About St. Thomas More · Cincinnati, Ohio
St. Thomas More is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati located at 800 Ohio Pike in the Withamsville area of eastern Hamilton County, Ohio. It was established as a mission in 1940 by Archbishop John T. McNicholas to serve the Catholics of Withamsville, Mt. Carmel, Forestville, and Amelia, and was canonically erected as a parish in 1950. The parish is best known for its strikingly large 1961 church building — nicknamed the "Cathedral in the Cornfield" — and today operates alongside its PreK–8 school, a robust St. Vincent de Paul conference, and a large campus of worship, education, and outreach buildings serving more than 1,500 registered families. Since July 1, 2022, St. Thomas More has been a member church of the Stella Maris Family of Parishes under the Archdiocese's Beacons of Light pastoral planning initiative.
- Established
- 1940
- Patron
- St. Thomas More
- Rector
- Rev. Timothy W. (Tim) Ralston (Pastor of the Stella Maris Family of Parishes; Fr. William C. Wagner serves as Senior Parochial Vicar assigned to St. Thomas More)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. Thomas More is a long-established, multi-generational parish whose identity is rooted in devotion to its patron, the martyr St. Thomas More — a model of integrity, family devotion, and courageous Catholic witness that the parish and its school explicitly seek to imitate. Active members can worship in a notably large and beautiful church, send children to the parish PreK–8 school (recognized for 60+ years of Catholic education in the Archdiocese), and serve through a robust St. Vincent de Paul conference that has historically operated its own homeless family shelter. As one of the four parishes of the Stella Maris Family formed in 2022, St. Thomas More now offers an unusually broad range of family, youth, evangelization, music (eight choirs), homeschool, food, and sacramental-preparation ministries supported by a substantial lay staff.
Mass times at St. Thomas More
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:40 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Parish Identity & Patron
St. Thomas More Parish takes its name and identity from St. Thomas More, the English lawyer, Chancellor to Henry VIII, and Catholic martyr who was executed in 1535 for refusing to accept King Henry as head of the Church of England. Both the parish and its school highlight More's integrity, family devotion, and courageous witness as the model they seek to imitate in their Catholic life and education.
- Patron: St. Thomas More
- Feast day: June 22
- Model virtues highlighted by the parish: integrity, devotion to family, courage of Catholic witness
History of St. Thomas More
Founded as a mission in 1940 by Archbishop John T. McNicholas to serve Withamsville, Mt. Carmel, Forestville, and Amelia, St. Thomas More grew rapidly through the mid-20th century. A series of former secular buildings were adapted for Catholic use — first the GlenEste-Withamsville Elementary School (1941), then a former pre–Civil War Methodist-Episcopal Church (1944), then the Glaser residence as a rectory (1945) — before the parish built its landmark 1961 church and a series of expanding school and parish facilities through the 1970s, 1990s, and 2000s.
- 1940 — Mission established by Archbishop McNicholas
- January 19, 1941 — First Mass celebrated (former GlenEste-Withamsville school)
- August 20, 1944 — Second church (former Methodist-Episcopal building) dedicated by Archbishop McNicholas
- 1948 — Fr. Heider Hall (school) built
- 1949 — Auxiliary Bishop Rehring dedicates the school
- December 21, 1950 — Canonically erected as a parish; Fr. Francis Heider installed as first pastor
- 1961 — Present church dedicated by Archbishop Karl J. Alter (Bishop Leibold laid cornerstone); nicknamed the "Cathedral in the Cornfield"
- 1976 — Multi-purpose gym, library, cafeteria, meeting rooms, additional classrooms added
- 1996 — Parish reaches ~1,200 families; Phase I planning begins
- September 1999 — Second church building and convent razed for parking
- Spring 2001 — Marian Grotto dedicated
- July 2001 — Fr. William C. Wagner appointed pastor
- 2002 — Three new modular classrooms installed
- Late 2003 — 804 Ohio Pike purchased for SVDP homeless family shelter
- November 2005 — 65th anniversary celebrated with parish photo directory
- July 1, 2022 — Joins Stella Maris Family of Parishes under Beacons of Light
Stella Maris Family of Parishes (Beacons of Light)
Since July 1, 2022, St. Thomas More has been a member parish of the Stella Maris Family of Parishes, a multi-parish canonical family formed under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light pastoral planning initiative. The Family is led by a single pastor — Fr. Timothy W. Ralston — and includes St. Bernadette (Amelia), St. Mary (Bethel), St. Peter (New Richmond), and St. Thomas More (Withamsville). The Family shares clergy, evangelization, communications, youth ministry, and family catechesis staff, with the expectation that over time it will become one canonical parish.
- Family Pastor: Rev. Timothy W. Ralston
- Senior Parochial Vicar: Rev. William C. Wagner
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Thomas E. Dorn
- Member parishes: St. Bernadette (Amelia), St. Mary (Bethel), St. Peter (New Richmond), St. Thomas More (Withamsville)
- Formed: July 1, 2022 under Beacons of Light
- Director of Evangelization (Stella Maris Institute): Brad Bursa, PhD
St. Thomas More School
St. Thomas More School is a parish-supported Roman Catholic PreK–8 school in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, serving approximately 311 students from 224 families across area public districts (West Clermont, New Richmond, Forest Hills, Batavia, Bethel, Milford). The school is accredited by the Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association (OCSAA), follows the Archdiocesan graded course of study, and offers preschool (half-day 3- and 4-year-old and full-day PreK) through eighth grade, with weekly Mass and religion classes four days a week, plus art, music, physical education, and Spanish in PreK and grades 5–8.
- Approximately 311 students from 224 families
- Principal & Director of Music: Michael Collins
- President (School Commission): Mrs. Peg Fischer
- Accreditation: Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association (OCSAA)
- 60+ years of Catholic educational tradition
- Mental health partnership with Child Focus
- Weekly Mass on Fridays and Holy Days of Obligation
- Feeder districts: West Clermont, New Richmond, Forest Hills, Batavia, Bethel, Milford
Parish Ministries & Outreach
St. Thomas More runs a wide range of parish ministries serving families, the poor, the homebound, and the broader community. Its St. Vincent de Paul conference is among the most prominent — historically operating the parish's own homeless family shelter and now operating out of the parish-owned 804 Ohio Pike property — alongside family, homeschool, music, food, and sacramental-preparation ministries supported by both parish staff and Stella Maris Family staff.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVDP) — financial assistance, shelter, food, and spiritual encouragement
- Homeschool Ministry
- Choirs (eight for adults and high-school youth) and Cantors
- Baptismal Preparation Mentor Couples
- Moms and Tots
- Food Ministries
- STM Diaper Disciples
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Father's Team
- Worship Committee
- Communion to the Homebound and Bereavement Ministry (Deacon Bob Brazier)
- Youth Ministry (Stella Maris Family)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- Family Evangelization
- Athletic Boosters Association
Clergy & Staff
Day-to-day pastoral care at St. Thomas More is provided by Senior Parochial Vicar Fr. William C. Wagner and Deacon Bob Brazier (Coordinator of Ministry to the Homebound) and Deacon Michael Thomas, with overall Family leadership from Fr. Tim Ralston and Fr. Tom Dorn. The parish is supported by a parish Business Manager (Lisa Casavant, [email protected]), a Parish Secretary (Kate Roelker), Maintenance (Robert Row), and the school's Principal/Director of Music (Michael Collins).
- Rev. Timothy W. Ralston — Pastor, Stella Maris Family
- Rev. William C. Wagner — Senior Parochial Vicar (St. Thomas More)
- Rev. Thomas E. Dorn — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Bob Brazier — Coordinator of Ministry to the Homebound (St. Thomas More)
- Deacon Michael Thomas (St. Thomas More)
- Lisa Casavant — Business Manager ([email protected])
- Kate Roelker — Parish Secretary
- Robert Row — Maintenance
- Michael Collins — School Principal & Director of Music
Visiting & Contact
Visitors are welcome at all published Masses and at Friday Adoration, Saturday Confessions, and the 3rd-Wednesday Rosary. The parish office can be reached at (513) 752-2080 or [email protected], and the parish encourages visitors to download the MyParish App (by texting the word "app" to 88202) to stay connected with the parish's schedule, news, and online giving.
- Phone: (513) 752-2080
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://sttm.org/
- Stella Maris Family site: https://stellamarisfamily.org/
- MyParish App: text 'app' to 88202
- Parish is part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (catholicaoc.org)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Francis J. Heider1940s–(installed as first pastor December 21, 1950); long-tenured founding pastor
Established the mission in 1940; negotiated the purchase of the former Methodist-Episcopal church (dedicated August 20, 1944); built Fr. Heider Hall (1948); installed as first canonical pastor in 1950; also served the St. Veronica mission 1949–1953.
- Fr. Joseph Wolfer1953–1961
Took over St. Veronica mission from Fr. Heider in 1953; oversaw continued parish growth leading up to the building of the present church.
- Archbishop Karl J. Alter1961 (dedicator)
Dedicated the present 'Cathedral in the Cornfield' church in 1961; Bishop Paul Leibold laid the cornerstone.
- Fr. John P. Fischerlate 1990s–2001
Led Phase I campus development (gym, library, parish dining, meeting rooms, kindergarten, undercroft classrooms); suggested and dedicated the Marian Grotto overlooking the school and church in spring 2001.
- Rev. William C. WagnerJuly 2001–2022
Reappointed sanctuary and sacristy; installed new sound system; added modular classrooms (2002); purchased 804 Ohio Pike for SVDP use (2003); oversaw 65th anniversary (2005), digital phone system (2006), and Heider Hall window upgrades (2007); now Senior Parochial Vicar of the Stella Maris Family.
- Rev. Timothy W. Ralston2022–present
Appointed Pastor of the Stella Maris Family of Parishes (St. Bernadette, St. Mary, St. Peter, and St. Thomas More) on July 1, 2022, under the Beacons of Light pastoral planning process. Previously pastor of St. Bernadette (2017–2022); ordained May 22, 2010.