About St. Peter · Loudonville, Ohio
St. Peter Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Cleveland serving the lower one-third of Ashland County from its church at 220 East Butler Street in Loudonville, Ohio. Founded in 1870 as a mission of St. Peter's, Mansfield ministering to German Catholic farm families, the parish today comprises nearly 200 families and worships in a stone church built in 1938-1939. The parish is a vibrant community offering daily and weekend Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, religious education, youth ministry, mission-trip work, and outreach, anchored by a mission statement rooted in Jesus Christ and Gospel stewardship.
- Established
- 1870
- Patron
- St. Peter
- Rector
- Rev. Rodney A. Kreidler (Presbyteral Moderator; pastor of St. Edward Parish, Ashland, who moderates St. Peter in addition)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Peter offers a personal, family-sized parish in which the same small community gathers for weekday and Sunday Mass, with daily Mass on Tuesday morning and Friday noon, Saturday Vigil, and a single Sunday Mass — easy to get to know fellow parishioners. It runs a thriving youth ministry with catechism classes, mission trips (e.g., rebuilding homes in Black Mountain, North Carolina), and fundraisers, supported by a Lay Ecclesial Minister (Ken Kuruc), a Youth Minister (Katie Esselburn), and a parish secretary trained in grief support (Linda Bucher). The parish is wrapped in the spiritual life of the Diocese of Cleveland, with the Sacrament of Reconciliation every Saturday afternoon and a mission that calls parishioners to worship joyfully, serve gladly, and be stewards of God's gifts.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- Or by appointment
Parish History
St. Peter Parish traces its roots to a rural German Catholic mission served from horseback in the early 1840s. The mission was assigned to St. Peter's, Mansfield in 1870; the cornerstone of the Loudonville church was laid June 25, 1870; the parish was placed under St. Peter's patronage; the first church (40 × 70 ft) was completed in 1872 at a cost of $12,000; and Bishop Richard Gilmour dedicated it on October 21, 1880. The original church collapsed in 1935 when its west wall caved in during basement excavation. The current stone church's cornerstone was laid in October 1938 and the building was completed in October 1939; a parish hall sits beneath it. In 2020–2021 the parish marked its 150th anniversary with a yearlong celebration and a complete interior renovation that included painting, a new tile floor, retouched sacred artwork, four new stained-glass windows, and regilding of the gold cross atop the church.
- 1840s — priests on horseback serve scattered German Catholic farm families.
- 1870 — site at 220 E. Butler St. purchased from John Yuncker; cornerstone laid June 25.
- 1872 — first resident pastor appointed; 40×70-ft church completed.
- 1880 — Bishop Richard Gilmour dedicates the church on Oct. 21.
- 1935 — original church's west wall collapses on Oct. 23 during basement digging.
- 1938 — cornerstone laid for the present stone church (October).
- 1939 — current church completed (October); parish hall built beneath.
- 1986 — exterior restoration building fund.
- 1994 — new rectory built at 204 N. Butler St.
- 2021 — interior renovation, four new stained-glass windows, regilded cross; 150th anniversary Mass celebrated with Bishop Edward Malesic on June 26.
Mass and Sacraments
St. Peter offers a daily Mass schedule with celebrations on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 8:00 AM, Monday at 8:00 AM, and Friday at noon, plus a Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM and a single Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM. Holy Days of Obligation are noted in the bulletin. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard Saturday afternoons from 4:00 to 4:30 PM and by appointment. Masses are livestreamed on the parish website and Facebook for those who cannot attend in person.
- Sunday — 9:00 AM
- Saturday Vigil — 5:00 PM
- Weekdays — Monday 8:00 AM, Tuesday 8:00 AM, Wednesday 8:00 AM, Friday 12:00 PM (noon)
- Holy Days — see bulletin
- Reconciliation — Saturday 4:00–4:30 PM, or by appointment
- Livestream on website and Facebook
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is staffed by a Presbyteral Moderator (Father Rodney A. Kreidler, who is also pastor of St. Edward Parish, Ashland), a Priest in Residence (Father Daniel J. Reed), and a Parochial Vicar (Father James T. Winings, appointed June 10, 2025). Lay staff include Linda Bucher (parish secretary, cemetery inquiries; certified Grief Educator trained in the Grief Recovery Method), Ken Kuruc (certified Lay Ecclesial Minister for the Diocese of Cleveland; M.A. in Theology), and Katie Esselburn (Youth Minister). The parish is part of the Diocese of Cleveland's Wayne-Medina-Ashland deanery cluster along with St. Edward (Ashland) and St. Stephen (West Salem).
- Rev. Rodney A. Kreidler — Presbyteral Moderator
- Rev. Daniel J. Reed — In Residence
- Rev. James T. Winings — Parochial Vicar
- Linda Bucher — Parish Secretary
- Ken Kuruc — Lay Ecclesial Minister
- Katie Esselburn — Youth Minister
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Although St. Peter has never operated a parish school, faith formation has long been central to parish life — taught over the decades by several orders of religious sisters and now coordinated by the parish staff. Current catechism classes meet Sundays from 10:00 to 11:00 AM and on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays from 6:45 to 8:15 PM in the Parish Rectory Basement. The parish also points parishioners to FORMED, the online Catholic study and streaming platform, for at-home faith enrichment.
- Sunday catechism class, 10:00–11:00 AM
- 1st and 3rd Wednesday classes, 6:45–8:15 PM, Rectory Basement
- Online formation via FORMED
- Religious sisters historically taught religious education
Youth Ministry
St. Peter's active youth ministry, led by Youth Minister Katie Esselburn, regularly takes young parishioners on Catholic mission trips — most recently announced for June 22–27, 2026 to Black Mountains, North Carolina, where youth will help rebuild homes for low-income and elderly families impacted by hurricane damage. The trip is supported by parish fundraising (suppers, pancake breakfasts, and a summer cookout) that helps bring per-youth cost down to $450 ($250 per student).
- Catechism for youth on Sundays and Wednesdays
- 2026 Mission Trip — Black Mountain, North Carolina, June 22–27
- Fundraising events: Mission Fundraiser Supper (March 7), Pancake Breakfast (May 24), Summer Cookout (June 12)
- Medical Release form required
Sacred Art and the 2021 Renovation
As the centerpiece of its 150th anniversary, the parish undertook a complete interior renovation completed just before Easter 2021. The work included painting the interior, installing a new tile floor, retouching the original sacred artwork, and adding four new stained-glass windows. Bishop Edward Malesic blessed these new windows at the June 26, 2021 anniversary Mass. The gold cross atop the church was regilded with a special gold paint, completing the renewal of the 1939 stone church's 'sacred home,' as the bishop described it.
- Interior repainting and new tile floor
- Retouching of original sacred artwork
- New stained-glass windows: Divine Mercy (reconciliation chapel); St. Teresa of Calcutta, Sts. Isidore and Maria, St. Paul (nave)
- Regilded gold cross atop the church
- Anniversary Mass June 26, 2021 with Bishop Malesic
St. Peter Cemetery
St. Peter owns and maintains St. Peter Cemetery — the only Catholic cemetery in Ashland County — located about 200 feet east of State Route 60 on the north edge of Loudonville. Records have been kept of burials since the earliest documented interment (Conrad Whisler, 1877, in one transcription; parish records note an organized cemetery from the parish's earliest years). Cemetery inquiries are handled by parish secretary Linda Bucher.
- Only Catholic cemetery in Ashland County
- Located 200 ft east of SR 60 on the north edge of Loudonville
- Cemetery inquiries handled by the parish secretary
Worship and Pastoral Care
Beyond Mass and Reconciliation, St. Peter offers Anointing of the Sick, Communion to the Homebound, and bereavement/grief support through a parish secretary trained as a Grief Educator. The parish encourages parishioners to volunteer for a range of ministries via its Ministry Sign-Up form, and its mission statement calls the community to worship joyfully, serve gladly, and be stewards of God's gifts while nurturing spiritual growth through faith formation and education.
- Anointing of the Sick
- Communion to the Homebound
- Grief Education and Grief Recovery Method support
- Volunteer ministry sign-up form
Diocese of Cleveland — Wayne-Medina-Ashland Deanery
St. Peter Parish sits within the Diocese of Cleveland's Wayne-Medina-Ashland deanery, currently forming a pastoral cluster with St. Edward Parish in Ashland and St. Stephen Parish in West Salem. Father Rodney A. Kreidler serves as pastor of St. Edward and Presbyteral Moderator of both St. Peter and St. Stephen, while Father James T. Winings serves as Parochial Vicar of all three parishes (effective June 10, 2025). The diocese page is the source of record for parish contact information, Mass times, and clergy assignments.
- Deanery: Wayne – Medina – Ashland
- Cluster parishes: St. Edward (Ashland), St. Stephen (West Salem)
- Diocese of Cleveland parishes directory
Getting Involved and Visiting
Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed. Newcomers can sign up for ministries online via the parish's Ministry Sign-Up form, join the FORMED online study platform, or simply introduce themselves at weekend Mass. The parish invites participation in youth mission trips, faith-formation classes, fundraising suppers and breakfasts, and the parish's liturgical and pastoral ministries. Those needing sacraments, funeral planning, or cemetery arrangements are encouraged to call the parish office at (419) 994-4396.
- Ministry Sign-Up form on the parish website
- FORMED online Catholic study platform
- Parish office: (419) 994-4396
- Bulletin archive available online (2019–present)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- First resident pastor (name not specified in sources)1872-
First resident pastor of the new St. Peter Parish; furnished the completed church and presided over its dedication by Bishop Richard Gilmour on Oct. 21, 1880.
- Father Vincent HawkFebruary 2006 – 2021
Pastor who led the parish into its 150th anniversary and interior renovation (2021); welcomed Bishop Edward Malesic for the June 26, 2021 anniversary Mass. Later installed as pastor of Holy Trinity, Avon, on Oct. 13, 2021.
- Rev. Rodney A. KreidlerJune 14, 2022 – present
Appointed Presbyteral Moderator of St. Peter Parish, Loudonville on June 14, 2022, in addition to his role as pastor of St. Edward Parish, Ashland. Reappointed pastor of St. Edward in October 2022 for a renewable six-year term; also became Presbyteral Moderator of St. Stephen Parish, West Salem, effective June 1, 2025.
- Rev. Daniel J. Reedcurrent
Listed as In Residence.
- Rev. James T. WiningsJune 10, 2025 – present
Appointed Parochial Vicar of St. Edward Parish, Ashland; St. Stephen Parish, West Salem; and St. Peter Parish, Loudonville, effective June 10, 2025. Previously Parochial Vicar of St. Raphael Parish, Bay Village. Resides at the rectory of St. Stephen Parish, West Salem.