Genealogy resources - Maps and parish histories
Embark on a journey through time with our extensive genealogical map collection, revealing the historical landscapes and narratives of your family’s roots. Explore the evolution of parishes across the Archdiocese, accompanied by insightful parish histories, detailing founding stories, inaugural families, and pioneering pastors. Start uncovering your heritage today!
1838
1818 – CHRIST CHURCH
Originally situated beyond Cincinnati’s city limits at Liberty and Vine Streets, Christ Church fell under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Bardstown, Kentucky. Cincinnati itself was elevated to diocesan status on June 19, 1821. Initially dedicated to St. Patrick, the congregation later relocated to Sycamore Street in 1822, where it was renamed St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. Subsequently, in 1845, St. Peter in Chains Cathedral moved to a newly constructed church at 8th and Plum Streets. The former site on Sycamore Street was then designated as St. Francis Xavier Church.
Cathedral Diamond Jubilee History 1920
1834 – HOLY TRINITY, West End
Bishop Purcell advocated for the creation of Holy Trinity to cater to the influx of German settlers who had populated the western area of what is now downtown Cincinnati. Father John Martin Henni served as the inaugural pastor, and Bishop John B. Purcell officiated the laying of the cornerstone on April 15, 1834.
1845
1840 – OLD ST. MARY, Over the Rhine
Due to the increasing size of Holy Trinity’s congregation, a decision was reached during a meeting held in the church’s basement in the autumn of 1840 to construct another German Catholic Church, specifically to serve the northern part of the city, which was considerably distant from Holy Trinity. A committee, led by Father Henni, was tasked with selecting a suitable location. They ultimately chose a site on Thirteenth Street between Clay and Main Streets. The cornerstone of the new church was laid on March 25, 1841, with an invocation to the Blessed Mary. Father Clement Hammer was appointed as the inaugural pastor.
Old St Mary Diamond Jubilee History
1844 ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, Over the Rhine
St. John the Baptist emerged as the inaugural subsidiary church of St. Mary’s, prompted by the steady influx of German Catholic immigrants to the northern reaches of Cincinnati in 1844. Father Joseph Ferneding spearheaded the organization of the parish.
St John the Baptist OTR handwritten history
1845 – ALL SAINTS, Fulton
In response to the necessity for an English-speaking parish in the eastern sector of the city, Father Olivetti took charge of establishing the parish towards the end of June 1845. He purchased a Methodist church located on Goodlow Street, across from Kemper Lane, and oversaw its renovation, preparing it for dedication on November 9, 1845.
All Saints, Fulton handwritten history, ca. 1920
1845 – ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, Downtown
Following the relocation of the Cathedral to a newly constructed church on 8th Street, the former church on Sycamore was rededicated to St. Francis Xavier. It then began catering to the English-speaking Catholics residing in the vicinity.
1855
1846 – ST. PHILOMENA, Downtown
The increasing German Catholic community in the eastern part of the city, coupled with the rising number of parishioners at Holy Trinity, prompted the establishment of the fourth German Catholic church in Cincinnati, St. Philomena. Father Hengehold was chosen as its inaugural pastor.
1846 – ST. JOSEPH, West End
In the western part of the city, Catholics from Holy Trinity and St. John’s were united by Father William Unterthiner, OFM, who served as the pastor of St. John’s. Together, they established a new church. A plot of land was acquired on Linn and Laurel streets, and the cornerstone was laid in 1846. Father Luers assumed the role of the first pastor.
1847 – ST. MICHAEL, Lower Price Hill
In early 1847, forty-five individuals came together to form a new congregation in Lower Price Hill. The church was consecrated in 1848, with Father Zoppoth appointed as its inaugural pastor.
1848 – ST. PAUL, Over the Rhine
In the winter of 1847-1848, Father Joseph Ferneding of St. Mary’s initiated the establishment of the second subsidiary parish, aimed at accommodating the growing membership of the church. The cornerstone of St. Paul’s was laid in 1848, and the church was officially dedicated in 1850.
1850 – ST. PATRICK, Downtown
In 1850, as a sizable Irish community flourished in the southwestern part of the city, plans were made to construct a church for the English-speaking Catholics in that area. A lease for the northeast corner of Third and Mill streets was secured in May 1850. Father Cahill, entrusted with organizing the parish, erected the church of St. Patrick on this site the same year. Bishop Lamy blessed the church on November 24th.
1852 – ST. AUGUSTINE, West End
The second branch of St. Joseph’s church emerged as St. Augustine’s, established by Father Edward Purcell in 1852 to cater to an English-speaking congregation. The cornerstone of the church, also intended to serve as a chapel for the Ursuline sisters on Bank Street, was laid on August 29, 1852, with dedication taking place on October 16, 1853. Father Boulger assumed the role of pastor. However, due to insufficient support and a significant influx of German Catholic immigrants, the congregation was transferred to the German-speaking Catholics of the area on June 14, 1857.
1853 – ST. THOMAS, Downtown
Archbishop Purcell secured the premises for St. Thomas Church, situated on Sycamore Street between Fifth and Sixth streets, through acquisition from the Soule Chapel Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The church was blessed the following January. Notably, it had hosted the Purcell-Campbell debate in 1837 and was intended to accommodate the overflow from St. Francis Xavier. In 1860, ownership of the church was transferred to the Jesuit fathers. Unfortunately, it was demolished in 1918.
1929
By 1929, the City of Cincinnati and its surrounding communities boasted a total of over 60 parishes.
Maps of parishes in dayton
1855
1837 – EMMANUEL
Rev. Emanuel Thienpont organized the Catholics of Dayton into a parish in 1837. The church, named Emmanuel in honor of its founder, was dedicated in November of the same year. Later, the Irish Catholics separated from Emmanuel and formed St. Joseph parish.
1847 – St. Joseph
In Dayton itself, the first filial church was that of St. Joseph, situated at Second and Madison streets. Established by Father Patrick O’Mealy to care for the Irish families in the eastern part of the town. These families found the distance to Emmanuel Church was considerable, and the necessity of German sermons for some of the people of Emmanuel an inconvenience.
1852 – Our Lady of Good Hope, Miamisburg
Miamisburg, located ten miles south of Dayton, became a parish in 1852 as a significant number of German immigrants settled there in the early 1830s. A church was consecrated under the patronage of St. Michael. The parish was later renamed Our Lady of Good Hope in 1881.
1895
1859 – St. Mary
As East Dayton expanded and a large community of German Catholics settled in the area, Father Schiff initiated the construction of a combined church, school, and parsonage in 1859 for the newly established parish of St. Mary.
1859 – Holy Trinity
Another subsidiary church of Emmanuel was established in the eastern part of the city, marking the third in its lineage. Father Goetz oversaw its organization and ensured the church’s completion by 1861.
Holy Trinity Golden Jubilee 1911
1883 – Sacred Heart
Due to the overwhelming membership at St. Joseph’s, Father Hugh J. McDevitt spearheaded the founding of Sacred Heart Church, situated to the west of Emmanuel’s..
1887 – Our Lady of the Rosary
In 1887, Father Frohmiller established Holy Rosary parish to alleviate the overcrowding at Holy Trinity and ensure the safety of children traveling to school.
1893 – St. John the Baptist
Father Charles J. Hahne led the establishment of St. John, an additional subsidiary parish of Emmanuel. The St. John’s Building Society was formed in 1891, but it wasn’t until 1893 that the archbishop recognized and accepted the church, with Father Franz assuming leadership of the parish.
Maps of parishes in other cities and towns
1838
1830 – St. Martin, St. Martin
St. Martin in Brown County marked the second parish established in the Archdiocese. By 1820, numerous Catholic families had settled on land situated thirty miles northeast of Cincinnati, along the east branch of the Little Miami river. In 1830, Father Kundig was dispatched to St. Martin to orchestrate the formation of a parish, culminating in the completion of the church in 1831.
1832 – St. Stephen, Hamilton
Moved by the preaching of Bishop Fenwick and Father Mullon at the courthouse, the residents of Hamilton founded the third parish in the Archdiocese. They purchased land and constructed a church building, which was completed in 1836.
1834 – St. Augustine, Minster
In 1831, a group of German immigrants, predominantly from Munster, Westphalia, established a colony. Initially served as a mission by Father Horstmann, the settlers later constructed a log church. This church served as the inaugural parish in the northern counties of Auglaize, Mercer, Shelby, and Darke, catering to the surrounding communities.
1836 – Sts. Peter & Paul, Petersburg
Father Horstmann’s second endeavor was the establishment of the congregation in Petersburg, located approximately one mile south of Freyburg and two and a half miles northeast of Botkins. Although a log chapel was constructed in 1836, the formal organization of the parish did not take place until 1840.
Sts. Peter and Paul, Petersburg by Mark Steinke
1836 – St. John, Maria Stein
When the constitution of St. Augustine in Minster was formulated, it also encompassed the neighboring settlement of Maria Stein, where the pastor of Minster could provide services. Subsequently, a log church was erected the following year.
St. John the Baptist, Maria Stein Handwritten History
1837 – St. Patrick, Fayetteville
Under the guidance of Father Masquelet from St. Martin’s, the first subsidiary parish, St. Patrick, was organized.
History of St Patrick Fayetteville
1837 – St. Mary, Arnheim
The second subsidiary parish of St. Martin’s arose from the zeal of Catholic laymen in Arnheim, a village northeast of Georgetown in Brown County. Catholics had been residing there since 1827. The parish was originally called St. Wendelin.
1838 – St. Michael, Fort Loramie
The second parish out of Minster was formed when fifty families which had been brought together at Fort Loramie, largely on account of the work to be had on the Miami canal, united to form the congregation of St. Michael.
1845
1839 – St. Henry, St. Henry
The fourth subsidiary parish of Minster was established at St. Henry, where twenty members came together to form a parish. They constructed a frame church in 1839.
1839 – St. Joseph, St. Joseph
The fifth subsidiary parish of Minster was established in Victoria, situated approximately two miles east of Ft. Recovery. German immigrants, along with former residents of Perry County, settled there and constructed a log church dedicated to St. Joseph in 1839. However, the church was not officially blessed until 1845.
1839 – St. Joseph, Wapakoneta
The people of Wapakoneta attended the church in Petersburg until 1839, when they built their own frame church, which was first served by father Herzog, but received its greatest care from his successor, Father Navarron.
1839 – St. Philomena, Stonelick
The third and last filial of St. Martin’s was the parish at Stonelick in Clermont County, which was formed to accommodate the French and German immigrants who had settled in that vicinity. In 1840, Fathers Gacon and Cheymol from St. Martin’s laid the foundations of the parish, dedicating the log church to St. Philomena.
1839 – St. Denis, Versailles (originally St. Valbert)
Father Louis Navarron was among the French priests recruited by Bishop Purcell in 1839 from the diocese of Clermont, France. Upon arriving in Cincinnati that same year, Bishop Purcell promptly sent him to the colony of French Catholics near the present towns of Frenchtown, Versailles, and Russia in Darke and Shelby counties. Recognizing that none of these places could individually sustain a church, and to accommodate all, a location three miles northeast of Versailles in Darke County, between Frenchtown and Russia, was chosen. There, a log church was constructed and consecrated in honor of St. Valbert, chosen to honor the donor of the land, Mr. Maréchal. However, from the outset, the inconvenience of attending St. Valbert’s church was evident. In 1864, the community of Versailles purchased a Baptist church, renaming it in honor of St. Denis, to replace the original St. Valbert’s. Consequently, St. Valbert’s church became isolated, with its cemetery today serving as a reminder of its historic significance.
1840 – St. Michael, Ripley
As early as 1842, Ripley had a frame church, dedicated in honor of St. John the Baptist. However, due to the infrequency of priests visiting the village, services were held there only on rare occasions. Eventually, the church’s dedication was altered to St. Michael.
1843 – St. Mary, Piqua
When in the middle forties, Father Hallinan was the pastor at St. Stephen’s (Hamilton), he hearkened to the cy of religious distress as it was voiced in the upper Miami valley from Middletown, Piqua, and Sidney. Short pastoral visits were then paid to those localities, and congregations organized later. Thus it happened that at Piqua thirty Catholic families were organized by Father Hallinan in 1844 and a church, to be dedicated under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was built under his direction as well as that of Father James P. Cahill
1844 – St. Rose, St. Rose
The third subsidiary parish of Minster was St. Rose, located approximately four miles west. In the late 1830s, families residing in and around the village convened, leading to the organization of St. Rose parish and preparations for building a place of worship. Until 1844, religious gatherings took place in the farmhouse of Mr. Joseph Kleinhenz. With the guidance of Father Navarron, the first log church was constructed.
Sources
Lamott, John H. History of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, 1921.
Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Clerus Cincinnatensis, A Directory of clergy and parishes of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, 1821-2021, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2021.
Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Clerus Cincinnatensis, A Directory of clergy and parishes of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Vol. 2, No. 2, October, 1946.
Robinson, E. Atlas of the City of Cincinnati Ohio, 1883-1884.
