About St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception · Bedford, Ohio
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic parish in Bedford, Ohio, a southeast Cuyahoga County suburb in the Diocese of Cleveland. Founded in 1905 as a mission of Holy Name Parish in Cleveland and established as an independent parish on July 10, 1921, the parish today serves Bedford and the surrounding community at 340 Union Street. It is pastored by Father Joseph (Joe) Seebauer and offers weekend Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, daily morning Masses Tuesday through Thursday, and a Saturday afternoon Confession schedule. In May 2025, neighboring Our Lady of Hope Parish was merged into St. Mary, extending its pastoral reach in the Bedford area.
- Established
- 1921
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph (Joe) G. Seebauer
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland (Catholic Diocese of Cleveland)
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception is a long-established Bedford parish with more than a century of Catholic life behind it, now also welcoming the former Our Lady of Hope community. Weekenders can worship at a Saturday Vigil Mass or one of two Sunday Masses, with daily Mass Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday confession. The parish runs an active Ladies Guild, hosts a sleeping-mats ministry for the homeless, supports the Ronald McDonald House through pull-tab collection, and gathers parishioners for rosary, faith formation and social events — a small, family-sized community in the heart of Bedford where newcomers are quickly known by name.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM (and by appointment)
- Tuesday – Wednesday: by appointment only (effective March 31, 2025)
Parish History
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception traces its roots to 1905, when Holy Name Parish in Cleveland established a Catholic mission in Bedford and built a combination church-and-school on Paul Street. On July 10, 1921, Father John Hagan became the parish's first resident pastor, marking the formal founding of the parish. Over the following century the parish grew steadily, built and replaced two churches, expanded its school under the Ursuline and Vincentian Sisters, and became a spiritual home for generations of Bedford-area Catholics.
- 1905 — Mission established by Holy Name Parish, Cleveland; first church/school built on Paul Street.
- 1921 — Father John Hagan appointed first resident pastor; parish formally established July 10.
- 1928 — Larger church and school built at Northfield Road and Union Street; Vincentian Sisters of Charity motherhouse added.
- 1951 — New church opened on Easter Sunday.
- 1970 — Current church dedicated June 21, 1970.
- 1994 — Old church converted into a library, dedicated October 16, 1994.
- 2021 — Centennial year; closing Mass with Bishop Edward Malesic on December 4, 2021.
- 2025 — Our Lady of Hope Parish merged into St. Mary, effective May 4, 2025.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Father Joseph (Joe) G. Seebauer, pastor, who also was named administrator of St. Rita Parish, Solon, in June 2026 while remaining pastor of St. Mary, Bedford. Father Isidore Munishi, AJ, serves as pastoral assistant, and Father Dennis Mrosso, AJ, also assists at the parish. The diocese confirms Fr. Seebauer as the currently assigned pastor.
- Rev. Joseph G. Seebauer — Pastor
- Rev. Isidore Munishi, AJ — Pastoral Assistant
- Rev. Dennis Mrosso, AJ — Assisting Priest
- Parish office: Monday 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; Tuesday – Wednesday by appointment (effective March 31, 2025)
Sacraments
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments for parishioners and their families. Baptisms, marriages, anointing of the sick and funerals are arranged through the parish office. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons and by appointment.
- Baptism — by appointment through the parish office
- Marriage — arranged through the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick / Last Rites — by appointment
- Funeral Masses — held in the church, often preceded by a wake (e.g., 9–11 AM before a funeral Mass)
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturdays 3:00–3:30 PM and by appointment
Parish Ministries and Outreach
The parish runs a small but active ministry program rooted in service and fellowship. The St. Mary Ladies Guild is the principal lay organization, hosting fundraising salad luncheons, social gatherings and service projects; membership is open even to non-parishioners ($10 dues). A 'Sleeping Mats for the Homeless' ministry meets in the choir room on the third Thursday of each month. The parish also collects pull-tabs for the Ronald McDonald House, with buckets in the choir room and parish office.
- St. Mary Ladies Guild — President Marilyn Koci; VP Patty Day; Secretary Ruth Dowling; Treasurer Mary Jo Nero
- Sleeping Mats for the Homeless — 3rd Thursday of each month, 2:00–3:30 PM, Choir Room
- Ronald McDonald House pull-tab collection — buckets in Choir Room and Parish Office
- Ladies Guild meetings — 2nd Wednesday of the month, 6:30 PM social / 7:00 PM meeting, Walton Hills Village Hall
- Periodic fundraising salad luncheons by pre-sale ticket
Faith Formation, Devotions and Parish Life
Daily devotion is woven into parish life at St. Mary. The Rosary is prayed at 7:30 a.m. on scheduled days before the 8:00 AM Mass, giving parishioners a quiet way to begin the day. Fr. Joe's recent pastor's column noted the anniversaries of family and parishioner deaths, Mass intentions, and ministry milestones, illustrating the close-knit character of the community. Parish social events — such as a Halloween-themed bowling party hosted jointly with the former Our Lady of Hope Ladies Auxiliary — help bridge generations and, since the 2025 merger, the two combined congregations.
- Rosary at 7:30 a.m. before daily Mass
- Funeral Masses and wakes held in the church
- Joint social events with the former Our Lady of Hope community
- Weekly bulletin with pastor's column, Mass intentions and ministry updates
Centennial Celebration (2021)
Throughout 2021, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception celebrated its 100th anniversary with a series of memory-sharing events documented in the parish bulletin. The centennial year concluded on December 4, 2021, when Bishop Edward Malesic of the Diocese of Cleveland celebrated a closing Mass, joined by Father Joe Seebauer, Father Isidore Munishi, AJ, and several priests who were themselves ordained from the parish: Father Ed Estok (St. Albert the Great, North Royalton), Father Frank Basa (St. Bernard, Akron) and Father Ed Schwet (Holy Family, Parma).
- Bishop Edward Malesic celebrated the closing centennial Mass on December 4, 2021.
- Three priests who were ordained from the parish concelebrated: Fr. Ed Estok, Fr. Frank Basa, Fr. Ed Schwet.
- Parish history was shared weekly through the bulletin during the centennial year.
Merger with Our Lady of Hope (2025)
In April 2025, Bishop Edward Malesic announced that, after appropriate consultation, Our Lady of Hope Parish in Bedford would be merged into St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, effective May 4, 2025. The merger brought together two long-standing Bedford Catholic communities under the pastoral care of Father Joseph Seebauer and is reflected today in combined social events, shared ministry efforts and unified bulletins.
- Diocesan Memorandum, April 2025: Our Lady of Hope, Bedford, merged into St. Mary Parish, Bedford, effective May 4, 2025.
- Father Joseph Seebauer continues as pastor of the merged parish.
- Joint events include Ladies Auxiliary bowling parties and shared fundraisers.
Facilities and Visiting
The parish church sits at 340 Union Street in Bedford, Ohio, in the Diocese of Cleveland's Cuyahoga County Suburban – Southeast deanery. The current church building, dedicated June 21, 1970, is the focal point of parish life; the adjacent older church was converted into a library in 1993 and dedicated in 1994. Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at (440) 359-8205 and find Mass times, the bulletin and a parish calendar on the official website.
- Address: 340 Union Street, Bedford, OH 44146
- Phone: (440) 359-8205
- Diocesan region: Cuyahoga County Suburban – Southeast
- Parish office: Monday 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; Tuesday – Wednesday by appointment (since March 31, 2025)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John (R.) Hagan1921–
First resident pastor; mission formally established as an independent parish on July 10, 1921.
- Rev. Joseph (Joe) Seebaueras of 2018–present
Current pastor; also named administrator of St. Rita Parish, Solon, effective June 12, 2026, while remaining pastor of St. Mary, Bedford. The parish celebrated Fr. Joe's 15th anniversary of ordination in 2025.