About St. Teresa of Avila · Sheffield Village, Ohio
St. Teresa of Avila Parish is a Roman Catholic church located at 1878 Abbe Road in Sheffield Village, Ohio, about twenty-five minutes west of Cleveland in Lorain County. The parish is part of the Diocese of Cleveland and was established in 1845 by German Catholic settlers to the Sheffield area. Today's worshippers gather at a historic Gothic-style red-brick church built in 1907 that still serves a thriving community with two Sunday Masses, a daily Mass on Wednesdays and Fridays, and a full schedule of ministries, devotions, and faith-formation programs.
- Established
- 1845
- Patron
- St. Teresa of Avila
- Rector
- Rev. Edward J. Smith
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Teresa of Avila is a small, welcoming Lorain County parish rooted in a remarkable 180-year story of German Catholic faith, where today's parishioners worship in a historic 1907 Gothic brick church and are known by name. Whether you are registering a new family, walking through the doors of the parish for the first time, exploring becoming Catholic through RCIA, looking for adult Bible study on the 1st and 3rd Thursday nights, praying the Rosary with the Altar & Rosary Society, or just wanting a priest to call when a loved one is hospitalized, the church has a place for you — and an accessible, handicap-accessible facility staffed by a pastor who has served here since 2009.
Mass times at St. Teresa of Avila
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 – 4:00 PM
- By appointment (call the Rectory)
Parish History
Saint Teresa of Avila Parish was organized in 1845 by German Catholic settlers to Sheffield, Lorain County, Ohio, with the encouragement of Father Francis de Sales Brunner of the Order of the Precious Blood. The first Mass was celebrated on June 2, 1846, by Father McLaughlin in a 24-by-30-foot log church built on an acre donated by Captain Aaron Root at today's Colorado Avenue and Abbe Road. The log church was replaced by a wood-frame church in 1852, and the present Gothic-style red-brick church was built in 1907 after a devastating fire destroyed its predecessor during High Mass on March 3 of that year.
- 1846 — first Mass celebrated by Father McLaughlin in the log church
- 1849 — Captain Root donates a second acre for St. Teresa Cemetery
- 1852 — wood-frame church built (40 × 60 ft.) at a cost of $1,500
- 1881 — Father Amadeus Dambach becomes first permanent pastor
- 1883 — red-brick Priest House completed
- 1885 — two bells cast by Hy Stuckstede Bell & Foundry Company of St. Louis
- March 3, 1907 — fire destroys frame church during High Mass
- May 19, 1907 — cornerstone laid for the present brick church
- Christmas Day 1907 — first Mass in the present Gothic-style church
Mass and Sacrament Schedule
St. Teresa of Avila Parish celebrates Mass on Saturdays at 4:30 PM (Sunday Vigil), Sundays at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM, and Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:30 AM. Holy Day Vigil, Holy Day, and Civic Holiday Masses are listed in the bulletin. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard Saturday afternoons from 3:30 to 4:00 PM, or by appointment with the pastor.
- Saturday Vigil — 4:30 PM
- Sunday — 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM
- Wednesday — 8:30 AM
- Friday — 8:30 AM
- Holy Day / Civic Holiday — Watch Bulletin
- Sacrament of Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:30–4:00 PM or by appointment
Staff and Leadership
The parish is led by Reverend Edward J. Smith, who was ordained in 2001 and has served as Pastor of St. Teresa of Avila since December 1, 2009. He is assisted by Fr. Thomas Sanders, OSB, who serves as Weekend Associate. Two parish secretaries — Debbie Wehler and Sue DiVaccaro — handle the rectory office, while David Aring serves as the parish's maintenance lead, caring for the church, the Parish Life Center, the rectory, and the cemetery grounds.
- Rev. Edward J. Smith — Pastor (since December 1, 2009)
- Fr. Thomas Sanders, OSB — Weekend Associate
- Debbie Wehler — Parish Secretary
- Sue DiVaccaro — Parish Secretary and bulletin/newsletter editor
- David Aring — Maintenance
- Michael Joris — Parish Council Chairperson
- Lou Varos — Finance Council Chairperson
Parish Groups, Ministries, and Committees
Parish life at St. Teresa of Avila is shaped by a wide range of liturgical, educational, and social ministries. Liturgical roles include the choir, servers, Eucharistic ministers, lectors, and ushers. Educational programs include a PSR (parish school of religion) program hosted at neighboring St. Anthony of Padua, Lorain, a Confirmation Program, and RCIA for adults preparing to enter the Church. Committees and groups include the Parish Council, Finance Council, Altar & Rosary Society, Social Concerns Committee, Parish Newsletter Committee, Cemetery Committee, Funeral Committee, and an Adult Education and Bible Study group.
- Liturgical: Choir, Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Ushers
- Educational: PSR (at St. Anthony of Padua, Lorain), Confirmation Program, RCIA
- Committees: Parish Council, Finance Council, Social Concerns, Parish Newsletter
- Other: Altar & Rosary Society, Cemetery Committee, Funeral Committee, Adult Education and Bible Study
Altar & Rosary Society
All ladies of the parish are invited to join the Altar & Rosary Society. The society gathers regularly for a monthly Mass (the next one was scheduled for Sunday, December 8, 2024) at which the Rosary is prayed at 8:00 a.m. prior to Mass. Members of the society will also pray the Rosary at the funeral home on behalf of the deceased of the parish at the family's request.
- Monthly Mass with Rosary prayed at 8:00 a.m. before Mass
- Rosary said at the funeral home on behalf of deceased parishioners at the family's request
- Open to all ladies of the parish
Adult Education and Bible Study
St. Teresa's Bible Study meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the St. John Room of the Parish Life Center. The group is open to everyone and welcomes new members at any time. Online studies from earlier months are available at Dr. Phil/giftofgrace on Podbean for those who cannot attend in person.
- Meets 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 7:00–8:30 p.m.
- Location: St. John Room, Parish Life Center
- Online archives available at Dr. Phil/giftofgrace on Podbean
Sacraments
St. Teresa of Avila offers the full range of Catholic sacraments to parishioners. Reconciliation is heard Saturday afternoons from 3:30 to 4:00 PM or by appointment. Baptisms are usually celebrated after the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass, with a pre-baptism class required for the first child. Anointing of the Sick is offered during Sunday Masses on an occasional basis or by request, and Matrimony requires arrangements to be made with a priest at least six months before the wedding date. Those interested in becoming Catholic are invited to inquire about the RCIA program.
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:30–4:00 PM or by appointment
- Baptism — after 11:00 AM Sunday Mass; pre-baptism class for first child
- First Communion — via PSR program at St. Anthony of Padua, Lorain
- Confirmation — via parish Confirmation Program
- Matrimony — arrange with priest at least six months in advance
- Anointing of the Sick — during Sunday Masses or by request
- RCIA — for adults becoming Catholic
Pastoral Care: Homebound, Sick, and Grieving
Eucharistic Ministers bring Communion on Sundays to parishioners who are homebound; families are asked to call the rectory to arrange visits. Each hospital has an appointed Catholic chaplain who can be requested by the patient or a family member, and the parish office should be notified so the sick are remembered in the parish's prayers and Masses. The Funeral Committee and parishioners support grieving families at the loss of a loved one.
- Weekly Sunday Communion calls to the homebound by Eucharistic Ministers
- Hospital chaplain available at every hospital — patient or family may request
- Funeral Committee assists with funeral liturgies and Rosary at the funeral home
Visiting and Joining the Parish
New parishioners are warmly welcomed at St. Teresa of Avila. Families moving into the area are asked to call the Rectory at (440) 934-4227 to register. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; the fax line is (440) 934-4500. The church building is handicap accessible. Anyone wanting to update their address or contact information may call the Rectory at any time.
- New parishioners: call (440) 934-4227 to register
- Rectory office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
- Fax: (440) 934-4500
- Email: [email protected]
- Handicap-accessible church
St. Teresa Cemetery
St. Teresa Cemetery, adjacent to the church on Abbe Road, was established in 1849 when Captain Aaron Root kept his promise to the founding parishioners by donating an additional acre of land for burials. The earliest marked burial dates to 1854, and the cemetery is maintained by the parish's Cemetery Committee and maintenance staff. Some 780 graves are marked with approximately 540 monuments of granite, marble, sandstone, or metal.
- Cemetery established 1849 on land donated by Captain Aaron Root
- First marked burial: 1854
- Cared for by the Cemetery Committee and maintenance lead David Aring
- Adjacent to the church on Abbe Road
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph F. Adams1924
- Rev. F. X. Harnischmacher1945
- Rev. Edward J. Niess1947
- Rev. J. Justin Laibach1959
- Rev. Matthias H. Hoffman1966
- Rev. George F. Cerny1980
- Rev. James P. Noone1988
- Rev. John R. Hoffman1992
- Rev. John Blazek2006
- Rev. Ronald Galt (Scot), Administrator2008
- Rev. Frank Latzko2009
- Rev. Edward J. Smith2009-present
Appointed Pastor on December 1, 2009; also named Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Lorain on September 1, 2016.