About St. Mary · Arnheim, Ohio
St. Mary Parish in Arnheim, Ohio is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the state, founded in 1838 by German Catholic settlers of the Arnheim area in Brown County. The parish is now part of the Sacred Heart Family of Parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and is served by Fr. Frank Amberger (pastor) and Fr. Cordonnier (parochial vicar) along with Deacon Ronald Dvoracek. Its 1858 brick church on Van Buren Street, with later stained glass and ceiling murals, remains a center of small-town rural Catholic life, with weekend Mass, weekday Mass, confession, adoration, religious education at St. Wendelin Hall, and a historic parish cemetery all part of its rhythm.
- Established
- 1838
- Patron
- St. Mary (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Frank Amberger
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. Mary offers a rare chance to be part of one of Ohio's oldest Catholic parishes (founded 1838) while belonging to a small, tight-knit rural community that still gathers for weekday and weekend Mass in a historic 1858 brick church decorated with Rosary ceiling murals and donor-family stained glass. As part of the Sacred Heart Family of Parishes it shares clergy and programming with neighboring Catholic communities, yet keeps its own identity through St. Wendelin Hall religious education, the historic parish cemetery, Friday adoration, Bible study, Knights of Columbus and the Rosary Altar Society, and accessible Saturday confession.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM at St. Mary
Adoration times
- Adoration at St. Mary's (Friday, as part of Brown County Catholics' weekly adoration rotation)
History of St. Mary Parish, Arnheim
Catholic families settled the Arnheim area as early as 1827 and began gathering for Mass in the home of Wendel Klein. The parish was formally founded in 1838 with a log church dedicated to St. Wendelin, and the present brick church was built in the village in 1858. Bishop Sylvester Rosecrans blessed the church under the title of St. Mary on January 9, 1865, after Morgan's Raiders swept through in 1863 and spared the building. From 1896 to 1954 the parish was served by Benedictine priests from St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama, who oversaw the 1898 sanctuary addition, the donor-family stained glass windows, the 1916 stuccoing and rectory, and the Bausch ceiling paintings and sanctuary murals.
- 1827 – Catholic families settle the area; Mass said in Wendel Klein home
- 1837 – Klein donates land for cemetery and a church
- 1838 – Parish founded; log church of St. Wendelin built
- 1858 – Present brick church built in Arnheim
- 1863 – Morgan's Raiders pass through but spare the church
- 1865 – Bishop Rosecrans blesses the church as St. Mary
- 1882 – First resident pastor appointed
- 1896–1954 – Benedictine priests from St. Bernard Abbey, Cullman, AL serve the parish
- 1898 – Sanctuary added; stained glass windows installed
- 1916 – Rectory built; church stuccoed; Bausch ceiling and mural paintings
- 2009 – St. Elizabeth, Sardinia closed and absorbed into St. Mary
Architecture and Sacred Art
The 1858 church is a brick structure on a foundation of limestone taken from Straight Creek, with handmade bricks fired on the farm of Jacob Kelch. Major interior elements include the 1898 sanctuary addition, stained glass windows bearing the names of donor families (many still parishioners), the 1916 ceiling paintings of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and the large sanctuary murals by German artist Bausch, and a new spire added in 1984.
- 1858 brick church on limestone foundation
- 1898 sanctuary addition and donor-family stained glass
- 1916 stuccoed exterior
- Bausch ceiling paintings of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary
- Bausch large sanctuary murals
- 1984 new spire
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education has deep roots at St. Mary, beginning with missionaries who taught children between monthly Masses. The Sisters of St. Ursula began coming in 1932, the Glenmary Sisters took over in 1955, and the parish still uses the original one-room Arnheim District School #5 (built 1884) as St. Wendelin Hall — dragged to its present location by parishioners in 1944. In 1989 St. Mary Hall was added for both religious education classes and social functions. RCIA is offered jointly with St. Michael, Ripley and St. George, Georgetown.
- St. Wendelin Hall (former Arnheim District School #5, built 1884)
- St. Mary Hall (1989)
- Sisters of St. Ursula (1932–)
- Glenmary Sisters (1955–)
- Joint RCIA with St. Michael and St. George parishes
Music, Liturgy and Devotions
St. Mary gathers for Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM, with weekday Mass on Monday morning. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoon before Mass. As part of the Sacred Heart Family of Parishes, St. Mary also takes part in shared devotion life including the Potluck Rosary, parish adoration, Bible study, the Men's S3 group, Senior Lunch and the monthly Lunch Bunch.
- Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM
- Monday 8:30 AM Mass
- Saturday confession 2:00–3:00 PM
- Friday adoration
- Potluck Rosary (2nd Friday / 3rd Thursday)
- Men's S3
- Bible Study (Thursdays at St. Mary's)
St. Mary Cemetery
St. Mary Cemetery is one of the oldest in the area, established in 1837 when Wendel Klein donated the original half-acre of land. It was expanded in 1901 and again in 2007, when neighbor Frank Schirmer donated two additional acres — nearly doubling its size and allowing the first internal driveway through the grounds. A granite statue of the Blessed Mother, also donated by Mr. Schirmer in memory of his wife Marilyn, was blessed by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk on September 9, 2007.
- Cemetery founded 1837 (Wendel Klein donation)
- Expanded 1901
- Frank Schirmer's 2007 two-acre donation
- Granite statue of the Blessed Mother, 2007
- First cemetery driveway constructed 2007
Parish Life and Ministries
Beyond the liturgy, St. Mary sustains a rich parish life through groups that meet in its halls and partner with sister parishes. Active organizations include the Knights of Columbus, the Rosary Altar Society, the Education and Worship Commissions, Bible study, the Men's S3 group, the Senior Lunch, the monthly Lunch Bunch and the parish's Hospitality Sunday.
- Knights of Columbus
- Rosary Altar Society
- Bible Study
- Men's S3
- Senior Lunch
- Lunch Bunch (monthly, rotating location)
- Hospitality Sunday
Clergy and Staff
St. Mary is currently served as part of the Sacred Heart Family of Parishes by Fr. Frank Amberger (Pastor) and Fr. Cordonnier (Parochial Vicar), with Deacon Ronald Dvoracek assisting. Fr. Dohrman Byers, who previously served as pastor of St. Mary, is listed as Retired Priest of the Brown County family.
- Fr. Frank Amberger – Pastor
- Fr. Cordonnier – Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Ronald Dvoracek
- Fr. Dohrman Byers – Retired
The Sacred Heart Family of Parishes
St. Mary, Arnheim is one of five parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Sacred Heart Family of Parishes, created under the archdiocese's Beacon of Lights pastoral planning process to form a stronger parish centered on the Eucharist. The grouping allows Brown County Catholic communities to share clergy, faith formation and outreach while keeping each parish's local identity and worship life intact.
- St. Mary, Arnheim
- St. Patrick, Fayetteville
- St. Michael, Ripley
- St. George, Georgetown
- St. Michael, Mt. Orab
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Missionary priests1838–1882
Served once a month and taught religion the rest of the week; parish had no resident pastor.
- First resident pastor (unnamed in source)1882
St. Mary received its first pastor.
- Benedictine priests from St. Bernard Abbey, Cullman, Alabama1896–1954
Served the parish for nearly six decades.
- Fr. Dohrman Byersby 2009
Pastor of St. Mary, and after 2009 also pastor of St. Michael, Ripley and St. George, Georgetown. Later listed as Retired Priest of the Brown County family.
- Fr. Frank Ambergercurrent
Current Pastor of the Sacred Heart Family of Parishes, including St. Mary, Arnheim.