About St. Mary · Bethel, Ohio
St. Mary Catholic Church is a small country parish in Bethel, Ohio, and the only Catholic church in the village. Founded in 1941 on Ohio Pike (State Route 125) just outside the heart of Bethel, the parish grew from an anonymous land gift and donated labor — even the original building's stones came from nearby Clover Creek. Since July 1, 2022, St. Mary has been part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Stella Maris Family of Parishes alongside St. Peter (New Richmond), St. Thomas More (Withamsville), and St. Bernadette (Amelia), sharing priests and ministry staff with those sister communities.
- Established
- 1941
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Timothy W. Ralston (Pastor, Stella Maris Family of Parishes)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati (Metropolitan Archdiocese); member of the Stella Maris Family of Parishes
Why belong here
St. Mary is the only Catholic church in Bethel, a small, tight-knit country parish where generations of the same families still worship together in a building they literally built with their own hands in 1941. Sunday Mass at 10:30 am is the parish's heart, with a Tuesday and Thursday morning weekday Mass as well, and Thursday-evening Adoration and Confession offer a regular midweek encounter with the Lord. Practical outreach — St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, the monthly Clermont County Mobile Food Pantry, bereavement ministry, the Men of St. Joseph Lenten Fish Fries and the Ladies' Altar Society — gives parishioners real ways to serve their neighbors. As part of the wider Stella Maris Family, St. Mary also shares vibrant youth ministry, Confirmation prep, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and adult formation across four Clermont County parishes.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (St. Mary)
Adoration times
- Thursday 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (St. Mary)
Parish History
St. Mary's story begins with an anonymous donor who purchased the Bethel property on State Route 125 for $7,700 in the early 1940s, and a hard-working parish family who built the church themselves — even gathering fieldstone from nearby Clover Creek — during the Second World War. Monsignor Joseph Schneider laid the cornerstone and celebrated the first Mass on May 3, 1942. Eight decades later, the parish is still on the same ground, with the original stone building now serving as the Gathering Space.
- 1941 — Property purchased; construction of original stone church begins.
- May 3, 1942 — Monsignor Joseph Schneider celebrates the first Mass in the completed church.
- 1988 — Grotto for Mary constructed under Rev. William Krumpe.
- Circa 2005 — Parish begins sharing a priest with St. Peter; Mass temporarily held in Bethel-Tate Middle School gymnasium.
- 2006 — Major church addition completed; custom cherry-wood sanctuary furniture built by Jim Floyd from Jarman family cherry trees.
- 2010s — Parish merged into the 'Christ Catholic Community' region with St. Peter under Fr. Michael Leshney.
- 2017 — Fr. Leshney retires; succession of administrators including Fr. Pat Crone, Fr. Adam Puntel, Fr. David Howard.
- July 2019 — Fr. James Reutter installed as pastor.
- 2020 — Final mortgage payment on the 2006 addition.
- July 1, 2022 — St. Mary becomes part of the Stella Maris Family of Parishes under Fr. Tim Ralston.
Buildings, Grounds & Architecture
The parish campus at 3398 State Route 125 retains the original 1941 stone church, which today functions as the Gathering Space and houses the historic crucifix from the early church. The new 2006 worship addition is the main liturgical space, furnished with custom cherry-wood pieces made by craftsman Jim Floyd. The grounds also include the Grotto for Mary, a beloved devotional site added in 1988.
- Original 1941 stone church (stones from Clover Creek) — now the Gathering Space
- 2006 church addition with cherry-wood sanctuary furniture by Jim Floyd
- Grotto for Mary (1988)
- Parish office — weekdays 9:00 am – 4:00 pm except Wednesday
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Team
Since July 2022, St. Mary has shared its pastoral leadership with the wider Stella Maris Family of Parishes. Fr. Timothy W. Ralston — a Georgetown, Ohio native, ordained May 22, 2010, and former pastor of St. Bernadette in Amelia — serves as Pastor. He is assisted by Parochial Vicar Fr. Thomas E. Dorn and Senior Parochial Vicar Fr. William C. Wagner (ordained May 24, 2003). Deacon Jerry Etienne ministers at the St. Mary campus, and a strong lay staff keeps parish operations, faith formation and outreach running.
- Pastor: Rev. Timothy W. Ralston
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Thomas E. Dorn
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Rev. William C. Wagner
- Deacon (St. Mary): Dcn. Jerry Etienne
- Business Manager, St. Mary: Jerry Cahall
- Director of Evangelization: Brad Bursa
- Coordinator of Youth Ministry: John Giroux
- Coordinator of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: Mary Clare Smith
- Coordinator of Mission Support: Laura Hanks
- Coordinator of Family Evangelization: Courtney Smalley
- Communications Coordinator: Rachael Williams
- Director of Administration: Mike Brintzenhoff
- Business Manager & Purchasing: Greg Feldkamp
- Maintenance: Stan Kinnard
Stella Maris Family of Parishes
St. Mary is one of four Clermont County parishes that together form the Stella Maris Family of Parishes, created July 1, 2022 under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light initiative. The four parishes share a pastor, parochial vicars and a unified staff for formation, evangelization, communications and administration, while each parish retains its own identity, Mass schedule and ministries.
- St. Mary — Bethel (3398 State Route 125)
- St. Peter — New Richmond (1192 Bethel-New Richmond Rd.)
- St. Thomas More — Withamsville
- St. Bernadette — Amelia (800 Ohio Pike, Cincinnati 45245)
Parish Ministries & Outreach
St. Mary lives out the Gospel through hands-on ministries that meet real physical and spiritual needs in Bethel and across Clermont County. The St. Vincent de Paul Conference operates a food pantry on the parish campus, and the Catholic Charities Mobile Food Pantry visits the campus monthly. The Men of St. Joseph run the famous Lenten Fish Fries, and the Ladies' Altar Society cares for the sanctuary and supports parish life.
- St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry — Tuesdays 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Clermont County Mobile Food Pantry — 2nd Friday, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Men of St. Joseph — Lenten Fish Fries every Friday in Lent (except Good Friday)
- St. Mary Ladies' Altar Society — first Wednesday, September through May
- Bereavement Ministry
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Faith formation at St. Mary is offered through the Stella Maris Family's family-centered pathway. Children typically prepare for First Reconciliation (fall, Grade 2) and First Communion (winter/spring, Grade 2) using the Mend and Nourish programs from Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministries, with parents as primary catechists. Older youth prepare for Confirmation through the IGNITE program in 8th grade, and the youngest children are welcomed into the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium for ages 3–6. The Totus Tuus summer camp, junior-high and high-school youth ministry, and the Stella Maris Institute for adult formation round out the discipleship pathway.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Ages 3–6)
- First Reconciliation (Mend) — fall
- First Communion (Nourish) — winter/spring
- IGNITE Confirmation Prep — Grade 8
- Junior High Youth Ministry (Grades 6–8)
- High School Youth Ministry (Grades 9–12)
- Totus Tuus Summer Camp
- Stella Maris Institute (adult formation)
- Become Catholic / OCIA
Contact, Office & Practical Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the St. Mary campus by phone at (513) 734-4041. The parish office is open weekdays 9:00 am – 4:00 pm except on Wednesdays. In case of a medical emergency or death, callers should press 9 to reach the on-call priest. The parish office email is [email protected].
- Address: 3398 State Route 125, Bethel, OH 45106-9701
- Phone: (513) 734-4041
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (closed Wednesdays)
- Emergency / death line: (513) 734-4041 ext. 9
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Joseph Schneider1941–1942
Laid the cornerstone and celebrated the first Mass on May 3, 1942 in the completed church.
- Rev. William Krumpethrough 1988
Oversaw construction of the Grotto for Mary on the parish grounds in 1988.
- Rev. Don Westearly 2000s
Administered sacraments and said Mass at both St. Mary and St. Peter during the early pastoral-region transition.
- Rev. Michael (F.) Leshneymid-2000s – October 2017
Became administrator then pastor of the merged St. Mary & St. Peter region; led the 2006 church addition and gave the region the working name 'Christ Catholic Community.' Retired October 2017.
- Rev. Pat Cronelate 2017
Temporary Parochial Administrator following Fr. Leshney's retirement.
- Rev. Adam Puntelearly 2018
Temporary Parochial Administrator over the region.
- Rev. David Howard2018
Permanently appointed in 2018; chronic back injury led him to accept a position with the USCCB in Washington, D.C. (a Canon lawyer).
- Rev. James ReutterJuly 2019 – 2022
Came from 12 years at Our Lady of Victory on Cincinnati's west side; welcomed as pastor over both St. Mary and St. Peter.
- Rev. Timothy W. Ralston2022 – present
Originally from Georgetown, OH; ordained May 22, 2010; Pastor of Stella Maris Family since its formation July 1, 2022.