Parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, grouping it with sister parishes St. Jude (Bridgetown) and Our Lady of the Visitation for shared clergy, staff, music, and outreach resources. Family-wide staffing includes Rev. Donald Siciliano (Pastor), Rev. Daniel Jasek (Parochial Vicar), Rev. Jonathan Jergens (Parochial Vicar), Rev. Jerry Hiland (Retired Clergy in Residence), a Director of Admin & Operations, a Director of Communications, a Director of Schools, Evangelization & Discipleship staff, a Marriage & Family Coordinator, and a Principal for Our Lady of the Visitation school.
- Parish Family: St. Joseph (North Bend), St. Jude (Bridgetown), Our Lady of the Visitation
- Pastor: Rev. Donald Siciliano
- Parochial Vicars: Rev. Daniel Jasek, Rev. Jonathan Jergens
- Retired Clergy in Residence: Rev. Jerry Hiland
Pastoral Organizations Past & Present
Parish history lists many organizations that have called St. Joseph home over its 135+ year history, including the Rosary Society, a girls' choir, a boys' Latin club, a softball team, a youth ministry, the Ladies Altar Society, a Men's Society, and a Parish Information Society. Denis Gleason, Leonard Meyer, and Frank Franz, Sr. served as parish trustees. Today's parish picnic remains a long-running parish tradition.
- Rosary Society, Ladies Altar Society, Men's Society
- Girls' Choir, Boys' Latin Club
- Softball team, Youth Ministry, Parish Information Society
- Annual parish picnic (ongoing tradition)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Scholl
Supervised the actual construction of the first St. Joseph Church; five men dug the foundation, a Mr. Zinn laid it.
- Father Anthony Runnebaum1896–1902
First resident pastor of the new (1887) church; resided at St. Aloysius on the Ohio. Earlier priests had charge of the parish before him.
- Father Robert Leugers
Started the parish's first newsletter, The Carpenter's Shop, and launched the Ohio sales-tax-stamp crusade that funded the 1962 church and school.