The Heart of Liberty Township: A Parish Reflecting the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus

St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church rises along Hamilton Mason Road in Liberty Township, just outside Hamilton in Butler County, Ohio. What began in 1989 as a handful of families gathering for Mass in a public school has grown into one of the largest single parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, with about 3,400 families and more than ninety ministries. The parish takes its name from St. Maximilian Kolbe, the Polish Franciscan priest and martyr who volunteered to die in place of another prisoner at Auschwitz, and that witness of sacrificial love shapes the way the community sees itself.

The parish states its vision plainly: "Reflecting the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus through reverent worship and joyful fellowship, St. Maximilian Kolbe parishioners generously serve our neighbors and engage in missionary discipleship." From the way the daily Mass schedule is built to the way the parish pours itself into Soroti, Uganda, that sentence is lived out in concrete habits.

Mass, Confession, and a Schedule Built Around the Eucharist

The parish offers Mass seven days a week. The Sunday schedule opens with a Saturday Vigil at 4:30 PM and continues with Sunday Masses at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Saturday at 8:30 AM. On the first Friday of each month an additional Mass is offered at 7:30 PM. Every Mass in the church is livestreamed, and an archive of past liturgies is available for those who wish to catch up on what they missed.

Confession is woven into the rhythm of the week. Priests hear confessions after every weekday Mass (around 9:15 AM), on Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, on Fridays from 7:00 to 7:20 AM, and on Saturdays from 3:00 to 4:00 PM. Any weekday confession time can also be arranged by appointment with one of the priests.

The parish takes its incense and Precious Blood schedules seriously. Incense is used on Christ the King (November 22 at the 9:00 and 11:00 AM Masses), and the chalice is distributed at solemnities such as Easter Vigil, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, the Assumption, All Saints, Christ the King, and the parish feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe in August.

Families with members who have sensory needs are not left to navigate large crowds on their own. Each weekend Mass is livestreamed into the Immaculata Room just outside the church, where the sound is controlled and movement is welcome. No registration is required.

Adoration and the Liturgy of the Hours

Adoration is not an occasional event at St. Max but a weekly centerpiece. Each Thursday, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the church following the 8:30 AM Mass and remains exposed throughout the day, closing with the Rite of Benediction at 8:00 PM. On First Fridays, exposition continues until Benediction at 7:00 PM, and on the Mondays of Advent and Lent exposition is kept until Benediction at 5:00 PM. Parishioners can sign up to commit to a regular holy hour through the parish's Adoration Team.

Before the workday begins, the parish gathers for Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, Monday through Friday at 7:30 AM in the church. The prayer includes psalms, biblical canticles, Scripture readings, hymns, and intercessions, and typically lasts about fifteen to twenty minutes. After each weekday Mass the Rosary is prayed half an hour before, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed immediately after.

Sacraments for a Catholic Life

The parish prepares Catholics for each of the seven sacraments. Baptisms of infants are normally celebrated on the first and third Sundays of the month at 12:30 PM. Parents who are baptizing their first child attend a baptismal preparation session, and godparents are asked to fill out a Catholic Godparent Form signed by their own pastor. Letters of good standing and baptismal certificates can be requested through online forms on the parish site.

First Penance and First Communion are typically prepared in second grade through the parish's Together in Jesus program, which runs inside the broader Faith on Fire family formation track. The process involves a required parent information meeting, six preparation sessions, a retreat, and prayer services. Confirmation is normally prepared in eighth grade. For adults who have not yet received these sacraments, the parish offers Becoming Catholic, its OCIA process (formerly known as RCIA), led by Adult Initiation Minister Dave Brunsman.

Couples preparing for marriage are required to take a Natural Family Planning class at St. Max, in addition to the usual marriage preparation steps. Anointing of the Sick can be requested at any time by speaking with one of the priests, and the sacrament is also celebrated communally during specific Masses each year, including the 4:30 PM Mass in October.

From Freedom Elementary to a House for 3,400 Families

The parish's history is a story of fast growth and steady building. On July 6, 1989 the Archdiocese of Cincinnati announced the founding of a new parish, and Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk chose St. Maximilian Kolbe, the WWII Polish martyr, as the patron. For the first years the community worshipped at Freedom Elementary School, with Mass celebrated weekly for about five hundred families.

In 1991 the parish center was dedicated, with the first Mass offered there on November 22, 1991, and the parish offices moved into the basement of the new rectory. A visit by Franciszek Gajowniczek, the prisoner whose life St. Maximilian Kolbe saved at Auschwitz, came in 1994. Gajowniczek was working his way through parishes named for the saint who had died for him, and his presence at St. Max remains a treasured memory.

A $5.5 million campaign funded construction of the current church, which Archbishop Pilarczyk dedicated on December 23, 2001. New offices off the gathering space were begun in 2003 and occupied in 2004. In 2011 the parish installed an improved sound system with acoustical panels, an outdoor Stations of the Cross, and the Knights of Columbus placed a statue of "Rachel" on the grounds. The most recent major project was a $1.3 million community room and meeting room that softly opened on December 1, 2024.

In 2018 the parish established a formal twinning relationship with St. Patrick's Madera parish in the Soroti Diocese of Uganda, creating an international bridge that continues to this day through pen pals, water wells, an ox plow project, and support for Holy Angels secondary school.

Becoming Catholic, Alpha, and the Disciples Radiate Christ Initiative

For adults who want to explore the Catholic faith or finish what they started, the parish runs two welcoming doorways. Alpha is an eleven-session introduction to the Christian faith that includes food, a short video, and small-group discussion. Alpha is offered in English and Spanish and is endorsed by the Catholic Church. Becoming Catholic is the formal OCIA process for those seeking Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation.

In 2023 the parish took the Disciple Maker Index Survey and partnered with the Catholic Leadership Institute. A team of parishioners, staff, and the pastor spent six months praying, discerning, and identifying three parish priorities: forming parishioners of every age in the Catholic faith, cultivating a deeper relationship with Christ through Mass and prayer, and growing as joyful disciples through participation in parish life. The fruit of that work is the Disciples Radiate Christ initiative, a network of small Disciple Groups that meet throughout the year. Groups are facilitated by parishioners and supported by a parish team.

Children, Youth, and Young Adults

Children's faith formation at St. Max is built around Mighty Max, a small-group experience for preschoolers and a parent or guardian that uses play, song, and crafts to build preschool skills and faith. For elementary through eighth grade the parish runs Faith on Fire, with the Fuel track for ongoing formation and a family-gathering option on Sundays or Mondays.

The youth ministry ladder has rungs for every age. Ember is the fifth and sixth grade program, with gatherings on Sundays. Ignite serves seventh and eighth graders. Ablaze is the high school program, gathering for spiritual growth, service projects, retreats, social events, and conferences. The Dead Theologians Society is a high school group that meets in the evenings to study the lives of the saints. Summer offers Heavenly Heroes Summer Camp for children and Kamp Kolbe for preschoolers.

For high schoolers and young adults ages 18 to 35, the parish offers a weekly Young Adults Discussion Group on Friday evenings in the Acutis Lounge, with food, conversation, and short spiritual reflections. The parish also sponsors retreats, the Catholic young adult podcast library of Formed.org, and regular social events like Brothers and Brews.

Men, Women, Marriage, and Family Life

The parish offers structured pathways for men and women who want to grow together in faith. Men can take part in Exodus 90, the demanding ninety-day spiritual exercise of prayer, asceticism, and fraternity that runs from January 1 to the Easter Vigil. Men in Tents is the popular annual camping weekend at Camp River Ridge in Oldenburg, Indiana, with bonfires, Mass, adoration, reconciliation, and fellowship for men twenty-one and older. Brothers and Brews meets monthly for casual conversation.

For women, Faith Lessons for Women gathers Wednesday mornings during the school year for study, discussion, and coffee. Magnify 90 pairs women in a book-based reflection on the feminine virtues with weekly check-ins. Moms of St. Max meets roughly every other week, alternating between Sunday evenings and Wednesday mornings, to foster community and equip mothers as the primary teachers of the faith in their homes. A Women's Retreat is offered each year, with Mass, exposition, benediction, confession, and time for quiet.

Married couples are supported through monthly Date Nights on the first Friday of the month, beginning with the 7:30 PM Mass and continuing with themed formation and social time. A Marriage Enrichment contact and a Marriage Works! referral network assist couples who need additional resources. Natural Family Planning classes are offered in fall and spring, free for registered parishioners.

Prayer Groups, Healing, and Pastoral Care

The parish is home to several ongoing prayer ministries. The St. Monica Society gathers to pray for the return of loved ones who have left the faith, meeting Tuesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 PM in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and Mondays from 3:00 to 4:00 PM in the church. Living Waters hosts adoration nights, healing and intercessory prayer, and rosary services. Hearts Afire supports parish-based small group formation around Fr. Michael Gaitley's Marian consecration materials, with a free copy of 33 Days to Morning Glory available from the parish office. Harvest of Prayer offers individual prayer ministry after the 9:00 AM Mass on the second Sunday of each month. Sunday School with Fr. Jim meets at 10:30 AM in rooms 2 and 3 for families who want to learn more about the Mass and the faith.

Service in the Community and Across the World

The parish's Outreach Commission supports a wide network of service to neighbors in Butler County and beyond. St. Max partners with Faith Alliance, a local network of Christian congregations working against poverty, and with Family Promise of Butler County, hosting homeless families on campus four weeks each year. Parishioners also serve at Serve City food pantry, Mission of Mary Cooperative in Dayton, Matthew 25 Ministries, St. Francis Seraph Ministries in Over-the-Rhine, the Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank, and UC Health West Chester Hospital. Su Casa Hispanic Center of Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio uses bilingual volunteers from the parish. Nursing Home Bingo visits residents of StoryPoint West Chester on the first and third Saturdays of each month.

The parish also gives generously to vetted local charities through its Outreach Allocation Committee, which reviews applications, recommends grants, and follows up on outcomes. The parish compiles a Vetted Charitable Organizations list to help donors direct their giving to non-profits that do not contradict Catholic teaching.

The Twinning Ministry with St. Patrick's Madera in Soroti, Uganda is one of the parish's signature works. The relationship has funded an ox plow project for the 161 catechists of St. Patrick's outstations, the construction of fifty deep water wells, and ongoing support for Holy Angels College, where parishioners funded a girls' dormitory that sleeps one hundred students. The heart of the ministry is the Pen Pals program: parishioners are matched with a catechist family and exchange letters, photos, and prayers several times a year.

Becoming Part of the Parish

Newcomers are warmly welcomed. Those who wish to register can fill out a Parishioner Registration form online. The parish's Welcome Ministry invites new families to a Welcome Orientation with a tour of the building. The parish staff is reachable at web@saint-max.org and at the parish office at 513-777-4322 during office hours, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM to noon.

Giving is offered in several forms: online giving through ParishSoft, text-to-give, traditional offertory envelopes, planned giving, and even the parish's enrollment in Kroger Rewards. A capital campaign called "Comfort Your People O Lord" supports HVAC improvements to the church.

St. Gabe's School, a Catholic grade school that shares the parish's mission, is accessible from the parish site. The parish also keeps a Merch Store with branded items and a separate online giving portal for the Twinning Ministry through Faith Direct.

Clergy and Staff

The parish is served by two priests and four permanent deacons. Fr. Jim Riehle is the pastor. Fr. Matthew Montag is the parochial vicar. The permanent deacons are John Paul Back, Mike Hinger, Jeff Johnson, and Mike Lippman. The staff also includes Mary Ella Wielgos as Director of Worship and Sacred Music, Jo Zink as Director of Parish Faith Formation and Discipleship, Mary Lou Baker as Associate Director of Religious Formation, Robin Burbrink as Children's Initiation Minister, Roya Salehpour as Coordinator of Youth Ministry, Dave Brunsman as Adult Initiation Minister, Madison Sanders as Director of Stewardship, and Lakmé Kodros as Director of Outreach. Parish leadership is shaped by the Pastoral Council and four commissions: Worship, Outreach, Parish Life and Stewardship, and Finance.

With daily Mass, a thick calendar of formation and fellowship, an active outreach network, and an international relationship that stretches from Liberty Township to Soroti, St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church carries forward the witness of its patron in a way that aims to be as generous and as intentional as the man who gave his life for a stranger in a starvation bunker eighty years ago.