About St. Mary - Mattingly Settlement · Nashport, Ohio
St. Mary Catholic Church at Mattingly Settlement is a rural Catholic parish in Muskingum Township, Muskingum County, Ohio, located at 6280 St. Mary's Road in Nashport (mailing address via Dresden, OH 43821). Founded in 1856 by the descendants of early Catholic settlers, the church shares a pastorate with St. Ann Catholic Church in Dresden under the Diocese of Columbus, forming the combined St. Ann–St. Mary Parish (stannstmary.org). The historic Mattingly Settlement, named for the Catholic Mattingly family who settled the valley in 1812, remains a small but living Catholic community offering weekend and weekday Mass, faith formation, and traditional devotions such as the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
- Established
- 1856
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Martin Ralko
- Diocese
- Diocese of Columbus
Why belong here
St. Mary at Mattingly Settlement offers a rare chance to belong to one of Ohio's oldest continuously-active Catholic farming communities — a small, multigenerational parish where families still attend Mass in a church built by their ancestors in 1856. Members worship in English at Saturday vigil and Thursday evening Masses, participate in the Knights of Columbus, the Women's Association, the Divine Mercy Society, RCIA, and a Parish School of Religion, and care for the historic Mattingly Cemetery next door. Combined with nearby St. Ann in Dresden, it is a friendly, traditional rural parish rooted in 200+ years of Catholic pioneer heritage.
Mass times at St. Mary - Mattingly Settlement
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment — call the parish office at (740) 754-2221 to schedule
Adoration times
- Knights of Columbus Holy Hour: 6:00 PM (public invited), held second Monday of the month (May–Oct at St. Mary, Nov–Apr at St. Ann)
About St. Mary – Mattingly Settlement
St. Mary Catholic Church sits at 6280 St. Mary's Road in the rural Mattingly Settlement of Muskingum Township, Nashport (Muskingum County), Ohio. Built in 1856 by descendants of the original 1812 Catholic pioneers, it is one of the Diocese of Columbus's oldest parishes and today shares pastoral leadership with St. Ann Church in Dresden under one pastor, Rev. Fr. Martin Ralko, and one deacon, Rev. Dr. David Lozowski. The combined parish is administered from the parish office in Dresden and is supported by a Parish Secretary/Bookkeeper (Christa Hutton), a Finance Committee, and a Parish Council.
History of Mattingly Settlement and St. Mary
The Mattingly Settlement was established in 1812 when William Mattingly (1769–1841), a Maryland Catholic, emigrated with his large family to the Muskingum River valley, becoming the first permanent Catholic settler in the region. Sons and daughters of the family followed into the same watershed, forming a closely knit community served at first by itinerant missionary priests who celebrated 'station Masses' in homes and a small log chapel. In 1856, after decades of growth, the community built the present brick St. Mary Church on land donated by the Mattingly family and consecrated the adjoining Mattingly Cemetery. Through the 19th and 20th centuries, six successive pastors in particular were remembered for their devotion and were highlighted in a 2006 diocesan magazine article titled 'Six Fathers Mattingly.'
- 1812 — William Mattingly and family settle the Muskingum valley
- Mid-1800s — station Masses in homes and a log chapel
- 1856 — St. Mary Church and Mattingly Cemetery built
- 19th–20th centuries — succession of resident and missionary priests
- 2006 — diocesan magazine article 'Six Fathers Mattingly' published
- 21st century — merger with St. Ann Dresden to form St. Ann–St. Mary Parish
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
Mass at St. Mary is celebrated Saturday at 4:30 PM (vigil) and Thursday at 6:00 PM, in English. The Sunday morning 9:00 AM Mass and Tuesday 8:00 AM Mass are celebrated at St. Ann in Dresden. Confessions at St. Mary are by appointment only; please call the parish office. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is available anytime by calling the parish or speaking with Fr. Ralko after Mass.
- Saturday 4:30 PM — English (St. Mary)
- Sunday 9:00 AM — English (St. Ann)
- Tuesday 8:00 AM — English (St. Ann)
- Thursday 6:00 PM — English (St. Mary)
- Confession: by appointment — (740) 754-2221
Parish Ministries & Organizations
St. Ann–St. Mary Parish runs an unusually broad slate of ministries for a small rural community. Knights of Columbus Council activities are led by Grand Knight Bill Bateson. The St. Ann–St. Mary Women's Association is led by President Terri Kanavel. The Divine Mercy Society is coordinated by Joyce Hardbarger. Music ministry is split by church: Sarah Hughes directs music at St. Mary and Christine Wagner at St. Ann.
- Knights of Columbus — Bill Bateson, Grand Knight (740-221-9998)
- Women's Association — Terri Kanavel, President (740-624-4853)
- Divine Mercy Society — Joyce Hardbarger (740-452-4336)
- Music Ministry — Sarah Hughes (St. Mary) 740-319-5411; Christine Wagner (St. Ann) 740-704-0807
- Finance Committee — meetings as announced
- Parish Council — meets as announced
Faith Formation: PSR & RCIA
The Parish School of Religion (PSR) meets Sundays from 10:00 to 11:15 AM, September through April, in Kempf Hall on the St. Ann campus in Dresden, and serves the children of both St. Ann and St. Mary families. The Order (Rite) of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) meets at 7:00 PM on Wednesdays at Kempf Parish Hall, St. Ann's, from September through Easter, and is open to adults seeking baptism, confirmation, or full communion with the Catholic Church.
- PSR — Sundays 10:00–11:15 AM, Sept–April, Kempf Hall, St. Ann
- RCIA — Wednesdays 7:00 PM, Sept–Easter, Kempf Parish Hall, St. Ann
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the sacraments at both worship sites. Baptism requires attendance at a Pre-Jordan Preparation class (parents required, godparents/sponsors encouraged). Weddings must be arranged at least six months in advance, and the Diocese of Columbus requires participation in a pre-Cana program. The Anointing of the Sick is available to the homebound, hospitalized, or institutionalized — call the parish office to arrange a visit.
- Baptism — Pre-Jordan class required; call (740) 754-2221
- Marriage — 6 months' advance notice; pre-Cana required (Family Life Office 614-241-2560)
- Anointing of the Sick — call anytime, or see Fr. Ralko after Mass
Mattingly Cemetery at St. Mary
Adjacent to St. Mary Church is the historic Mattingly Cemetery, consecrated in 1856 with the church on land donated by the Mattingly family. It remains an active parish cemetery and contains the graves of many of the original Catholic pioneer families of the Muskingum valley. Grave plot purchases and inquiries are handled by Patrick Smeltzer at 740-297-1107 or [email protected].
- Contact: Patrick Smeltzer — (740) 297-1107 — [email protected]
Live Streaming & Video Ministry
St. Mary's live Saturday 4:30 PM Mass, preceded by a 5-minute introduction, is broadcast on the parish's YouTube channel and Facebook page. Homilies and recorded Masses are also available on demand; the parish invites viewers to like, subscribe, and donate toward the ongoing video-project fund (checks payable to 'St. Ann / St. Mary Parish', memo 'video project'). The video stream is coordinated by Steve Smeltzer (740-624-6696, [email protected]).
- Live Mass — Saturdays 4:30 PM on YouTube & Facebook
- Coordinator — Steve Smeltzer (740-624-6696)
Contact & Visit
The combined parish office serves both churches and is open 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Monday through Friday. The mailing address is PO Box 107, Dresden, OH 43821-0107. The parish office phone is (740) 754-2221 and the email is [email protected]. St. Ann Church is at 405 Chestnut Street, Dresden, OH 43821; St. Mary Church is at 6280 St. Mary's Road, Nashport, OH 43830.
- Parish Office: (740) 754-2221 — [email protected]
- Office hours: 9 AM–12 PM, Mon–Fri
- Mailing: PO Box 107, Dresden, OH 43821-0107
- St. Ann — 405 Chestnut St., Dresden, OH 43821
- St. Mary — 6280 St. Mary's Rd., Nashport, OH 43830
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Fr. Martin Ralkocurrent
Current pastor of the combined St. Ann–St. Mary Parish
- Rev. Dr. David Lozowski
Current deacon of the combined St. Ann–St. Mary Parish
- Six successive pastors (named collectively in a 2006 diocesan magazine article 'Six Fathers Mattingly')19th–20th centuries
Highlighted in the August 2006 issue of the diocesan publication as six pastors who served St. Mary in succession and shaped the parish's identity in the Mattingly Settlement valley