About St. Stephen · Caldwell, Ohio
St. Stephen Catholic Church is the largest of the four Catholic parishes that make up the Noble County Catholic Churches cluster in Caldwell, Ohio, with 278 registered families. Founded in 1911 and originally known as Saint Philomena, the parish has worshipped in its present church since 1962 and now serves as the hub for a four-parish family that also includes Corpus Christi (Belle Valley), St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception (Fulda), and St. Michael (Carlisle). The parish belongs to the Diocese of Steubenville under Bishop Edward M. Lohse and gathers for Sunday Mass at 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, with daily Mass Tuesday through Friday.
- Established
- 1911
- Patron
- Saint Stephen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Steubenville (Visitation Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Stephen is the spiritual center of a tight-knit four-parish Catholic family in rural Noble County, where the 278 families here join with the smaller parishes in Belle Valley, Fulda, and Carlisle to live their faith together — sharing the Fireman's Parade, Parish BINGO Socials, ladies' nights out, and Vacation Bible School. Daily and weekend Mass, Sunday and weekday confessions, First Friday adoration, an active youth group with PSR classes, and a fully handicap-accessible church and renovated social hall make it a welcoming, family-oriented parish where newcomers can quickly feel at home.
Mass times at St. Stephen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:45 – 8:15 AM (at St. Stephen)
- Sunday 4:00 – 4:45 PM (at St. Stephen)
- Saturday 3:15 – 3:45 PM (at St. Mary, Immaculate Conception)
- Saturday 5:40 – 5:50 PM (at Corpus Christi)
- Sunday 10:10 – 10:20 AM (at St. Michael)
- Any time by request
Adoration times
- First Friday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
History of St. Stephen Catholic Church
The Catholic community in Caldwell traces its roots to 1911, when Mass was first celebrated in the local Opera Hall. Originally organized under the patronage of Saint Philomena, the mission grew steadily over the next half-century until a permanent church was built and rechristened Saint Stephen in 1962. St. Stephen has remained the largest of Noble County's Catholic parishes ever since, today serving 278 families in cooperation with its three sister parishes.
- Parish founded 1911 in Caldwell's Opera Hall
- Originally named Saint Philomena
- Present church built 1962 and renamed Saint Stephen
- Largest parish in Noble County with 278 families
2014 Elevator and Accessibility Project
In the summer of 2014, after years of fundraising, Saint Stephen completed a $250,000 elevator addition that finally gave the parish full handicap access. The project, carried out by G&M Construction of Zanesville under V2 Architects of Cambridge, included adding onto the building, building the elevator shaft and mechanical room, and rewiring the church's main electrical distribution — correcting 60 years of accumulated electrical changes. The campaign was jump-started by a $10,000 donation from parishioner Fred Fox, who later left the parish approximately $196,000 from his estate, leaving a nest egg of about $70,000 for elevator upkeep.
- G&M Construction of Zanesville (builder)
- V2 Architects of Cambridge (administration)
- Fred Fox — $10,000 starting donation and ~$196,000 bequest
2017 Social Hall Renovation
Building on the elevator project's momentum, the parish council turned to the social hall, which was renovated in 2017 by Surgent Construction of Cambridge (again under V2 Architects) for just over $200,000. The work encapsulated asbestos tile in the hall and choir loft, repaired chronic water damage leaking from the bell tower during rains, brought the building into compliance with city water-runoff code, made the restrooms handicap-accessible, and gave the kitchen a new floor, a commercial stove, and better storage.
- Surgent Construction of Cambridge (builder)
- V2 Architects (administration)
- Projects completed for just over $200,000
- Handicap-accessible restrooms added
- New kitchen flooring and commercial stove
The Noble County Catholic Family
Since the last published parish history in 2011, St. Stephen has joined with the other three Noble County Catholic parishes — Corpus Christi (Belle Valley), Immaculate Conception (Fulda), and St. Michael (Carlisle) — to function as a single Catholic Family. Together they participate in the Fireman's Parade, Parish BINGO Socials, fun trips, ladies' nights out, and Vacation Bible School.
- Corpus Christi, Belle Valley — 66 families
- St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Fulda — 127 families
- St. Michael, Carlisle — 70 families
- St. Stephen, Caldwell — 278 families
Youth Ministry and Faith Formation
Recognizing that 'in a county where there is no major industry, our best hope is to instill in our kids the faith to the best of our ability,' St. Stephen invests heavily in its young people through an active youth group and PSR (Parish School of Religion) program. The youth run three signature annual projects: Trunk or Treat around Halloween, blankets and ornaments for the local nursing home at Christmas, and the Mime Stations of the Cross during Lent.
- Trunk or Treat (Halloween)
- Nursing home blankets and ornaments (Christmas)
- Mime Stations of the Cross (Lent)
- PSR (Parish School of Religion)
Diocese of Steubenville
St. Stephen belongs to the Diocese of Steubenville and sits within the Visitation Deanery, currently under the pastoral care of Father Thomas A. Nelson, Dean. The diocese is led by Bishop Edward M. Lohse, who serves as Apostolic Administrator of Steubenville. The Visitation Deanery gathers together 14 parishes and one oratory across Guernsey, Noble, Monroe, Washington, and Morgan counties.
- Bishop Edward M. Lohse — Apostolic Administrator of Steubenville
- Father Thomas A. Nelson — Dean, Visitation Deanery
- Diocese of Steubenville
Visit, Location, and Contact
St. Stephen sits at 1036 Belford Street in Caldwell, Ohio (ZIP 43724), at the top of a hill on the north side of town. From I-77, take Exit 25, turn left at McDonald's, follow the road to Miller Street, continue past the light to Belford Street, and turn left — the church is at the top of the hill. The parish office can be reached at (740) 732-4129; an additional hall line is available at 740-838-4842.
- 1036 Belford Street, Caldwell, OH 43724
- Phone: (740) 732-4129
- Hall phone: (740) 838-4842
- I-77 Exit 25 → McDonald's → Miller St → Belford St
- Church at top of the hill