About St. Mary · Piqua, Ohio
St. Mary Catholic Church is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in both the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the state of Ohio, with a congregation dating back to 1843 and an original brick church dedicated on March 8, 1846. Located at 528 Broadway in Piqua, Ohio, it has served the Miami County community for more than 180 years and today counts roughly 1,700 parishioners. The parish is currently part of the Our Lady of Fatima Family of Parishes, sharing clergy, school, and faith-formation resources with neighboring St. Boniface (Piqua), St. Patrick (Troy), St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus (Covington), and Church of the Transfiguration (West Milton).
- Established
- 1843
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Father Eric Bowman
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. Mary offers the rare chance to belong to one of Ohio's oldest Catholic parishes — a brick church consecrated in 1846, sitting in the heart of Piqua at 528 Broadway — while participating in a full modern Catholic life: daily and weekend Masses in a Roman-Rite setting, Saturday confessions, regular Eucharistic adoration, an active St. Vincent de Paul conference, RCIA, men's, women's and youth spiritual programs, and international mission ties to Chile, Guatemala, and Dominica. As part of the Our Lady of Fatima Family of Parishes, St. Mary parishioners also share resources with Piqua Catholic School, a consolidated K-8 elementary and preschool serving both Piqua parishes — making it a strong fit for young families as well as long-time locals.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:00–9:45 AM at St. Mary
Adoration times
- St. Clare Adoration Chapel (entrance at the back of St. Boniface): Saturday 6:00 AM through Thursday 11:59 PM; Friday 4:00 AM–9:00 PM
St. Mary Parish: Identity and Heritage
St. Mary Catholic Church in Piqua is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the state of Ohio. Its congregation was organized in 1843 by Father Hallinan of St. Stephen in Hamilton together with Father James P. Cahill, and the original brick church was dedicated on March 8, 1846 under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today the parish has about 1,700 registered families and continues to serve as a spiritual anchor for Miami County Catholics.
- Founded 1843; first church dedicated March 8, 1846
- Located at 528 Broadway, Piqua, OH 45356
- Approximately 1,700 registered parishioners
- Pioneer Catholic parish of Miami County
Building History and Renovations
The first St. Mary's was built of brick in 1846, an unusually solid construction for a frontier Ohio parish where most churches were wooden frames. A planned 1898 remodeling grew mid-project into a full enlargement that added a cellar; the work was completed in June 1899. A major interior remodeling was completed in 1979, and a further remodeling and painting project in 2007 brought the church to its current appearance.
- Original brick construction, 1846
- Enlarged with cellar addition completed June 1899
- Extensive interior remodeling, 1979
- Remodeling and painting project completed, 2007
Mission Outreach
St. Mary's has long extended its ministry beyond Piqua. Beyond its local St. Vincent de Paul-style outreach to those in need in the Piqua area, the parish maintains three international mission relationships: a food co-op in Chile, a medical clinic in Guatemala, and a twinning covenant with St. John's / St. Louis Parish on the Caribbean island of Dominica.
- Food co-op mission — Chile
- Medical clinic mission — Guatemala
- Twinning covenant — St. John's / St. Louis Parish, Dominica
Sacraments
Parishioners arrange sacraments through the parish office. Baptism requires a preparation class scheduled by appointment. Couples must contact the parish at least nine months before a wedding for marriage preparation, with parish registration required. The Anointing of the Sick is offered to those weakened by age, afflicted with serious illness, or preparing for serious surgery. Extraordinary Ministers bring Holy Communion to the homebound and to those in nursing facilities.
- Baptism: class required, by appointment
- Matrimony: schedule 9+ months ahead; preparation program required
- Anointing of the Sick: by request
- Homebound Communion visits by Extraordinary Ministers
Faith Formation and School
Catholic education in Piqua dates to 1853 and has long been shared between St. Mary and St. Boniface. The two parishes today operate the consolidated Piqua Catholic School (K-8) on the North Street campus adjoining St. Mary, with preschool programming offered through The Center for Early Learning on the Downing Street campus. Parish Religious Education (PSRE), RCIA for adults, and high-school youth outreach round out the formation offerings.
- Piqua Catholic School (K-8) on the North Street campus
- The Center for Early Learning preschool
- Parish School of Religious Education (PSRE)
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- High-school youth ministry / outreach
Clergy and Staff
St. Mary is served as part of the Our Lady of Fatima Family of Parishes. Father Eric Bowman is pastor, assisted by parochial vicars Father Jim Duell, Father Isaiah Callan, and Father Steve Shoup, with Father Joseph Kozar serving as Sunday associate and Deacon Jim Niswonger assigned to St. Boniface / St. Mary. Parish staff include Linda Richard (Office & Finance Manager, SM), Judy Lohnes (music), and Marv Cool (facilities).
- Fr. Eric Bowman — Pastor
- Fr. Jim Duell, Fr. Isaiah Callan, Fr. Steve Shoup — Parochial Vicars
- Fr. Joseph Kozar — Sunday Associate
- Deacon Jim Niswonger — St. Boniface / St. Mary
- Linda Richard — Office & Finance Manager (SM)
- Judy Lohnes — Music (SB/SM)
- Marv Cool — Facilities (SM)
Our Lady of Fatima Family of Parishes
St. Mary is one of five parishes in the Our Lady of Fatima Family of Parishes within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The family includes St. Boniface (Piqua), St. Mary (Piqua), St. Patrick (Troy), St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus (Covington), and Church of the Transfiguration (West Milton). Shared staff — pastor, vicars, deacon, music director, DRE, CFO, business manager — minister across all five parishes, while the schools at Piqua and Troy remain parish-based.
- St. Boniface — 310 S. Downing St., Piqua
- St. Mary — 528 Broadway, Piqua
- St. Patrick — 409 E. Main St., Troy
- St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus — 6925 W. US Rt. 36, Covington
- Church of the Transfiguration — 972 S. Miami St., West Milton
Visiting and Contact Information
The St. Mary parish office is located at 528 Broadway Street, Piqua, Ohio 45356, and is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Telephone (937) 773-1327; email [email protected]. Weekend Mass, daily Mass, Saturday confessions, and weekday adoration opportunities make the church accessible throughout the week.
- Address: 528 Broadway St., Piqua, OH 45356
- Phone: (937) 773-1327
- Office email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8 AM–5 PM; Fri 8 AM–12 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Hallinan (pastor of St. Stephen, Hamilton)1843–1844
Organized the original congregation of about thirty Catholic families in Piqua and helped found St. Mary's while based in Hamilton.
- Father James P. Cahill1840s
Co-directed the building of the first brick church alongside Father Hallinan; dedication March 8, 1846.
- Father Crowleyby 1909
Pastor of St. Mary's at the time of the 1909 History of Miami County; described as 'zealous in looking after the care of his flock.'
- Father Tom Boltethrough 2018
Presided over the parish's 175th anniversary in 2018; spoke of vibrant ministries, mission ties to Chile, Guatemala and Dominica.
- Father Eric Bowmancurrent
Current pastor of the Our Lady of Fatima Family of Parishes, which includes St. Mary.