About St. Michael · Ripley, Ohio
St. Michael Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the small Ohio River village of Ripley, Ohio, part of the Sacred Heart Family of Churches in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Its roots reach back to the 1830s, when Catholic families settled along the river and celebrated Mass in private homes; the parish was formally established with its first church in 1840–1842 and has worshipped in its present Roman-style church since 1890. Today the parish of roughly 240 families shares clergy with neighboring sister parishes, runs the only Catholic school in Brown County, and supports ministries including the Knights of Columbus, Rosary Altar Society, St. Vincent de Paul, RCIA, and a Family Religious Education Program.
- Established
- 1840
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Fr. Frank Amberger
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. Michael Ripley is a tight-knit Ohio River village parish of about 240 families with nearly two centuries of Catholic life behind it. Worshippers gather in a striking 1890 Roman-style church known for its hand-painted sanctuary, 120-foot tower and historic bronze bell, and they support the only Catholic school in Brown County. Active groups — Knights of Columbus, Rosary Altar Society, St. Vincent de Paul, RCIA, the Family Religious Education Program and joint parish commissions with sister churches — make it easy to get involved in faith, formation and outreach.
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM (after the 7:00 PM Mass)
- By appointment
Parish History
St. Michael Parish traces its origins to 1833–36, when several Catholic families settled in and near Ripley and priests occasionally said Mass in the homes of Michael Walters and Joseph Helbling. The first church was built in 1840 on land donated by Michael Walters along North Main Street and dedicated on June 19, 1842 by Archbishop Purcell under the patronage of St. John the Baptist. Early missionary priests served the community until 1858, when Reverend H. Boecker, a native of Germany, became the first resident priest in Ripley. The present church — the parish's third — was dedicated to St. Michael by Archbishop William Elder on June 21, 1890, and has now served the community for more than 130 years.
- 1833–36: Catholic families settle in Ripley; Mass in private homes
- 1840: First church built on North Main Street (land donated by Michael Walters)
- June 19, 1842: First church dedicated by Archbishop Purcell (under the patronage of St. John the Baptist)
- 1858: Rev. H. Boecker becomes first resident priest
- June 21, 1890: Present St. Michael church dedicated by Archbishop William Elder
- 1984: Major interior redecoration; paintings restored by Fred Anderson
- 2013: Tower and spire refurbished
- 2014: Interior repainted, new carpet, exterior façade and tower illuminated at night
- 2015: 175th anniversary celebrated with Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr
The Church Building
The 1890 church is a Roman-style design modeled after St. Michael Church in Schönau/Pfalz, Germany — a tribute to the German heritage of the early Ripley Catholic community. The cornerstone bears the Roman numerals MDCCCLXXXIX (1889). Inside, the sanctuary's walls and dome are decorated with paintings by the German artist Brausch, painted between 1904 and 1922, and the building has been carefully maintained through major renovations in 1984 and again in 2013–2014.
- 90 feet long × 45 feet wide
- 120-foot tower
- 1,037-pound cast bronze bell, electrified in 1956
- Wall and dome paintings by Brausch (1904–1922)
- 1984 redecoration and painting restoration by Fred Anderson of Ripley
- 2013 tower and spire repair; 2014 interior repaint and recarpeting
- Façade and tower illuminated at night beginning December 2014
St. Michael School
St. Michael Parochial School is the only Catholic school in Brown County. Catholic education in Ripley began in a small frame building on Second Street and grew through successive buildings until the present school opened on Market Street with a cornerstone laid on September 23, 1923. The school has been staffed over the years by the Sisters of St. Francis of Rochester, Minnesota; Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pennsylvania; Sisters of Divine Providence (then called Sisters of Divine Mercy) of Melbourne, Kentucky; and the Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg, Indiana, before passing into the hands of lay teachers and a lay principal. In 2007 the school faced possible closure, but parishioners and the broader community met every one of the ten benchmarks set by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Education Commission by March 15, 2009, securing its future.
- Address: 300 Market Street, Ripley, OH 45167
- Current principal: Andy Arn
- Sole Catholic school in Brown County
- Cornerstone laid September 23, 1923; building in use since 1924
- Religious communities who taught there: Sisters of St. Francis (Rochester MN), Benedictine Sisters (Erie PA), Sisters of Divine Providence (Melbourne KY), Sisters of St. Francis (Oldenburg IN)
- First schoolteacher: Mr. Christian Trapp
- Saved from closure in 2007–2009 under Sr. Carol Ann Mouse, OSF, and Fr. James Schmitmeyer
Parish Life and Ministries
St. Michael Ripley supports a rich mix of parish organizations that knit together the roughly 240 families who make up the community. Long-standing groups include the Knights of Columbus, Rosary Altar Society, St. Vincent de Paul Society, PTO, School Committee, and the Finance and Pastoral Councils. Faith formation is provided through the Family Religious Education Program (REP) and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), and the parish shares joint RCIA, Worship, Education, and Social Action Commissions with its sister parishes.
- Knights of Columbus – Ripley Council #2 (Grand Knight Andy Schneider)
- Rosary Altar Society
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- PTO and School Committee
- Finance Council and Pastoral Council
- Family Religious Education Program (REP) – Southern REP program
- RCIA for adults seeking initiation or learning about the Catholic faith
- Joint Worship, Education and Social Action Commissions with St. Mary and St. George
Sacred Heart Family of Parishes
St. Michael Ripley is part of the Sacred Heart Family of Churches, a regional cluster of Catholic parishes in Brown County, Ohio, served together by a single pastoral team. The family also includes St. Michael Mt. Orab, St. Patrick, St. George (Georgetown), St. Mary (Arnheim) and St. Angela Merici (Fayetteville). The cluster model — in which parishes share clergy and pool resources for joint ministries — has shaped parish life at St. Michael Ripley since 2001.
- Parishes in the family: St. Michael Ripley, St. Michael Mt. Orab, St. Patrick, St. George (Georgetown), St. Mary (Arnheim), St. Angela Merici (Fayetteville)
- Sister-parish sharing began in 2001 with Fr. John P. Fischer as shared pastor
- St. Mary Arnheim joined the cluster in 2009 under Fr. Dohrman W. Byers
- Joint RCIA, Worship, Education and Social Action Commissions across the family
Clergy and Staff
The Sacred Heart Family is currently led by Pastor Fr. Frank Amberger, with Parochial Vicar Fr. Andrew Cordonnier and Deacon Ronald S. Dvorachek assisting across the cluster. Parish staff in the Ripley office handle scheduling, business and faith-formation coordination for St. Michael Ripley together with St. George Georgetown and St. Mary Arnheim.
- Pastor: Fr. Frank Amberger — (937) 392-1116
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Andrew Cordonnier — (513) 875-5020 — [email protected]
- Deacon: Dcn. Ronald S. Dvorachek — (937) 378-3066 — [email protected]
- Secretary for St. George, St. Mary and St. Michael Ripley: Lee Ann Bradley
- Bookkeeper for St. George, St. Mary and St. Michael Ripley: Amy Schwallie
- Business Manager for St. George, St. Mary and St. Michael Ripley: Gaile Sentney
- St. Michael School principal: Andy Arn
Sacraments
Information on the parish's sacraments is published on the Sacred Heart Family website. Baptisms are scheduled through the Regional Office and first-time parents are asked to attend a baptism class; at least one godparent is required, must be at least 16, and at least one must be a baptized and confirmed Catholic. Couples planning to marry are asked to begin marriage preparation at least six months in advance. The parish also provides guidance on annulments, including Lack of Canonical Form, Pauline Privilege, Ligamen, and Formal Cases.
- Baptism: scheduled through Regional Office; baptism class for first-time parents; godparent requirements per Canon Law 874
- Marriage: begin preparation at least 6 months ahead; contact Regional Office
- Annulment: Lack of Canonical Form, Pauline Privilege, Ligamen, and Formal Case forms available through parish office
- Confession: Tuesday 7:30–8:00 PM after Mass, or by appointment
- Eucharist and Confirmation: prepared through parish school and Family REP
Visit and Contact
St. Michael Church stands at the corner of Fourth and Market Streets in the Ohio River village of Ripley, two blocks north of US Route 52. The Ripley parish office, at 16 N 4th St, is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
- Address: 16 North Fourth Street, Ripley, OH 45167
- Phone: (937) 392-1116
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Website: https://www.ohiocatholic.org/st-michael-ripley
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend H. Boecker1858–
First resident priest in Ripley; a native of Germany.
- Fr. John P. Fischer2001–
First shared pastor after St. George Georgetown and St. Michael Ripley became sister parishes in 2001.
- Fr. James M. Schmitmeyer2007–
Succeeded Fr. Fischer as shared pastor; led St. Michael School through the 2007–09 effort that saved it from closing.
- Fr. Dohrman W. Byers2009–
Took over as shared pastor of St. George, St. Michael Ripley and St. Mary Arnheim in 2009; served during the 2015 175th anniversary.
- Fr. Frank Amberger
Current pastor of the Sacred Heart Family of Parishes.