About St. Malachi · Cleveland, Ohio
St. Malachi Parish is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Cleveland's Ohio City / Irishtown Bend neighborhood (today sometimes called 'Hingetown'), founded in 1865 by Bishop Amadeus Rappe to serve Irish immigrant families working in the Flats along the Cuyahoga River. The parish's mission statement — 'We are a Eucharistic People, United in Prayer, Welcoming to All and Serving the Poor' — reflects more than 150 years of identity shaped by waves of immigration, neighborhood change, fire, renewal, and a deep commitment to outreach. As of April 2025, St. Malachi merged with neighboring St. Patrick Parish to form one parish with two campuses, with the St. Malachi worship site now designated St. Malachi Oratory.
- Established
- 1865
- Patron
- St. Malachy (Maelmhaedhoc O'Morgair), 12th-century Archbishop of Armagh and papal legate for Ireland, reformer and disciple of St. Bernard of Clairvaux
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Gurnick (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Malachi has been a Eucharistic anchor on Cleveland's near west side for more than 150 years, with a mission centered on prayer, radical welcome and service of the poor. Parishioners pray together at Sunday 10:00 a.m. Mass (and the Saturday Vigil at 4:00 p.m. at sister-campus St. Patrick), gather for Reconciliation on Fridays, and share a Eucharistic Hour on Wednesdays. The parish runs two beloved direct-service ministries — the Backdoor Sandwich Ministry (weekday hot meals and Saturday breakfast) and the Monday Night Meal (sit-down dinner for anyone) — and partners with the pioneering Malachi House hospice for the dying poor and Malachi Center for outreach and education. Whether you are a lifelong near-west-sider, a returning Catholic, or simply hungry for a parish that takes 'welcoming to all' literally, St. Malachi offers a place to belong and to serve.
Mass times at St. Malachi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday: 12:30 PM in the church, following the 12:00 noon Mass
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Hour at the St. Patrick Rectory (3602 Bridge Ave.), Wednesdays 6:00–8:00 PM
Parish Mission & Identity
St. Malachi Parish articulates its mission in four short phrases: 'We are a Eucharistic People, United in Prayer, Welcoming to All and Serving the Poor.' Those four commitments — Eucharist, prayer, hospitality, and service to the poor — have shaped the parish on Cleveland's near west side since 1865 and continue to define its life today, including the recent April 2025 combination with sister parish St. Patrick.
- Mission: 'We are a Eucharistic People, United in Prayer, Welcoming to All and Serving the Poor'
- Celebrating over 150 years of faithful service in the 'Old Angle' (Irishtown Bend / Ohio City)
- As of April 2025, St. Malachi Oratory is part of a combined parish with St. Patrick, sharing one pastor and staff across two campuses
History of St. Malachi Parish
St. Malachi was organized in 1865 out of St. Patrick's Parish by Bishop Amadeus Rappe, with Fr. James P. Molony as first pastor, to serve Irish immigrants in Cleveland's Flats. The cornerstone of the first church on Washington Avenue was laid in 1867 and the brick Romanesque Revival building was dedicated in March 1871; its illuminated cross atop a ~200-foot spire made it a famous 'port church' visible to Lake Erie sailors until the steeple was destroyed by a storm in 1876. The parish grew to roughly 2,000 families before membership collapsed to 60 families by 1928, then rebounded with the 1935 construction of Lakeview Terrace on West 25th Street.
- 1865 — Parish organized; Fr. James P. Molony named first pastor
- 1867 — Cornerstone laid on Washington Ave.
- March 1871 — Original brick Romanesque Revival church dedicated
- 1876 — Spire with illuminated lighthouse cross destroyed in a violent storm
- 1916 — French-speaking Annunciation parish merged into St. Malachi
- 1928 — Membership falls to 60 families after the High Level Bridge era
- 1938 — Rebounds to 400 families after Lakeview Terrace (1935)
- Dec. 23, 1943 — Original church destroyed by fire (likely boiler explosion)
- June 29, 1947 — Present Romanesque church dedicated, designed by George W. Stickle
- 1968 — Parish school merges with St. Patrick's to found Urban Community School (Ursuline-administered)
- April 1975 — Community of St. Malachi becomes the first personal, non-territorial parish in the Diocese of Cleveland, under Fr. Paul Hritz
- 1985 — Malachi Center opens in a converted warehouse for outreach and adult education
- 1988 — Malachi House hospice opens on Clinton Avenue
- Oct. 1990 — Parish celebrates 125th anniversary as 'community's cornerstone'
- 2005 — Urban Community School relocates to a new facility at W. 48th and Lorain
- April 2025 — St. Malachi and St. Patrick combine to form one parish with two campuses; St. Malachi site becomes St. Malachi Oratory
Buildings & Architecture
The present Washington Avenue church was built 1945–1947 to replace the original 1871 Gothic-style structure that burned in 1943. Architect George W. Stickle designed the new Romanesque building in multi-color Tennessee crab-orchard stone with decorative buttresses, lancet windows, and a square tower with battlements; the baptismal font and most statues were salvaged from the earlier building and reinstalled. The parish campus also includes an 18-room convent for the Ursuline sisters and a school building dating to 1885. The parish's oldest standing building is actually the rectory, built in 1834.
- 1947 church: Tennessee crab-orchard stone, Romanesque, decorative buttresses, lancet windows, battlemented square tower
- Architect: George W. Stickle
- Salvaged from 1871 church: baptismal font, most statues
- School building dates to 1885 (replacing 1867 original)
- 18-room Ursuline convent on the Washington Avenue campus
- Rectory built 1834 — oldest parish building
Mass, Sacraments & Devotions
Mass at St. Malachi follows a deliberately compact schedule in the combined parish era. Weekend Masses are the Saturday Vigil at 4:00 PM and Sunday at 10:00 AM; weekday Masses are celebrated at 12:00 noon on Tuesday and Friday, with Holy Day Masses at 12:00 noon. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered on Fridays at 12:30 PM in the church following the noon Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration (the Eucharistic Hour) is held at the St. Patrick Rectory (3602 Bridge Ave.) on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Eve of Holy Days: there is no Mass at St. Malachi — Mass is available at St. Patrick Church.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 AM
- Weekday Mass: Tuesday and Friday at 12:00 noon
- Holy Day Mass: 12:00 noon
- Reconciliation: Friday 12:30 PM (after noon Mass)
- Eucharistic Hour (Adoration): Wednesday 6:00–8:00 PM at St. Patrick Rectory, 3602 Bridge Ave.
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Outreach & Partner Ministries
Service of the poor has been central to St. Malachi's identity for generations. Two parish-run programs — the Backdoor Sandwich Ministry and the Monday Night Meal — feed neighbors every day of the week, while two partner institutions (Malachi Center and Malachi House) carry the parish's outreach into adult education, after-school programming, support groups, and end-of-life care for the dying poor.
- Backdoor Sandwich Ministry — hot meals and bagged lunches Mon–Fri 10:00 AM–1:00 PM; hot breakfast with to-go lunch Sat 9:00 AM–Noon; served at the Washington Street entrance of the School Hall
- Monday Night Meal — weekly sit-down dinner, doors at 5:00 PM, served by volunteers until 6:00 PM, all year including holidays
- Malachi House (founded 1988) — hospice on Clinton Ave. for terminally ill persons regardless of means; ~15 residents; ~2,700 served since opening; non-profit, no government funding
- Malachi Center (since 1985) — adult education, after-school programs, men's and women's support groups
- Volunteer opportunities and food donations welcomed; contact Eleshia, Back Door Ministry Coordinator, at 216-418-8722
Faith Formation & School Legacy
Catechetical leadership for the combined St. Patrick–St. Malachi parish is provided by Stephanie Pritts, St. Patrick/St. Malachi Catechetical Leader. St. Malachi's historic parish school, founded in 1867 and rebuilt in 1885, was taught from the start by the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland (who took over all classes in 1890 when the Christian Brothers departed). In 1968 the parish school merged with that of St. Patrick's to found the co-ed Urban Community School, which continued under Ursuline direction; in 1976 the school building at St. Wendelin was incorporated, and in 2005 the Urban Community School relocated to a new facility at West 48th Street and Lorain Avenue.
- Parish school founded 1867; rebuilt 1885; Ursuline Sisters taught from the start
- 1890 — Ursulines take over all classes
- 1968 — Merges with St. Patrick's to found Urban Community School
- 1976 — St. Wendelin school building incorporated
- 2005 — Urban Community School moves to W. 48th & Lorain
- Today: St. Patrick/St. Malachi Catechetical Leader coordinates faith formation across both campuses
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at St. Malachi is directed by Charlene McElwee, Director of Music/Liturgy, who helps shape the parish's Eucharistic identity through sung prayer at Sunday and weekday Masses and through the parish's special events and devotions. The Sunday 10:00 a.m. Mass is followed by parish events and activities.
- Director of Music/Liturgy: Charlene McElwee ([email protected])
- 'Sunday Morning at St. Malachi' parish events and activities follow the 10:00 AM Mass
Parish Staff & Leadership
Day-to-day parish life is led by a small team of clergy and lay staff, all reachable through the rectory at (216) 861-5343. The parish is administered by Rev. Michael Gurnick and served by Capuchin Brother Philip Bernier as Parochial Vicar.
- Rev. Michael Gurnick — Parish Administrator ([email protected])
- Br. Philip Bernier, O.F.M.Cap — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Charlene McElwee — Director of Music/Liturgy
- Frank Budziak — Campus Coordinator
- Stephanie Pritts — Catechetical Leader
- Jeanette Shemo — Accountant
- Eleshia — Back Door Ministry Coordinator (216-418-8722)
- Steve Gresham — Maintenance Supervisor
- Willie Cummings — Part Time Maintenance
- Eileen Ladden — Part Time Administrative Secretary
Getting Involved
St. Malachi welcomes volunteers across its ministries. The Backdoor Sandwich Ministry and the Monday Night Meal are entirely volunteer-driven, with roles in cooking, serving, set-up and clean-up. Parish leadership is shaped through the Parish Council and Finance Council, and the parish office is open Monday–Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM for anyone wishing to meet with Fr. Gurnick or a staff member.
- Volunteer — Backdoor Sandwich Ministry (Mon–Sat serving roles)
- Volunteer — Monday Night Meal (cooking, serving, set-up, clean-up)
- Parish Council and Finance Council (governance)
- Schedule a meeting: call the rectory 216-861-5343
Visiting St. Malachi
St. Malachi sits in Cleveland's Ohio City / Irishtown Bend neighborhood, near West 25th and Detroit, within easy reach of the West Side Market. The parish rectory is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. For sacramental needs, call (216) 861-5343. After April 2025 the site operates as St. Malachi Oratory within the combined St. Patrick – St. Malachi parish; the parish's current web presence is at patrickmalachicleveland.org.
- Address: 2459 Washington Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113-2380 (at W. 25th & Detroit)
- Phone: (216) 861-5343
- Fax: (216) 861-5340
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Sibling campus: St. Patrick Parish, 3602 Bridge Ave.
- Current website: patrickmalachicleveland.org (stmalachi.org redirects)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James P. Molony1865–1903
First pastor; led the parish from its founding out of St. Patrick's through the building and 1871 dedication of the original Romanesque Revival church on Washington Avenue; died June 13, 1901.
- Fr. Paul Hritzlate 1960s–mid 1970s
Celebrated the 11:00 a.m. Mass that became the seed of the Vatican II reform community; in April 1975 the Community of St. Malachi became the first personal, non-territorial parish in the Diocese of Cleveland under his leadership. His ministry to the dying poor inspired the founding of Malachi House in 1988.
- Fr. Anthony Schuergerby 1995
Serving as pastor to roughly 1,200 families in 1995, in the post-125th-anniversary era of renewed parish vitality.