About St. Remy · Russia, Ohio
St. Remy Catholic Church is an active Roman Catholic parish in the tiny village of Russia, Shelby County, Ohio, belonging to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Founded by French-speaking Catholic settlers in 1846, it serves the Russia community and surrounding rural area of western Ohio — a region famously known as the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches for its concentration of Missionaries of the Precious Blood parish churches. The parish's present Romanesque Revival church was built in 1890 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and today St. Remy continues to offer daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, faith formation and outreach through the Northwest-V Family of Parishes.
- Established
- 1846
- Patron
- Saint Remy (Saint Remigius of Rheims)
- Rector
- Father Ned Brown (Pastor of the Northwest-V Family of Parishes; St. Remy is staffed by the NWV FOP clergy team)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati (part of the Northwest-V Family of Parishes)
Why belong here
St. Remy offers the full rhythm of Catholic life — a Saturday vigil Mass and three Sunday Masses, daily morning Masses, weekly Eucharistic Adoration (Thursdays 8:45 AM – 8:45 PM) and frequent opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation — in a small, close-knit village community. The parish is the spiritual home of generations of French-rooted Catholic families in Shelby County, continues Precious Blood missionary traditions, and carries its mission beyond Russia through its long-running sister-parish partnership with Our Lady of Victory in Balan, Haiti. Joining St. Remy means becoming part of a historic, family-friendly parish in the heart of Ohio's 'Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches.'
Mass times at St. Remy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
- Thursday 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
- Saturday 9:15 AM – 10:00 AM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Sunday 10:30 AM – 10:55 AM
Adoration times
- Thursday 8:45 AM – 8:45 PM (Benediction at 8:30 PM)
History of St. Remy Parish
St. Remy traces its origin to 1846, when French-speaking Catholic settlers in southwestern Shelby County built a log chapel on the farm of Jean Jacques DeBrosse — one of the first families from the Doubs department of France, in which the village of Saint-Rémy is located. A more permanent log church followed around 1852, and on June 15, 1854, Archbishop John Baptist Purcell celebrated the first Communion and Confirmation of the parish's children. The first bells — Marie, Remidas, Franciscus and Constance — were blessed that November. As the congregation grew, a larger brick church was built in 1868 (constructed around the old log one so worship could continue) and finally replaced by the present Romanesque Revival church in 1890.
- Parish founded: 1846
- First log chapel: 1846 (DeBrosse farm)
- First church dedicated: August 17, 1852
- Second brick church: 1868
- Present (third) church: 1890
- First Communion & Confirmation: June 15, 1854
- First bells blessed: November 12, 1854
The Present Church Building
The present St. Remy church, built in 1890, is a Romanesque Revival structure of sandblasted red brick on a stone foundation with a basement and slate roof, rising to multiple gables and lit by stained-glass windows along both sides. Its tower displays the Gothic Revival style — a hallmark of the Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio. A 1977 architectural survey rated the exterior in good condition, while flagging interior changes (a 1954 vestibule that blocks the original façade, and 1954/1976 remodeling that destroyed or heavily altered the original altars and statues) as concerns. The church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 26, 1979.
- Architectural style: Romanesque Revival (Gothic Revival tower)
- Listed on National Register of Historic Places: July 26, 1979
- NRHP reference number: 79002834
- Part of the 'Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio' multiple property submission
- Stained-glass window depicts Saint Remy baptizing King Clovis I
Parish Staff & Pastoral Council
St. Remy is part of the Northwest-V Family of Parishes (NWV FOP), which joins it with St. Denis (Versailles), St. Louis (North Star), St. Mary (Osgood) and St. Nicholas (Bradford). The shared pastoral team includes the pastor and parochial vicars who rotate among the family of parishes. The St. Remy Parish Council is elected on three-year rotating terms and helps guide parish life.
- Pastor: Father Ned Brown
- Parochial Vicars: Father Andrew Reckers, Father Matt Feist, Father James Reutter
- Parish Council members (terms ending 2026–2028): Jeff Simon (VP), Aaron Condon, Joel Meyer, Steven Schulze, Katie Sapp, Heather (Kent) Borchers, Deb Timmerman, Craig Borchers, Beth Francis, Kyle Siegrist, Bethany Grillot, Maria Smith
Liturgical Ministries
St. Remy maintains a robust set of lay liturgical ministries with published quarterly schedules for servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, ushers and collection counters. The parish also runs a Vocations Chalice program to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
- Altar Servers
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC)
- Ushers
- Collection Counters
- Vocations Chalice program
Haiti Mission — Sister Parish
Since 2005 St. Remy has maintained a sister-parish relationship with Our Lady of Victory in Balan, Haiti. Parishioners have made repeated mission trips, helping the Haitian parish grow its school from 250 students in kindergarten through third grade to 650 students in kindergarten through ninth grade, and supporting construction of a medical clinic. Parishioners Dave and Bonnie York have led this work, traveling to Haiti repeatedly and continuing to advocate for agricultural education and self-sufficiency.
- Sister parish: Our Lady of Victory, Balan, Haiti (since 2005)
- School growth: 250 students (K–3) in 2005 → 650 students (K–9) within several years
- Medical clinic construction supported
- Mission trip leaders: Dave and Bonnie York
- Past trip participants: Ed Borchers, Marilyn Pohlman, Darrin Poeppelman, Adam Schweiderman
Northwest-V Family of Parishes
St. Remy belongs to the Northwest-V Family of Parishes (NWV FOP), an Archdiocese of Cincinnati collaborative that shares clergy, staff and programming among five parishes in Shelby and Darke counties. Together they publish shared Mass and event schedules, sacramental emergency coverage and a Vocations Chalice program.
- St. Remy, Russia (Shelby County)
- St. Denis, Versailles (Darke County)
- St. Louis, North Star (Darke County)
- St. Mary, Osgood (Darke County)
- St. Nicholas, Bradford (Darke County)
- Parish offices: 937-526-3437 (Russia); 937-526-4945 (Versailles); 419-582-2531 (Osgood); 937-548-1616 (Greenville)
Sacraments & Sacramental Emergency
St. Remy prepares parishioners for and celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. For after-hours emergencies (Anointing of the Sick, last rites, etc.) the parish provides a 24-hour priest emergency line.
- Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders (through family of parishes)
- Sacramental Emergency: (937) 526-3437 ext 9
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
St. Remy's parish office at 108 East Main Street, Russia, Ohio is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and is closed Mondays and Fridays. Phone and email reach the parish office directly; the priest emergency line is staffed around the clock.
- Address: 108 East Main Street, Russia, OH 45363
- Phone: (937) 526-3437
- Email: [email protected]
- Priest emergency: (937) 526-3437 ext 9
- Office hours: Tues/Wed/Thurs 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Navarron1823–1830s
Itinerant French priest who first served the French Catholic settlers of southwestern Shelby and northeastern Darke counties.
- Father Leon Meyerearly 1850s
Precious Blood priest who visited St. Remy once or twice a month in its earliest mission years.
- Father August Joseph Rollinet1850s
Arrived to serve the Russia-area parishes; later joined by his brother Charles and another priest because of the workload. Officiated at the first Communion and Confirmation of St. Remy children on June 15, 1854.
- Rev. Martin Fox
Listed as Pastor of St. Remy Parish on directories prior to the formation of the Northwest-V Family of Parishes.