About St. Stephen · Cincinnati, Ohio
St. Stephen is a Roman Catholic parish in Cincinnati's Columbia Tusculum neighborhood, founded in 1867 by German-speaking Catholic families of the Little Miami Valley and named for St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church. It is one of four parishes in the Riverview Catholics cluster (with Our Lord Christ the King, Holy Cross-Immaculata, and St. Rose of Lima), which together make up Family S-8 of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's "Beacons of Light" pastoral planning initiative. Today the parish worships at 3804 Eastern Avenue, offers daily and Sunday Mass, and is shepherded by Father Adam D. Puntel as canonical pastor of the family.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church
- Rector
- Rev. Adam D. Puntel (canonical pastor of Family S-8, which includes St. Stephen)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati (Family S-8 / Riverview Family of Parishes, part of the "Beacons of Light" pastoral planning initiative)
Why belong here
St. Stephen offers the everyday rhythm of a neighborhood parish — daily 9:00 AM Mass Monday through Friday, a 6:00 PM Saturday Vigil, and a 10:00 AM Sunday Mass — with the added strength of belonging to a four-parish family (Riverview Catholics) that shares priests, faith formation through Cardinal Pacelli School, and sacramental life across Cincinnati's East Side. Members are invited to register, meet Fr. Adam, and join a congregation that has worshipped on Eastern Avenue for more than 150 years and is rooted in Columbia Tusculum's continuing revitalization.
Mass times at St. Stephen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confession at St. Stephen is celebrated Monday through Friday at 9:00 AM (immediately after the 9:00 AM Mass); the parish priest is also available by appointment through the parish office at 513-871-3373 (per the Riverview Catholics cluster Mass, Adoration & Confession schedule).
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration at St. Stephen is coordinated through the Riverview Catholics cluster; the cluster schedule lists adoration at Our Lord Christ the King (Friday 9:00 AM – Noon), Holy Cross-Immaculata (Monday 6:30–7:00 PM; Tuesday–Thursday 2:00–4:00 PM), and St. Rose of Lima (Tuesday–Thursday 11:00 AM – Noon; Second Wednesday 11:00 AM – Noon).
Parish Identity & History
St. Stephen Catholic Church was established in 1867 by German-speaking Catholic families of the Little Miami Valley who gathered at Columbia Town Hall and asked Archbishop Purcell's permission to found a parish. Purcell named the church after St. Stephen, the first martyr, and the first church was blessed on November 3, 1867. The parish grew through a dramatic 1920s fire and a 150-year arc of neighborhood change — it now stands as one of Cincinnati's historic German-Catholic foundations on Eastern Avenue.
- 1867 – Founded and blessed November 3, 1867
- 1868 – School and pastor's residence built
- 1880 – English sermons introduced
- 1884 – English catechism introduced
- 1922 – January 23 fire destroys the church interior
- 1923 – New cornerstone laid
- 1924 – May: Archbishop Moeller dedicates the rebuilt church
- 1972 – Parish school closes
- 1992 – 125th Anniversary
- 2017 – 150th Anniversary, new air conditioner and boiler
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
After the death of long-serving pastor Fr. Ron Averbeck in 2006, Fr. Bob Obermeyer became St. Stephen's first Canonical Pastor. Following the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light pastoral planning, which took effect on July 1, 2022, the parish was grouped with Our Lord Christ the King, St. Rose, and Holy Cross-Immaculata as Family S-8 (the Riverview Family of Parishes). Rev. Adam D. Puntel was named pastor of the family, with Fr. Eric P. Roush and Fr. Jeremy S. Stubbs serving as Parochial Vicars.
- Pastor: Rev. Adam D. Puntel
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Eric P. Roush
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jeremy S. Stubbs
- Cluster priest: Rev. Thomas Fitzsimmons
- Deacon: Deacon Don Gloeckler
The Riverview Catholics Cluster
St. Stephen belongs to the Riverview Catholics family of four parishes along Cincinnati's Eastern Avenue. The cluster shares a daily Mass rotation (with St. Stephen hosting the 9:00 AM daily Mass Monday through Friday and the 6:00 PM Saturday Vigil), coordinated confession and adoration times, joint faith formation, and shared pastoral staff. Together they are one Family of Parishes inside the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's broader Beacons of Light restructuring.
- Our Lord Christ the King (Mt. Lookout)
- St. Stephen (Columbia Tusculum)
- St. Rose of Lima (East End)
- Holy Cross-Immaculata (Mount Adams)
- Cluster site: riverviewcatholics.org
Becoming Catholic, Sacraments & Faith Formation
The cluster welcomes inquirers into its Becoming Catholic / OCIA program (formerly RCIA), described as "the process by which people who are interested in the Catholic faith can learn more or convert. All denominations are welcome." Anointing of the Sick is arranged by calling the parish priests at 513-321-4121. Faith formation for school-age children (K–8) is coordinated through the Riverview Catholics cluster, and families are invited to register as parishioners to enroll.
- Becoming Catholic / OCIA (adult inquiry process)
- Anointing of the Sick (call 513-321-4121)
- Baptism Preparation
- Elementary Faith Formation (K–8)
- Adult Faith Formation
- Confirmation, Marriage, and Eucharist in cluster coordination
Ministry & Parish Life
Parishioners can join a wide range of ministries across the Riverview Catholic cluster: a Music Ministry, Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, a Children's Liturgy of the Word, a St. Vincent de Paul conference serving neighbors in need, Discovering Christ, a Homebound ministry that brings the Eucharist to those who cannot attend Mass, and a Welcome Committee that helps newcomers find a parish home. A staff contact form on the Riverview site lists coordinators for each ministry.
- Music Ministry
- Youth Ministry
- Young Adult Ministry
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Discovering Christ
- Homebound Ministry
- Welcome Committee
- Baptism Preparation
School: Cardinal Pacelli
Although Cardinal Pacelli School is formally the parish school of Our Lord Christ the King in Mount Lookout, it is the shared Catholic elementary school of the Riverview family and serves St. Stephen families as well. Founded in 1927 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and named for Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli — who blessed its cornerstone on October 31, 1936 — Cardinal Pacelli is a Preschool–Grade 8 Blue Ribbon School (recognized in 2008) with about 420 students, an average class size of 23, weekly all-school Mass, integrated STEM, a vibrant fine arts program, and a long record of placing graduates into Cincinnati's Catholic and selective high schools.
- Founded 1927 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
- Named for Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli (cornerstone blessed October 31, 1936)
- Preschool–Grade 8, enrollment ~420, average class size 23
- Blue Ribbon School (2008)
- Principal: Dr. Jen Martin
- Weekly All-School Mass; STEM, fine arts, extracurriculars and service
Visiting, Contact & Parish Office
St. Stephen's address is 3804 Eastern Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45226, with the parish office reachable at 513-871-3373 and by email at [email protected]. The Riverview cluster's main line for priestly assistance (including the Anointing of the Sick) is 513-321-4121. The parish's own site is saintstephen.church, and the cluster's shared site is riverviewcatholics.org.
- Address: 3804 Eastern Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45226
- Mailing: 320 Donham Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45226
- Phone: 513-871-3373
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish website: saintstephen.church
- Cluster site: riverviewcatholics.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend (first resident pastor, name not listed on the public history page)served c. 1868 onward
First resident pastor; school and rectory built 1868.
- Fr. Ron Averbeckthrough 2006
Serving when the parish moved toward the canonical-pastor model; in 2005 he invited Fr. Stan Neiheisel to reside at the parish.
- Fr. Bob Obermeyerfrom 2006
Became the parish's first Canonical Pastor after Fr. Averbeck's passing in 2006.
- Rev. Adam D. Puntelcurrent (post-July 1, 2022 Beacons of Light restructuring)
Named Pastor of Family S-8 (Our Lord Christ the King, St. Stephen, St. Rose, Holy Cross-Immaculata) in the Archdiocese's Beacons of Light pastoral planning.