About St. Rose · Maria Stein, Ohio
St. Rose Catholic Church is a historic parish in the unincorporated community of St. Rose, in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio — its mailing address is 7428 State Route 119, Maria Stein, OH 45860. Founded in 1839, it is the oldest of four parishes established that year in the Mercer–Auglaize County area and is among the earliest German Catholic parishes in Mercer County. The parish is one of the 34 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was a featured point on the famous Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches tour. Today St. Rose is part of the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes, served by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.) and within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
- Established
- 1839
- Patron
- St. Rose of Lima
- Rector
- Rev. Kenneth Schnipke, C.PP.S.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. Rose offers a small, historic Catholic community rooted in 185 years of faith and served by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood within the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes. Parishioners can worship in a breathtaking National Register landmark church with deep musical and devotional traditions — Adult Choir, Youth Choir, Ladies Sodality, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, and a Ministry to the Homebound and Sick — while sharing in the wider life of the Marion Catholic Community through faith formation, youth ministry, OCIA, Vacation Bible School, and outreach such as Haiti missions and N.E.S.T. It is an ideal parish for those who want a close-knit rural congregation with a rich devotional heritage, beautiful liturgy, and easy connection to neighboring parishes.
Mass times at St. Rose
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (after the 7:15 AM Mass)
St. Rose Catholic Church — Overview
St. Rose is a historic Roman Catholic parish in the unincorporated community of St. Rose, Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio. Founded in 1839 as one of the earliest German Catholic parishes in the area, it sits at 7428 State Route 119, Maria Stein, OH 45860. Today the parish belongs to the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes, is served by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.), and falls within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The current Gothic Revival church, the parish's third, was completed in 1911 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Address: 7428 State Route 119, Maria Stein, OH 45860
- Phone: (419) 925-4775
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Cincinnati
- Cluster: Christ Our Light Family of Parishes (served by C.PP.S.)
- Sunday Mass: 11:00 AM
- Weekday Mass: Tuesday 7:15 AM
History of St. Rose Parish
Founded in 1839, St. Rose is the oldest of four parishes established that year in the Mercer–Auglaize County area. Catholic settlers had been meeting for worship since 1837 and built a log church in 1838; the parish was formally erected and dedicated to St. Rose in 1844. Bishop John Baptist Purcell of Cincinnati, struck by the wild roses in the woodland during a visitation tour, called the spot "Rose Garden," giving the community its name. After 1844 the parish was served by Father Francis de Sales Brunner and members of the Society of the Precious Blood, who brought regular Mass and helped shape the wider 'Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches' region.
- 1837 – Catholic settlers begin gathering for worship
- 1838 – First log church built
- 1839 – Parish founded (oldest of the four Mercer–Auglaize parishes)
- 1844 – Parish formally erected and dedicated to St. Rose
- 1845 – Precious Blood missionaries arrive, regular Mass begins
- 1854 – Second church (brick) built for $6,000; first organ installed 1862
The Present Church (1911)
By 1907 the second brick church had been modernized with acetylene lighting but was still too small. In January 1907 the necessity of a new church was laid before the congregation, and the third church was begun and completed in 1911 at a cost of about $26,479. The High Gothic Revival pressed-brick church with Bedford-stone trim was designed by architect Andrew DeCurtins of Lima, Ohio, the youngest son of Swiss-born architect Anton DeCurtins, who had designed the 1854 brick predecessor. The building is shaped as a Latin cross with three doorways on the north facade, a soaring octagonal tower, a louvered belfry, and a gold cross that rises 133 feet from the ground. The interior is celebrated for its extensive gold trim, ornate mosaic-style painting, and blue carpet throughout.
- Architect: Andrew DeCurtins, Lima, Ohio
- Style: High Gothic Revival, Latin-cross plan
- Height of steeple cross: 133 feet
- Materials: pressed brick with Bedford stone trim
- Construction cost (1911): about $26,479
Rectory and Historic School
Until 1905 the pastors of the local Catholic parishes had lived at nearby Gruenwald Convent or at the Maria Stein Convent. That year, Archbishop Henry K. Moeller ruled that a pastor should live in his own parish, and a red-brick rectory was completed near the church in 1906. A one-room brick district school house built east of the church in 1892 still serves the parish today.
- Rectory: red brick, completed 1906
- School: 1892 one-room brick district school, still in parish use
Architecture, Art, and Historic Recognition
St. Rose Church is recognized both for its architecture and for its place in the famous 'Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches' scenic byway. The church's tall Gothic arches, gold leaf, mosaic-style painting, and deep-blue carpet give it a striking interior. The parish is one of 34 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was a featured point of interest on the original Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches tour.
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Featured on the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches tour
- Interior: gold trim, ornate mosaic painting, blue carpet
- Exterior: pressed brick with Bedford stone trim, pointed Gothic arches
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
St. Rose has been served by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.) since 1844 and today is part of the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes under that same congregation. The pastor and parochial vicars oversee the cluster's five parishes — St. Rose, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist, Precious Blood, and St. Sebastian. A parish administrator and sacramental minister support the day-to-day life of the community.
- Pastor — Rev. Kenneth Schnipke, C.PP.S.
- Parochial Vicar — Fr. Matthew Jozefiak, C.PP.S.
- Parochial Vicar — Fr. Mark Hoying, C.PP.S.
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Vara Kumar Chowtapalli, C.PP.S.
- Sacramental Minister — Rev. Kenneth Alt, C.PP.S.
- Parish Council President — Jeff Griesdorn
Parish Staff
Alongside the priests, a small parish staff keeps the day-to-day ministries of St. Rose running — religious education, music, business, and facilities.
- Business Manager — Susan Fortkamp
- Coordinator of Religious Education — Carla Hartings
- Music Director — Katie Hartings
- Maintenance — Jim Ungruhn
- Basement Rental — Carla Hartings, (419) 733-4090
Parish Ministries and Groups
St. Rose carries on the devotional and service traditions of a long-standing rural Catholic parish, with choirs, sodality, lay liturgical ministries, and outreach — many of these shared across the wider Marion Catholic Community.
- Adult Choir and Youth Choir
- Ladies Sodality
- Ministry to the Homebound and Sick (nursing-home visits)
- Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers
- Religious Education / Faith Formation
- Parish Council (President: Jeff Griesdorn)
Wider Marion Catholic Community — Faith Formation, Youth, and Outreach
Through the Marion Catholic Community, St. Rose parishioners share in cluster-wide programs including Vacation Bible School, an elementary/middle-school/high-school Youth Ministry, the OCIA process (formerly RCIA) for adults entering the Church, Adult Faith Formation (with courses like 'The Church: Beginning, Structure and Mission under the Patronage of St. Joseph'), small faith groups, and the FORMED digital library. Outreach initiatives include N.E.S.T., SON Ministries, and a longstanding Haiti mission partnership.
- Faith Formation Committee (cluster-wide)
- Vacation Bible School
- Youth Ministry Core Team
- Steubenville youth conference and CYSC
- OCIA (formerly RCIA)
- Adult Faith Formation — Carolyn Stucke
- Advent programs and Small Faith Groups
- FORMED
- N.E.S.T. outreach
- SON Ministries
- Haiti mission outreach
The Christ Our Light Family of Parishes
St. Rose is one of five parishes in the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes, served together by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood and administered from the shared office at 7428 State Route 119, Maria Stein. The cluster also includes Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist, Precious Blood, and St. Sebastian. Cluster staff include a Director of Liturgy and Worship (Nick Wilker), a Director of Evangelization, a Director of Communication (Sarah Mescher), and a Business Manager (Leslie Tyler).
- Parishes: St. Rose, Nativity of BVM, St. John the Baptist, Precious Blood, St. Sebastian
- Served by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.)
- Provincial Director — U.S. Province of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood
- Director of Liturgy and Worship — Nick Wilker
- Director of Communication — Sarah Mescher
- Business Manager — Leslie Tyler
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (Friday closed)
Visiting St. Rose — Practical Information
St. Rose Catholic Church is located in the unincorporated community of St. Rose along State Route 119, outside the village of Maria Stein in Mercer County, Ohio. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and closed on Friday. Visitors are warmly welcomed by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood and the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes staff.
- Address: 7428 State Route 119, Maria Stein, OH 45860
- Parish Office: (419) 925-4775
- Residence: (419) 925-2030
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM; Friday closed
- Website: https://www.marioncatholiccommunity.org/st-rose.html
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Louis Navarronearly 1840s
Priest from Clermont, France, who directed the building of the first log church.
- Fr. Francis de Sales Brunner, C.PP.S.from 1844
After 1844 the parish was transferred to Father Brunner and the Society of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.), bringing regular Mass and a lasting missionary tradition to the area.