For almost 140 years, the same stone-and-brick gothic church has stood at 82 East William Street in Delaware, Ohio, drawing Catholic families from across Delaware County through its arched doors. St. Mary Catholic Church, known locally as St. Mary of Delaware, is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Columbus serving about 2,100 registered households in central Ohio. The parish sits under the patronage of the Blessed Mother and follows the Roman Rite, offering weekday and weekend Masses in English and Spanish, an elementary school on the same campus since 1860, a parish cemetery on South Sandusky Street in use since 1897, and a wide calendar of ministries that runs from preschool faith formation to grief support and adult faith formation.

The Gothic Church on East William Street

The current church was built in 1886 by Irish and German parishioners using nearby stone and fired bricks, in the gothic style that has shaped Catholic sacred architecture for centuries. With a seating capacity of about 500, it still hosts five weekend Masses every weekend and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979. The building has been renovated several times across its history, in 1929, 1947, 1959, 1970, 1971, and most recently in 1984 under Fr. Enke, and the parish is now in the middle of a multi-phase beautification designed by Catholic architect William Heyer.

A Faith That Goes Back to 1835

St. Mary's roots run deep. Catholicism in Delaware County dates to 1835, when German immigrant families first settled in the area looking for work. In the 1850s, the construction of the Big Four Railroad from Cleveland to Cincinnati brought Irish Catholic workers and their families to Delaware, and by 1854 the small Catholic community had built a wooden church on Hill Street, now University Avenue. Two years later, in 1856, the parish received its first resident pastor, Rev. Caspar Wiese. The parish has grown from roughly 1,000 individual members in 1911 to the 2,100 households it serves today. The school building was constructed in 1925, with a major addition and renovation completed in 2005, and the former Sisters' Convent, now called Kavanagh Hall, was built in 1949.

Mass Times, Reconciliation, and Adoration

The parish celebrates the Eucharist daily. Weekend Masses are offered on Saturday at 4:30 PM, and on Sunday at 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, and 11:30 AM in English, plus a Sunday Mass in Spanish at 2:00 PM. The Sunday 9:00 AM Mass is livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Weekday Masses follow a regular pattern: Monday and Wednesday at 8:15 AM, Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 PM, Friday at 8:15 AM, and Saturday at 9:00 AM.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered on Saturday morning from 8:00 to 8:45 AM and on Saturday afternoon from 3:00 to 4:10 PM, as well as on Thursday evenings after the 5:30 PM Mass until 7:30 PM. Confessions can also be scheduled by appointment through the parish office. Eucharistic Adoration is held on Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:30 PM and on Fridays from 9:00 AM to noon, with an extended period of adoration beginning Thursday evening at 6:30 PM and continuing through Saturday morning at 9:00 AM each First Friday.

The Seven Sacraments

St. Mary prepares parishioners for each of the seven Catholic sacraments. Parents preparing for a child's Baptism are asked to be registered parishioners, complete a Baptism Request form (available in English and Spanish), choose a godparent who is a practicing Catholic with a letter of suitability from their own parish, and, for first-time parents, returning Catholics, or interfaith families, attend a monthly Baptism Preparation class. Children in first grade and older who have not been baptized enter the parish's Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program through PSR.

Children typically prepare for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist in second grade through Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Confirmation is usually celebrated in eighth grade and is marked by a Mass with the bishop presiding. Teens attend seventh and eighth grade Confirmation formation on Thursday evenings, complete fifteen hours of service (ten of them at St. Mary), attend a Confirmation retreat at Damascus Catholic, and meet with a priest for a readiness conversation before the sacrament.

Couples are asked to contact the parish at least six months before their desired wedding date. A priest or deacon walks the couple through Marriage Guidelines, a Ceremony Selection Form, a Music Selection Form, and Pre-Cana sessions. Anointing of the Sick is available to anyone facing serious illness or advanced age, and the parish encourages anyone scheduled for a hospitalization to call ahead for a pre-hospital anointing. Holy Orders and OCIA are also supported through the parish office, with referrals to the diocesan vocations office where appropriate. Funerals are guided by a Funeral Planning Guide, and a Bereavement Committee prepares and serves a funeral luncheon for families.

St. Mary School: A Catholic Education Since 1860

St. Mary School has educated central Ohio children since 1860 and now serves full-day kindergarten through eighth grade on the same campus as the church. The school is accredited and uses FACTS for enrollment and tuition management. Financial aid is offered through the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund, which uses the FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment. Eric Pfeifer serves as principal and Emily Wu as assistant principal.

The school is also home to St. Mary Preschool, which provides a Christian atmosphere for children at their own developmental pace, with early literacy, math, social skills, and a sense of the wider world. After school, the School-Aged Child Care (SACC) program offers care from 2:15 to 6:00 PM, with an additional Pre-K Kamp option from 7:00 to 11:30 AM and 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM. The SACC staff works with each child's individual needs in an environment that integrates the Catholic faith.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

For children ages 3 through 12 who are not enrolled in the parish school, St. Mary offers Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a hands-on, Montessori-inspired approach to faith formation developed by scripture scholar Sofia Cavalletti and Montessorian Gianna Gobbi. Children gather in an "atrium," a retreat-like space filled with materials about the life of Christ, prayer, and liturgical activity, working in age groups of three years so that peers at similar developmental stages learn from one another. CGS classes run from September through May. Confirmation preparation for seventh and eighth graders is held on Thursday evenings from 4:30 to 6:00 PM in the school and builds on the foundation laid in CGS.

Totus Tuus and Summer Bible School

Each July, the parish hosts Totus Tuus, a five-day summer catechetical program for youth entering first through twelfth grade. The children's program runs Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM, with daily Mass, four classes a day, Reconciliation opportunities, games, and a Friday afternoon of water games and social recreation. The teen program for grades 7 through 12 meets Sunday through Thursday evenings, 7:00 to 9:00 PM, with witness talks, small group discussions, and Night Prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Totus Tuus is built on five pillars (Eucharistic devotion, Marian devotion, catechetical instruction, proclamation of the Gospel, and Christian witness) and is staffed by a team of college students and seminarians sent out by the Diocese of Columbus.

Youth Ministry and S.P.I.C.E.

St. Mary's year-round youth ministry includes Coffee Club, a Thursday-afternoon gathering for high schoolers at Coffeeology in Delaware; Small Group Discipleship groups led by young adults; Dead Theologians Society, a monthly Saturday-morning look at the lives of the saints for grades 8 through 12; middle school Bible study in the school library; and youth adoration hours in the church. Social nights for middle and high schoolers include game nights, movie nights, and paint nights. The ministry partners with Damascus Catholic for retreats, including a Catholic Youth Winter Camp and monthly Jesus Nights.

S.P.I.C.E. (Special People in Catholic Education) is the parish's ministry to families of children with special needs, supporting programs across the parish and school. Springs of Love, an outreach focused on Catholic foster and adoptive families, complements the parish's care for vulnerable children through educational programming, small groups, and parish care teams.

Music and Liturgical Arts

The Music Ministry centers on the Parish Choir, a seasonal vocal ensemble that sings at the Sunday morning Mass, Solemnities, and special occasions. Rehearsals are on Tuesdays from 7:30 to 9:00 PM, and members join "because they enjoy being part of a larger group, making new friends, and growing in their spiritual life." The parish welcomes instrumentalists (brass, wind, organ, keyboard, and strings) to serve regularly or in showcases of parishioner talent. Cantors lead the congregation in hymns, antiphons, psalm verses, and gospel acclamations. The Director of Music guides cantors, instrumentalists, and the choir, approves all music for weddings, and supports the wider parish's liturgical life.

Other liturgical roles are also part of parish life. Altar servers begin training in fifth grade with a one-year commitment; adults are also welcome. Lectors and commentators proclaim the Word of God and welcome the assembly at each Mass. Ushers arrive a half hour before Mass to greet visitors, assist those who need help, and pass out bulletins afterward. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, commissioned by the bishop for two-year terms, distribute the Eucharist at weekend and Holy Day Masses and bring Communion to the sick and homebound.

Hispanic Ministry and the Spanish Mass

St. Mary celebrates a Spanish-language Mass every Sunday at 2:00 PM, often followed by a social in the school commons. The Hispanic Ministry is a team of volunteers who, together with the pastor, parish staff, and the diocesan vicar, support the parish's Spanish-speaking families through sacramental preparation, evangelization, and a year-round calendar of bilingual devotions. Highlights include a Festival Dinner in the summer, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day celebration in Advent with a novena, a procession from the grotto to the church, and Mass on December 12. Throughout the year, the ministry hosts a weekly Rosary before Mass, Stations of the Cross, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, las Posadas, and other prayer gatherings.

Adult Faith Formation and OCIA

The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) welcomes adults who want to learn about the Catholic Church or join it. A new season starts each September, sessions run through Pentecost, and members are received into the Church at the Easter Vigil. The parish also welcomes baptized Christians from other traditions and Catholics who have not yet received Confirmation or Eucharist. A team of parishioners facilitates the process, and volunteers are needed for hospitality, catechesis, and sponsorship. Children of catechetical age who are joining the Church follow the OCIA-adapted-for-children track alongside the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program.

Beyond OCIA, Adult Faith Formation offers programs for adults at different stages of faith. Walking with Purpose runs Bible studies for women of every age, including young moms and high-school and college-age women. Well Read Mom is a Catholic book club that reads literature by authors such as John Steinbeck, Jane Austen, Dante, Shakespeare, and Julian of Norwich, meeting monthly from August through June. The Rescue Project, a video-based exploration of the Gospel, drew more than 120 adults the previous year and is offered on a recurring basis.

Men's Ministry and the Knights of Columbus

St. Mary Men's Ministry gathers men eighteen and older for fellowship and formation. The Saturday Men's Group meets at the Knights of Columbus Hall across from the church parking lot: doors open at 7:00 AM for coffee and donuts, the program begins at 7:30 AM and ends by 8:45 AM, and many of the men go on to attend the 9:00 AM Saturday Mass together. During the school year the group runs That Man Is You, a program that connects current social science with Catholic teaching on the vocation of husband and father. The men also take part in Exodus 90 during Lent, the annual Catholic Men's Conference, and Damascus Men's Retreats.

Knights of Columbus Council 1056 is a faith-and-fraternity organization for Catholic men that has been active in Delaware for more than 100 years. The council contributes more than 15,250 volunteer hours each year across 30 to 40 separate events.

Women of St. Mary and Marriage Enrichment

Women of St. Mary (WOSM) provides spiritual, emotional, and social fellowship for women of all ages through meetings, volunteering, fundraisers, and events such as the Spring Fashion Show, Operation Easter Baskets, and support for the Bereavement Committee. The Seven Sister Apostolate and the Prayer Shawl Ministry offer quieter ways to be present to others in prayer. For married and engaged couples, the parish supports marriage preparation at least six months ahead of the wedding date, Pre-Cana sessions, and ongoing enrichment through parish events. Couples facing remarriage after divorce or annulment can work with a member of the parish staff to pursue an annulment.

Pastoral Care, Grief Support, and the Bereavement Committee

The Healing Ministry reaches out to parishioners who are sick, homebound, or grieving. Volunteer Ministers of Holy Communion bring the Eucharist and the daily readings to parishioners at Grady Hospital, at local nursing homes, and in their homes on a regular basis. Pre-hospital anointing is available for anyone facing a scheduled surgery or hospitalization. Catholic Mass is offered on a regular basis at some local nursing homes, and individual pastoral visits can be arranged.

The Bereavement Committee, made up of more than sixty parishioners divided into four teams, prepares and serves a funeral luncheon for the family and friends of any deceased parishioner, working primarily out of the Rodman-Neeper Community Room and only rarely using the Beitel Commons in the school. The Grief Support ministry, "Seasons of Hope," meets on a recurring basis for those who have lost a loved one, with announcements of the next gathering in the bulletin.

The Cemetery on South Sandusky Street

St. Mary Catholic Cemetery has been a parish cemetery since 1897, set on the south side of Delaware at 426 South Sandusky Street. Under the auspices of the Diocese of Columbus, the cemetery serves as an extension of the Church: a sacred space for the interment or inurnment of Catholics and their family members. The grounds are tended year-round with the help of volunteers, especially in spring and fall. The cemetery mailing address is the parish office at 82 East William Street, and inquiries can be directed through the parish office.

Outreach: SVdP, Common Ground, Family Promise, Respect Life

St. Vincent de Paul Society (the St. Mary Delaware Conference) is the parish's principal outreach to neighbors in material need. Active and associate members dedicate thousands of hours each year to financial assistance, the St. Vincent de Paul Help Line, a Microloan program, support for the SVdP Men's Shelter of Delaware County, transportation, and weekly donations to the food pantry at People In Need. The conference also runs the annual Clothing Drive and supports PIN Holiday Clearing House and Thanksgiving Donations.

The parish supports several other outreach efforts. Common Ground Free Store is a partnership of Delaware County churches, businesses, and civic organizations providing free clothing, shoes, diapers, linens, small appliances, books, and toys with no income requirements. Family Promise of Delaware County is an interfaith network of congregations providing food, shelter, and case management for homeless families. The Respect Life Committee promotes the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death and hosts an information booth at the Delaware County Fair each fall. The Advent Giving Tree at Christmas invites the parish to share gifts with families in the community.

Festival, Bazaar, and Parish Life

The St. Mary Festival, founded in 1998, is the largest single-event fundraiser for the parish, supporting playground equipment and emergency repairs to parish facilities. The Holiday Craft Bazaar, held the Saturday before Thanksgiving each November, features more than seventy artists selling handmade holiday décor, jewelry, bath and body products, fashions, and other artisan goods, with proceeds benefiting S.P.I.C.E. and SPO. The International Celebration brings the community together with food, fellowship, music, and square dancing to celebrate the many cultures within the parish.

School Parish Organization (SPO) is the parent-run organization behind many parish-wide community events, including the Ice Skate Party at the Chiller, Hallowed Hayride, Trunk-or-Treat, the Lehner's Fall Picnic, the Father-Daughter Dance, and the Mother-Son Bowling. SPO meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 5:30 PM in the Teacher's Lounge.

A Restoration of the Sanctuary

The 1886 church is in the middle of a multi-phase beautification designed by Catholic architect William Heyer, intended to restore the building's traditional sacred character while preserving its 19th-century bones. Phase 1, the plaster repair and decorative painting in the sanctuary, was completed in summer 2024, and five angel murals were installed in the sanctuary in August 2025. Phase 2, covering the rest of the plaster, paint, and audio work in the nave, is estimated at about $237,000 and is partially funded. Phase 3 covers the floors, pews, kneelers, restoration of an additional stained-glass window, and rearrangement of the cry rooms and narthex, estimated at $400,000. Gifts to the Church Beautification Fund support the work.

Stewardship, the Bishop's Appeal, and Giving

The parish encourages stewardship as a way of life, beginning with prayer and growing into the sharing of time, talent, and treasure. Online giving is available through Our Sunday Visitor (OSV). The Bishop's Annual Appeal supports the pastoral services and ministries of the Diocese of Columbus. Each autumn, parishioners are invited to make a planned financial commitment to fund regular operations through the annual offertory drive. Planned giving options include bequests, gifts of appreciated assets, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, donor-advised funds, and endowments.

Becoming Part of St. Mary

Anyone wishing to join the parish is asked to complete a Parish Registration form available at the Parish Office, which is located in the house east of the church at the corner of Henry and William Streets (use the rear door from the parking lot). Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and Friday from 9:00 AM to noon. Registration is required before the parish can celebrate any of the sacraments for someone or issue a sponsor certificate for a wedding or confirmation. Anyone interested in learning more about the Catholic faith is invited to reach out about OCIA, and anyone discerning a vocation to the priesthood, diaconate, or religious life can contact the parish office or the diocesan vocations office.