About St. Martin of Tours · Cincinnati, Ohio
St. Martin of Tours is a Roman Catholic parish in Cheviot, a west-side suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1909–1911 to serve Catholic families who had been walking to St. Aloysius in Bridgetown or St. Catharine of Siena in Westwood, the parish began with about 125 families and celebrated its first Mass in a small wooden church on February 26, 1911. Today it is a thriving parish home to roughly 1,300 families and a parish school that had served kindergarten through eighth grade since 1912 (the school closed at the end of the 2023–2024 academic year after more than a century of operation). The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Family of the Most Holy Eucharist, a 'Beacons of Light' family grouping it with St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Catharine of Siena, St. Antoninus, and Our Lady of Lourdes.
- Established
- 1911 (parish organized; first Mass February 26, 1911). Parish was conceived in 1909 and the first permanent church/school was dedicated October 20, 1912.
- Patron
- St. Martin of Tours
- Rector
- Father Matthew Robben (Pastor of the Family of the Most Holy Eucharist since July 1, 2022, appointed under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light reorganization; previously pastor of Our Lady of the Valley in Reading, Ohio).
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati (specifically a member of the Family of the Most Holy Eucharist, a 'Beacons of Light' family parish grouping St. Martin of Tours with St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Antoninus, St. Catharine of Siena, and Our Lady of Lourdes)
Why belong here
St. Martin of Tours is a 100-plus-year-old Cheviot parish with deep west-side Cincinnati roots, Sunday and weekday Masses in English, regular Reconciliation (Sundays before Mass and Mondays before daily Mass), a long-running Parish Religious Education (PREP) program for public-school children in grades 1–8, and an active parish food pantry. As part of the Family of the Most Holy Eucharist, it shares priests, ministries, and school resources with four neighboring parishes — St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Antoninus, St. Catharine of Siena, and Our Lady of Lourdes — so newcomers join a wide network of fellow Catholics rather than a single small congregation. The parish is also noted for a remarkably high number of alumni who have entered religious life.
Mass times at St. Martin of Tours
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM (before the 9:00 AM Mass)
- Mondays 7:15 AM – 7:45 AM (before the 8:00 AM daily Mass)
Parish History
St. Martin of Tours was born out of a 1909 conversation among west-side Catholics about the burden of walking long distances to Mass. The 'Baker's Dozen' committee petitioned Archbishop Henry K. Moeller, who welcomed them as 'the most pestiferous committee' he had to deal with — and approved the new parish. Father Otto B. Auer said the first Mass on February 26, 1911 in a small frame church; Archbishop Moeller dedicated the combined church-school-convent building (the present 'red school building') on October 20, 1912 to a crowd of about 5,000. The present church, designed by architect J. C. Grunkemeyer at a cost of roughly $200,000, was dedicated on August 5, 1923. The parish has celebrated more than a century of continuous Catholic life on the west side of Cincinnati.
- Summer 1909 — first meetings at Krollmann's Garden and the Cheviot Town Hall
- 1909–1910 — Baker's Dozen petitions Archbishop Moeller for a parish; land on Glenmore Avenue purchased for $9,000
- February 26, 1911 — Father Otto B. Auer celebrates the first Mass
- 1912 — first permanent building opens with church (basement), four classrooms, and a convent for the Sisters of Notre Dame
- 1917 — newly ordained Father George Grunkemeyer becomes first assistant priest
- 1923 — present church dedicated; rectory and convent follow in the 1920s
- 1951 / 1960s — current school building dedicated and expanded
- Golden jubilee era — air conditioning and interior renovations; parish formally becomes 'St. Martin of Tours' to distinguish it from St. Martin de Porres
- 2011 — parish centennial year celebrated under Father Hamilton
- 2022 — joins the Family of the Most Holy Eucharist under Beacons of Light with Father Matthew Robben as pastor
- 2023–2024 — 112-year-old parish school closes at the end of the school year
The 'Baker's Dozen' Founders
Thirteen laymen formed the founding committee that brought St. Martin of Tours into being. Their persistence with Archbishop Moeller is part of parish lore; parishioner Liz Kissel, who researched the parish's history for the centennial, has highlighted 'the faith of those who started the parish.'
- John Lacher
- Joseph Schneider
- William Carroll
- Henry Tepe
- John Molengraft
- William Brogle
- Henry Brockhoff
- Bernard Bruns
- Fred Dietrich
- Joseph Volz
- Charles Schaible
- John Hengehold
- Jacob Krollmann
Clergy & Family of the Most Holy Eucharist
Since July 1, 2022, St. Martin of Tours has been served by the priests of the Family of the Most Holy Eucharist, one of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light family parishes. The pastor is Father Matthew Robben (previously of Our Lady of the Valley, Reading), assisted by parochial vicars Father Anthony Dattilo and Father Henry Hoffman. The family also includes St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Antoninus, St. Catharine of Siena, and Our Lady of Lourdes.
- Pastor: Father Matthew Robben
- Parochial Vicar: Father Anthony Dattilo
- Parochial Vicar: Father Henry Hoffman
- Partner parishes: St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Antoninus, St. Catharine of Siena, Our Lady of Lourdes
Parish School (1912–2024)
St. Martin of Tours Catholic School opened its doors in 1912 in the basement of what is still called the 'red school building,' and operated continuously for 112 years. The parish school served kindergarten through eighth grade and, at its peak in 2018–2019, enrolled 271 students; by 2023–2024 enrollment had fallen to 182, and the school employed 22 teachers and staff. After a five-year cumulative deficit of about $1.9 million and a 36% drop in overall parish income (from $1,182,786 in FY 2018-2019 to $756,335 in FY 2022-2023), the parish councils, in consultation with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Catholic Schools Office, recommended closure, and Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr accepted that recommendation in December 2023. The school closed at the end of the 2023–2024 academic year; the four other Catholic schools in the Family of the Most Holy Eucharist — Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Antoninus, and St. Catharine of Siena — agreed to give St. Martin students priority acceptance.
- Founded 1912 in the basement of the combined church-school-convent building
- Current school building dedicated 1951, expanded 1960s
- Closed end of 2023–2024 school year after 112 years
- Archdiocese cited $1.9M cumulative deficit and declining enrollment as causes
- Parish (church itself) remains open
Faith Formation & PREP
For public-school children who do not attend St. Martin, the Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) offers catechetical classes for students entering grades 1 through 8. Classes meet in the red school building from 6:30 PM to 7:45 PM. Beginning in the 2023–2024 year, PREP families were invited to share a free dinner at 6:00 PM, and parents are welcome to stay during class for a short catechetical talk by one of the priests or a guest speaker. PREP is open not only to St. Martin families but also to any interested members of the wider Family of the Most Holy Eucharist. The PREP coordinator (contact line on the parish site) is Julie McDonald.
- Grades 1–8 catechesis
- 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM in the red school building
- Free family dinner at 6:00 PM (since 2023–2024)
- Parent catechesis talks during class
- Open to families across the Family of the Most Holy Eucharist
- Contact: Julie McDonald ([email protected])
Outreach & Ministries
St. Martin of Tours supports both parish-based and family-parish ministries. The parish bulletin carries the current list of items needed for the St. Martin Food Pantry, and Eucharistic Ministers bring Communion to the sick and homebound. Young adults (ages 21–35) from any west-side parish are invited to the Westside Catholic Young Adults group, a collaborative ministry across the western parishes.
- St. Martin Food Pantry
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Westside Catholic Young Adults (ages 21–35, west-side parishes)
- Bulletin announcements and a shared calendar of parish events
Sacraments
The most visible sacraments at the parish — the Eucharist and Reconciliation — have published, recurring times so that visitors can plan a visit. First Communion and Confirmation preparation for public-school children runs through PREP, and Holy Day schedules are posted in the bulletin.
- Sunday Mass, 9:00 AM
- Weekday Mass, Mon/Wed/Thu 8:00 AM
- Reconciliation, Sundays 8:00–8:30 AM and Mondays 7:15–7:45 AM
- PREP preparation for First Communion and Confirmation (grades 1–8)
Facilities & Campus
The parish occupies a multi-building campus along Glenmore Avenue in Cheviot. The 1912 'red school building' remains the visual anchor of the parish, and the 1923-present church designed by J. C. Grunkemeyer is the principal worship space. Adjacent buildings include a rectory (1920s), a convent (1920s), the school building dedicated in 1951 and expanded in the 1960s, and Martin Hall — the original 1911 frame church converted for parish meetings and socials. Air conditioning and interior renovations came during the golden-jubilee era.
- St. Martin of Tours Church (1923) — architect J. C. Grunkemeyer, contractor Joseph Neyer
- Red School Building (1912) — original church/school/convent
- School Building (1951, expanded 1960s) — closed 2024
- Rectory and Convent (1920s)
- Martin Hall (1911 frame church, converted)
- Mid-century air conditioning and interior renovations
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Otto B. Auer1911–1914 (approximately)
First pastor of the parish; said the inaugural Mass on February 26, 1911 in the small frame church designed by parishioner Anthony Kunz, and oversaw the dedication of the first permanent building (the 'red school building') on October 20, 1912.
- Father Henry Schuer1914–?
Succeeded Father Auer; during his tenure, in 1917, the newly ordained Father George Grunkemeyer became the parish's first assistant priest and a larger church (the present one) was commissioned.
- Father George GrunkemeyerAssistant from 1917; later pastor
Newly ordained in 1917, he was the parish's first assistant priest and later served as pastor.
- Father HamiltonServing as of the 2011 centennial
Celebrated Mass and gave the homily for the parish's centennial year in 2011, speaking of the 13 original founders.
- Father Matthew Robben2022–present
Appointed pastor of the new Family of the Most Holy Eucharist on July 1, 2022 under Beacons of Light; previously pastor of Our Lady of the Valley in Reading. Led the December 2023 decision to close St. Martin of Tours Catholic School at the end of 2023–2024.