About St. Wendelin · Cleveland, Ohio
St. Wendelin Roman Catholic Church is a small Slovak-heritage parish in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1903 by Slovak immigrants and serving as the first Slovak Roman Catholic parish on Cleveland's west side. After fighting closure in 2010 as part of a sweeping diocesan downsizing, the parish joyfully reopened its Romanesque doors on July 29, 2012, and continues to grow alongside its revitalized Tremont neighborhood. Today the parish is staffed by a pastor and parochial vicar of the Diocese of Cleveland and is known for its welcoming community, beautiful Romanesque architecture, and a strong tradition of outreach.
- Established
- 1903
- Patron
- St. Wendelin (Saint Wendelin)
- Rector
- Rev. Robert J. Kropac (deceased; served at reopening in 2012 and was reappointed for a six-year term in September 2024; the parish website announced his unexpected passing with a memorial Mass to be scheduled)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Wendelin offers a close-knit, welcoming parish family rooted in a proud Slovak Catholic heritage, where newcomers quickly feel at home. The parish provides daily and weekend Masses, opportunities to serve as a Lector, Eucharistic Minister, altar Server, or Usher, and a hands-on Moriah House Meals Group that delivers hot meals to West Side Catholic Charities on the third Saturday of every month. With its Romanesque architecture, a Parish Prayer Garden with a walking labyrinth completed in 2017, and a revitalized Tremont location, St. Wendelin is a beautiful, mission-driven place to worship and serve.
Mass times at St. Wendelin
Weekly Mass schedule
Welcome to St. Wendelin
St. Wendelin is a Roman Catholic parish in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1903 by Slovak immigrants and celebrated for its welcoming community and beautiful Romanesque architecture. After fighting closure in May 2010, the parish joyfully reopened its doors on July 29, 2012, and continues to grow alongside its revitalized Tremont neighborhood. The parish is part of the Diocese of Cleveland and is staffed by a pastor and parochial vicar who shepherd a parish family known for hospitality, heritage, and outreach.
- Romanesque church-and-school built in 1925
- Located on Columbus Road in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood
- Part of the Diocese of Cleveland
History of the Parish
St. Wendelin Parish was established on May 3, 1903, by Bishop Ignatius F. Horstmann as the first Slovak Roman Catholic parish on Cleveland's west side, carved out of St. Martin of Tours parish for the Slovak community south of Lorain Avenue and east of West 25th Street. Father Joseph Koudelka of St. Michael Parish administered the new parish, and on December 6, 1903, celebrated its first Mass in a wood-framed church built for $14,000 on Columbus Road—flanked by the Phoenix Brewery and a saloon.
- Established May 3, 1903
- First Slovak Roman Catholic parish on Cleveland's west side
- First Mass in own facility: December 6, 1903
- Carved from St. Martin of Tours parish
The 1925 Romanesque Church and School
With the congregation outgrowing its original site, leaders acquired land at Columbus Road and Freeman Avenue and built the current Romanesque church-and-school combination, designed by architect William Jansen, in 1925. By 1943 all parish debts had been paid off and the buildings were thoroughly renovated: the organ modernized, the sanctuary enlarged, and new stained glass windows installed.
- Architect: William Jansen
- Built 1925 at Columbus Road & Freeman Avenue
- Debts retired by 1943
- Renovations included new stained glass, enlarged sanctuary, modernized organ
Late 20th Century and the Centenary
Urban decay, freeway construction, and suburban flight cut into Tremont membership through the 1960s and '70s; the school merged with the Urban Community School at St. Malachi Church in the late 1970s and the Ursuline Sisters took over from the Sisters of Notre Dame. Father Jerome Lajack served as pastor to about 300 families in the 1990s. In 2002 the parish declared a Year of Jubilee: a century-old statue of St. Wendelin was restored and placed inside the church, and the parish bell was reconditioned and reinstalled.
- School merged with Urban Community School, late 1970s
- Father Jerome Lajack served in the 1990s
- Year of Jubilee declared in 2002
- Century-old statue of St. Wendelin restored and placed inside church
- Parish bell reconditioned and reinstalled
Closure and Reopening (2010–2012)
In 2009 Bishop Richard Lennon shuttered 50 area churches over a 15-month period, citing low attendance, insufficient priests, and budget problems; St. Wendelin was closed in May 2010. Parishioners of eleven affected churches appealed to the Vatican, which ruled that Lennon had not followed proper procedure. On July 29, 2012—nine months shy of St. Wendelin's 110th birthday—the Romanesque church reopened its doors with Father Robert Kropac as pastor.
- Closed May 2010 under Bishop Richard Lennon's downsizing
- Parishioners' Vatican appeal ruled the closures procedurally improper
- Reopened July 29, 2012
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is staffed by a pastor and a parochial vicar, plus a small lay staff responsible for operations, communications, office administration, the social committee, and maintenance. The Diocese of Cleveland lists Rev. Robert J. Kropac as pastor (reappointed for a six-year term in September 2024) and Rev. Michael J. Feldtz as parochial vicar; the parish website also announced Father Kropac's unexpected passing with a memorial Mass to be scheduled.
- Rev. Robert J. Kropac — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Michael J. Feldtz — Parochial Vicar
- Susan Kidd — Director of Operations and Communications ([email protected])
- Carol Krupka — Office Assistant and Social Committee Chairperson ([email protected])
- Vincent Roman — Maintenance Supervisor
Ministries and Outreach
St. Wendelin invites parishioners to take active roles in liturgy and outreach. The parish bulletin regularly calls for new Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Servers, and Ushers, and the Moriah House Meals Group delivers hot food to residents of West Side Catholic Charities' Moriah House on the third Saturday of every month. Father Kropac also responded personally to requests for hospital visits and Communion brought to the homebound.
- Lectors
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Altar Servers
- Ushers
- Parish Choir (practice Thursday evenings, 7:00–8:30 PM)
- Church Cleaning Crew (Saturday mornings, 9:00 AM)
- Moriah House Meals Group (3rd Saturday of each month)
- Hospital Visitation and Homebound Communion
- Social Committee
Sacraments
For Baptism and Marriage at St. Wendelin, parishioners are directed to contact the pastor or the parish office. Sacramental records of post-1947 baptisms are kept at the parish and can be requested through the parish's Sacramental Document Request Form; records predating 1947 are held by the Diocese of Cleveland and must be requested through the diocesan Sacramental Records page.
- Baptism: contact parish office
- Marriage: contact Fr. Kropac
- Post-1947 sacramental records: parish Sacramental Document Request Form
- Pre-1947 sacramental records: Diocese of Cleveland Sacramental Records
Mass Intentions and Hall Rental
Parishioners and friends can request Mass intentions by completing the parish Mass Request Form on the website or by calling or emailing the rectory. The parish also rents St. Wendelin Hall / gym for events; inquiries should go to the parish office.
- Mass Request Form available on the parish website
- St. Wendelin Hall / Gym available for rental
- Inquiries: 216-696-1926 or [email protected]
Contact and Visit
The parish office can be reached by phone at 216-696-1926 or by fax at 216-696-6232, and the church is located on Columbus Road in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood. Email contacts include a general office inbox, a dedicated pastor address, and an assistant line for the office assistant and Social Committee chairperson.
- Phone: 216-696-1926
- Fax: 216-696-6232
- Address: 2281 Columbus Road, Cleveland, OH 44113-4230 (office listed at 2282 Columbus Road)
- General email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Assistant email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph Koudelka1903–1904
Pastor of St. Michael Parish; administered the newly established parish from Cleveland, Ohio.
- Father J. P. Kunes1904 (March)
First resident pastor.
- Father Thomas Wilk1904
Succeeded Father Kunes.
- Rev. Jerome Lajack1990s
Pastored the parish when it numbered about 300 families.
- Rev. Robert J. Kropac2012–2025
Pastor at reopening July 29, 2012; reappointed by Bishop Edward Malesic for a six-year term in September 2024; also served as administrator of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Cleveland.