About St. Mary of the Assumption · Mentor, Ohio
St. Mary of the Assumption is a Roman Catholic parish in Mentor, Ohio, one of the largest and oldest Catholic communities in Lake County. The parish's mission is 'To Evangelize God's people, beginning with the Gift of the Holy Eucharist,' and today it serves more than 2,300 families. It runs a K-8 day school (with preschool) and a Parish School of Religion program for public-school children, alongside a full range of music, youth, men's, and outreach ministries. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Cleveland and is currently pastored by Rev. Peter A. Morris, who was appointed in September 2025.
- Established
- 1927
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (Marian title: Mary of the Assumption)
- Rector
- Rev. Peter A. Morris
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Assumption welcomes new members into a community of more than 2,300 families grounded in the Eucharist and shaped by 170 years of Catholic presence in Mentor. The parish supports its members at every life stage through a K-8 day school, a Parish School of Religion for public-school children, a robust music ministry with multiple choirs, the Helping Hands food pantry, and Men's Club/Holy Name Society fellowship. With daily and weekend Masses, regular Confession times, and a wide range of lay ministries, it is a place both to worship and to serve.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Saturday 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
- By appointment
About St. Mary of the Assumption Parish
St. Mary of the Assumption is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Cleveland serving Mentor and surrounding communities in Lake County, Ohio. Its mission is 'To Evangelize God's people, beginning with the Gift of the Holy Eucharist,' and the parish family today includes more than 2,300 households. Located on Mentor Avenue, the parish combines a contemporary worship schedule, a Catholic K-8 school, the Parish School of Religion, and an extensive network of lay ministries serving every age and stage of life.
Parish History
Catholic life in Mentor reaches back to 1840, when local families walked to Painesville for Mass. The community first worshipped at William Casey's home in 1857, became a mission of St. Paul's in Euclid in 1864, and built its first church in 1868. After various attachments to Painesville and Willoughby, Mentor was formally established as an independent parish by Archbishop Joseph Schrembs in 1927 with Father William P. Thorpe as first resident pastor. Father Thorpe built the 1934 brick church during the Depression, and the present 1,200-seat church was dedicated in 1964. The parish marked its 150th anniversary in 2007, the same year Bishop Anthony Pilla dedicated the new Pastoral Care Center and Gathering Center.
- 1857 — First Mass offered in William Casey's home, North Center Street
- 1864 — Mentor becomes a mission of St. Paul's, Euclid; Father Anthony T. Martin serves monthly
- 1868 — First wooden church built on South Center Street (20′ × 40′)
- 1923 — Father Thorpe buys the Hart Street / Mentor Avenue property
- 1927 — Parish formally established by Archbishop Schrembs
- 1934 — Brick church built during the Depression
- 1952 — Parish school opens with eight classrooms and 113 children
- 1964 — Current church dedicated
- 1977 — Diocese realigns Lake County parish boundaries
- 2000 — 'Vision for the Future' capital campaign era begins
- 2007 — Pastoral Care Center and Gathering Center dedicated; 150th anniversary celebrated
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The parish is currently pastored by Rev. Peter A. Morris, appointed by the Diocese of Cleveland effective September 2, 2025, after serving as pastor of SS. Peter and Paul in Doylestown and St. Anne in Rittman. The pastoral staff includes a Pastoral Associate, Parish Secretary, Business Manager, Finance Associate, Director of Faith Formation, Director of Music, Director of Handbell Choir, Director of Facilities, and School Principal.
- Rev. Peter A. Morris — Pastor
- Deacon Bill Brys — listed on Men's Club board
- Pastoral Associate
- Mrs. Carol Lorek — Business Manager
- Finance Associate
- Director of Faith Formation
- Director of Music (contact: Kyle Lorek)
- Director of Handbell Choir (contact: Claudia Woolard)
- Director of Facilities
- School Principal
Music Ministry
'Those who sing pray twice' (St. Augustine) is the motto of St. Mary's robust music ministry. From September through May the Magnificat Choir leads singing at the 10:00 am Sunday Mass and rehearses Wednesday evenings at 7:30 pm. There are also choirs for children, teens and adults, a men's ensemble that rehearses digitally, a Funeral Choir, a Handbell ensemble, and a Cantor program that leads sung responses at weekend Masses.
- Magnificat Choir — 10:00 am Sunday, weekly rehearsals Wed 7:30 pm
- St. Mary's Choir (teens & adults)
- King David Choir — innovative men's choir, one Mass per month
- KinderChoir (ages 4–9) — sings at 10:00 am Mass about every 6 weeks
- Funeral Choir — no rehearsal required
- Handbell Ringers — directed by Claudia Woolard
- Cantors — lead sung responses at weekend Masses
Faith Formation & Sacraments
Faith Formation at St. Mary's centers on the seven sacraments and on preparing children and adults to receive them fully. The parish runs both a Catholic day school and the Parish School of Religion (PSR) for public-school children in grades 1–8.
- Parish School of Religion (Grades 1–8) — Thursday evenings 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm, September–April
- First Reconciliation — celebrated in 2nd grade, fall
- First Eucharist — celebrated in 2nd grade, spring (next: Saturday, May 2 at 10:00 am)
- Sacrament of Marriage — register at least 8–10 months ahead; Pre-Cana Day required
- RCIA for unbaptized children and adults
- Anointing of the Sick / Home Visitation Ministry for the homebound
St. Mary of the Assumption School
St. Mary of the Assumption School is a Catholic preschool-through-Grade-8 school on the parish campus. It opened in the fall of 1952 with eight classrooms and 113 children and today enrolls more than 450 students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. The school participates in CYO athletics, school plays and performances, and integrates Catholic Christian principles throughout its curriculum, with weekly Mass attendance and service projects.
- Full-day, five-day Kindergarten program
- Preschool and Grades K–8
- Spanish, art, band, technology, STEM, and physical education
- 8th-Grade Buddies program pairs 8th graders with kindergarteners
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist prepared in 2nd grade
- Weekly Mass attendance and paraliturgical services for Advent, Lent, and Holy Days
Parish Involvement, Outreach, and Fellowship
St. Mary's offers a wide range of ways to get involved — from choirs and Boy/Girl Scout troops to the Men's Club and the Helping Hands food pantry. The parish emphasizes that participation in these activities is itself a way of building the Kingdom of God.
- Men's Club & Holy Name Society (annual dues $10) — supports food pantry, fish fry, Adopt-a-Student tuition assistance, Mary Zapitelli Scholarship, Walk-a-Thon, playground and basketball hoop renovations, Scout troops, Christmas Gift Card Drive, and the annual Club 1000 Raffle
- Helping Hands Food Pantry — serves families inside parish boundaries; meets in the Gathering Center on the 4th Tuesday of each month; non-perishables collected at all church doors
- Boy Scout Troop 75 and Cub Scout Troop 75
- St. Mary Girl Scouts
- Lenten Fish Fry
- Annual Christmas Gift Card Drive
- St. Mary Parish Golf Outing
Facilities and Campus
The parish campus at 8560 Mentor Avenue has grown over the decades. In addition to the 1964 church, it includes the school building with its converted library and science center, the Weaver Activity Center (gymnasium), and the 2007 Pastoral Care Center and Gathering Center. The 1934 brick church built by Father Thorpe still stands across Mentor Avenue and is now occupied by PNC Bank.
- 1964 sanctuary — red-oak pews, German-stained-glass windows, Japanese-mahogany cross with linden-wood corpus
- Weaver Activity Center (gymnasium)
- Pastoral Care Center (offices)
- Gathering Center (dedicated 2007 by Bishop Anthony Pilla)
- School building with STEM lab, computer lab, library, art and music rooms
Getting Involved / I'm New
St. Mary's invites newcomers to register as parishioners and to take part in any of its many ministries. The parish emphasizes an open-door policy for new members who want to join and worship God.
- Parishioner Registration form available on the 'I'm New' page
- Contact the parish office at 440-255-3404
- Confession by appointment outside scheduled hours
- Pre-Cana Day volunteer couples needed for marriage preparation
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Anthony T. Martin1864–1875
Pastoral care from St. Paul's, Euclid; rode hand-operated rail car on monthly visits. Oversaw construction of the 1868 frame church on South Center Street.
- Pastor of Painesville1875–1898
Took over care of Mentor after Father Martin's visits from Euclid were ended.
- Pastor of Willoughby1898–1922
Mentor transferred to Willoughby's care.
- Rev. William P. Thorpe1922/1927–1937
First resident pastor after parish was designated by Archbishop Schrembs in 1927; bought the Hart Street/Mentor Avenue property, built the 1934 brick church, and retired it.
- Rev. Daniel O'Shea1937–1940
Succeeded Father Thorpe; retired due to failing health.
- Rev. Michael Moriarty1940–1942
Replaced Father O'Shea.
- Rev. John Farrell1942–1950
Retired the original church mortgage and purchased 21 acres; remodeled the farmhouse as a convent for four Ursuline nuns, opening the parish school in fall 1952.
- Monsignor George Whitehead1950–1953
Died in office.
- Monsignor Thomas Murphy1953–1956
Increased the number of Sunday Masses to accommodate growth.
- Rev. Joseph Dreher1956–1977
Organized festivals/bazaars that funded eight new classrooms and the school auditorium-gymnasium.
- Rev. Wilfred Smith1977–
Took office in March 1977, the year the diocese realigned parish boundaries in Lake County, reducing families to 1,225.
- Rev. Peter A. Morris2025–
Appointed Pastor effective September 2, 2025 by the Diocese of Cleveland, previously pastor of SS. Peter and Paul (Doylestown) and St. Anne (Rittman).