Trinity Cathedral stands at the corner of East 22nd Street and Euclid Avenue in the heart of downtown Cleveland, a stone-and-stained-glass landmark recognized as the oldest Christian congregation in the city. Founded in 1816, the parish grew from a small gathering in a Cleveland pioneer's home into the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, a role it has held since 1907. Today the cathedral is known for its expansive liturgical music, three distinct Sunday worship services, a midweek healing service, and a wide network of outreach ministries that serve neighbors across the Central neighborhood and beyond.
A Congregation Going Back to Cleveland's First Days
Trinity parish traces its origins to November 9, 1816, when it was organized in the home of Phineas Shepherd in Brooklyn, Ohio, just two years after the founding of Cleveland itself. The first rector was Roger Searle, and for several years the congregation met in homes before building a frame church at the corner of St. Clair and Seneca, then called West 3rd Street. Consecrated in 1829, that wooden structure became the first church building within the village limits of Cleveland.
By 1846 the parish was already planning for something larger. In 1855 the congregation moved into a substantial Gothic stone church just east of Public Square at East 6th Street and Superior Avenue. That building served the parish for nearly half a century until Trinity was offered to Bishop William A. Leonard as a cathedral for the Diocese of Ohio in 1890. From that point, Trinity took on a dual identity as both a working parish and the ceremonial seat of the bishop.
The current cathedral was constructed between 1901 and 1907 under Bishop Leonard's leadership, with funding from many prominent Cleveland families, including the Mather family. The architect was Charles F. Schweinfurth, a nationally recognized Cleveland designer known for churches, residences, and public buildings across the city. Trinity Cathedral was consecrated on September 24, 1907.
Neo-Perpendicular Gothic in the Heart of the City
Schweinfurth designed Trinity as an example of neo-perpendicular Gothic architecture, and the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Every element of the cathedral, from the intricate stained-glass windows to the dark oak millwork, was conceived to unite what the church calls the earthly city with the yearnings for the heavenly city. The cathedral's transcendent beauty is described as a parable in stone.
Docent-led tours are offered periodically between the Sunday services, inviting visitors to explore the windows, art, music, and history of the building. A downloadable Visitor's Guide includes a layout of the cathedral with points of interest marked.
Adjacent to the cathedral stands Trinity Commons, a 100,000-square-foot expansion completed in 2002. Trinity Commons houses meeting and program space for nonprofit, corporate, and community groups across Northeast Ohio, as well as the offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. The shared campus allows the cathedral to function as both a sacred worship space and a community-facing event and education center.
Three Sunday Services, One Cathedral
Trinity's fall, winter, and spring Sunday schedule offers three distinct liturgies, each with its own character. Visitors are welcome at all of them.
The earliest service is the 8:00 a.m. Early Eucharist, held in the chapel. It is an intimate gathering with basic music that follows the order of worship in the Book of Common Prayer.
At 9:00 a.m., the Abundant Table service fills the nave. This intergenerational Holy Eucharist builds on a 20-year tradition of contemporary worship at Trinity. Abundant Table joyfully expands the Anglican tradition while remaining rooted in it, seeking creative ways to connect ancient faith with contemporary life. The service welcomes children, teenagers, and adults of all ages, with a strong rhythm, a full sound, and robust congregational singing. Worshipers gather at the altar to break bread together.
The 11:15 a.m. Choral Eucharist is the cathedral's more formal offering. Trinity's choral ensembles and pipe organs lead music in the Anglican tradition, and the liturgy unfolds with the full ceremonial weight of the Episcopal tradition. Children can worship or play in an interactive soft space in the east transept, and Children's Chapel, a special time for ages 3 to 11, is offered during this service.
On select Sundays and holy days from October through May, a 4:00 p.m. Solemn Eucharist adds incense, bells, plainsong, and the ceremonies of a high-church Anglican liturgy to the schedule. During the summer months, the three-service schedule collapses into a single 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist featuring a rotating roster of soloists, ensembles from the Cathedral Choir, contemporary artists, and instrumentalists.
Midweek Worship: Healing and Evensong
Trinity extends its worship life beyond Sunday morning with two weekday rhythms.
Every Thursday at 12:10 p.m., the cathedral offers a Healing Eucharist in the chapel. All are welcome to Holy Communion, and anyone who wishes may receive the laying-on of hands and anointing for healing for themselves or for someone they love. The service is intended as a quiet, profound moment of respite in the middle of the week.
On Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m., the Cathedral Choir leads two forms of sung Evening Prayer. On the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesdays, the cathedral offers Choral Evensong, an ancient service of music, prayer, and readings that draws worshipers into stillness at the end of the day. On the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, the Expansive Evensong explores how the traditional liturgy can be renewed through creative expression. Both services are open to all, regardless of personal faith.
Music at the Center of Cathedral Life
Music is woven into nearly every aspect of Trinity's identity. The Music & Art at Trinity Cathedral series brings acclaimed musicians and artists to the nave throughout the year, including chamber choirs, soloists, string quartets, and contemporary ensembles. Past seasons have included the Cleveland Chamber Choir's performance of Joby Talbot's Path of Miracles, sung in seven languages, and a long-running Brownbag Concert series that has reached its 49th season. A pre-concert talk is often offered 30 minutes before each performance.
Director of Music Shiloh Roby oversees the cathedral's musical offerings, supported by Music Associate Craig Gahnz-Kuhar and Emily Butler, Program Manager for Music and Art. Trinity's choral ensembles and pipe organs are central to the 11:15 a.m. Choral Eucharist and the Wednesday Evensong services.
Children, Youth, and Families
Trinity takes seriously its vocation as a place for families. Children are welcome at all worship services, and a designated soft space in the cathedral provides quiet toys, a small table, and a mat for young children who need to move and play.
Children's Chapel, an age-appropriate worship experience for children ages 3 to 11, is offered during the 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services from fall through spring. Sunday school for children in Pre-K through sixth grade meets at 10:10 a.m. each Sunday from September through early June, using curriculum that introduces young people to Scripture, the love of God, and the basics of the Christian life.
Youth in grades 7 through 12 gather for Youth Group at 10:10 a.m. on Sundays for formation, with monthly fellowship activities called Youth Group AC on the second and fourth Sundays. These outings have included laser tag, miniature golf, ropes courses, baking dog treats for the Blessing of Animals service, and creating a mailbox for the Marion-Sterling pen pal program. Young people in grade 5 and above may train to serve as acolytes, assisting the clergy in procession, during the Gospel, and at the celebration of the sacraments. All of Trinity's faith education volunteers are certified through the Safe Church, Safe Communities program.
Adult Faith Formation and Cathedral Circles
Adults at Trinity have a wide range of opportunities to grow in faith. Sunday morning Adult Faith Formation at 10:10 a.m. between services includes Bible studies, Dean's Forums featuring visiting scholars and civic leaders, and topical classes. Recent Dean's Forums have included a conversation with Dr. Regennia Williams on the life and legacy of Cleveland writer Charles W. Chesnutt, and class series have explored the Gospel of John, the parables of Jesus, the Letter to the Romans, and the theology of the Enneagram.
The cathedral also hosts several Cathedral Circles, which are small-group gatherings rooted in shared spiritual practice. The Knit Together Prayer Shawls group meets on the first Thursday of each month to create shawls for people in need of comfort and prayerful support. The Divine Feminine circle meets on the second Thursday to explore the Divine Feminine path and deepen relationships with God and one another. The Sacred Space Circle meets monthly on Zoom, and the Gift of Years book discussion gathers monthly for reading and conversation.
Outreach: Feeding the City and Walking with Neighbors
For more than 40 years, Trinity has run A Place at the Table (APATT), a Sunday lunch program that provides hot, nutritious meals to neighbors in need. The meals are served in Cathedral Hall every Sunday from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., with guests entering through the E. 22nd Street entrance. APATT is the only lunch program that serves those in need on Sunday afternoons in downtown Cleveland and has never missed a Sunday lunch since its founding in 1983. Volunteers come from Trinity, the Diocese of Ohio, and many community and faith-based groups.
Just under a mile from the cathedral, Trinity's Urban Farm grows organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs for hunger programs in the Central neighborhood. Founded in 2006 on the corner of East 35th Street and Cedar Avenue, the farm yields 2,500 to 3,500 pounds of produce each year and has donated nearly 20 tons of food over its lifetime. The harvest is delivered directly to The Friendly Inn Settlement's free food pantry, and a team of volunteers gathers on Saturday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to noon to tend the garden.
Trinity maintains close partnerships with several Central neighborhood institutions. The cathedral has a long-standing relationship with Marion-Sterling School, a Pre-K through 8th-grade Cleveland Metropolitan School District campus, supporting the school through food bank distributions, tutoring, school supply drives, Thanksgiving food baskets, and winter clothing collections. Trinity also coordinates with Cleveland State University on programs for food-insecure students and LGBTQ+ students, and the cathedral is represented on the board of Campus District, a nonprofit working to strengthen downtown Cleveland.
What Trinity Believes
Trinity is part of the Episcopal Church, a constituent member of the Anglican Communion in the United States and a partner with the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church. Episcopalians at Trinity follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection are understood to have saved the world.
Trinity summarizes its faith using the image of a three-legged stool, holding that Scripture, Tradition, and Reason are equal cornerstones of Christian belief. Scripture, contained in the Old and New Testaments, is the normative source for God's revelation. Tradition, passed down through the Book of Common Prayer, the historic creeds, and the church's ongoing experience, gives continuity. Reason is the human capacity to discern truth through both logic and intuition, lived experience, and the wisdom of community.
The cathedral is an affirming and inclusive community. Trinity celebrates the gifts of women and men serving as bishops, priests, and deacons, and the cooperation of laypeople and clergy in leadership at every level. The church welcomes LGBTQ+ people as full members, and same-sex marriages are celebrated at Trinity. The cathedral's motto, drawn from the Diocese of Ohio, is simple: God loves you. No exceptions.
The Cathedral as a Diocesan Resource
Trinity is the cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, the first diocese outside the original thirteen colonies, founded in 1818. The diocese encompasses 48 counties across northern Ohio, roughly 170 miles wide by 95 miles deep, with more than 80 congregations. The current bishop is the Rt. Rev. Anne B. Jolly, the 12th bishop of the diocese, and the diocesan offices are housed at Trinity Commons.
As a cathedral, Trinity belongs to all the members of the Diocese of Ohio churches, not just to its own parishioners. The cathedral serves as a gathering place for diocesan events, youth and children's ministry, adult Christian formation, leadership development, and major services of worship.
Leadership of the Cathedral
The Very Rev. Bernard J. Owens, IV, known as Dean Owens, is the 12th dean of Trinity Cathedral. He was called in the fall of 2018 and previously served as rector at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. Dean Owens led the strategic visioning process that produced Trinity's vocation to be a Sacred Place for All People. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Yale Divinity School and a member of the 2022 class of Leadership Cleveland.
The Rev. Canon Adrienne Koch serves as Canon for Mission and Transformation, overseeing adult formation, outreach, and campus ministry. The Rev. Megan Allen-Miller joined in the fall of 2025 as Priest Associate for Community Outreach and Pastoral Care. Bishop Anne B. Jolly presides over the diocese and is an ex officio participant in cathedral governance.
Eric Travis serves as Associate for Congregational Ministry with a focus on children, youth, and young adults. Lisa Galek is Communications Manager, Sam Hubish is Livestream Producer, Shiloh Roby directs the music program, and Jon Silvis serves as Operations Manager.
Governance of the cathedral is shared between the dean and the vestry, the elected lay leadership body. Cynthia Ries serves as Senior Warden and John Chapman as Junior Warden. The vestry is responsible for the vision, finances, property, personnel, and ministry of the cathedral.
Planning a Visit
Trinity Cathedral is located at 2230 Euclid Avenue, at the corner of East 22nd Street, in downtown Cleveland. Parking is available behind the church in a lot with an entrance on Prospect Avenue (2307 Prospect for GPS). Parking is free for church attendees, staff, and guests of Trinity Cathedral and the Diocese of Ohio offices during worship services. The cathedral is handicap-accessible, with automatic door openers and no stairs at the entrance.
Anyone may attend worship at Trinity. Visitors will find people dressed casually as well as more formally, in everything from jeans and T-shirts to business attire. There is no dress code. All who wish to receive Holy Communion are welcome at the altar rail, and Trinity believes that baptism is the fullness of the sacrament; newcomers who feel drawn to communion are encouraged to talk with a priest about baptism.
Children are welcome at every service. Sunday school for Pre-K through sixth grade and Youth Group for grades 7 through 12 meet at 10:10 a.m. on Sundays during the program year. The 11:15 a.m. service is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook each week, along with additional services and special events. Bulletins are available for download.
The cathedral's phone number is 216.771.3630 and the general email is trinity@trinitycleveland.org. Visitors are invited to fill out a Visitor Card online or stop by during business hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Sacraments and Life Events
Trinity celebrates the major sacraments of the Anglican tradition. Baptisms are held throughout the year and principally on four feast days that celebrate baptismal life: All Saints' Sunday, the Baptism of Our Lord, the Great Vigil of Easter, and Pentecost. Adults, children, and infants are all eligible.
Christian marriage is celebrated for all couples, and Trinity is proud to be an affirming church that celebrates marriage equality for all people, including LGBTQ+ persons. Couples are invited to contact the Wedding Guild for guidelines and planning.
Funerals and memorial services are offered for members of the congregation and those active in the life of Trinity, following the order of service in the Book of Common Prayer. Outside services are offered at the discretion of the clergy.
Giving, Planned Gifts, and Trinity Commons
Trinity offers several ways to support its ministry. Gifts can be made online through Realm, by PayPal, by texting GIVETRINITY to 73256, through Venmo at @TrinityCleveland, by check, or in the offering basket at any service. The cathedral's Legacy Circle recognizes donors who include Trinity in their estate plans, and Trinity partners with FreeWill to offer free will-writing tools.
The cathedral's Trinity Commons expansion is also available for facility rental, hosting weddings, conferences, concerts, and community events in spaces that include a state-of-the-art conference center, a botanical courtyard, and an art gallery.