About St. Mary · Camden, Ohio
St. Mary Church is a small Catholic parish located in the Village of Camden, Preble County, Ohio. Founded in the early 1940s and built in a Colonial style that was completed in just ninety days, it now belongs to the C-1 Family of Parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati alongside Visitation of BVM in Eaton, St. Mary in Oxford, and St. John the Evangelist in New Paris. The parish is currently served by the Spiritans (Holy Ghost Fathers), and is known for its warm, family-style community life — including a famous free Sunday Breakfast for everyone who attends Mass.
- Established
- 1942
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. James (Jim) Romanello
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati)
Why belong here
St. Mary Camden offers the warmth of a small, tight-knit rural Catholic community in which regulars, newcomers, and visitors are made to feel at home. After most Sunday Masses, the parish hosts a free Sunday Breakfast in the church basement (moved outdoors in summer to the shelter by the priest house) — a simple, generous tradition that reflects the parish's family-style hospitality. Active groups such as the Knights of Columbus (Council #3698) and the Ladies Sodality give men and women concrete ways to serve, while the parish's place within the larger C-1 Family of Parishes means plentiful opportunities for Mass, Confession, adoration, and faith formation.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 2nd Thursday of the month: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (at St. Mary, Camden)
Adoration times
- 2nd Thursday of the month: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (at St. Mary, Camden)
History of St. Mary Church, Camden
Local Catholics in and around the Camden area have called St. Mary home since the fall of 1941. Construction began in the spring of 1942 on the present church building, which was designed in the Colonial style by Brother Bertram Bailey of the Dominican Order under the supervision of Fr. Francis S. Smith. The original structure was finished in just ninety days. In 1960 the church was expanded to add more seating and parish offices, and in 1972 the sanctuary was enriched by a mural painted by Mr. Dallas Pavone on the wall behind the Tabernacle — a gift to the parish that remains one of its most distinctive features.
- Community established: fall 1941
- Construction began: spring 1942
- Original building completed in 90 days
- Church expanded: 1960 (additional seating and parish offices)
- Sanctuary mural painted: 1972 by Mr. Dallas Pavone
- Designer: Brother Bertram Bailey, O.P. (Dominican)
- Construction supervised by Fr. Francis S. Smith
Parish Life and the Sunday Breakfast
St. Mary is a small parish that lives out a big hospitality tradition. Almost every Sunday — with only a few exceptions — generous portions of food are prepared for everyone who comes to Sunday Mass. The free breakfast is hosted in the basement underneath the "annex" portion of the church, and during the summer months it moves outside to the shelter next to the priest house. It is one of the most distinctive features of life at St. Mary Camden.
- Free Sunday Breakfast after Mass (basement under the annex)
- Summer: breakfast moves outdoors to the shelter by the priest house
Parish Ministries and Organizations
St. Mary Camden hosts two long-standing lay organizations — the Knights of Columbus and the Ladies Sodality — both of which provide parishioners with concrete ways to grow in fellowship and service. The Knights are organized locally as Council #3698.
- Knights of Columbus — Council #3698 (Grand Knight: David Wilson, (937) 733-4195)
- Ladies Sodality of St. Mary (contact: Vicki Mumma, (513) 796-2206)
- Sunday Breakfast hospitality team
C-1 Family of Parishes
St. Mary Camden belongs to the C-1 Family of Parishes, a grouping within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati that brings together four Catholic communities across Preble County and beyond: Visitation of BVM in Eaton, St. Mary in Oxford, St. John the Evangelist in New Paris, and St. Mary in Camden. The family shares priests, a combined bulletin, a unified Mass and Confession schedule, and online ministry scheduling. The C-1 parish office can be reached at 937-456-3395 (Eaton) or 513-523-2153 (Oxford).
- Visitation of BVM — Eaton, Ohio
- St. Mary — Oxford, Ohio
- St. John the Evangelist — New Paris, Ohio
- St. Mary — Camden, Ohio
- Shared parish office: 937-456-3395 (Eaton) / 513-523-2153 (Oxford)
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
St. Mary Camden is served by the priests of the C-1 Family of Parishes, who are assigned by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The Spiritans (Holy Ghost Fathers) historically serve the parish and are noted as its associated religious institute in GCatholic. The 2024 Archdiocese priest assignments list Father James (Jim) Romanello as Pastor of the C-1 Family and Father Jedidiah Tritle as Parochial Vicar, with Father Jacob Willig serving as Chaplain at Miami University.
- Pastor: Rev. James (Jim) Romanello
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jedidiah Tritle
- Chaplain (Miami University): Rev. Jacob Willig
- Religious institute: Spiritans / Holy Ghost Fathers (C.S.Sp.)
Architecture and Notable Interior Features
The present church is a Colonial-style building that has served the Camden community since 1942, when it was completed in just ninety days. The 1960 expansion added more seating and parish offices, giving the church its current footprint. The most celebrated artistic feature is the mural behind the Tabernacle in the sanctuary, painted in 1972 by Mr. Dallas Pavone as a gift to St. Mary and her people.
- Style: Colonial
- Original construction: 1942 (90-day build)
- Expansion: 1960
- Sanctuary mural: 1972, by Mr. Dallas Pavone
Visiting St. Mary Camden
St. Mary is located at 7721 N. Main Street in the Village of Camden, Ohio, and is accessible from Routes 725 and 127. The parish phone number is (937) 452-3352. Visitors are warmly welcomed — particularly at the Sunday 8:00 AM Mass, after which they are invited to stay for the free Sunday Breakfast in the church basement.
- Address: 7721 N. Main St., Camden, OH 45311-1124
- Phone: (937) 452-3352
- Located off Routes 725 and 127
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Francis S. Smithcirca 1942
Supervised the construction and design of the original St. Mary Church in Camden.