About St. Mary · Conneaut, Ohio
Corpus Christi Parish in Conneaut, Ohio is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Youngstown (Ashtabula Deanery) that serves the harbor community on Lake Erie's southern shore. Its history reaches back to 1884, when the original St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception parish was established; today the merged parish worships primarily at St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church, 744 Mill Street, and carries forward the legacy of two immigrant Catholic communities. The current parish name, adopted in 2011, celebrates the Solemnity of Corpus Christi — the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist — and reflects a community that has grown together from Italian, Irish, and broader Catholic roots. With roughly 747 registered households and an estimated 1,504 Catholics, the parish is led by Father Connor Hetzel and an active lay staff and runs soup kitchens, faith formation, youth ministry, and a Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference.
- Established
- 1884 (St. Mary parish); 2008 (current Corpus Christi Parish, merger); renamed Corpus Christi 2011
- Patron
- St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (parish patron, named for the harbor-area Italian immigrant community merged into the parish); also descends from St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception (the historic original parish)
- Rector
- Rev. Connor Hetzel
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Youngstown (Ashtabula Deanery; Parish Code 206)
Why belong here
Corpus Christi Parish offers a richly rooted Catholic community where the legacy of two historic immigrant parishes — St. Mary (1888) and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1954) — comes together under one roof. Parishioners can worship at the historic St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church on Mill Street, receive the sacraments through an active priestly team (pastor, parochial vicar, sacramental minister, and deacon), and grow through faith formation for all ages, a youth group, OCIA (formerly RCIA), altar serving, lector and EMHC lay ministries, and Bible studies. Outreach is a strong identity: the Matthew 25 Soup Kitchen delivers over 100 meals twice a month, Mother Mary's Closet serves young families, and a local Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference extends emergency help — making Corpus Christi a parish where faith is lived in service to the wider Conneaut community.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 1st Saturday of the month, 9:00–9:30 AM (at St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church, 744 Mill St.)
Adoration times
- Adoration offered periodically, including during Lent (parish bulletin listings reference Friday Lenten Adoration, e.g. 4:00–4:30 PM Fridays during Lent)
Parish Identity & Mission
Corpus Christi Parish is a merged Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Youngstown whose roots reach back to the 19th century. The parish mission statement reads: 'We, Corpus Christi Parish, celebrate the Risen Christ in our lives, the lives of our families, and in our community by living the Gospel message.' Parish Code 206 in the Diocese of Youngstown's Ashtabula Deanery, the community is currently led by Father Connor Hetzel as pastor with Father Francis Muriithi as parochial vicar, Father Philip Miller as sacramental minister, and Deacon Nicholas Iarocci.
- Motto rooted in the Solemnity of Corpus Christi
- Parish Code 206, Ashtabula Deanery, Diocese of Youngstown
- Approximately 747 registered households / ~1,504 Catholics
Our History
Catholic life in Conneaut dates to 1847, when a visiting priest from Painesville first celebrated the sacraments locally. A chapel was acquired in 1864 and dedicated in 1866; the mission was canonically erected as St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in 1884. A new church — today's St. Mary's at Main & Chestnut — was completed in 1888, and a parish school opened in 1901 under the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary, the same year five acres on West Main Road became St. Joseph Cemetery. The 20th century brought a wave of Italian immigrants from Santa Maria del Molise and the Molise/Campobasso region, and in 1955 Father Orlando Rich founded a harbor-area mission that became St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish. A Cabrini school opened in 1959 staffed by the Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan, and later (1970) by the Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
- 1884 — St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception parish erected
- 1888 — St. Mary Church completed
- 1901 — St. Mary School opened; St. Joseph Cemetery dedicated
- 1927 — St. Mary sanctuary enlarged
- 1938 — Interior renovation under Fr. Gribbon (new sanctuary and tabernacle)
- 1955 — St. Frances Xavier Cabrini mission founded by Fr. Orlando Rich
- 1959 — Cabrini school opens (Dominican Sisters of Adrian, MI)
- 1972 — St. Mary School merged with Cabrini School
- 1998 — Both parishes begin sharing a pastor (Fr. Thomas)
- 2001–02 — Merged school closes
- 2008 — St. Mary / St. Frances Cabrini Parish formally created
- August 2011 — Community votes to rename parish Corpus Christi
Worship Sites
The parish office and principal worship site is St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church, 744 Mill Street, Conneaut. All scheduled Masses and confessions listed by the parish are celebrated at this site. The historic St. Mary's Church (1888, Main & Chestnut Streets) remains part of the parish's heritage and was honored by the Ashtabula County Historical Society with a plaque in 2006.
- St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church — 744 Mill St., Conneaut (current principal worship site)
- St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church — Main & Chestnut Streets (historic, 1888)
- St. Joseph Cemetery — 369 Keefus Rd, Conneaut
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Council
Day-to-day parish life is shaped by a priestly team, a permanent deacon, and a lay Diocesan Pastoral Associate, alongside a Director of Faith Formation and two youth ministers. The Pastoral Planning Council and Finance Council provide consultation to the pastor on parish vision, policy, and financial strategy, meeting quarterly at the Parish Office as needed.
- Rev. Connor Hetzel — Pastor
- Rev. Francis Muriithi — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Philip Miller — Sacramental Minister
- Deacon Nicholas Iarocci
- Nicholas J. Perkoski — Diocesan Pastoral Associate
- Carla Robison — Director of Faith Formation
- Nangerie Cedeño & Annie Emery — Youth Ministers
Pastoral & Financial Councils
Two councils anchor parish governance. The Pastoral Planning Council consults with the Pastor on pastoral planning and policy, discerning the parish vision and mission in dialogue with committees and ministries. The Finance Council meets quarterly to review financial planning and recommend strategies that support the parish's life and mission; the Pastor and parish staff retain ordinary administration responsibilities.
- Pastoral Planning Council
- Finance Council (quarterly meetings)
- Environment Committee (liturgical seasons)
- Cemetery Board (St. Joseph Cemetery)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Director of Faith Formation Carla Robison coordinates catechetical programming for grades 1–8, using the Diocese of Youngstown curriculum and the diocesan certification standards for catechists. The parish also offers OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — both for adults and adapted for children of catechetical age (generally around seven years old), a process that typically takes one to two years and involves catechists, sponsors, godparents, hospitality, and music leaders.
- Religious Education grades 1–8
- OCIA for adults and children of catechetical age
- Catechist certification through Diocesan Office of Religious Education
- Compliance with Diocesan Policy on Child Protection
Youth Ministry
Co-led by Nangerie Cedeño and Annie Emery, the parish Youth Group brings together teens who want to develop their relationship with Jesus Christ through faith-based discussions, service projects, and social activities — a continuation of the parish's longstanding commitment to forming young Catholics in the Conneaut community.
- Teen faith-based discussion
- Service and social activities
- Contacts: Nangerie Cedeño and Annie Emery
Liturgical Ministries
The parish relies on a strong corps of lay liturgical ministers coordinated by Diocesan Pastoral Associate Nick Perkoski. Adult and youth servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and ushers/greeters all serve at weekend, daily, and funeral Masses. The Environment Committee shapes the church's visual setting for Easter, Christmas, and the liturgical year.
- Altar Servers (open to any Catholic who has received First Eucharist)
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Ushers / Greeters
- Environment Committee
Music, Media & Communications (e-Ministry)
The parish e-Ministry volunteers video the weekend Mass for the local cable channel and live-stream Masses on Facebook Live and YouTube, extending the parish's reach to homebound parishioners and beyond. Ushers and greeters ensure a welcoming in-person assembly. The Funeral Luncheon Ministry, led by Faith Hotovec, provides luncheons after funeral Masses.
- e-Ministry: weekend Mass video for cable + Facebook Live / YouTube
- Funeral Luncheon Ministry
- Prayer Shawl Ministry (shawls blessed at Mass one weekend each month, Feb–Oct)
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is central to parish identity. The Matthew 25 Outreach Ministry coordinates a Soup Kitchen that delivers over 100 meals to the homebound on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. Mother Mary's Closet provides free clothing, diapers, formula, baby food, toys, and furniture to families with infants and toddlers. The parish also partners with the Salvation Army to fund emergency food, utility, and clothing assistance. A local Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference extends additional emergency aid.
- Matthew 25 Soup Kitchen (1st & 3rd Wednesdays)
- Mother Mary's Closet (Thursdays 5–7 PM; Saturdays 9 AM–12 PM, Parish Center 2nd floor)
- Salvation Army partnership for emergency assistance
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Prayer Groups & Fellowship
Several small communities sustain the parish's devotional life. The Prayer Chain Ministry is a confidential network of about ten devoted pray-ers who lift up intentions the moment a request comes in. The Women of Faith Group meets the third Thursday of each month at 6 PM; the Parish Catholic Men's Fellowship Group meets the first and third Tuesdays under the motto 'Iron is sharpened by iron' (Proverbs 27:17). The Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers at the Parish Office on the third Thursday of each month (February–October) at 1:30 PM.
- Prayer Chain Ministry
- Women of Faith Group
- Parish Catholic Men's Fellowship Group
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
St. Joseph Cemetery
St. Joseph Cemetery, located at 369 Keefus Road in Conneaut, has been part of the parish since 1901, when five acres on West Main Road were purchased and dedicated to St. Joseph. The Cemetery Board — meeting about four times a year at the Parish Office — sets policies and procedures and oversees the care of this historic resting place that continues to serve Catholic families of the Conneaut community.
- 369 Keefus Rd, Conneaut, OH 44030
- Established 1901
- Cemetery Board meets ~4 times per year
Getting Involved & Contact
Prospective parishioners, volunteers, and those in need of assistance are invited to contact the parish office at 744 Mill Street, Conneaut (phone 440-599-8570, email [email protected]). Ministries are coordinated through Nick Perkoski (Diocesan Pastoral Associate) and the various ministry leaders listed in the parish directory. Outreach services such as Mother Mary's Closet have set drop-in hours (Thursdays 5–7 PM and Saturdays 9 AM–12 PM).
- Parish Office: 744 Mill St., Conneaut, OH 44030
- Phone: (440) 599-8570
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: corpuschristiparishconneaut.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jennings1884–
Guided the formation of the original St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception parish.
- Father Gribbon1938–
Oversaw the 1938 interior renovation of St. Mary's, including a new sanctuary and tabernacle.
- Father Orlando Rich1955–
Associate at St. Mary's who organized the harbor-area mission; became first resident pastor of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (est. 1955).
- Father (Rev.) Thomas1998–
Named pastor of both St. Mary and St. Frances Cabrini parishes, beginning formal collaboration that led to the 2008 merger.
- Rev. Raymond Thomas
Received the Ashtabula County Historical Society plaque honoring St. Mary's in 2006; pastor of the merged St. Mary / St. Frances Cabrini Parish.
- Rev. Philip Miller2013–
Pastor under whom the parish was renamed Corpus Christi in 2013 (parish had adopted the name in 2011); now serves as Sacramental Minister.
- Rev. Connor Hetzel
Current Pastor (Diocese of Youngstown, 2024–25 directory).