About St. Martin of Tours · Valley City, Ohio
St. Martin of Tours is a Roman Catholic parish in Valley City, Ohio, in Liverpool Township of Medina County. It is one of the oldest Catholic communities in the region, founded in 1840 by German Catholic settlers — seven years before the Diocese of Cleveland itself was established. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Cleveland (Wayne-Medina-Ashland Deanery) and today gathers around a fifth church dedicated in 2002, while preserving the historic 1861 Gothic church as a chapel. Current pastor Rev. William A. Thaden was appointed July 1, 2025, succeeding Rev. Daniel J. Reed, with Deacon William "Bill" Perkins serving as Pastoral Associate.
- Established
- 1840
- Patron
- St. Martin of Tours
- Rector
- Rev. William A. Thaden
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland (Wayne-Medina-Ashland Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Martin of Tours offers the rare gift of a living, 180-year-old Catholic community in which the historic 1861 Gothic church is still used as a chapel, a five-columbarium Garden of the Luminous Mysteries consecrated in 2023 invites the cremated to rest on sacred ground, and an active parish life spans faith formation, Life Teen, Knights of Columbus, men's and women's faith-sharing fellowships, bereavement and recovery ministries, music ministry, and the iconic annual chicken dinner. With two Sunday Masses, a Saturday Vigil, weekday Masses, Saturday confession, and Holy Day and Federal Holiday schedules, it is a welcoming, generational parish rooted in Medina County soil since before the Diocese of Cleveland itself existed.
Mass times at St. Martin of Tours
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (alternate listing)
- By appointment
Parish History
St. Martin of Tours traces its roots to June 1840, when German Catholic settlers from Abbeyville rode to Strongsville to meet Bishop Purcell and Father O'Dwyer. On June 9, 1840, Father O'Dwyer celebrated Mass in the home of Mr. Lawling, founding a community seven years before the Diocese of Cleveland itself. Two early log-cabin churches were built across the often-flooded Rocky River — St. Mary and Mary, Queen of All Saints — served by C.PP.S. priests. By 1849 both were too small, and a third church was built in Liverpool Township on land from Aloys Grabenstetter, taking the patron St. Martin of Tours. The current historic 1861 Gothic church — NRHP-listed since 1975 — was built by farmers, furnished with German-crafted altars and an 1881 Odenbrett & Abler pipe organ, and still serves as a chapel. The fifth and current church, seating 900, was dedicated by Bishop Anthony Pilla on November 3, 2002, with parish offices, parish hall, and meeting rooms.
- 1840 — first Mass in the Lawling home
- 1842 — St. Mary log church east of the Rocky River
- 1849 — third church built in Liverpool Township, dedicated to St. Martin of Tours
- 1854 — Rev. Peter A. Capeder, C.PP.S., first resident pastor
- 1861 — present historic Gothic church built by local farmers
- 1881 — Odenbrett & Abler pipe organ installed (still in use)
- 1897 — stained glass windows installed
- 1961 — major renovations; education building/social hall built
- 1965 — 125th Anniversary celebrated
- 2002 — fifth church dedicated by Bishop Anthony Pilla (Nov. 3)
- 2022 — Mass of Thanksgiving and burning of the mortgage (Nov. 6)
- 2023 — Garden of the Luminous Mysteries consecrated (Nov. 2)
Historic 1861 Chapel
The fourth church, built in 1861, was not razed after the 2002 church opened but designated a chapel and is still used today for funerals and weddings upon request. Its Gothic interior — German altars and statues, terra-cotta Stations of the Cross, the 1881 Odenbrett & Abler pipe organ in a carved butternut Gothic case, and 1897 stained glass windows — remains essentially intact and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 1975 (NRHP #75001486). The original green glass windows from before 1897 were packed and shipped to a mission church in the Dakotas.
- Architectural style: Gothic
- Architect: Patrick Keely
- Built 1861; NRHP-listed 1975
- Pipe organ by Odenbrett & Abler, Milwaukee, 1881
Pastorate of Rev. William A. Thaden (2025–present)
Rev. William A. Thaden was appointed pastor of St. Martin of Tours effective July 1, 2025, succeeding Rev. Daniel J. Reed (who retired after serving 2018–2025). Fr. Bill was ordained in 1988 and, early in his priesthood, served as a missionary priest in El Salvador representing the Diocese of Cleveland. He then served as pastor of Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain for more than 25 years before his appointment at St. Martin's. He welcomes inquiries from men discerning the priesthood.
- Ordained 1988
- Missionary priest in El Salvador (Diocese of Cleveland)
- Pastor of Sacred Heart Chapel, Lorain, 25+ years
- Appointed pastor of St. Martin of Tours, July 1, 2025
Parish Staff & Pastoral Team
The parish is served by a tight-knit team of clergy, pastoral staff, and volunteers. Alongside the pastor and deacon, Faith Formation Coordinator Sarah Sidor (a parishioner for over 20 years) and Pastoral Associate Deacon Bill Perkins (and his wife Michelle) anchor parish life, while Cheryl Lasch greets visitors in the office, Rosie Strack tends the books, Joan Weigel oversees cemetery and contributions, Brenda Scheiman leads custodial and worship environment work, Paul Scheiman handles maintenance and grounds, and Theresa Petrey coordinates rentals and social media.
- Rev. William Thaden — Pastor
- Deacon Bill Perkins — Pastoral Associate
- Sarah Sidor — Faith Formation Coordinator
- Marianne Farrell — Finances
- Cheryl Lasch — Office Secretary & Bulletin
- Joan Weigel — Cemetery & Contributions
- Brenda Scheiman — Custodial Services & Worship Environment
- Paul Scheiman — Maintenance & Grounds
- Theresa Petrey — Facility Rentals & Social Media
- Rosie Strack — Accounts Payable
- Music Ministry — David Morse, Don Woods
Ministries and Organizations
The parish runs a deep bench of ministries covering liturgy, formation, fellowship, service, and recovery — open to parishioners and visitors alike. Liturgical roles include Altar Servers (youth and adults, 4th grade and older), Funeral Altar Servers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Music Ministry (cantor/choir), and a Seasonal Liturgical Environment team. Formation and youth include Catechists and the Life Teen high-school program. Fellowship includes separate Men's and Women's Faith-Sharing Fellowships (1st & 3rd Saturdays, 8:00–9:00 AM), a Knitting Ministry (Tuesdays 2:30–4:30 PM), and Bereavement Ministry (Sundays 11:30 AM). Service includes Knights of Columbus, Funeral Bakers/Serving Angels, and the Recovery in the Valley Twelve-Step Program (Fridays 7:00 PM, Education Building).
- Altar Servers (youth and adults, 4th grade+)
- Funeral Altar Servers (adults)
- Bereavement Ministry — Sundays 11:30 AM, Parish Meeting Rooms
- Catechists / Religious Education Instructors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Faith-Sharing Fellowships (Men & Women) — 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 8:00–9:00 AM
- Funeral Bakers / Serving Angels
- Knights of Columbus
- Knitting Ministry — Tuesdays 2:30–4:30 PM, Parish Meeting Room 1
- Lectors (Readers at Mass)
- Life Teen (high school youth & evening Mass)
- Liturgical Environment (Seasonal)
- Music Ministry — cantor and choir
- Recovery in the Valley — Twelve-Step Program, Fridays 7:00 PM, Education Building
Faith Formation
Faith Formation is coordinated by Sarah Sidor, a parishioner for more than 20 years who has served as catechist, PSR Coordinator, and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Sarah also chairs the Wayne-Ashland-Medina Deanery and serves on the Diocesan Pastoral Council. The parish runs PSR (Parish School of Religion) classes and Life Teen for high-school teens, with the LifeTeen Mass a long-standing feature since the 1990s.
- PSR (Parish School of Religion)
- Catechists
- Life Teen — High School youth program & evening Mass
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The 1861 historic chapel is available for funeral Masses and weddings upon request. Holy Orders and vocation inquiries are welcomed directly by Fr. Bill Thaden or Deacon Bill Perkins. Confession is offered Saturday afternoons and by appointment.
- Baptism
- Confirmation (at diocesan level)
- Eucharist
- Penance / Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:30–4:30 PM or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders — vocations inquiries welcomed
- Matrimony — 1861 chapel available upon request
Parish Cemetery
The parish cemetery has been in continuous use since 1850 and holds the remains of Civil War veterans, families whose surnames became Valley City street names, and departed clergy who served the parish. Around 1990 it was expanded with a pond, walkways, monuments, a 20-foot axed granite cross, and a shrine to Our Lady of Fatima; a granite altar inscribed with the names of past pastors hosts outdoor Masses, and 15 granite monuments depict the Mysteries of the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross. In response to growing cremations, the Garden of the Luminous Mysteries was erected and consecrated on November 2, 2023 — five columbaria with 120 niches for above-ground inurnments.
- In use since 1850
- Civil War veterans and founding families interred
- Shrine to Our Lady of Fatima
- 20-foot axed granite cross
- Garden of the Luminous Mysteries — consecrated Nov. 2, 2023; 120 niches
Music Ministry
Music at St. Martin's includes cantors and choirs. The historic 1881 Odenbrett & Abler pipe organ — housed in a carved butternut Gothic case with a polished tin facade — is still played in the 1861 chapel. Music ministry is led by David Morse and Don Woods, with cantors including Brenda Scheiman (Saturday evenings) and choir members including Rosie Strack.
- 1881 Odenbrett & Abler pipe organ (still in use)
- Cantor and choir program
- Music Directors: David Morse and Don Woods
Visit, Contact & Location
St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church is located at 1800 Station Road, Valley City, OH 44280, in Liverpool Township of Medina County. The parish office can be reached at (330) 483-3808, with email [email protected]. Mass and confession times are posted on the homepage of stmartinvc.org, and the parish keeps an active calendar of events. The office secretary, Cheryl Lasch, is known for her welcoming smile and can answer questions about anything happening at St. Martin's.
- Address: 1800 Station Rd, Valley City, OH 44280
- Phone: (330) 483-3808
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stmartinvc.org
- Parish Facebook & Instagram maintained by Theresa Petrey
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Peter A. Capeder, C.PP.S.from 1854
First resident pastor of St. Martin of Tours Parish.
- Rev. John Peter Dolweck1862–1864
First Cleveland Diocesan priest to serve as pastor; later joined the Benedictine Order.
- Rev. Francis Botzman
Laid to rest in the parish cemetery.
- Rev. Francis Xavier Braeunig1897–1909
Guided the 1897 installation of the stained glass windows.
- Rev. John F. Gruss
- Rev. John C. Schaefer
- Rev. Martin E. Cummings
- Rev. Thomas Sullivan
- Rev. Julius Kitter
Also a civic leader for Liverpool Township and Medina County; secured stone roads, a new central school, and electricity for the area.
- Rev. Paul V. Summers
Laid to rest in the parish cemetery.
- Rev. Thomas R. Dunphy
Oversaw construction of the 2002 church, offices, meeting rooms, and parish hall; expanded the cemetery; a street near the 2002 church is named in his honor. Laid to rest in the parish cemetery.
- Rev. Daniel J. Reed2018–2025
Granted senior retirement status effective June 30, 2025.
- Rev. William A. Thaden2025–present
Appointed pastor July 1, 2025; previously pastor of Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain for 25+ years.