Tucked into fourteen wooded acres in the northeast corner of North Ridgeville, St. Julie Billiart Catholic Church looks out from its Lear Nagle Road campus as a small church in the woods that has grown into a parish home for roughly seven hundred families. The wooded grounds, the private drive called Julie Lane that links the church with the rectory and parish offices on Opal Street, and the deliberate rhythm of weekday prayer, weekend Mass, and hands-on outreach have shaped the identity of this Lorain County parish since its founding in 1978.
Mass, Reconciliation, and a Wednesday of Prayer
The weekly schedule is built around the Eucharist. Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 5:00 p.m. and is both livestreamed and recorded so that parishioners who cannot be present can still share in the liturgy; the livestream opens about ten minutes before the posted time. Sunday brings two Masses, at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., with the 11:00 a.m. Mass offering Children's Liturgy of the Word for ages four and older. Weekday Mass is celebrated on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the church.
Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the library, which sits by the PSR office, and individual appointments can be scheduled through the parish office. Wednesdays are the heart of the parish prayer life. Adoration runs from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., followed by Evening Prayer and Benediction at 5:00 p.m., and then by the 5:30 p.m. weekday Mass. Earlier in the day, at 1:00 p.m. in the St Anne Room, the Rosary Group has gathered every Wednesday since January 1991, praying for the parish family, the sick and homebound, for peace, vocations, the unemployed, those who are homeless, and for unborn babies and their mothers; on the fourth Wednesday of the month, the prayers take the form of a Rosary for Life.
A 14-Acre Campus Connected by Julie Lane
The parish operates from two buildings joined by Julie Lane, also known as St. Julie Drive, a gated drive that serves as both a road and a prayer path. The Church and Catechetical Center sits at 5500 Lear Nagle Road. Parking is in the large lot to the north (right) of the church, while the lot on the south side is reserved for clergy, money counters, and PSR teachers. The Chapel and Administration Building is on Opal Street, with parking next to the building and overflow parking behind it. Overflow visitors to the chapel can also use the south parking lot of the church and walk Julie Lane when the gates are open.
The buildings are handicap accessible, with ample handicap parking, a ground-level entrance to the church with no steps, and handicap friendly restrooms. The fourteen wooded acres include gardens tended by the Garden Angels, outdoor settings along Julie Lane that are designed to invite prayer, and the parish shrine on Julie Lane that hosts events such as the Blessing of Pets. Inside the church, a 2016-2017 renovation completed under then-pastor Fr. George Vrabel enlarged the sanctuary, replaced the lighting and sound system, and added new carpeting, tile, chairs, and ceremonial appointments.
Knowing Christ, Loving Christ, Serving Christ Together
The parish mission statement, Knowing Christ + Loving Christ + Serving Christ Together, sets the tone for everything that happens at St. Julie's. The parish goals that follow are to be a Christ-centered community, to support family life and respect for life in all its phases, to support the youth of the church, to support issues of social justice through prayer and action, to support education on all levels, to provide all persons the opportunity to exercise their gifts through shared responsibility in the parish and in the community, and to enable each person, through continuing spiritual, educational, and moral growth, to proclaim the Good News and minister to one another.
The parish draws its members mostly from North Ridgeville and Avon, with parishioners traveling from seventeen surrounding communities. The geographical boundaries of the parish are approximately three square miles of the northeast corner of North Ridgeville.
From a Founding Pastor in 1978 to Today
St. Julie Billiart was established as a parish of the Diocese of Cleveland on August 15, 1978, with Fr. Richard Gonser as the founding pastor. The parish began with 485 families. After moving into the Parish Rectory, Administration Center, and Chapel on Opal Drive in the summer of 1980, plans were made to build the church. In the meantime, Mass was celebrated at a neighboring school, and parishioners were known to walk from the temporary Mass location to watch the construction progress on the property. Construction began in July of 1981, and the first Mass in the new church was celebrated on Christmas Eve 1981.
The early years were spent forming the parish's place in the community, worshiping together, serving actively, and building the kingdom of God. In response to Bishop Pilla's 2001 pastoral letter on vibrant parish life, the staff and parishioners committed themselves to a process of self-study and reflection that continues to support cooperation with neighboring parishes.
Fr. Gonser retired on June 30, 2012. Fr. George Vrabel was named pastor on July 1, 2012, by Bishop Richard Lennon. During Fr. George's tenure, the 2016-2017 interior renovation was completed and many adult education offerings were introduced, including classes on Mary, the Holy Land, the Letters of St. Paul, Holy Week, and the Mass, as well as Book Study clubs. In 2019 the parish, like every parish, was changed by Covid. Under Fr. George's guidance the community learned to record and livestream Mass, the Rosary Group moved outdoors under the portico, palms were distributed through a touchless drive-thru, and Mass attendance gradually expanded from four ministers in the building to seventy sanitized plastic chairs to small clusters, and finally to full opening. Fr. Vrabel applied for and was granted early retirement on September 30, 2022, due to a failing heart.
Fr. Bob Franco, then pastor of the neighboring St. Peter Parish in North Ridgeville, was named parish administrator by Bishop Malesic effective October 1, 2022. Fr. Franco, along with Parochial Vicar Fr. Isidore Munishi, now shepherds both St. Peter's and St. Julie Billiart, a model of pastorship that allows the two unique parishes to continue worshiping in their own communities while collaborating on communal Penance Services, Parish Missions, and faith-sharing and outreach opportunities.
The Pastor, the Parochial Vicar, and the Deacon
Fr. Bob Franco is the current pastor of St. Julie Billiart. Ordained on June 12, 1982, he was appointed Administrator of St. Julie's on October 1, 2022 and became Pastor on March 21, 2023. He serves simultaneously as pastor of St. Peter's in North Ridgeville. Fr. Isidore Munishi, AJ, ordained July 1, 1990, serves as Parochial Vicar and ministers to both St. Julie's and St. Peter's communities. Rev. Mr. Del Sherman, ordained May 4, 2024, is the parish's permanent deacon and also serves both parishes.
Two retired pastors remain closely tied to the parish. Fr. Richard A. Gonser, ordained May 19, 1962, was the founding pastor from August 15, 1978 until his retirement on June 30, 2012. Fr. George A. Vrabel, ordained June 6, 1987, served as pastor from July 1, 2012 to September 30, 2022.
Mary Pokrywka serves as Music Director. The parish office is staffed by Amy Gaffney and Beth Paoloni. Tom Gimmartino is the custodian, and Ana Kovac is the church housekeeper. Kelly Reed serves as PSR Principal and coordinates children's faith formation, including the Children's Liturgy of the Word and the Order of Christian Initiation of Children.
Music, Liturgical Ministries, and the Choir
Mary Pokrywka leads the choir at the 5:00 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass and the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, and leads the congregation at the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass. Rehearsals are on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. The choir welcomes new members.
Liturgical ministries are central to weekend worship. Art and Environment volunteers prepare the sanctuary for the weekend liturgies according to the liturgical calendar and special ceremonies with seasonal plants, flowers, and decorations. Sacristans prepare the altar, set up the sacred vessels for Liturgy of the Eucharist, and return them to the Sacristy after Mass; some sacristans are also trained to open and close the building and operate the livestream and recording software. Adult altar servers wear business or dress attire and assist the celebrant during Mass. Student altar servers assist at weekend Masses and are trained in the names of the items used at Mass, the flow of the Mass, the postures, and more. There is also a family altar server option so that parents and children can serve together.
Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist assist with the distribution of Holy Communion, including bringing Communion to those unable to come forward due to mobility issues and to the music ministry. They also take Communion on Sundays to parishioners who are ill or homebound. Training is required and scheduled throughout the year by the Diocese. Lectors proclaim the Word of God, read announcements before Mass, and may assist with the Prayers of the Faithful. Ministers of Hospitality greet at every liturgy, assist with seating, count Mass attendees, pass the offertory baskets, usher people for Communion, and distribute bulletins after Mass; they usually cover a Mass one or two times a month.
Sacraments for Adults and Children
The seven sacraments are the backbone of parish life. Baptisms are regularly scheduled for the first and third Sunday of the month in the church at a weekend Mass, by advance arrangement with Fr. Franco. Parents are required by diocesan regulation to attend a Baptism Class of Instruction beforehand, and registration forms and sponsor certificates must be returned to the parish office ten days prior to baptism. A Baptismal Gowns ministry, made up of parishioners who sew and embroider the white garment worn by the child at baptism, supplies the gowns and is reimbursed by the parish for materials.
First Reconciliation is celebrated in January for second-grade PSR students, and First Holy Communion is received in the spring of second grade after religious instruction at home and in the PSR program. Confirmation preparation continues through PSR for eighth graders, and adults and older children who have not yet received these sacraments enter the Order of Christian Initiation, OCIA for adults and OCIC for children. The OCIA process runs from September through Easter and includes reading materials, reflection on a personal encounter with Christ, and a team approach. Sponsors are needed for each candidate.
Marriage preparation begins at least six months before the wedding date and includes Pre-Cana classes and the Prepare-Enrich questionnaire; Pre-Cana Days in Lorain County are held five times a year at St. Patrick Parish in Wellington, with a team of four couples and a priest presenting on Christian married life, communication, faith, the real world, and sexual relationships. Anointing of the Sick is available at any time in case of emergency by calling the parish office and is also celebrated communally twice a year at all weekend Masses in the Fall and Spring.
Faith Formation for Every Age
The Parish School of Religion (PSR) provides religious education for children in kindergarten through eighth grade and is led by Kelly Reed. The PSR hosts family events including the Easter Egg Hunt and Breakfast with St. Nick, as well as a Butter Braid pastry sale each spring. During PSR class time, children who need individualized preparation for sacraments can be enrolled in the Order of Christian Initiation of Children.
Adults have a parallel set of offerings. Each year St. Julie's co-hosts a Parish Mission with St. Peter's parish, offered in Lent or Advent, with no cost to attend. Educational programs are offered at various times throughout the year based on interest and availability. A Bible in a Year podcast series, hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz through Ascension Press, has been promoted as a way to follow along from home with daily twenty-to-twenty-five-minute sessions through the readings.
Cursillo, a three-day encounter with Christ sometimes described as a small course in Christianity, is held separately for men and women, with weekends typically scheduled once a year for each group. The weekend is held at St. Augustine Church in Cleveland, with Deacon John Rivera serving as spiritual director. 'Welcome,' the new name for Christ Renews His Parish, is being prepared for introduction at St. Julie's, with parish contacts ready to form men's and women's teams when the program launches.
For Women and For Men
Faith formation for women centers on the Women's Fellowship Breakfast of St. Julie's and St. Peter's, held on the second Saturday of the month from September through May at 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. The breakfasts alternate between the back of the church at St. Julie's and the gym at St. Peter's, beginning with an opening prayer and grace, then breakfast, followed by a witness when available, a main presentation, group discussion, announcements, and a closing prayer. Presenters have included parish priests, nuns, and committee members, and videos are sometimes used. There is no cost to attend, but free-will offerings are accepted.
Women ages 18 and older from both parishes are also invited to a Women's Retreat at Damascus in Centerville, Ohio, a weekend of rest, prayer, fellowship, and spiritual renewal that includes lodging, meals, and the Sunday Mass or Vigil Mass.
Faith formation for men is built around the Men's Fellowship Breakfast, held on the third Saturday of the month, with registration and breakfast at 8:20 a.m. and the program running from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. The breakfasts alternate between St. Peter's in odd-numbered months and St. Julie's in even-numbered months, drawing about sixty to seventy men each month from more than thirteen parishes. The format is built around a video topic drawn from resources such as the Reaching Catholic Men Guidebook or Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, a table discussion, a brief witness testimony, and a closing prayer circle. The Men's Fellowship Team, with about six members working in the kitchen, prepares and cleans up for the breakfast. The Men Inspiring Men retreat, presented annually by the North Ridgeville Knights of Columbus Council 7970 in collaboration with the Men's Breakfast, is held prior to or within the first weeks of Lent at St. Julie's and brings together men from more than a dozen parishes for a day of reflection with clergy speakers.
Walking with Moms in Need and Respect Life
Walking with Moms in Need is a joint ministry of St. Julie's and St. Peter's that walks with pregnant and parenting women, without regard to race, color, national origin, age, marital status, or religious affiliations. Two trained volunteers meet with each mom to assess needs and determine resources, with the goal of accompanying her through pregnancy and beyond. The ministry also welcomes volunteers for fundraising, marketing, advertising, communication, and a necessities team that secures items community resources cannot provide. The ministry publishes a printable guide to local pregnancy help and family assistance that includes Birthright in Elyria, Cornerstone Pregnancy Services, Mercy Health Resource Mothers in Amherst, North Ridgeville Community Care, Zelie's Home, Bethesda The House of Mercy, Ohio's Safe Havens for Newborns, and the national ProLife Across America hotline.
The Respect Life Group fosters respect for all human life from conception to natural death through prayer, education, compassionate care, and public policy. The parish participates in 40 Days for Life, including a prayer vigil at the Planned Parenthood facility in Bedford Heights with simultaneous prayer time in the St. Julie chapel. The Rosary Group's Christmas in July and Gifts for Baby Jesus collections, both sponsored with the Respect Life Group, support Birthright of Lorain County throughout the year. Rescue Kits are available in the literature rack in the church foyer for parishioners who know someone considering abortion. Bethesda, The House of Mercy, a ministry offering healing for those wounded by abortion, is also part of the parish's referral network.
Crock Pot Thursday and Feeding the Community
Crock Pot Thursday is an ecumenical ministry of six partner Christian churches in North Ridgeville. Together they provide a balanced meal for each of the last seven days of the month, and St. Julie's serves guests on the last Thursday of the month from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. as a drive-up, carry-out meal. The meals are provided at no cost for the unemployed, under-employed, elderly, lonely, those in need, and those struggling with disabilities that make cooking difficult. Volunteers sign up for a specific task for the current month, with no long-term obligation, and may cook menu items at home using recipes provided and deliver them in a Crock Pot, purchase food for other dishes, serve the meal, or help clean up. Monetary donations are used to purchase paper products.
Ministry to the Sick and Homebound
Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist take Communion weekly to parishioners who are homebound due to illness or age, with between six and ten parishioners visited each week by a pair of volunteers. The list is scheduled once every two months by coordinator Pat Hoffman. Anyone unable to attend Mass but wishing to receive Holy Communion can request a home visit by calling the parish office. A separate bulletin mailing list serves homebound parishioners who cannot attend but would still like a printed copy of the weekly bulletin.
The Rosary Group, PrimeTimers, and Sunday Donuts
The Rosary Group meets every Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. in the St Anne Room, praying for the entire parish family, the sick and homebound, peace, vocations, the unemployed, those who are homeless, the prayer requests pinned to the banner in the church vestibule, and specifically for unborn babies and their mothers. On the fourth Wednesday of the month, the group prays the Rosary for Life. Parishioners with urgent prayer requests may call the office or pin the request to the Prayer Request Banner in the vestibule.
PrimeTimers is a social and fellowship group for parishioners fifty-five years of age and older, with an annual dues of five dollars. The group communicates by newsletter, telephone, and email and organizes outings and gatherings throughout the year. New members and guests are always welcome.
Sunday Donuts brings the parish community together after the 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Masses on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, October through May, with coffee, punch, and donuts as a light refreshment. Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Sunday are omitted. Volunteers pick up donuts from Giant Eagle, prepare and serve coffee, set up the kitchen, offer donuts, clean up, and welcome people to St. Julie's.
The Garden Angels and Buildings and Grounds
The Garden Angels maintain the gardens on the parish's fourteen acres, including the gardens around the church, along Julie Lane, and near the rectory. The gardens provide restful and prayerful areas for parishioners and guests. Volunteers plant, water, fertilize, weed throughout the summer, and help with spring and fall cleanup. Key Bank employees come seasonally to help with mulch, and parishioners are invited to join in. The Buildings and Land ministry manages the capital improvement projects of the facilities and the grounds, and the Heavenly Dusters are responsible for the upkeep of the inside of the church and the chapel and rectory.
The Knights of Columbus, Our Heroes, and the Pastoral and Finance Councils
Knights of Columbus Council 7970 includes 130 parishioners from St. Julie's and St. Peter's parishes in North Ridgeville. The council's primary goals are helping the Catholic Church remain vigorous and undiminished and devotion to Mary, with faith, family, and fraternity at the center. The Men Inspiring Men retreat is a joint effort of the Knights and the Men's Fellowship Breakfast.
Our Heroes recognizes members of the parish who are currently serving or have served in the armed forces, including active duty, National Guard, and Reserves. Names are submitted by family members and displayed on the south wall in the church vestibule. The ministry is currently looking for someone to continue the program.
The Parish Pastoral Council is a consultative body of elected members and the pastor that promotes the spiritual growth of the parish community and plans ways for the parish to carry out the mission of the Church. The Council meets monthly from August through June, hosts the New Parishioner Welcome Brunch, and helps organize the Volunteer Appreciation Brunch held the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The Finance Council, chaired by Chris Vacca, is appointed by the pastor, reviews the parish's financial situation, recommends financial plans, helps prepare the budget and annual report, and monitors legal issues and policies. The Finance Council meets quarterly.
Annual Gatherings and Parish Traditions
The parish calendar is full of traditions that have built community over the years. The Craft Show is held the first Saturday in December as part of North Ridgeville's Holiday on the Ridge, with more than seventy tables of artisans, crafters, and vendors and more than nine hundred shoppers in 2025; the proceeds support ministries such as Catholic Heart Work Camp, Family Promise, youth trips, and the St. Julie - St. Peter Ukraine Welcome Circle project. The Chili Cook-Off is a winter social with chili, mac and cheese, or both, voted on by attendees. The Spaghetti Dinner raises funds for parish seminarians. The Easter Egg Hunt, Breakfast with St. Nick, and Butter Braid Sale are PSR-sponsored family events. The Parish Picnic is an open invitation to anyone who enjoys social planning. Christmas in July and Gifts for Baby Jesus collect new and gently used baby items for Birthright. The Giving Tree fills with ornaments in Advent that are taken and attached to gifts for a needy family, with the wrapped gifts and gift cards delivered to the families just before Christmas. The annual Birthday Brunch honors volunteers the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.
Becoming a Parishioner, Giving, and Staying Connected
New parishioners are welcomed with a registration form that can be downloaded, dropped in the weekly contribution basket, emailed to the parish office, faxed to 440-327-1994, mailed to 5545 Opal Drive, or delivered in person. The Pastoral Council hosts a New Parishioner Welcome Brunch each year. Online giving is provided through ParishSOFT Giving (formerly Faith Direct), with options to give from a checking account, credit card, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, or Google Pay; recurring and one-time gifts can be scheduled for any date. Checks may also be made payable to St. Julie Billiart and mailed to the office at 5545 Opal Street, North Ridgeville, OH 44039. The weekly bulletin is published online, usually by Friday, with inspiration for the Sunday readings and parish updates, and printed bulletins are available in the church. Parishioners can request to be added to the email list for bulletin links and parish notices by emailing stjbc@stjuliebilliart.org.
Saint Julie Billiart
The parish is one of fifteen parishes worldwide named in honor of Saint Julie Billiart. Julie Billiart was a French woman who founded a religious order of nuns known today as the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. After her death in 1816 the order expanded from France to Belgium and Germany. Pope Paul VI canonized her on June 22, 1969, and her feast day is celebrated each year on April 8.